Author: Mike Hodges

Dana White: ‘Brock Lesnar Retired Because He Was Beaten so Badly’

Brock Lesnar’s last appearance in the Octagon was not necessarily a memorable one—especially not for UFC president Dana White.The UFC boss admitted during the post-fight press conference that he was shocked about Lesnar’s sudden retirement from t…

Brock Lesnar‘s last appearance in the Octagon was not necessarily a memorable one—especially not for UFC president Dana White.

The UFC boss admitted during the post-fight press conference that he was shocked about Lesnar’s sudden retirement from the sport. The retirement followed his recent loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

The former WWE star was an instant ratings boost for the company and brought a few attendance records while appearing on pay-per-view cards. 

However, after having some time to collect his thoughts regarding the former UFC heavyweight champion’s departure, White said Lesnar told him privately he no longer had the desire to compete.

White said during an interview on The Jim Rome Show that Brock had said it was time to retire.

Here’s what Brock said to me after his fight (with Alistair Overeem), he said, “After my surgery, I never felt so good in my life. I had the best camp I ever had, no injuries, I was in great shape, but that guy is that much better than me and it’s time for me to retire.”

White recalled Lesnar’s presence in the UFC and said he brought a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division.

White said he was reluctant to sign Lesnar due to his inexperience, but he was impressed with what the 265-pound South Dakota native accomplished during his time in the company. 

In retrospect, White was nothing but complementary towards Lesnar’s career and applauded him for his efforts.

“What he was able to accomplish in the UFC is amazing,” he said. “It was fun while Brock was here.”

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Dana White Says Rashad Evans Needs to Beat Phil Davis to Get a Title Shot

Rashad Evans may no longer have to search any further for a UFC title shot.UFC president Dana White made an appearance on The Jim Rome Show earlier this week and said that should Evans get past Phil Davis in his upcoming bout, scheduled for UFC on FOX …

Rashad Evans may no longer have to search any further for a UFC title shot.

UFC president Dana White made an appearance on The Jim Rome Show earlier this week and said that should Evans get past Phil Davis in his upcoming bout, scheduled for UFC on FOX 2 on January 28th, he will move himself into title contention and challenge UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“We’re going to obviously see what happens in this Rashad fight at the end of the month. The next fight on FOX, Rashad is fighting [Phil] Davis, so we’ll see what happens there,” White said. “If Rashad wins, if Rashad comes out injury-free, we’ll get the Jon ‘Bones’ Jones/Rashad Evans fight going.”

Evans has missed every opportunity so far at regaining the 205-pound title since falling out of his bout against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 last year. Jones would step in to replace Evans and win the title in impressive fashion, setting up an anticipated title bout between the two former teammates which has yet to materialize.

Since then, Evans has regained some momentum after returning from a 14-month layoff to defeat Tito Ortiz at UFC 134 last August. Now “Suga” will look to solidify his No. 1 contender status with a win over Davis and face Jones in one of this year’s highly-publicized feuds.

Evans and Davis will square off in the main event on UFC on FOX 2, live from the United Center in Chicago.

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Rampage Jackson on Muhammed Lawal: "He’s a Hater"

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has long been a mainstay in the UFC light heavyweight division. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has found success while competing in the UFC, so it’d be hard to see him fighting anywhere else.While appearing on …

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has long been a mainstay in the UFC light heavyweight division. 

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has found success while competing in the UFC, so it’d be hard to see him fighting anywhere else.

While appearing on HDNet’s “Inside MMA” earlier this week, Jackson addressed his ongoing feud with current rival Muhammad Lawal. The two light heavyweights have traded words back and forth for some time, leading most fans to watching a future bout between them. 

Lawal challenged Jackson to a matchup, however, it wouldn’t reside in the UFC. When asked about the potential bout, Jackson didn’t seem too fond of the idea.

“It’s funny that he gotta talk about me after his fight and say I should move down to the Strikeforce and fight him. I’m sorry, but from where I’m sittin’, that’s a step down,” Jackson said. 

Jackson would go on to discredit Lawal’s skills and essentially show no interest in facing the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.

“I don’t like the guy. He’s a hater. He’s a big time hater, you know what I’m sayin’?,” he said. “Why would I wanna step down to the Strikeforce and fight him when I’m fightin’ in the biggest organization in the world?”

“King Mo” was one of the potential fighters to be brought over from Strikeforce, however, since he recently signed a multi-fight deal, it doesn’t look like a bout with Jackson will happen anytime soon.

As for Jackson, he is scheduled to meet Ryan Bader at UFC 143 in Japan on February 25th. 

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Brock Lesnar: Did Thoughts of Retirement Impact His Performance?

At UFC 141, there was something noticeably wrong with Brock Lesnar; it could of been the long layoff or his recovery from diverticulitis, but the former UFC heavyweight champion certainly did not show up to his fight with Alistair Overeem ready to comp…

At UFC 141, there was something noticeably wrong with Brock Lesnar; it could of been the long layoff or his recovery from diverticulitis, but the former UFC heavyweight champion certainly did not show up to his fight with Alistair Overeem ready to compete. 

As a result, Overeem was able to easily break down the 265-pound Lesnar and pick up the victory.

As Lesnar walked back to his corner following the bout, there had to have been a sense of uncertainty with some fans regarding his future in mixed martial arts. 

And during the post-fight interview, Lesnar would announce his retirement from the sport, ending one of the most interesting and successful careers in UFC history. 

There is no doubt that Lesnar will go down as one of the most popular and polarizing figures in the company’s history, and while there will always been critics questioning his credibility as a legitimate heavyweight contender, he did make an impact on the sport.

But at UFC 141, Lesnar was not the same fighter he once was against competitors like Frank Mir and Randy Couture, despite his best attempts to claim he was healthy and motivated, he simply looked mentally defeated.

Perhaps already knowing what lied ahead in the future led him to question his skills and longevity in the sport altogether, leading to one of the most disappointing performances in recent memory. Or maybe he was healthy and Overeem was just the superior fighter.

However fans want to look at Lesnar’s bout, they cannot deny his talent, even if it was only for a short period of time. But one has to wonder if Lesnar would have put on a much better performance against Overeem had he remained healthy throughout his career. 

Regardless, Lesnar’s bout at UFC 141 will likely be remembered more for his post-fight retirement rather than the fight itself. However, it is unfortunate to learn that his last bout came with little motivation to continue on in MMA. 

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Vitor Belfort Trains With Georges St-Pierre Prior to UFC 142

Upon learning that Vitor Belfort would face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 142, many fans were surprised that the Brazilian would bring in UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to assist him during his training camp.In his recent installment chr…

Upon learning that Vitor Belfort would face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 142, many fans were surprised that the Brazilian would bring in UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to assist him during his training camp.

In his recent installment chronicling his preparation for Johnson, Belfort is seen sparring with the French-Canadian and working on his grappling.

St-Pierre is widely considered to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts today and is also the most well-rounded fighter in the sport. With St-Pierre possessing the best wrestling at 170 pounds, it was wise for Belfort to acquire the champion in order for him to prepare for his opponent’s striking and wrestling pedigree.

It is also worth pointing out this video was filmed while St-Pierre was training for his bout against Nick Diaz, tentatively scheduled for UFC 143, before suffering a knee injury which would ultimately force him out of action.

Belfort will meet Johnson in the co-main event at UFC 142, scheduled for this weekend live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Jon Jones Rumored to Headline UFC 145 Against Dan Henderson

Jon Jones’ time away from the Octagon only lasted three weeks.Coming off his second successful title defense against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, the 24-year-old champion is eager to return and defend the light heavyweight title once again.UFC President D…

Jon Jones’ time away from the Octagon only lasted three weeks.

Coming off his second successful title defense against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, the 24-year-old champion is eager to return and defend the light heavyweight title once again.

UFC President Dana White recently made an appearance on on ESPN Radio’s “The Insiders” and said Jones is ready to go.

“[Jones] called about four days ago and said ‘okay let’s go, I’m done with vacation,'” White said. “He’s ready to go.”

Jones already stated he wanted to compete three or four times this year after having one of the biggest individual years in mixed martial arts history. Having defeated such fighters as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, it would seem like Jones is poised for a remarkable title run at this stage of his career and has no intention of slowing down yet. 

While injuries have currently sidelined Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre, and the retirement of Brock Lesnar, it wouldn’t be a bad investment on the UFC’s part to further market the young champion and have him return sooner rather than later.

And White said with possible challengers such as Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson awaiting their opportunity, a decision regarding Jones’ next opponent should become much more clearer following UFC on FOX 2 on January 28th. 

“What could end up happening is Dan Henderson fights Jon Jones first, and then [Jones’ subsequent fight] would be close to the time that Rashad fights,” he said. “Or we see how things go with Rashad [versus Phil Davis] and Rashad fights him first.” 

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