Author: Jordy McElroy

Things Get Heated at Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia Media Staredown

Most would agree that Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate and Sara McMann were Ronda Rousey’s most dangerous opponents on paper. However, a sleeping giant could lie inside of Bethe Correia, who is slated to challenge Rousey for the women’s bantamweigh…

Most would agree that Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate and Sara McMann were Ronda Rousey’s most dangerous opponents on paper. However, a sleeping giant could lie inside of Bethe Correia, who is slated to challenge Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 190 on Saturday.

The undefeated Brazilian contender is swelling with confidence a few days out from the biggest fight of her career. She enters this fight as a huge underdog to Rousey, who is easily one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world—male or female.  

Despite the long odds, Correia is completely unfazed by the champ.

Some have stood strong in front of Rousey, while others have stood stoically. But we have never seen a contender get in Rousey’s face the way Correia did at the media staredown on Thursday.

To be fair, Rousey wasn‘t fazed either. The champ had the look of a stone-cold killer when posing for the media.

There have been some reservations about Correia’s chances on Saturday due to her lackluster resume as a bantamweight contender. She has yet to defeat a top-10 opponent in the division, and there really wasn’t anything spectacular about the three wins in the UFC that earned her the title shot. Furthermore, all of her UFC opponents have a combined UFC record of 1-7.

In his “Killing the Queen” piece, Fightland’s Jack Slack was brutally honest when breaking down Correia’s chances of defeating Rousey: “Is Bethe Correia the one to pull it off? Almost definitely not. … She doesn’t have one-punch finishing power—largely because she leans way forward at the waist and punches like she’s paddling a kayak—and the active footwork she would need to avoid Rousey‘s linear charges has so far not shown itself.”

You wouldn’t figure Correia to be an underdog when looking at her demeanor heading into UFC 190. That kind of confidence has to come from somewhere. Five other women have tried and failed to knock Rousey from her bantamweight throne.

Perhaps Correia really does have what it takes to pull off the unthinkable on Saturday.  

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anthony Johnson Now Slated to Fight Jimi Manuwa at UFC 191

Those scratching their heads at the odd pairing of Anthony Johnson and Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191 can stop worrying because the UFC has apparently had a change of heart.
According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Blachowicz has been pulled f…

Those scratching their heads at the odd pairing of Anthony Johnson and Jan Blachowicz at UFC 191 can stop worrying because the UFC has apparently had a change of heart.

According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Blachowicz has been pulled from the fight, and Johnson will now face top-10 light heavyweight fighter Jimi Manuwa on the September 5 Las Vegas fight card.

There hasn’t been any official word from the UFC of why the bout was changed, but Okamoto is reporting that Blachowicz is expected to remain in the UFC 191 lineup.

Johnson had his nine-fight win streak snapped in May by Daniel Cormier in a bout for the vacant light heavyweight title.

He had Cormier in trouble early in the first round when he dropped the former Olympian with a massive overhand right, but Cormier’s tenacious wrestling and suffocating top control kept him in the fight.

Johnson was taken apart piece by piece in a grinding effort, before succumbing to a rear naked choke in the third round. Since the loss, Johnson has made serious adjustments to his training camp.

When speaking with MMAFighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti, he said he is now working with Neil Melanson, a longtime grappling coach who has worked with Randy Couture, Dominick Cruz and Michael Chandler.  

Manuwa will enter this fight coming off a unanimous decision win over Blachowicz in April. The 35-year-old UK star has shown plenty of promise during his three-year UFC tenure. His only loss came to current No. 1 contender Alexander Gustafsson.

UFC 191 features the flyweight championship rematch between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson. A heavyweight tilt between former champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir is also expected to be on the card.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

John Dodson: Jon Jones Was ‘Miley Cyrus,’ Not ‘Hannah Montana’

Jon Jones used to shine like Leroy Green. The man known as “Bones” was all kinds of magnificent in the cage. We watched him decimate the best fighters in the world in a way few had ever done. He became arguably the greatest fighter in MMA h…

Jon Jones used to shine like Leroy Green. The man known as “Bones” was all kinds of magnificent in the cage. We watched him decimate the best fighters in the world in a way few had ever done. He became arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history. 

Outside the cage, we initially saw Jones as a clean-cut individual—or “Hannah Montana,” as Jones’ teammate John Dodson recently pointed out at a UFC 191 media luncheon. There wasn’t any reason not to shine the halo over Jones’ head early in his UFC career. The guy was saying all the right things and kissing babies.

He stopped a would-be thief from robbing an elderly couple and went on to defeat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC light heavyweight title in the same night. Let that sink in for a moment. The man stopped crime and won a world title in the same night. That’s some real-life superhero stuff right there. It was only natural that fans would gravitate toward Jones.

But then the cracks began to show.

Weeks after defending his UFC title against Rashad Evans, TMZ reported Jones was arrested for DUI in 2012 after crashing his Bentley into a pole in Binghamton, New York. Then earlier this year we learned he had tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite for cocaine, during a random drug test leading up to his January fight against Daniel Cormier.

These were all signs of spiraling behavior that culminated into a hit-and-run incident in April. Jones was arrested on a felony charge for running a red light and crashing his vehicle into another vehicle occupied by Vanessa Sonnenberg, a 30-year-old pregnant woman.

After the incident, the UFC indefinitely suspended and stripped Jones of the light heavyweight title.

MMAFighting’s Marc Raimondi attended the UFC 191 luncheon, where Dodson claimed Jones wasn’t the “perfect angel that everyone thought he was to be.” When the world assumed he was “Hannah Montana,” Jones came in like a wrecking ball and “Miley Cyrus” came out:

You guys keep on thinking that he’s supposed to be like Hannah Montana, but really he was Miley Cyrus. …He had this safe zone and every one of them made sure he was this perfect angel. There’s no such thing as a perfect angel. I don’t think even think Mother Theresa was a saint her whole entire life. Oscar Wilde said that every sinner has a future and every saint has a past.

Jones is currently working hard to get his life together. He has completely disappeared from social media, and according to Dodson, he is starting to invest time with his team at Jackson’s MMA.

As far as fighting is concerned, Jones’ coach Mike Winkeljohn told Submission Radio the former UFC champion might never compete again. He is still waiting for the legal process regarding the hit-and-run to play out.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Fedor Emelianenko Wants Rematch with Fabricio Werdum

Fedor Emelianenko is returning to MMA, and his first order of business is to defeat the man who knocked him from his throne five years ago.
The former Pride heavyweight champion’s decade-long undefeated run was a phenomenon unlike anything ever s…

Fedor Emelianenko is returning to MMA, and his first order of business is to defeat the man who knocked him from his throne five years ago.

The former Pride heavyweight champion’s decade-long undefeated run was a phenomenon unlike anything ever seen in MMA history. I can remember gathering around the television with family and friends to watch Emelianenko make the long trek to the Pride ring.

There was always a mystical aura surrounding him. In the ring, he was the Russian nightmare. He was judge, jury and executioner.

But that all ended at a Strikeforce event on June 26, 2010.

Emelianenko stepped into the cage with Fabricio Werdum, a heavyweight contender at the time. The Brazilian submission specialist didn’t possess the well-rounded skills back then that he has now.

Coming into the fight, it was obvious that Emelianenko’s best chance for victory was to keep the fight standing. But years of competing against some of the best grapplers in the world can sometimes create recklessness. After dropping Werdum with a flurry of strikes, Emelianenko pounced on his opponent without any regard for submissions, desperately looking to end the fight.

And then the unthinkable happened. Werdum isolated an arm and transitioned into a triangle armbar, which initiated the tap in the first round. Emelianenko went on to lose his next two fights in Strikeforce before finishing out his career with three wins in M-1.

But the retirement wouldn’t last.

Union MMA (h/t Bloody Elbow) reported two weeks ago that Emelianenko would be returning to MMA. Since the announcement of Emelianenko’s return, speculation has been running rampant as to which promotion will end up signing him to a deal.

M-1 and Bellator are naturally believed to be the front-runners to land his services. Bellator is being run by Scott Coker, who did business with Emelianenko during his time in Strikeforce, and M-1’s head honcho is Vadim Finkelchtein, Emelianenko’s former manager.

However, an early sense of favoritism may no longer be the case.

During a Q&A at a youth forum (h/t Bloody Elbow), Emelianenko had an interesting answer when asked whom he would like to fight in his first fight back in three years. According to “The Last Emperor,” he wants a second crack at Werdum, who is currently the UFC heavyweight champion.

Finkelchtein recently told Submission Radio that he believes the UFC has a “big chance” to sign Emelianenko, depending on the contract it offers him.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports’ Damon Martin, Werdum claimed he would sign on to fight Emelianenko in a rematch in the UFC.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Joe Rogan: UFC Needs 145-Pound Women’s Division

If Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino can’t make 135 pounds to challenge Ronda Rousey, the UFC should seriously consider adding a 145-pound division to the women’s ranks, according to Joe Rogan.
The UFC commentator believes Justino’s presence in the UFC would …

If Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino can’t make 135 pounds to challenge Ronda Rousey, the UFC should seriously consider adding a 145-pound division to the women’s ranks, according to Joe Rogan.

The UFC commentator believes Justino’s presence in the UFC would be a great move long-term for women’s MMA. Seeing another dominant champion could serve as inspiration for others to pursue their dreams and “aspire to greatness.”

There is no question that Rousey is the hot ticket right now. Her face is plastered on billboards and magazines, as she doubles as an MMA fighter and Hollywood action movie star. All of these perks certainly haven’t come without hard work, though.

Rousey has finished her last three opponents combined in less than two minutes. She recently won an award at the 2015 ESPYs for “Best Fighter,” beating out undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Speaking to Rogan‘s point, Rousey was the star who broke barriers and pushed women’s MMA into the UFC. Her presence has likely inspired young athletes all over the world to be future contenders at 135 pounds. But what about the future contenders at 145 pounds?

Justino was the original mainstream champion of women’s MMA. Before Rousey ever put on a pair of four-ounce gloves, Justino won the Strikeforce featherweight title by effortlessly destroying undefeated star Gina Carano, the original face of women’s MMA.

The UFC has tried to put together a superfight between Rousey and Justino, but aside from sawing off a limb, it is unlikely the reigning Invicta featherweight champ will ever be able to make the weight cut.

Rousey, a former featherweight contender, has refused any catchweight bouts with Justino mostly due to a failed drug test from three years ago. But Rogan believes it’s more to it than that. Several months ago, during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast show (Warning: NSFW language), Rogan claimed every woman should be scared of Justino:

Do I understand why Ronda would want to fight her at 135? Of course, yeah, it’s the smart thing to do. You’re going to fight a f–king wrecking machine. She’s big, and she knocks b—–s out. She knocks chicks out in a way that very few fighters knock people out. She puts it on girls. She’s scary. Everyone should be scared of her. They all should be scared, especially if you’re lighter than her.

Justino has finished 12 of her 14 career wins by knockout, and she hasn’t been beaten in over a decade. She is expected to attend Rousey‘s title fight against Bethe Correia in Brazil on Saturday at UFC 190. 

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bethe Correia Seeking ‘Justice’ Against Ronda Rousey

Justice is in the eyes of the beholder.
Ronda Rousey doesn’t mind being the villain, which she’ll likely become when she steps on South American soil on Saturday at UFC 190. She plans on prolonging the beating she hopes to hand down to Braz…

Justice is in the eyes of the beholder.

Ronda Rousey doesn’t mind being the villain, which she’ll likely become when she steps on South American soil on Saturday at UFC 190. She plans on prolonging the beating she hopes to hand down to Brazilian contender Bethe Correia. If everything goes according to plan, justice will be served for the reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion.

On the other hand, Correia is also looking for justice when she steps into the cage against a champion many consider the baddest woman on the planet. Much has been said between the two fighters, and Correia believes her name is being unfairly sullied as a result.

During an interview with Globo Esporte (h/t Bloody Elbow), Correia vowed to leave the HSBC Arena in Rio on Saturday with gold wrapped around her waist:

I’m thirsty. I’m hungry to fulfill my dream of being the champion. I’m hungry for justice, because Ronda is trying to denigrate my name. I’m hungry because of everything I went through these past few months.  The real champion is coming. I will come back home with the belt around my waist.  Ronda can’t even wonder what waits for her here in Brazil.

Correia got a lot of heat back in May after making controversial comments directed at Rousey during an interview with Combate, per MMAFighting.com. She said she hoped Rousey didn’t “commit suicide” when she loses at UFC 190.

Rousey, whose father committed suicide when she was younger, responded with this tweet.

Correia claimed she had no idea how Rousey’s father died when speaking to the Brazilian media, per MMAFighting’s Guilherme Cruz. She called her comments a knee-jerk response to being publicly humiliated by Rousey.

“She said I would have a meeting with Jesus, that she would humiliate me inside my house. So I responded talking about her history,” Correia said.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the time for talking is over. Correia will come into UFC 190 a heavy underdog against the undefeated champion. Rousey has finished her last three opponents in less than two minutes combined.

Correia, who is also undefeated, enters this fight with a lot of question marks. She has never beaten a top-10 fighter, and now she is tasked with toppling arguably the greatest female fighter in MMA history.

Fans should expect to learn a lot about Correia on Saturday.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com