Author: Joseph Zucker

UFC’s Dan Henderson Explains Why Jon Jones Shouldn’t Fight Brock Lesnar

While many UFC fans are salivating at the prospect of Jon Jones fighting Brock Lesnar in the Octagon, former mixed martial arts star Dan Henderson isn’t a fan of the idea.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Henderson said he thought the fight would be mo…

While many UFC fans are salivating at the prospect of Jon Jones fighting Brock Lesnar in the Octagon, former mixed martial arts star Dan Henderson isn’t a fan of the idea.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Henderson said he thought the fight would be more for entertainment purposes rather than any meaningful stakes:

Rumors of Lesnar‘s return to UFC began when the Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer reported the former heavyweight champion had re-entered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool.

MMAjunkie’s John Morgan spoke to Jeff Novitzky, UFC’s vice president of athlete health and performance, who confirmed Lesnar remains out of the testing pool.

“[Lesnar] is not currently enrolled in the USADA testing pool, nor has there been any inquiry on his part to do so,” Novitzky said.

Still, Lesnar stoked the embers of a possible superfight with Jones when he said he’d fight the light heavyweight champion “anytime, anywhere,” per the Associated Press (via the Guardian).

Jones took things a step further when he called out Lesnar by name during his post-fight interview after beating Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 on Saturday.

“If you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the Octagon,” Jones said.

Jones vs. Lesnar is far from imminent. In addition to the contractual hurdles the two fighters would need to clear to reach an agreement, Lesnar will have to serve the remainder of the yearlong suspension he received for testing positive for banned substances prior to UFC 200 in July 2016.

That won’t stop fans from dreaming of a clash between two of UFC’s biggest stars.

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Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier Call Each Other Crackheads at UFC 214 Presser

Things got personal between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones ahead of their fight at UFC 214 on Saturday in Anaheim, California. 
During Wednesday’s press conference, Jones told Cormier he “[looks] like a crackhead with a suit on,” according to&n…

Things got personal between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones ahead of their fight at UFC 214 on Saturday in Anaheim, California. 

During Wednesday’s press conference, Jones told Cormier he “[looks] like a crackhead with a suit on,” according to MMA Fighting. Cormier offered a blistering retort.

“I may look like a crackhead in a suit,” he said, per MMA Fighting. “But I’ve never been one. You have.”

MMA on SiriusXM shared a video of the exchange, which begins at the 1:05 mark:

     

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

     

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.

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Conor McGregor Responds to Mike Tyson Saying He’ll Get Killed by Mayweather

Conor McGregor offered a brief retort to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who argued McGregor will be overmatched in the ring when he faces off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26.
“That’s nice Mike, but you’re looking at the new Don King here,…

Conor McGregor offered a brief retort to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who argued McGregor will be overmatched in the ring when he faces off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26.

“That’s nice Mike, but you’re looking at the new Don King here, son,” McGregor tweeted Tuesday. “Money is mine.”

Speaking with Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast, Tyson said McGregor will “get killed boxing” against Mayweather (via SI.com’s Chris Chavez):

“I got mad because I thought they were going to use MMA rules against boxing because that’s what it’s all about: Can the boxer beat the MMA guy? McConor put his dumba— in a position where he’s gonna get knocked out because this guy’s been doing this all his life since he was a baby. McConor can’t kick and grab and stuff so he won’t stand much of a chance.

“McGregor took the biggest sucker rules in the history of boxing.”

Tyson is certainly in the majority of fans who view McGregor as a decided underdog when he faces off with the unbeaten Mayweather. According to OddsShark, Mayweather is a 2-11 favorite.

McGregor has often been praised for his striking ability, but that’s within the realm of mixed martial arts. Being a good striker for an MMA fighter isn’t the same as being a skilled boxer.

On June 29, McGregor and Mayweather shared clips from their pre-fight training, and the difference in skill between the two stars was readily apparent:

Mayweather is 40 years old and hasn’t fought professionally since his victory over Andre Berto in September 2015. However, that doesn’t change the fact he’s one of the greatest defensive boxers in the sport’s history.

No matter how hard he trains, McGregor is facing an almost impossible race to catch up to somebody who’s among the most technically gifted boxers ever.

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Matt Hughes No Longer in Coma, Former Trainer Expects Him to Fully Recover

Pat Miletich provided a health update on former UFC star Matt Hughes, revealing the two-time welterweight champion is out of the coma resulting from his being hit by a train.
“He is surprising the doctors,” Miletich said on The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighti…

Pat Miletich provided a health update on former UFC star Matt Hughes, revealing the two-time welterweight champion is out of the coma resulting from his being hit by a train.

“He is surprising the doctors,” Miletich said on The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting’s Dave Doyle). “He’s making great leaps and he’s no longer in a coma, and he’s improving. It’s going to be a long road. Any type of head trauma at that level, there’s going to be some rehab.”

The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Illinois, reported June 16 that Hughes was driving a truck that was struck by a train. He was flown to a hospital shortly after. 

Hughes’ manager, Monte Cox, told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on June 17 that Hughes was “awake, but eyes closed” and that he was capable of squeezing people’s hands.

Hughes’ sister, Beth Ulrici, posted a statement to Facebook on June 18 saying the 43-year-old was in stable condition and didn’t break any bones or suffer internal injuries from the crash. However, he remained on a ventilator.

According to the State Journal-Register, Illinois State Police reported Hughes attempted to cross a set of railroad tracks as a train was approaching the crossing, which was only marked with a sign to alert drivers. The train hit the passenger side of Hughes’ truck.

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Jessie Vargas Says Conor McGregor Was KO’d During Sparring for Floyd Mayweather

While Conor McGregor spent the last week going toe to toe with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the microphone, former world champion Jessie Vargas cast further doubt on whether McGregor can hang with Mayweather in the ring.
In an interview with Villainfy Media…

While Conor McGregor spent the last week going toe to toe with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the microphone, former world champion Jessie Vargas cast further doubt on whether McGregor can hang with Mayweather in the ring.

In an interview with Villainfy Media, Vargas said McGregor got knocked out during a sparring session in preparation for his Aug. 26 bout with Mayweather.

(Warning: Video contains NSFW language.)

While considered a great striker in a mixed martial arts capacity, many question whether McGregor has bitten off more than he can chew in a fight against Mayweather.

In June, Chris van Heerden shared a clip of himself sparring with McGregor, and the UFC lightweight champion looked overmatched:

McGregor also failed to silence his critics with a training montage he posted to Twitter in June:

Mayweather posted a training clip on the same day and hasn’t appeared to lose much speed despite spending over a year-and-a-half out of the ring:

According to OddsShark, McGregor is a 7-2 underdog against Mayweather.

McGregor’s months of training should pay off with regard to making him an improved boxer, but he’s facing a nearly impossible task of bridging a gap with one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor Smack Talk at Presser; Notorious Denies Racism

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor entered the third day of their world press tour Thursday to hype up their Aug. 26 superfight at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. 
Having already hit Los Angeles and Toronto, Mayweather and McGregor continued eastw…

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor entered the third day of their world press tour Thursday to hype up their Aug. 26 superfight at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. 

Having already hit Los Angeles and Toronto, Mayweather and McGregor continued eastward to occupy Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The pair didn’t disappoint in their first two stops, with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani scoring the first day in favor of Mayweather and the second for McGregor.

After watching Wednesday’s event, Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless and MMAjunkie’s Chamatkar Sandhu thought the two stars have already used their best stuff:

Before they traded verbal jabs, McGregor earned a knockout in the fashion category. Showtime Boxing showed him entering Barclays Center:

Rather than McGregor, the Brooklyn crowded landed the first blow on Mayweather, referencing the back taxes he owes the federal government. Helwani shared a clip of the fans chanting “pay your taxes” at the unbeaten boxer:

At one point, Mayweather showered a seated McGregor with dollar bills after calling him a stripper. The stunt made the crowd hassle Mayweather even more about his taxes, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Greg Bishop.

Sports Illustrated confirmed Mayweather threw genuine $1 bills:

During his time on the microphone, McGregor added to a controversy he created when he told Mayweather to “dance for me, boy” during their stops in Los Angeles and Toronto, per Yahoo Sports’ Ryan McKinnell. Some saw the remark as racially insensitive, and McGregor seemed to dig himself in a deeper hole Thursday.

He denied that he was racist and told the crowd he’s half-black.

“Do they not know I’m half black?” McGregor said, per MMAFighting.com. “I’m half-black from the belly button down.”

He also said he has “a present for my beautiful, black female fans” in Barclays Center before thrusting his hips in a suggestive manner, according to Mike Coppinger of The Ring Magazine.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s event, McGregor offered a more nuanced response to the story, per Bleacher Report’s Alex Larsen:

Mayweather and McGregor will head to their final stop on their world tour Friday in London at SSE Arena.

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