Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier is still pushing for a light heavyweight title shot. While he called out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones back at the final Strikeforce event back in January, the former USA Olympic Wrest…
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier is still pushing for a light heavyweight title shot. While he called out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones back at the final Strikeforce event back in January, the former USA Olympic Wrestling Team member has remained a force at heavyweight.
Speaking with UFC Tonight for their July 24 edition, he flatly stated that he was going to implore the UFC brass to let him jump the line for an immediate title shot at 205 lbs following his UFC 166 bout with Roy Nelson.
Though Cormier has been hinting that he wishes for shot at Jones’ belt, he has seemed relatively content working over top-10 heavyweights in the meantime. After beating Josh Barnett to cement himself as the top heavyweight in Strikeforce, he took on no-name light heavyweight Dion Staring in a heavyweight bout at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.
While he would rough up Staring and call out Jon Jones, he wound up facing long-time UFC heavyweight title contender Frank Mir in his first bout in the Octagon. He is now slated to face off with new rival Roy “Big Country” Nelson. Nelson and Cormier have been beefing mightily over the last month, with Cormier saying he wants to fight Nelson “for Dana White”, with Nelson labeling it “an Uncle Tom move.
Cormier is a relatively small heavyweight in terms of his height and frame, and questions about a potential drop to 205 lbs have always lingered. The move seemed unlikely for a long while due to a near-death experience stemming from his weight cut for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. However, with his friend and teammate, Cain Velasquez, reigning as heavyweight champion, he feels like the light heavyweight division is the best place to make a run for the belt, and is confident he can safely make weight
Jones is currently scheduled to face Alexander Gustafsson in September at UFC 165. Cormier, meanwhile, will face Nelson at UFC 166 on a to-be-determined date (which will likely be in October or November).
Long-time UFC commentator Joe Rogan had some harsh words for boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Talking with Inked, a magazine dedicated to all things tattoo, in their August issue, the MMA aficionado had this t…
Long-time UFC commentator Joe Rogan had some harsh words for boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Talking with Inked, a magazine dedicated to all things tattoo, in their August issue, the MMA aficionado had this to say:
MMA for sure is more of a realistic contest, more of a realistic test as far as using the body in martial arts competition. Although not considered a martial art, boxing is really a martial art. It’s a very limited martial art as long as you agree to just box…but in an actual physical fight against someone who’s just a wrestler, you’re going to get killed. Floyd Mayweather would get killed by an average college wrestler. There would be no competition. If you took Floyd Mayweather today and made him fight against your average college wrestler, that college wrestler is going to shoot on him, pick him up, drop him on his head and knock him out. There’s nothing Floyd can do about it…A judo guy would do the same thing to him. A JuJitsu guy would strangle him, no question about it.
The MMA vs. boxing debate has persisted for years, and Mayweather and his outspoken handler, Leonard Ellerbe, have helped fan the flames for years. The two tend to get harsh responses from noteworthy members of the MMA community.
The most famous example of this came in 2009, when Mayweather, while talking with CBS Sports, stated (via Yahoo! Sports): “there’s no white fighters in boxing that’s dominating, so they had to go to something else and start something new.” That sort of story, by the way, has popped up every two or three months for the last four years.
Boxers have had a few chances to ply their trade in the cage in the past. Ray Mercer knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in just nine seconds in 2009. Truer to what Rogan discussed, in 2010, former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture dominated James Toney on the ground en route to a first-round submission victory.
Historically, when practitioners of single combat sports have met head-on, grappling-focused arts have typically beat out those that focus on striking. The original UFC, UFC 1, was dedicated to having fighters from different backgrounds square off. During the event, Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie would make at-the-time 29-5 boxer Art Jimmerson tap and would later beat Dutch kickboxer Gerard Gordeau.
Additionally, a substantial portion of the UFC’s roster over the years have come from either college or high school wrestling backgrounds. A substantially smaller number have come from boxing backgrounds.
While Mayweather is unquestionably the best boxer in the world today, there are few observers who would disagree with Rogan’s assertion. That likely matters very little to “Money,” though, as he continues to rake in tens of millions of dollars each year.
Kickboxer turned mixed martial artist turned actress Gina Carano has another movie deal lined up. After starring in the 2012 action flick Haywire and making a bit appearance in Fast & Furious 6, Carano will now be playing 1…
Kickboxer turned mixed martial artist turned actress Gina Carano has another movie deal lined up. After starring in the 2012 action flick Haywire and making a bit appearance in Fast & Furious 6, Carano will now be playing 1990s comic book relic Avengelyne, the namesake from the oft-resurrected series created by Rob Liefeld.
Carano is a name very familiar to fight fans. Incredibly attractive and owning legitimate striking skills, she was the unquestioned face of women’s MMA from 2006 through 2010. She pioneered new ground in the sport, appearing on the cover of the 2009 ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, headlining the first ever major MMA card with women given top billing and establishing women as a viable draw in the sport.
She owned a 7-1 MMA record, her final fight being a harsh knockout loss to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (now Cristiane Justino, after divorcing her husband, Evangelista Santos). Afterward, Carano more or less hung her gloves up and achieved moderate success as an actress, but is still best remembered for her setting the foundation for fighters like Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.
While Carano is, for the most part, remembered favorably by MMA fans,Avengelyneis widely panned by comic book aficionados. Created in 1995 by Rob Liefeld, an artist who is largely blackballed in the comic industry these days,Avengelyneis remembered as a generic story that served as a flimsy stage for a scantily-clad heroine.
A fallen angel banished to an Earth overrun by demons, Avengelyne is tasked by God to protect “The One,” who will fix all the world’s ills. However, she must do this while wearing essentially no clothing to obscure her disgusting, genuinely inhuman proportions.
The story willreportedlybe retooled by Liefield and Carano, and the movie will be produced by Scott Karp and Brooklyn Weaver.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is one of the most controversial topics in MMA today, but one of the best-known users of the treatment, former two-division Pride champion, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and frequent UFC title cont…
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is one of the most controversial topics in MMA today, but one of the best-known users of the treatment, former two-division Pride champion, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and frequent UFC title contender, Dan Henderson, took a break from the anger-inspiring procedure before his fight at UFC 161.
This is not especially surprising.
Earlier this week, word came out from the Manitoba Combative Sports Commission (the governing body of MMA in Manitoba, Canada) that there were no Theraputic-Use Exemptions (TUE) handed out for the event.
A TUE is required for TRT use with North American athletic commissions, or the fighter is subject to fines and suspensions, which was quite surprising, as Henderson’s use of TRT is well-documented, and has been receiving TUEs since 2007.
When asked about this, Henderson opened up to MMAJunkie.com.
“It didn’t look like they would approve it, so I just quit taking testosterone,” he said. “I stopped about six to eight weeks out. I was told by my doctor that wouldn’t be a problem at all. I wasn’t using that much, anyway.”
Henderson was diagnosed with hypogonadism, commonly referred to as low testosterone, several years ago. This ailment can be caused by a number of factors, including age, head trauma and steroid use. At 42 years old, with 15 years of professional MMA experience under his belt, and with no history of PED use, most MMA fans accept the TRT use of “Hendo,” a courtesy which has not been extended to the likes of Vitor Belfort or Chael Sonnen.
Still, Henderson found himself unlikely to receive a TUE in Winnipeg, saying, “they won’t approve it unless you can prove a physical problem with your body that would explain why you need it…they weren’t going to approve me, so I didn’t even apply for it.”
While fans are quick to prop up TRT as a king-making wonder drug, other users like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Forrest Griffin and Frank Mir have had minimal success since undergoing treatment. Henderson off TRT looked very similar to Henderson on TRT: “I didn’t feel too big of a difference…I was a little tired here and there, but that’s not too different from all my other training camps.”
Henderson was also quick to brush off any allegation that TRT has a major impact on his performance.
“It’s hard to tell, I never noticed a huge difference,” he said. “I just know my doctor says it’s healthier for me. I know I was getting sick less often when taking TRT and I seemed to have more energy…I work my ass off with or without it.” Henderson lost the fight to Rashad Evans via split decision, and did not look any better or worse than he did when he fought Lyoto Machida in February.
Ultimately, this development will likely do very little to change any perception of TRT use in MMA. Again, Henderson’s sterling reputation, experience and age makes him one of the fighters that fans willingly accept as a “legitimate” TRT user.
Even so, this is a case that people can look back to when discussing this hot-button issue.
Few fighters have as dedicated a fanbase as UFC welterweight Nick Diaz. So naturally, when news broke from his management that he was coming out of his half-hearted retirement to once again throw down in the Octagon, the MMA world took notice.
U…
Few fighters have as dedicated a fanbase as UFC welterweight Nick Diaz. So naturally, when news broke from his management that he was coming out of his half-hearted retirement to once again throw down in the Octagon, the MMA world took notice.
Unfortunately, it seems as though any announcement of his return was premature. UFC President Dana Whiteflatly told MMAFighting.com, “nobody at the UFC talked to [Diaz Manager] Cesar Gracie, or anyone else that reps Nick.” This runs completely opposite to what Gracie told BJPenn.com Radio, who said that “there is an offer on the table…Dana has offered him a fight.”
While Gracie is one of the most prominent non-fighting personalities in MMA, he has frequently found himself at odds with fans and UFC executives. White famously called the trainer a “dick” before Diaz’s title fight at UFC 158 against Georges St-Pierre. Diaz would lose the fight, and announce his retirement immediately after the fight, claiming he would only put his gloves back on for a rematch with St-Pierre, or a superfight with at-the-time middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
This is undoubtedly disappointing news for Diaz fans. While Diaz has been keeping busy since what he claimed to be his final fight, there are almost a dozen interesting matchups that could realistically be made involving the 12-year MMA veteran, including bouts with Carlos Condit, Rory MacDonald, Dong-Hyun Kim and Demian Maia.
That said, it is by no means uncommon for fighters to retire immediately after harsh losses, and then renege shortly thereafter. While Diaz was understandably distraught over the loss, few believed his gloves were going to remain on the hook permanently.
What’s more, Diaz is a recognizable, popular fighter and a solid draw on pay per view. If Diaz wants to return to the sport, which seems to be the case, the UFC is going to actively look for ways to accommodate him.
Right or wrong, Anderson Silva gets a lot more slack than other UFC fighters. He chooses his events, his contract terms and, to the chagrin of most UFC middleweights, his opponents. Roughly a year ago, when Silva pushed for bouts against Luke Rockhold,…
Right or wrong, Anderson Silva gets a lot more slack than other UFC fighters. He chooses his events, his contract terms and, to the chagrin of most UFC middleweights, his opponents.
Roughly a year ago, when Silva pushed for bouts against Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping and (inexplicably) Cung Le, it was seen by many as Silva essentially choosing to fight anybody outside of Chris Weidman, who had just exploded into the middleweight elite by easily dispatching Mark Munoz. Whether or not this was really the case is difficult to call.
As you’ve probably heard, Weidman is a stylistic nightmare for MMA‘s greatest. If you haven’t heard, just take a quick look at Kevin Iole’s report on bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz’s breakdown.
Only Silva’s most devout fans, the ones who insist he intentionally spent 23 minutes underneath ChaelSonnen and overlook the blend of greasing, short-grabbing and semi-legal knees that contributed to his second victory over “The American Gangster,” don’t recognize this. Not only does Weidman have the wrestling chops that, if the past is any indication, will let him repeatedly put Silva into an uncomfortable position, but he also has enough raw knockout power that he can stop almost anybody at 185 lbs.
Weidman is rightly being recognized as a serious threat to Silva’s title reign. What hasn’t gone well-noticed, however, is that he is the only fighter left in the division that fits that bill.
Some divisions’ upper echelons are stacked with wrestlers; lightweight, welterweight and light heavyweight all fit this bill. That is not the case with middleweight. What’s more, if you look specifically at fighters who Silva would realistically agree to fight, there are few matchups that don’t favor the champ.
Bisping, a fighter Silva has targeted in the past, stands very little chance on paper and has a tendency to struggle in big fights. VitorBelfort is in a similar boat, and while he’s undeniably one of the hottest fighters around right now, Silva would probably prefer to keep the electrifying UFC 126 front kick knockout as the only memento of their rivalry. YushinOkami remains a stalwart grappler, but his clinch-based wrestling isn’t as fearsome to Silva as the power double of Sonnen or Weidman (that, and he remains very difficult to build a card around).
New talent has risen lately, between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Costa Philippou. While Souza is a physical beast with four straight stoppages (three in the first round), he lacks the takedowns to threaten Silva with his world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Philippou, meanwhile, remains untested against serious competition and even then, he is a striker, and it’s practically unfathomable that Silva could actually be stopped standing.
Other names that commonly pop up in the UFC’s official rankings are consistently unmarketable, and/or own ugly losses in their recent past. Mark Munoz, Tim Boetsch, Hector Lombard and Alan Belcher all fit this bill. Each one of them is at least 18 months and a few big wins away from a title shot.
That leaves Weidman as the one true threat left for Silva in the middleweight division.
Yes, yes. This is MMA and in MMA, anything can happen. And yes, yes. He would still likely have a tough challenge on his hands if he fought Mark Munoz, or rematched either Belfort or Okami. However, given Silva’s fickleness (and the UFC’s willingness to bend his will), we’re unlikely to see those fights come to pass (with the possible exception of the Belfort rematch).
That in mind, Weidman may be the last man standing in the way of Silva potentially retiring with the belt. In spite of the fact that Silva recently signed a 10-fight deal with the UFC, his already-advanced age (38 years old), the inefficient frequency of his fights (he has averaged two fights a year since 2008), and his strong desire for super-fights (which always seem to get brought up) all bring down the projected number of days left on Silva’s reign.
Again, there are serious challenges left for Silva. As was shown with his reluctance to rematch Sonnen and the way he resisted fighting Weidman, though, “The Spider” hasn’t been all that big on challenges in recent years.
Don’t get me wrong, Silva has nothing to prove. The thing is, he knows it and acts like it, too.
Kickboxer turned mixed martial artist turned actress