Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (28-7, 1 NC) rarely offers up a dull moment in or out of the cage. Tuesday would be no different.
The former lightweight title contender rolled his truck but luckily walked away without an injury. Cerrone posted a pi…
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (28-7, 1 NC) rarely offers up a dull moment in or out of the cage. Tuesday would be no different.
The former lightweight title contender rolled his truck but luckily walked away without an injury. Cerrone posted a picture of his upturned truck to Instagram with the caption “Coming in HOT” and a few grinning emojis.
If you were concerned the accident may have resulted in Cowboy not making his February fight against Tim Means in Pittsburgh, you can rest easy. Cerrone posted a follow-up picture on the social media website saying that he made all of his workouts, and he was not injured.
It just another crazy story in the life of Cowboy.
The outspoken daredevil is known for his risk-taking lifestyle. Whether it’s wakeboarding, riding a bull or another extreme sport, Cerrone is always involved in a high-risk activity. In February 2013, Cerrone fell while rock climbing. Thus far, he has managed to avoid a serious life-altering injury.
Cerrone suffered more damage in his 66-second loss to Rafael dos Anjos in December than in this most recent incident. Following the bout, Cerrone jumped at the chance to get right back in the cage. The UFC booked him for a welterweight showdown with Means for UFC Fight Night 83’s main event.
Thankfully, Cerrone escaped without an injury after the wreck. That is the most important thing. Now all the focus can be shifted to his upcoming scrap.
Cerrone meets Means in the main event of UFC Fight Night 83 in Pittsburgh on February 21. Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the event from the Consol Energy Center.
That burning heap over on the side of the hill? Yeah, that’s the Sage Northcutt hype train. It got derailed in Hollywood fashion at UFC on Fox 18.
Northcutt is a 19-year-old super athlete and very good prospect for the UFC. They scooped him up and inst…
That burning heap over on the side of the hill? Yeah, that’s the Sage Northcutt hype train. It got derailed in Hollywood fashion at UFC on Fox 18.
Northcutt is a 19-year-old super athlete and very good prospect for the UFC. They scooped him up and instantly put the marketing machine behind him. Anytime that happens, there can be backlash or ill feelings. And none of that is the fault of a 19-year-old prospect who only accepted what was offered to him.
What really caused the ruckus online was how Bryan Barberena defeated Northcutt.
Barberena was moving toward an arm-triangle choke, but he had not even passed over to the correct side to tighten it up before Northcutt was tapping out. Joe Rogan stated on the broadcast it was an early choke. It should be noted that Northcutt did not come from a grappling background. He is still learning and becoming a well-rounded fighter.
And Twitter reacted in all its glory to the result.
All was normal during the first round
And then it happened…
The Fighters (h/t MMA Supremacy for compiling a list of fighters’ reactions)
The Pundits
And some words of encouragement.
Northcutt will undoubtedly learn from this experience, and he has all the physical abilities to make a serious run up the ranks as he matures physically, mentally and overall as a fighter. He has a lot to learn and a lot of time to accomplish all that he needs.
Now that he has lost, perhaps some pressure will be lifted as well and the UFC can pull the reins back a bit to allow him room to grow.
And when he returns, win or lose, perhaps Twitter won’t react as harshly as it has following his first career loss.
No. 7-ranked heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell picked up his fourth consecutive victory in the division on Saturday night, and in the process, he became the first man to ever legitimately submit Josh Barnett in an MMA competition. Following UFC o…
No. 7-ranked heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell picked up his fourth consecutive victory in the division on Saturday night, and in the process, he became the first man to ever legitimately submit Josh Barnett in an MMA competition. Following UFC on Fox 18, the question is where does he stand in the title picture?
No. 1 contender and former champion Cain Velasquez was granted an immediate title rematch but bowed out again due to injury. No. 2-ranked StipeMiocic stepped in, but then Werdum pulled out with an injury of his own.
The curious thing about Miocic‘s standing in the division as a top contender is that he has only put together back-to-back victories, and the quality of his opponents during his UFC tenure has not been head and shoulders above Rothwell‘s. Yet, he is next in line.
Then there is No. 3-ranked Alistair Overeem.
Rothwell knocked Overeem out in 2014. Since then, Overeem has put together three straight wins over impressive competition. But why is he so far ahead of Rothwell in the rankings when Rothwell has a head-to-head victory and a longer active win streak? Oh, and Rothwell has finished all four of his opponents during his streak.
The unassuming heavyweight is clearly not getting the respect he deserves, and he should make a lot of noise about his divisional standing to the UFC brass.
Given the mess that is the UFC heavyweight title picture, Rothwell will have to fight before another title tilt. Either Velasquez or Miocic will get the next bid. The UFC has shown its hand in that regard. Whoever gets left out is who Rothwell needs to pinpoint for his next opponent.
He has already proven he’s able to beat Overeem, and that rematch makes little to no sense for the American. But a title eliminator with Velasquez or Miocic would be a worthy fight for a worthy contender. Rothwell has done everything that every other contender the UFC is eyeing for a shot at gold has, if not more. He should not accept any fight short of a title eliminator.
Rothwell knows where he stands, and he’s familiar with the landscape of the division. He told Fox Sports that if the UFC goes with the formally proposed title rematch, that would leave him and Stipe available. And for a rematch of his own, he wouldn’t mind avenging the loss to Velasquez. Andrei Arlovski is another previous loss he would like to get back, and “The Pitbull” is currently ahead of him in the rankings as well.
That simply would not be the most prudent fight following Arlovski’s recent loss to Miocic.
Rothwell has a case to be in Miocic‘s current position or even to be the next title challenger, but the UFC does not seem to see it that way, despite his resume. After an impressive submission performance at UFC on Fox 18, Rothwell has to capitalize on the opportunity and only accept fights with title implications.
You only get what you take in this sport.
Make noise, Big Ben. Make noise. Force the UFC to notice your accomplishments and abilities. You are a contender. You’ve proved it in the cage.
Tony Ferguson (20-3) will not be fighting No. 7-ranked lightweight contender Michael Johnson (16-10), and he will not be fighting at UFC 197.
As first reported by MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani (h/t MMAFighting.com’s Hunter A. Homistek), Joh…
Tony Ferguson (20-3) will not be fighting No. 7-ranked lightweight contender Michael Johnson (16-10), and he will not be fighting at UFC 197.
As first reported by MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani (h/t MMAFighting.com’s Hunter A. Homistek), Johnson withdrew from the UFC 197 contest, and the UFC moved Ferguson from the event. Ferguson, the No. 5-ranked contender, will now get a higher-ranked opponent in No. 2-ranked KhabibNurmagomedov (22-0).
The reason Johnson dropped out of UFC 197 was not available.
The new fight is being eyed for an April date that will be a UFC on Fox event.
Ferguson is currently riding a seven-fight win streak after defeating EdsonBarboza via D’arce choke at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in December. The talented contender has risen up the ranks with his aggressive style and impressive finishes.
Nurmagomedov, however, has not seen the inside of the Octagon since April 2014.
The top end of the lightweight division is in a state of uncertainty. Rafael dos Anjos will defend the title against ConorMcGregor at UFC 197, but following the event, there is no clear-cut top contender. The winner of Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov could slide into that role in the spring.
The stylistic matchup between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov should provide fans with an entertaining bout.
Both Ferguson and Nurmagomedov move forward to press the action. Ferguson has a violent attack of striking and submission, and Nurmagomedov has been virtually unstoppable with his grappling. Nurmagomedov is the last man to beat the champion, and in that fight, he was successful on six of 12 takedown attempts, per FightMetric.
This is a huge fight for the lightweight division. Come the conclusion of this fight in April, the title picture should be a lot clearer. Ferguson and Nurmagomedov are on the precipice of a title shot.
Bleacher Report will continue to update you regarding this fight and all UFC action as details become available.
UFC on Fox 18 on Saturday is headlined by a possible light heavyweight title eliminator between No. 2-ranked Anthony Johnson (20-5) and No. 4-ranked Ryan Bader (20-4).
Johnson failed in his bid to capture the light heavyweight gold at UFC 187 against D…
UFC on Fox 18 on Saturday is headlined by a possible light heavyweight title eliminator between No. 2-ranked Anthony Johnson (20-5) and No. 4-ranked Ryan Bader (20-4).
Johnson failed in his bid to capture the light heavyweight gold at UFC 187 against Daniel Cormier but rebounded with a knockout victory over JimiManuwa. The win moved him back into contention.
Bader has won five straight and is coming off a decision victory over former champion Rashad Evans. One more win will put him in the catbird seat without much argument as to who deserves the next crack at the 205-pound championship.
How does this fight break down?
Let’s find out who walks away as the top contender in the UFC on Fox 18 main event between Johnson and Bader.
Jon Jones’ latest Instagram posts are the equivalent of sirens blaring to warn of Godzilla coming ashore. They are an omen of impending destruction. And absolutely no one is safe.
He is coming back to lay waste to the UFC roster.
The former UFC light h…
Jon Jones‘ latest Instagram posts are the equivalent of sirens blaring to warn of Godzilla coming ashore. They are an omen of impending destruction. And absolutely no one is safe.
He is coming back to lay waste to the UFC roster.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion looks like a beast waiting to be unleashed on his prey. Considering how he eviscerated his opposition en route to the title in the first place, this new beast of a human could devour everyone in sight.
Part of Jones’ focus through his suspension and revamped training has been powerlifting. Jones has posted several videos showing off his newfound strength, and now that he has returned to MMA training, we are getting a gander at his power translating into his training.
He has become even more formidable.
And it has not come at the expense of his other athletic abilities.
Jones has always maintained that he plans to move up in weight and go after the ultimate prize in combat sports—a heavyweight championship.
His physical attributes, new physique and growing strength could mean that move is not too far off from becoming a reality. Even the heavyweight division needs to heed the warning signs coming from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The return date for Jones has yet to be set, but all signs are pointing to a rematch with Daniel Cormier. Jones defeated him in early 2015, but following his suspension, Cormier claimed the vacant belt as his own with a victory over Anthony Johnson.
Jones is coming for his belt.
If this is what we get to see in the Octagon in his return, then neither Cormier nor anyone else will stop him from creating a mass extinction event in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
The UFC needs to start looking in the depths of the oceans and jungles to find a worthy challenger.
With every new post and every new video, the sound of the sirens grow louder.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (28-7, 1 NC) rarely offers up a dull moment in or out of the cage. Tuesday would be no different.