Author: J.Jones

Fight Night 90 Aftermath: The Only Constant is Change


(via Getty)

I remember the exact moment I knew that Rafael Dos Anjos was going to lose last night.

It came just prior to the co-main event tilt between Roy Nelson and Derrick Lewis, oddly enough. While hyping up the featured bouts of the evening, Jon Anik referred to Dos Anjos’ then win streak as “legendary.” He had made a similar comment earlier in the evening (something about Dos Anjos looking to secure his legacy as “one of the greatest lightweights to ever step foot in the octagon,” which I guess was technically true), but I had brushed it off, as I do with most commentators, as a case of simply needing some words to fill time.

But the moment that word hit my ear, I pricked up in my seat a bit.

The post Fight Night 90 Aftermath: The Only Constant is Change appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via Getty)

I remember the exact moment I knew that Rafael Dos Anjos was going to lose last night.

It came just prior to the co-main event tilt between Roy Nelson and Derrick Lewis, oddly enough. While hyping up the featured bouts of the evening, Jon Anik referred to Dos Anjos’ win streak as “legendary.” He had made a similar comment earlier in the evening (something about Dos Anjos looking to secure his legacy as “one of the greatest lightweights to ever step foot in the octagon,” which I guess was technically true), but I had brushed it off, as I do with most commentators, as a case of simply needing some words to fill time.

But the moment that word hit my ear, I pricked up in my seat a bit. Wait, how many fights *has* Dos Anjos won now? Have I really been that asleep at the wheel? I had to consult Wikipedia, and you’d imagine my surprise when I found that Dos Anjos’ current win streak stood at five. Granted, these five wins came over incredibly tough guys — Cerrone, Pettis, Bendo — but still, the use of the term “legendary” seemed a bit hyperbolic when describing it. Like they had done with Renan Barao previously, it seemed that the narrative the UFC/Anik/whoever had decided to push Dos Anjos with was the “unstoppable killer” one — which, if you think about it, is really the only angle that the UFC has *ever* used on a Brazilian/foreign champion with not-so-great English (like how unathletic, pudgy white fighters are always praised for being a “hard worker”).

The thing is, we had never seen Barao lose when we were slapping him with “P4P king” status and other such superlative titles. We’ve seen Dos Anjos lose, multiple times, and though he’s clearly a far superior fighter to the guy we first saw in the octagon, we’ve still seen that he’s not indestructible. So for whatever reason, as soon as I heard Anik even attempt to push that narrative, I said to myself, “Well, you had a good run, Two Angees” (I don’t speak Portuguese). Because this is MMA after all, where the UFC’s best laid plans are treated with as much hostility by the powers above as MMA reporters are treated by the UFC.

And wouldn’t you know it, it took less than a round for those misanthropic MMA Gods to show me their divine light.

In a year that has seen Michael Bisping become the middleweight champion, Miesha Tate become the women’s bantamweight champion, Robbie Lawler continue to reign at welterweight, and Dominick Cruz return to form like nothing had even happened in the past three years, perhaps it makes sense that Eddie Alvarez would blitzkrieg and blister Dos Anjos in a matter of minutes to become the lightweight champion. Predicting fights has alway been a bit of a fool’s game — one which I love participating in because I am a fool — but recently it’s like we’re just being laughed at. If things keep going the way they have been, then I fully expect Brock Lesnar to be featherweight champion by this time next year. You heard me, featherweight.

Another interesting question raised by the late career resurgence of guys like Alvarez, Lawler, Bisping — to me at least — is how much of a role the UFC’s recent USADA-implemented drug testing program might be playing in all this. For the most part, these were guys being touted as the future of their respective divisions when they first entered the UFC (the same goes for Alvarez in Bellator), only to be written off as simply not being able to keep up with “the modern era of mixed martial artists” as the years progressed. Now USADA is tagging fools left and right (even the young ones!), and this collective group of old farts is once again leading the pack. Does this mean that they were the greatest fighters all along until steroids screwed everything up? Or does it just mean that they’ve found the BEST steroids? I can’t say for sure, but I know this: someone or something is definitely on steroids.

Speaking of steroids, lets talk about one guy who definitely isn’t on steroids: Roy Nelson. Squaring off against human wrecking ball Derrick Lewis in the co-main event of the evening, Roy Nelson went out there and did the damn Roy Nelson thing, meaning he threw his overhand right out there a bit while taking shots to the chin like a f*cking Goron. After getting nearly finished in the first round, Nelson did manage to slow things down in the second with his takedown game (a phrase I can’t imagine has ever been used before), getting Lewis to the mat early and often but failing to mount any real offense in doing so.

It was a fight you could see going either way on the scorecards — especially in an era where nearly *every* decision is a split decision — but one that ultimately went to the right guy if you value damage over control. It’s all arbitrary in the end, really. We’re just dots spinning on a big blue marble in the sky, waiting until the hand of our Holy Maker rises to crush us all.

That took a bit of a turn at the end there, but you get my point.

The full results for Fight Night 90 below.

Main card
Eddie Alvarez def. Rafael dos Anjos via first-round TKO (3:49)
Derrick Lewis def. Roy Nelson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Alan Jouban def. Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Joseph Duffy def. Mitch Clarke via submission (rear-naked choke, 0:25, Round 1)

Undercard
Alberto Mina def. Mike Pyle via knockout (flying knee, 1:17, Round 2)
John Makdessi def. Mehdi Baghdad via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Anthony Birchak via Dileno Lopes via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Pedro Munhoz def. Russell Doane via submission (guillotine, 2:08, Round 1)
Felipe Arantes def. Jerrod Sanders via verbal submission (armbar, 1:39, Round 2)
Gilbert Burns def. Lukasz Sajewski via submission (armbar, 4:57, Round 1)
Marco Beltran def. Reginaldo Vieira via submission (rear-naked choke, 3:04, Round 2)
Vicente Luque def. Alvaro Herrera via submission (D’Arce choke, 3:52, Round 2)

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With Jones Out, Anderson Silva vs. Daniel Cormier Booked for UFC 200

When Jon Jones was pulled from his UFC 200 headliner against Daniel Cormier yesterday, there were more than a few fighters willing to step up and face the last-second challenge. Michael Bisping, Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi…I think Conor McGregor threw his name in there at one point…the point is, it looked as if Cormier was going to get that big payday after all.

One name we didn’t expected to see pop on the list of potential contenders, however, was Anderson Silva. He’s a natural middleweight for starters (though he has moved up to light heavy on a few occasions), and until recently, was expected to face Uriah Hall at UFC 198 until gallbladder surgery forced him out. Then again, UFC 200 is about pulling off all the stops, and with all due respect to the other names on that list, they are GARBAGE PEOPLE when compared to Silva.

So now, following reports from both Globo and TMZ, it looks like Silva vs. Cormier will in fact be going down this weekend after all.

The post With Jones Out, Anderson Silva vs. Daniel Cormier Booked for UFC 200 appeared first on Cagepotato.

When Jon Jones was pulled from his UFC 200 headliner against Daniel Cormier yesterday, there were more than a few fighters willing to step up and face the last-second challenge. Michael Bisping, Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi…I think Conor McGregor threw his name in there at one point…the point is, it looked as if Cormier was going to get that big payday after all.

One name we didn’t expected to see pop on the list of potential contenders, however, was Anderson Silva. He’s a natural middleweight for starters (though he has moved up to light heavy on a few occasions), and until recently, was expected to face Uriah Hall at UFC 198 until gallbladder surgery forced him out. Then again, UFC 200 is about pulling off all the stops, and with all due respect to the other names on that list, they are GARBAGE PEOPLE when compared to Silva.

So now, following reports from both Globo and TMZ, it looks like Silva vs. Cormier will in fact be going down this weekend after all.

According to both reports, which were later confirmed by MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, the bout will be a three-round, non-title fight. For whatever reason, the addition of this fight has bumped the women’s bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes into the main event slot of the evening, replacing Mark Hunt vs. Brock Lesnar.

It’s hard to say what a win for Cormier will actually mean given Silva’s recent fight history — his last fight was a controversial decision loss to Michael Bisping, and he hasn’t actually won a fight since 2012 — but still, I suppose a win over the former G.O.A.T is still a win over the former G.O.A.T (not to mention, that massive payday). But knowing how this sport operates, it’s more than likely that he will KO Cormier in the first 30 seconds of the fight and we can dive head first into this whole chaotic mess all over again.

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Jon Jones Flagged With USADA Violation, Pulled From UFC 200 [UPDATED]

(Dana White breaks the news of Jones’ violation, via MMAJunkie)

Un. F*cking. Believable.

That’s pretty much the only way to sum it up, Nation. Just three days out from his rematch with Daniel Cormier — aka the most anticipated main event on the most anticipated fight card of the year — Jon Jones has been flagged with a potential USADA anti-doping violation and pulled from UFC 200.

Even when we’re preparing ourselves for the worst possible scenarios, it seems that MMA finds a way to somehow screw things up even worse. What a sport this is.

After the jump: Daniel Cormier reacts to Jones’ removal.

The post Jon Jones Flagged With USADA Violation, Pulled From UFC 200 [UPDATED] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Dana White breaks the news of Jones’ violation, via MMAJunkie)

Un. F*cking. Believable.

That’s pretty much the only way to sum it up, Nation. Just three days out from his rematch with Daniel Cormier — aka the most anticipated main event on the most anticipated fight card of the year — Jon Jones has been flagged with a potential USADA anti-doping violation and pulled from UFC 200.

Even when we’re preparing ourselves for the worst possible scenarios, it seems that MMA finds a way to somehow screw things up even worse. What a sport this is.

After the jump: Daniel Cormier reacts to Jones’ removal.

The news of Jones’ positive test was first revealed by MMAFighting via Twitter. According to Vice President of Athlete Health, Jeff Novitzky, Jones was flagged following an out-of-competition drug test administered on June 16th. This is important to note because it basically removes any idea that Jones may have tested positive for cocaine (as he had previously) or marijuana (which he’s also been known to dabble in), both of which are perfectly acceptable to use out-of-competition and wouldn’t have landed him with a potential fine or suspension.

While we won’t know for sure what substance is behind Jones’ positive test for some time, it almost seems certain that he did test positive for a steroid or masking agent of some kind in order to be removed from the event. BloodyElbow has also passed along an interesting theory on what may have caused Jones’ positive test.

One last thing to note is that Jon Jones is sponsored by GAT supplements, and at least one GAT product, “Testagen,” has a warning that it may cause “false positive” test results for athletes:

The warning reads: SUBSTANCE TEST WARNING! Bodybuilders and other athletes subjected to substance testing should never use this product unless first approved by the validating organization. Product may cause a drug test result called False Positive (urine or blood).

 
After calling an emergency press conference shortly thereafter, Dana White told reporters that the heavyweight clash between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt would be moved to the evening’s main event (because it’s not like you can have a non-Rousey women’s title fight headline an event, amiright?) while looking like a man just moments away from suicide.

For what it’s worth, Cormier has stated an interest to stay on the card and would even be willing to go up to 220 or 225 to face an opponent on short notice. Everyone from Alexander Gustafsson to Michael Bisping has thrown their names in the hat to replace Jones, and White has stated that he’d “like to find Daniel a fight” for UFC 200, so we’ll be sure to let you know if any of those scenarios come to fruition.

Once again, it seems that the only man who can beat Jon Jones is Jon Jones. More on this story as it develops, Nation.

UPDATE

According to Ariel Helwani, Jones will hold a press conference to address his removal from UFC 200 at 11:30 am EST today. Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa, has already taken to Twitter to deny that steroids were in fact behind Jones’ positive test.

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What’s the Worst That Could Happen? Anti-Jinxing UFC 200

By Asaph Bitner 

One of the best on-paper and most hyped MMA cards in memory is fast approaching, and anticipation is building to a fever pitch. And as everyone raises their hopes for what they wish will be a transcendent celebration of civilized violence at UFC 200 this weekend, we pessimists of this lovely sport start to ready our cringe faces.

But what if we could prepare ourselves for the worst? Soften the 4-ounce-gloved blow to our souls that the MMA gods are sure to deliver in their infinite, cruel, brawlability?

Well, here’s your pre-gut-punch padding, dear readers: a fight-by-fight breakdown of all the ways in which the gourmet chicken salad that is UFC 200 could turn into a total chicken s**t-show.

The post What’s the Worst That Could Happen? Anti-Jinxing UFC 200 appeared first on Cagepotato.

By Asaph Bitner 

One of the best on-paper and most hyped MMA cards in memory is fast approaching, and anticipation is building to a fever pitch. And as everyone raises their hopes for what they wish will be a transcendent celebration of civilized violence at UFC 200 this weekend, we pessimists of this lovely sport start to ready our cringe faces.

But what if we could prepare ourselves for the worst? Soften the 4-ounce-gloved blow to our souls that the MMA gods are sure to deliver in their infinite, cruel, brawlability?

Well, here’s your pre-gut-punch padding, dear readers: a fight-by-fight breakdown of all the ways in which the gourmet chicken salad that is UFC 200 could turn into a total chicken s**t-show.

Jim Miller vs. Takanori Gomi

This is supposed to be an exciting match-up between two solidly entertaining fighters, but is also a fight between two fighters who have lost a little too often lately. These two will blast each other for a round, and then both be forced by the doctor to quit, as they’ll both be injured. Double no-contest.

Diego Sanchez vs Joe Lauzon

Ready for three rounds of non-stop action from two of the most thrilling fighters in any UFC division? Well, too bad. A Sanchez leg kick, the first strike he throws, is going to pop Lauzon’s knee and take him out at just 10 seconds of round 1.

Gegard Mousasi vs Derek Brunson

Well, as of this writing, it seems this fight is already cursed, since Brunson has been forced out due to injury. And so…

Gegard Mousasi vs. Thiago Santos

Two interesting strikers? Here comes wrestling time! Santos and Mousasi will spend 15 minutes alternately pinning each other to the cage and circling around each other, looking for an opening that never comes. By the end of it all, the entire viewing audience will have the same dead-eyed expression on their faces that Mousasi’s mug features all year long.

Sage Northcutt vs. Enrique Martin

Ok, come on now. I know the MMA gods are cruel, but Northcutt clearly still has an excess of luck dust sprinkled all over his statuesque physique. Having already suffered his one allowable misfortune this year against Bryan Barberena in January, Northcutt’s Vegas weekend is going to be just fine. The three worst things that could happen to him are:

1. He drops his post-weigh-in popsicle, and his dad won’t buy him another.

2. He realizes, with some bit of concern, that people compliment him so much on the ridiculous definition of his abs that they completely miss his perfect teeth.

3. After he easily beats Martin, he only manages to land a triple-corkscrew backflip, as opposed to the quadruple-corkscrew he’s been practicing for just this occasion.

T. J. Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao

Well, this is going to be a bit unfair to Assuncao, who hasn’t fought since late 2014, and who doesn’t seem like a bad dude, but the division has become pretty darn interesting while he was gone, and Dillashaw is one of the reasons why. His newly-revealed striking skills have brought him to the top and made him one of the most fun bantamweights to watch in the cage. By all means, a decisive Dillashaw win will surely put him right back in the running to challenge champ Dominick Cruz, who took his title in a razor-close fight. So the bad outcome of this one is a boring, plodding, but sadly non-controversial decision in Assuncao’s favor, derailing our hopes of seeing a rematch of the UFC Fight Night 81 main event anytime soon.

Johny Hendricks vs. Kelvin Gastelum

First of all, you’re having this fight at welterweight? Yeah, let’s start there: even if this fight doesn’t get cancelled because one of these fighters requires hospitalization due to their bodies being drier than the Nevada desert outside, both of these guys will miss the mark.

In the cage, both men will get tired quickly, as they have both had terrible camps and are nursing injuries. After a slow, boring fight, one of them will win a coin-flip-close split decision.

Cat Zingano vs. Juliana Peña

The last fight of the prelims will feature two of the best women’s bantamweights out there, and it will be ugly. Zingano is known for her ability to survive early and for being very beloved by just about everyone who’s been exposed to her charms. Peña is known for ferociousness on the ground, where she drags opponents and punishes them until the fight is stopped. Combine these two, and you get a sad sight: the MMA world will be forced to watch one of its favorite people get brutalized and bloodied on the ground for nearly three full round, before submitting to a Peña arm-triangle choke.

Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne

Come on, you guys already know this one: Travis Browne is totally going to poke Velasquez’s eye early in the fight, not get punished for it, and either force a no-contest when the former champ can’t continue, or later win by doctor-stoppage TKO when Velasquez’s eye swells up.

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar

This fake – sorry, ‘interim’ – title fight will likely determine who fights Max Holloway for the real title once Conor McGregor finally decides he’d rather risk a beating from bigger guys than dehydrate himself to the point of tattoo-wrinkling ever again. And naturally, since the stakes are so high, this fight will be a cautious affair in which both fighters will mostly try and avoid getting hit, making it the modern-era’s Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn 2.

Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes

Again, I feel bad for saying it, but the obvious lame outcome here would have to be a win by Amanda Nunes. First, we thought that Ronda Rousey may headline UFC 200 against Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino after she quickly and easily beats Holly Holm, but that didn’t work out so well. Then, we figured Holm would dominate Tate in their fight, clearing the path for an epic rematch with Rousey in some big PPV, but that didn’t go as planned either. And now that we’re already picturing the fun we could have with Rousey vs. Tate 3 in Madison Square Garden, what more appropriate outcome could there be than Nunes spoiling things by beating Tate and squeezing the last bit of air out of this Rousey-comeback-hype whoopee cushion?

Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt

People are generally psyched about Lesnar coming back simply because he’s a huge star, but what if he actually made a giant, unfathomable leap in ability while he was away?

Imagine this: Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt exchange in the pocket for a bit, but then Lesnar starts to turn it on, lowering his hands and effortlessly avoiding Hunt’s shots in the manner of a prime Anderson Silva. He starts countering Hunt, and after two or three punches, knocks the Super Samoan down. Lesnar then jumps on Hunt, quickly passing his guard into side control, then mount, then taking his back, making it look as smooth as the likes of Jacare Souza and Demian Maia would. He puts on the rear-naked choke, and Hunt taps. Lesnar then does a step-off-the-cage backflip to top it all off. He’s an unbelievable-looking fighter now, transformed and ready to re-conquer the division, and he hasn’t lost any of his athleticism either.

In his post-fight interview, Lesnar once again alludes to the fact that he may get laid tonight, and puts on a Nike shirt because “Reebok won’t pay him nothing.”

Brock is back, and he’s bigger, better, and more fun than ever before!…

…..And then he returns to the WWE, and never fights in MMA again.

Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones

This main event is a rematch of one of the most meaningful on-paper fights in MMA history. Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones are perhaps the best two light-heavyweight MMA fighters to ever walk the planet, and they’ll be fighting again on July 9th. That is, if DC doesn’t fall to injury once more, through the magic of the most fight-cancelling camp in the game, and if Jones can manage to spend more than a week without physically peeing on a cop’s leg while high on meth after a rave in downtown Santa Fe.

The actual fight will start ok, but will of course soon go bad. Cormier will try a double-leg on Jones against the cage about two minutes into the first round. Jones, while shrugging off the takedown, will start launching a bunch of elbows to the back of Cormier’s head. Jones will be warned for the foul, but will keep doing it. When referee “Big” John McCarthy steps in to separate the two, Jones will launch a kick straight to the still slightly-disoriented DC’s groin, causing him to bend in pain, and spit on him as well. The ref will have no choice but to stop the fight, disqualifying Jones for unsportsmanlike conduct.

In the post-fight interview, Cormier will be met by boos from the crowd, and say that “Jon Jones disqualified himself.” Just to put a cherry on top of this hot fudge suckdae, Cormier will later test positive for PEDs in his fight-night blood and urine samples and be stripped of the title.

Miscellaneous additional problems

– The show will get delayed for about half an hour, because Jim Miller has to pee before his fight, and then he has to wash his hands because “What, would you want some guy rubbing his junk in you face? That’s just impolite.” So they have to cut off his wraps, and then re-wrap his hands.

– The UFC has had several wardrobe malfunctions so far, the latest was suffered by Valerie Letourneau during her fight against Joanne Calderwood. This event features two women’s fights, and one of the four women in them will experience the worst one yet, as her sports bra straight-up tears apart. Her chest will be exposed for several seconds, the fight will be stopped, and everyone will have to scramble to get her a replacement. The fighter will then have to put on the new sports bra while her cornermen do the best they can to cover her up with towels.

– When a journalist asks Dana White whether women in the UFC should perhaps simply be made to wear rash guards, thus preventing this problem, White will say no and rebuke the journalist as a “goof.”

– At least once, the sound system will malfunction during a fighter walkout, causing a high-pitched feedback sound that reverberates through the arena.

– A ring girl (sorry, Octagon girl™) will fall down during one of her walks. She’ll be fine, don’t worry. But she will suffer a scrape on her knee, and the other seven Octagon bikini ladies will have to cover for her for the rest of the night.

– Let’s not forget natural disasters: Vegas is surrounded by a desert, you say? And it’s summer? The MMA god’s may just think it’s time for a hurricane-snow storm combo, with a little bit of earthquake sprinkled in for good measure.

– At least one fighter will be poked in the eye during their walkout by someone trying to grab at them and/or steal their hat. Who the hell wants a Reebok UFC hat anyway? Well, the kind of person who’d steal a hat of a fighter’s head during a walkout, I suppose.

Be prepared, MMA fans. And try to take solace in this one important lesson we’ve learned from following the careers of BJ Penn, Ken Shamrock, and Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller: things can always get worse.

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Friday Link Dump: Jacare Souza Calls Out GSP, The 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History + More

(The UFC 200 press conference call, via Submission Radio.)

Hunt: ‘Lesnar’s Been Juicing His Whole Career’ (Bloody Elbow)

‘Jacare’ Souza Calls George St. Pierre a ‘Chicken’, Vows to Break His Neck if He Moves Up to Middleweight (MMAFighting)

Cody Garbrandt Faces Takeya Mizugaki at August’s UFC 202 (MMAJunkie)

Ranking the 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History (Bleacher Report)

12 People In MMA Who Outraged Dana White (Low Kick)

The post Friday Link Dump: Jacare Souza Calls Out GSP, The 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(The UFC 200 press conference call, via Submission Radio.)

Hunt: ‘Lesnar’s Been Juicing His Whole Career’ (Bloody Elbow)

‘Jacare’ Souza Calls George St. Pierre a ‘Chicken’, Vows to Break His Neck if He Moves Up to Middleweight (MMAFighting)

Cody Garbrandt Faces Takeya Mizugaki at August’s UFC 202 (MMAJunkie)

Ranking the 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History (Bleacher Report)

12 People In MMA Who Outraged Dana White (Low Kick)

Is James Cameron Right About Star Wars 7? (Screen Junkies)

Best PC Games of 2016 … So Far (Escapist)

Artist Creates Glamorous Pop Icons Then Turns Them to Gore (8 Photos) (Radass)

Terror in Turkey: At Least 36 Dead, 147 Injured in Istanbul Airport Attack (EveryJoe)

How To Dress For Weightlifting (Made Man)

The post Friday Link Dump: Jacare Souza Calls Out GSP, The 200 Biggest Moments in UFC History + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Carlos Condit Not Retiring After All, Faces Demian Maia at UFC 202

Following his razor thin split-decision loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 195, it looked as if Carlos Condit might be hanging up his gloves for good. It was his second title fight loss in as many attempts (not counting his interim title win over Nick Diaz), the UFC didn’t appear to have any interest in booking an immediate rematch, and Condit himself had mentioned some concerns about the future of his mental well-being. When looking back on his illustrious 39-fight career, it just didn’t seem as if Condit had anything left to prove, which made his impending decision all the more sensible.

On the other hand, pride. If Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, and Fedor Emelianenko still believe that they have another title run left in them, then why shouldn’t Condit? A win over any top 10 opponent should put him right back in the running, so really, it’d be foolish for Condit *not* to put his health on the line for one last shot at glory, if you think about it.

Thankfully, it appears that this line of thinking is something that “The Natural Born Killer” can get behind, which is why he’s announced that he will in fact be returning to take on fellow top contender Demian Maia at UFC 202.

Details after the jump. 

The post Carlos Condit Not Retiring After All, Faces Demian Maia at UFC 202 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Following his razor thin split-decision loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 195, it looked as if Carlos Condit might be hanging up his gloves for good. It was his second title fight loss in as many attempts (not counting his interim title win over Nick Diaz), the UFC didn’t appear to have any interest in booking an immediate rematch, and Condit himself had mentioned some concerns about the future of his mental well-being. When looking back on his illustrious 39-fight career, it just didn’t seem as if Condit had anything left to prove, which made his impending decision all the more sensible.

On the other hand, pride. If Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, and Fedor Emelianenko still believe that they have another title run left in them, then why shouldn’t Condit? A win over any top 10 opponent should put him right back in the running, so really, it’d be foolish for Condit *not* to put his health on the line for one last shot at glory, if you think about it.

Thankfully, it appears that this line of thinking is something that “The Natural Born Killer” can get behind, which is why he’s announced that he will in fact be returning to take on fellow top contender Demian Maia at UFC 202.

Details after the jump. 

At 38 years of age, Maia is basically living, breathing proof that the 32-year-old Condit may very well have his best years still ahead of him. The Brazilian grappling specialist is currently riding a six fight win streak including one-sided wins over Matt Brown, Gunnar Nelson, and Neil Magny and seems destined for a title shot himself, which makes a matchup with Condit damn near poetic if you ask me.

Prior to his loss at UFC 195, Condit put the whooping of a lifetime on Thiago Alves en route to a second round TKO finish and should make for a tough style matchup against Maia, with the winner undoubtedly being on the short list of challengers for the welterweight title. That is, unless the current crop of contenders (Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson) find themselves in a Hendricks-Lawler-MacDonald rematch love triangle like we’ve seen before. Which knowing our luck will almost certainly happen, for the MMA Gods are a cruel and unforgiving bunch.

In other welterweight fight booking news, Dong Hyun Kim has agreed to face Neil Magny at UFC 202 in a matchup that will likely earn the winner a chance to get slaughtered by the Condit-Maia winner, the Woodley-Lawler loser, or maybe Johny Hendricks. After seeing his 4-fight win streak halted by “T-Wood” (I’m sorry, “The Chosen One”) back in 2014, Kim bounced back last year with back-to-back wins over Josh Burkman and Dominic Waters. Magny is similarly enjoying a bit of a rebound streak, having scored three straight wins over Erick Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, and Hector Lombard since being dominated by Maia at UFC 190.

Fun fact: Magny has fought 11 times in the past 2 years, which is just two fights shy of what former P4P king Cain velasquez has fought in his entire UFC career.

UFC 202 goes down on August 20th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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