Tom Sunderland | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Dana White Gives Conor McGregor No Chance of Beating Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196

Dana White expects Conor McGregor to suffer his first UFC loss when he makes the move up to lightweight for a championship bout against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 on March 5.
The Notorious will climb to lightweight for the first time since he claimed …

Dana White expects Conor McGregor to suffer his first UFC loss when he makes the move up to lightweight for a championship bout against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 on March 5.

The Notorious will climb to lightweight for the first time since he claimed the Cage Warriors title in that division back in 2012, and UFC president White told At The Buzzer: “I don’t see how he wins this fight.”

Per Anton Tabuena of Bloody Elbow, White described Dos Anjos as “an animal,” one who’s beaten Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone in his last two fights, with the latter coming via first-round TKO.

Contrary to White’s claims, McGregor’s move from the 145-pound division to 155 pounds means he’ll only be making a 10-pound leap, not the 15 pounds he prescribed. Nevertheless, it’s a substantial leap in any combat sport.

McGregor famously defeated former featherweight title-holder Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December, furthering his claims at having decimated the 145-pound division.

However, in classic McGregor style, the Dublin native has spoken confidently of his chances against Dos Anjos in March. He recently took to his official Twitter account to state he once again plans to back up his words:

Mystic Mac has frequently been noted as an odd fit at featherweight, having to cut from 170 pounds for his previous fights in the UFC, but this bout won’t require as gruelling a drop in weight.

The concern in that regard is that while carrying more weight may allow for more power, the 10 extra pounds could feel unfamiliar to McGregor, and White feels Dos Anjos’ comfort at lightweight will be telling.

There is the chance White is merely taking a different tack with promotion in the build-up to UFC 196, where his comments could help build suspense in installing McGregor as the firm underdog.

His prediction also falls shortly after claims arose that the UFC had hired Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Jordan Burroughs as a coach for McGregor. However, MMA Junkie’s John Morgan provided quotes from White, who denounced those rumours:

The heavy-hitting Aldo was expected to be the toughest test of McGregor’s chin to date, but the shockingly short ending to their bout means Chad Mendes remains the Irishman’s most difficult win in the UFC.

That could all change come March 5, and White appears to be lacing his bets on Dos Anjos under the impression the jump in division will see McGregor bite off more than even his mouth can chew.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Comments on Ronda Rousey Return, Sage Northcutt, More

Ronda Rousey will “probably” make a return to the Octagon in November, according to UFC president Dana White, who has also opened up on Sage Northcutt’s first professional defeat.
Reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm fights Miesha Tate…

Ronda Rousey will “probably” make a return to the Octagon in November, according to UFC president Dana White, who has also opened up on Sage Northcutt’s first professional defeat.

Reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm fights Miesha Tate at UFC 196 on March 5, and White told the Big Boy Show in Los Angeles that whoever wins that bout “will fight Ronda probably in November,” (h/t MMA Fighting).

(Warning: Video contains NSFW language.)

It stands to reason that predicted fixture will be Rowdy’s official return to the UFC. Even though November is still some nine months away, it’s unlikely she’ll risk a second career loss before even having her chance at defeating Holm in a rematch.

It was the Preacher’s Daughter who handed Rousey her first defeat at UFC 193 last November, knocking Rowdy out in the second round with a smartly timed head kick.

Despite that setback, White tipped Rousey to come back as strong as ever, telling host Big Boy: “She’s very intense. She’s a badass, man. She’ll be back.”

Ever since Rowdy’s shock defeat to Holm almost three months ago, a rematch has always been teased as a firm possibility, but MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas believes Tate’s addition to the mix was unnecessary:

Rousey has already beaten Cupcake twice in the past four years, so some may see it as a disappointment if Tate were to somehow turn the tables at UFC 196 and set up a third encounter with Rousey. However, Rowdy has also needed time to recover since requiring plastic surgery following her loss to Holm.

For now, fans will be content just to hear Rousey has a 2016 return date in view, with the UFC undoubtedly looking to give its poster child all the time she needs to prepare for her comeback bout.

White also accepted blame for the part he played in Northcutt’s first loss. “Super” was suffering from strep throat when he faced Bryan Barberena at UFC on Fox 18 last Saturday, when he went on to lose via second-round submission.

The UFC president admitted he should have pulled the promotion’s rising star out of the fixture, telling the Big Boy Show Northcutt and his father were adamant they wanted to fight (h/t MMA Fighting):

The kid was super sick and he still wanted to fight. His father said, listen we still want to take the fight, we still want to take the fight. I should have pulled the kid from the fight. He’s 19 years old, he fought three times in [four] months. I should have pulled the kid from the fight.

Northcutt has made a rampant rise through the UFC’s ranks since White discovered the teenager’s talents while filming his series Dana White: Looking For a Fight in 2015, winning his opening two fights under the promotion’s banner.

BT Sport provided footage of the arm triangle that saw Barberena claim a surprise win over the youngster, who told MMA Fighting his breathing had “never felt like that before”:

White went on to say he “blew it” by allowing Northcutt to continue as normal, and one can assume his estimations of the fighter haven’t been affected by the loss.

Northcutt is still being tipped as a future superstar of the UFC, and Big Boy heaped praise on the promotion for consistently being able to replace its biggest faces with another new name, to which White replied:

Well in fighting, there’s always a new badass, man or woman, that’s coming up. Believe me, I’ve been hearing it since: ‘What are you gonna do when Chuck Liddell goes? What are you gonna do when Anderson Silva goes?’ Y’know, Chris Weidman beat Anderson Silva.

[…]

Even in boxing, in its hayday, there was always a new guy. There are some champs that are less popular than others, but there’s always a new tough guy, or girl now these days.

It’s true that while long title reigns and dominant champions are admired by fans, the UFC is happy to see its belts changing hands in shock results, just like Holm’s defeat of Rousey at UFC 193.

That turnaround and constant sense of competition is what combat sports is all about, and the promotion is likely to continue thriving as long as its roster has a strong of contenders always waiting in the wings.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronda Rousey, Travis Browne Slammed by Hapa’s Wife, Jenna Renee Webb, over Ring

Ronda Rousey and partner Travis Browne have come under criticism from the heavyweight UFC star’s current wife, Jenna Renee Webb, after Rousey was pictured wearing a ring on her engagement finger. Webb is still Browne’s legal spouse.
Rousey guest-hosted…

Rousey guest-hosted Saturday Night Live on Jan. 23, but Webb reposted a meme created by Overtime MMA Podcast via her official Instagram, referencing the assault she alleged against Browne in 2015. (Warning: The post contains profanity):

Webb posted the picture to her account on Sunday with the following message:

“Pet Peeve: When people think they can do stupid s–t and not get called out on it…. I’m pretty sure we’re still married. When he hits you across your pretty face don’t worry, I’ll be right here to say #IToldYouSo I wish you both the best 😉 #yourewelcome #hyprocrite #thankyou #DNB.“

In August 2015, the UFC released a statement via its official website confirming a seven-week investigation into Browne’s alleged domestic abuse case found “inconclusive evidence” to support Webb’s claims.

Webb posted images of bruising on her body in July, but when talking to The MMA Hour in October, Browne claimed his wife left him in June before opening up about the allegations (h/t Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting):

“Have I ever gotten physical towards her? No, absolutely not. Like I said, there’s circumstances surrounding all this. That’s up to her and her family to deal with. I’m back to fighting. The results speak for themselves.”

There’s been no confirmation on whether the ring on Rousey‘s engagement finger actually signals any plans to wed Browne or if she merely felt like putting jewellery on that finger.

Browne recently claimed a technical knockout win over Matt Mitrione at UFC Fight Night 81, improving his standing in the heavyweight division. Mixed martial arts commentator Terez Owens suggested Rousey is Browne’s meal ticket to UFC success:

Rousey has matters other than marital bliss on her mind right now, with movie commitments scheduled for this year and a planned return to the Octagon, per TMZ.

The former women’s bantamweight champion added she’s planning on a rematch with UFC 193 opponent and reigning titleholder Holly Holm, but Rousey has no fight plans in place as things stand.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chris Weidman Talks Luke Rockhold, Compares UFC Rematch to Anderson Silva Fights

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman has called for an immediate rematch against Luke Rockhold, whom he said he plans to “demolish” in a bout that means more to him than his wins over Anderson Silva.
While he professed to there being “no pers…

While he professed to there being “no personal vendetta” involved, Weidman spoke passionately of his intention to level the score with Rockhold to The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani on Monday (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting):

That’s the fight I want. I’d say that’s the fight I deserve, and that would be the biggest fight of my life.

That trumps my Anderson Silva fights. That trumps my Lyoto Machida, my Vitor (Belfort) fights. It trumps everything. That’s the biggest fight of my life. I’m going to be a completely different animal, motivated more than ever, and I’m going to go repay him for what he did to me. No personal vendetta. No emotion. Just competitively, just go out there and just completely demolish him.

Rockhold ended Weidman’s undefeated record after caging his foe in a suffocating mount during the fourth round of their bout before unleashing an onslaught of punches and elbows to stop the fight.

Despite that severely disappointing end to 2015, the All-American celebrated what he described as a “great year” on his official Facebook account, preferring to concentrate on the positives he experienced:

After clinching the middleweight championship two-and-a-half years ago, Weidman went on to defend his crown against some seasoned veterans in Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort, but only Rockhold could strip him of the belt.

The dethroned king of the division added he’s already quizzed UFC chief executive Lorenzo Fertitta on a rematch and admitted while he wasn’t at his best on December 12, 2015, he’s already training for a second Rockhold fixture:

The next day — Lorenzo (Fertitta) is such a great guy — he came to my room and we hung out, just spent time, watched football and talked life. I let him know right there and then that… that wasn’t me in that cage that night. Anybody who knows me, anybody who’s seen me train or has trained with me, anybody who has pretty much seen any of my fights, they know that something was off. And they’re right. No excuses, he was the better man that night. But I’m going to be a completely different person when I step in there with him next time.

That’s all I’m focused on. Right now, I’m training already. I’m just so hungry and determined and the only face I see is Luke Rockhold’s.

Weidman took the middleweight title from Silva in 2013, the first of two successive victories against the Brazilian mixed-martial arts legend and The Spider’s first defeat since 2006.

The official UFC Europe Twitter account recently celebrated the anniversary of Silva’s second defeat to Weidman at UFC 168, which ended as a result of the horrific leg fracture he suffered in the second round:

The first meeting between Rockhold and Weidman was running along a balanced path during the first two rounds, but it was in the third that the former began to tilt the odds largely in his favour.

Rockhold ended up forcing a fourth-round stoppage, but Weidman will undoubtedly be of the understanding that several key steps could have kept him in the clash, namely an off-target wheel kick that gave the new champion his initial opening.

The All-American also told Helwani he was “happy” he lost on The MMA Hour, insisting the defeat would “create a whole different monster” to the one that slumped to a knockout loss last time he was in the Octagon.

Weidman may have stated there’s “no emotion” in any prospective do-over against Rockhold, but it will be a tremendous task to keep his temper in check against the man who ended his 13-bout win streak in sensational fashion.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Explains Frank Fertitta’s Reaction to Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has lifted the lid on Frank Fertitta’s attention-grabbing reaction to Conor McGregor’s 13-second knockout victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December.
Fertitta—co-owner of Zuffa, the company t…

Fertitta—co-owner of Zuffa, the company that owns the UFC—appeared to slam the UFC featherweight belt following McGregor’s first-round win, but White explained the outburst to the Boston Herald‘s Jack Encarnacao:

“Frank Fertitta is a (expletive) moose, OK? He’ll flip tables over and everything else. It wasn’t anything negative or positive. It was just his reaction to Jose Aldo getting knocked out in one punch, you know?”

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter posted footage of said belt-slamming at the time of McGregor’s victory, a win that saw him claim the UFC featherweight championship outright:

There were several theories created for Fertitta’s reaction. Encarnacao hinted the seemingly emotional response was due to the “bargaining leverage” McGregor—arguably the fastest-rising star the UFC has ever seen—claimed as a direct result of that triumph.

However, White’s words suggest his colleague was merely exploding in reaction to the shock nature of McGregor’s win.

BT Sport tweeted McGregor’s knockout in all its glory, as if an excuse was needed to view the fastest-ever win produced in a UFC championship bout:

Confidence is a huge part of McGregor’s allure, and his boastful manner will undoubtedly have grown as a result of his latest win. Encarnacao is likely correct in suggesting his demands for bigger figures will climb following such a dominant display.

The UFC generated a record $600 million in revenue for 2015, as confirmed by Fertitta’s brother and Zuffa co-founder Lorenzo to CNN Money, meaning higher salaries for the company’s biggest stars is sure to follow:

However, Frank Fertitta’s raging reaction could merely have been that of a fan disappointed that the UFC 194 main event was over before he had blinked.

The UFC figurehead most certainly wouldn’t have been alone in expecting a more drawn-out affair between Aldo and McGregor, and like any fan, he simply could have lusted after more bang for his buck.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com