After all of the hype and bluster, we have finally made it—Mayweather vs. McGregor is finally here.
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor looks to shock the sporting world with a victory over 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Bleacher Report will …
After all of the hype and bluster, we have finally made it—Mayweather vs. McGregor is finally here.
UFC lightweight champion ConorMcGregor looks to shock the sporting world with a victory over 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Bleacher Report will have complete coverage of the fight when the bell rings.
Who walks away with the money belt and bragging rights? Can McGregor do the improbable? Will Mayweather get to 50-0? All questions will be answered tonight. The UFC meets boxing under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the sporting world is waiting with bated breath to see how it all pans out.
Return this evening for complete round-by-round analysis of the highly anticipated clash of kings. The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET.
Holly Holm is ready to take on Cris “Cyborg” Justino. But it’ll cost the UFC.
In an interview with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, Holm went on record to say she is open to the contest. The former UFC bantamweight champion said that if the UFC approached her…
Holly Holm is ready to take on Cris “Cyborg” Justino. But it’ll cost the UFC.
In an interview with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, Holm went on record to say she is open to the contest. The former UFC bantamweight champion said that if the UFC approached her about the fight she would respond, “Let’s negotiate.”
Cyborg has pitched the fight on her social media account and changed her display name to “#UFC219 CyborgVHolm.” On Tuesday evening, Cyborg posted that her manager had just gotten off a phone call with the UFC about the matchup.
In the interview, Holm stated her contract with the UFC is at 135-pounds. Thus, any negotiations for the proposed featherweight title tilt means she would want to renegotiate and get a higher guarantee because it is one of the biggest fights that the UFC could put on in their women’s divisions.
Holm said: “This is a huge fight and I’m sure everybody around it, the promotion, is going to make money. So, I would expect more money.”
Okamoto asked Holm if the UFC 219 date on December 30 would be enough time to prepare, and Holm confirmed that it would be.
Holm also responded to Cyborg’s consistent calling out of fighters who compete at 135 pounds. Holm went as far as to say that perhaps it is Cyborg who is the one dodging fights. Holm likened it to her calling out any flyweight fighters and said Cyborg could make 135 if she wanted to make the effort.
Holm is in a position of relative power. She is the No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender, with Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko on deck at UFC 215. She would seemingly be next in line for a shot at the bantamweight strap, and she’s the biggest fight in both divisions. She may be able to call her shot as to which belt she goes after.
On Wednesday morning, Cyborg tweeted an attempt to lessen Holm‘s claim to a potential bantamweight title shot noting her recent record.
And the featherweight champion went after Holm saying she has been “using my name” to negotiate in the past.
Cyborg needs a marquee opponent, but options are few and far between at featherweight. Holm is holding all the cards heading into negotiations. Expect Holm to force the UFC to make it worth her while if she does move up to 145 to take on the baddest woman on the planet.
Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a money fight in more ways than one. Vegas has set the odds, and fans will lay down their hard-earned cash on this battle.
And it won’t just be the fight itself they bet on this Saturday. Much like the Super B…
Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a money fight in more ways than one. Vegas has set the odds, and fans will lay down their hard-earned cash on this battle.
And it won’t just be the fight itself they bet on this Saturday. Much like the Super Bowl, there will be ample prop bets enticing their wallets to come out and play.
Steven Rondina and Nathan McCarter are here to look at some interesting lines and props available for the marquee bout. Get your betting slips ready.
In case you’re unfamiliar with how odds work, a +150 line means a $100 bet will win you $150 ($250 total), and -150 line means you need to bet $150 to win $100.
Sit back and prepare yourself with the odds and props of this weekend’s colossal clash.
UFC 214 gave us all a fight we previously only dreamed about: Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone. Two high-output strikers who love nothing more than to bite down and fight.
It was everything fight fans could have wanted from the two.
Lawler picked …
UFC 214 gave us all a fight we previously only dreamed about: Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone. Two high-output strikers who love nothing more than to bite down and fight.
It was everything fight fans could have wanted from the two.
Lawler picked up the unanimous-decision victory by taking the first and third rounds. Cerrone tried to answer, but it wasn’t enough.
Ruthless came right out and started to put it on Cerrone. Lawler crowded him and started landing heavy haymakers in tight, but Cerrone stood tough to weather the first storm that came his way. Cerrone’s eye wore the markings of the first exchange.
Lawler continued to crowd Cerrone against the fence. The southpaw took his time to pick out which shots he wanted to throw: uppercuts, knees and elbows. Cerrone landed a couple solid knees from inside the clinch, but he was on the receiving end of most of the action. It was a firestorm of an opening for the fight.
Cerrone took Lawler down to the mat to change the tone of the fight. Cowboy passed to side control with just over a minute left in the opening round. Lawler got back to his feet, but Cerrone finally began landing his offense. Lawler would take the first, but his opponent settled in at the tail end of the round.
Cowboy looked much more composed at the start of the second round. Lawler allowed him to fight at range. The diversity of Cerrone’s attacks kept Ruthless guessing throughout the second, and Lawler paced himself through the round without expending a lot of energy. The round would be Cerrone’s and set up a decisive and tension-filled third round.
Lawler touched Cerrone with a high kick to open the third, and he began to up his tempo after it landed. Cerrone’s defense was improved from the first and put a stop to the pressure for a moment. Cowboy kept looking for opportunities to take Lawler down, but he defended the weak attempts.
The former welterweight champion attacked Cerrone’s body with kicks and forced him to become defensive as he marched forward. The pressure of Lawler proved to be the difference in the third round. Cerrone would try to stop it with takedown attempts but was unable to complete any shot. Lawler’s forward pressure and punches would win the round and the fight.
The win has put Lawler back in the title picture, but the performance itself didn’t inspire confidence. With Georges St-Pierre waiting in the wings, Lawler will likely have to take one more fight before getting a crack at getting his belt back.
Cerrone loses no ground. He performed admirably and competed against the elite of the division. He will still be an exciting matchup for anyone at lightweight or welterweight. He’s a fighter fans will want to see regardless of what’s on the line.
Lawler vs. Cerrone was supposed to be a stand-up war, and that is exactly what they gave us. No one should be complaining after that fight.
We have reached the halfway mark on the 2017 calendar, and there is no better time to see what’s coming our way for the next six months on the UFC’s docket.
The complete slate is not full, but there is plenty of action already signed.
UFC 213 and 214 a…
We have reached the halfway mark on the 2017 calendar, and there is no better time to see what’s coming our way for the next six months on the UFC’s docket.
The complete slate is not full, but there is plenty of action already signed.
UFC 213 and 214 are two marquee events just around the bend. Mixed in are some Fight Night events along with a The Ultimate Fighter finale. And that’s just in the month of July alone. The UFC is working on filling out the cards beyond the next 30 days.
Are you ready? 2017’s shot in the arm is just around the corner.
Some fights you may expect to be entertaining, while others could surprise.
Aaron Pico entered Madison Square Garden looking to join George Foreman and Evander Holyfield as highly touted combat sport athletes who would get their first professional victory in the world’s most famous arena.
That did not happen.
Unheralded …
Aaron Pico entered Madison Square Garden looking to join George Foreman and EvanderHolyfield as highly touted combat sport athletes who would get their first professional victory in the world’s most famous arena.
That did not happen.
Unheralded Zach Freeman took care of business in under 30 seconds against MMA’s most hyped prospect to date.
Pico wasted little time getting to the center of the cage, and immediately got rocked by a right uppercut from the 8-2 part-time fighter. Freeman jumped on a guillotine and switched it up to a D’arce choke. Pico was forced to tap just 0:24 into his MMA debut.
Pico seemingly went out as he was tapping.
The fight was pure MMA. A sport so unforgiving to its prospects continues to show that one must come up through the ranks, and no one will be given anything. Pico found out the hard way.
The silver lining is that Pico got a fight under his belt. The performance does not take away from his skill set. He’s still a super-talented young man with a long and bright future ahead of him. However, the hype surrounding him will undoubtedly take a hit following the 24-second loss.
Freeman, now fresh off his spotlight-stealing moment, will have a little anticipation for his next outing. The quick victory which moved him to 9-2 overall as a fighter puts him right in the mix in Bellator’s lightweight division.
The result may not be what Bellator wanted out of their much-ballyhooed prospect, but it will have fans talking at the watercooler. Freeman shocked the MMA universe and gives the “next big thing” an 0-1 record to begin his career.
