Author: Matt Fitzgerald

Rampage Jackson, Bellator Reportedly Agree to New Contract: Details, Reaction

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has reportedly agreed to a two-fight contract with Bellator.  
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported the news Tuesday. Jackson last appeared in the Octagon at UFC 186 in April 2015…

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has reportedly agreed to a two-fight contract with Bellator.  

MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported the news Tuesday. Jackson last appeared in the Octagon at UFC 186 in April 2015, where he defeated Fabio Maldonado by unanimous decision. Rampage did notch three straight Bellator victories prior to his UFC return.

The 37-year-old’s reversion to Bellator came after he came to a settlement with the company after the two sides had battled a lawsuit for approximately a year.

Jackson claimed his contract was breached when Bellator didn’t provide him with the proper pay-per-view information promptly enough following his triumph over Muhammed Lawal in May 2013.

Since he felt like his contract was violated, Jackson fled back to the UFC, but Bellator saw that as a violation of its original contract with the MMA veteran. What was a tricky situation for both sides has been resolved now.

Ben Fowlkes of USA Today wondered whether the fresh contract will indeed be the end of the Bellator-Rampage spat:

Nevertheless, this new deal has to be a relief for Jackson, who was essentially in limbo at a late juncture of his career while he waited for a lawsuit ruling.

Although Jackson’s next fight has yet to be determined, the MMAFighting.com report indicated it will be announced sometime later this year. The report also states the UFC knows of Jackson’s renewed agreement with Bellator and won’t interfere.

So “Rampage” has at least two more bouts to go before retirement, a move he was almost resigned to as the legal battle between him and Bellator dragged on.

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Ronda Rousey Comments on Loss to Holly Holm, Next Fight and More

UFC star Ronda Rousey will be featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s latest issue, and some of her comments from a revealing interview have surfaced.
Per People’s Tierney McAfee, Rousey spoke about her first professional loss to Holly Holm at UFC…

UFC star Ronda Rousey will be featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine‘s latest issue, and some of her comments from a revealing interview have surfaced.

Per People‘s Tierney McAfee, Rousey spoke about her first professional loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 and gave insight into her recovery process.

“It might be three to six months before I can eat an apple, let alone take an impact,” said Rousey, who added she felt “really f—ing sad” after being knocked out by Holm on November 15 at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Rousey also hinted she is still hopeful for the future in saying, per McAfee, “Maybe I can’t do it all before my prime, before my body is done,” she says. “But f–k it, maybe I can.”

The 28-year-old has taken mixed martial arts by storm as the first female UFC champion. She has a 12-1 record with nine victories by way of submission, but the defeat to Holm on a second-round KO leaves a blemish Rousey can only redeem by entering the Octagon again.

It appears as though “Rowdy” is taking her time in the recovery process after a brutal kick to the head from Holm, which at the time of her interview left her with stitches in her lip yet to fully dissolve. A few of her teeth were unstable as well, hence her lengthy estimated timetable to fully heal.

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Soa Palelei Announces Retirement from UFC: Latest Comments and Reaction

UFC heavyweight fighter Soa Palelei announced his retirement Monday at the age of 38 with a 22-5 career record as a mixed martial arts professional.
Palelei announced the news on his Twitter account, indicating he’ll still be involved in the spor…

UFC heavyweight fighter Soa Palelei announced his retirement Monday at the age of 38 with a 22-5 career record as a mixed martial arts professional.

Palelei announced the news on his Twitter account, indicating he’ll still be involved in the sport in other ways:

I want to take an opportunity to officially announce my retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Thank you to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Joe Silva for giving me a second chance to fight for the organization. I’ve had a great time, but feel it’s time to focus on my family and other career interests. After several months of thought and discussion with my family and my team, we realize our future includes many things in MMA, but active competition in the sport is no longer one of them. This isn’t goodbye, as I will still be very much involved in the sport but just not as a fighter. I want to help further MMA around the world and give my contribution to the sport. I know that I have, and will continue to contribute much to the growth of our sport outside of the Octagon.

In his full-time company debut at UFC 164, the Hulk defeated Nikita Krylov on a technical knockout in August 2013 and rattled off two consecutive victories thereafter. This year, Palelei lost in his most recent appearance in the Octagon at UFC 190 versus Antonio Silva in August, dropping his UFC record to 4-3.

Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman implied Palelei’s absence will be a considerable blow to a perceptibly thin UFC heavyweight division:

Prior to arriving on the stateside mixed martial arts scene, Palelei made a name for himself in his homeland as the Australian Fighting Championship’s heavyweight champion. 

He initially won the title in April 2012 during a fight with Joe Kielur and successfully defended it against Sean McCorkle in his final fight before transitioning to the UFC for good.

It’s unclear what Palelei’s future intentions are, but he did raise $43,000 for Princess Margaret Hospital in Western Australia earlier this month. One would assume philanthropy and charity will be in Palelei’s plans as he also seeks to remain around MMA in a non-fighting capacity.

 

Fight history courtesy of Sherdog.com.

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Nick Diaz Suspended 5 Years for Failed Drug Tests: Latest Details and Reaction

UFC fighter Nick Diaz has been fined $165,000 and suspended for five years by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because of multiple failed drug tests.     
USA Today’s John Morgan reported the news Monday on the strict penalties…

UFC fighter Nick Diaz has been fined $165,000 and suspended for five years by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because of multiple failed drug tests.     

USA Today‘s John Morgan reported the news Monday on the strict penalties besetting Diaz after a hearing concluded with the NSAC. MMA reporter David Kano added the commission said it was banning Diaz for “not just marijuana but disregard.”

Paul Dollery of The42.ie contrasted the ban Anderson Silva received for performance-enhancing drugs with Diaz’s:

MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani weighed in on Diaz’s lengthy suspension:

Diaz last took the Octagon against Silva at UFC 183 and lost to Silva by unanimous decision until it was discovered Silva had taken PEDs prior to the fight. Although he did pass two tests in the hours before the Silva bout, Diaz failed one for marijuana metabolites, marking his third failed drug test overall.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden was also appalled by Monday’s outcome:

The severe punishment threatens to effectively end Diaz’s MMA career barring a successful appeal. It has to be expected Diaz will contest the commission’s ruling, especially with the initial outrage that’s followed Monday’s disciplinary decision-making.

Diaz has claimed the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship in the past, but at age 32, he will be hard-pressed to compete for the UFC welterweight title if the five-year suspension is upheld. In two prior title fights, Diaz has been defeated by Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre, respectively.

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Ronda Rousey Reportedly to Star in Autobiographical Movie

On the heels of a 34-second triumph at UFC 190, Ronda Rousey’s real-life conquests are once again generating headlines. Now, the background story of Rousey’s journey to greatness will reportedly make its way to the silver screen, with her in the starri…

On the heels of a 34-second triumph at UFC 190, Ronda Rousey‘s real-life conquests are once again generating headlines. Now, the background story of Rousey’s journey to greatness will reportedly make its way to the silver screen, with her in the starring role.

Justin Kroll of Variety reports Monday that Paramount Pictures has the rights to Rousey’s autobiography My Fight/Your Fight. Paramount has tasked screenwriter Mark Bomback with penning the film adaptation.

Bomback will also be an executive producer, while Rousey and Mary Parent will produce.

“It’s a real honor to be a part of bringing Ronda’s incredible story to the big screen,” said Parent, whose filmography includes the recent Godzilla reboot and Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious Noah.

Rousey is certainly carving out a unique celebrity. Her latest UFC win over Bethe Correia pushed her MMA record to 12-0, as she’s emerged as the unquestioned dominant force in women’s combat sports.

In addition to being a force in the Octagon, Rousey is no stranger to film, having appeared in action films such as Furious 7, Expendables 3 and recently in Entourage as herself.

Those former two films gave Rousey supporting parts in established franchises, mostly due to her skills as a fighter. The Entourage role had a huge following from television, and although it did show her in action, it expanded her horizons as an actor with more comedic and dramatic moments.

It will be fascinating to see Rousey relive her past with a serious, authentic tone.

Bomback will be embarking on a departure from massive-budget, prominent pre-existing properties, as seen in his most recent work on Total Recall, The Wolverine, The Divergent Series: Insurgent and the Planet of the Apes franchise.  

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Rousey vs. Correia: Highlights, Analysis for UFC 190 Main Event

A brief highlights package has been commonplace in Ronda Rousey’s UFC career, and that trend continued in Saturday’s first-round knockout against Bethe Correia at UFC 190, held in Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena.
Rousey required just 34 seconds this time a…

A brief highlights package has been commonplace in Ronda Rousey‘s UFC career, and that trend continued in Saturday’s first-round knockout against Bethe Correia at UFC 190, held in Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena.

Rousey required just 34 seconds this time around to successfully defend her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship for a sixth consecutive bout.

Check out some of the highlights from the fight in the video below, courtesy of the UFC on Fox:

It didn’t take much for Rousey to assert her will once again. Rather than going for the submission by way of her devastating armbar that has decided many of her previous wins, Rousey became tangled up with Correia frequently in the early going, trading punches and gaining leverage by pinning Correia against the cage.

With little real estate to work with inside the Octagon, Correia didn’t have the firepower to hang with someone as tenacious as Rousey.

Despite a home Brazilian crowd behind the underdog, “Rowdy” proved yet again she’s the best at what she does. A decisive knockout blow delivered to Correia’s temple by a vicious Rousey right-handed punch stopped the championship clash. Rousey even got a left jab to her foe’s face as Correia collapsed to the canvas.

ABS-CBN Sports passed along what Rousey had to say to Correia following her latest UFC exploits:

Correia had been understandably fired up to face Rousey, with a chance to shock the world and emerge with a massive upset in her native country. It simply wasn’t in the cards, as Correia was outmatched as many who have challenged Rousey before her have been.

FiveThirtyEight has a neat graphic to illustrate how Rousey wins with ease at an astonishing rate:

SportsCenter further supports that notion, showing how Rousey’s greatness transcends the gender barrier:

The data above goes to prove furthermore that Rousey is in a class of her own. She could retire now and be regarded as the greatest female fighter in the history of combat sports. At just 28 years old and with plenty of punch to still pack, though, Rousey doesn’t figure to be going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Even if the results continue to be the same and no worthy rival comes along to give Rousey a truer test, it’s unlikely fans will tire of seeing her reign atop the sport.

With a perfect 12-0 record in her professional MMA career, Rousey doesn’t know what losing feels like—and may well never experience the feeling. In such an individual sport, there needs to be a clear-cut superstar to pave the way for progress. Rousey has the charisma, class and capacity to crush the spirit of any opponent she comes across.

That combination has proven to be indefatigable to date. It will continue to be until a savvy, lightning-quick striker comes along who can avoid Rousey’s bull rush, avert engaging in heavy contact so early and ultimately pull off what’s currently believed to be impossible.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com