Jose Aldo Comments on Potential Conor McGregor Fight, Rib Injury

Jose Aldo, whose rib injury opened the way for Conor McGregor to become the interim UFC featherweight champion at UFC 189, said he did not watch McGregor’s bout with Chad Mendes.
“It’s funny. When my friends aren’t fighting, I don’t e…

Jose Aldo, whose rib injury opened the way for Conor McGregor to become the interim UFC featherweight champion at UFC 189, said he did not watch McGregor’s bout with Chad Mendes.

“It’s funny. When my friends aren’t fighting, I don’t even watch it,” Aldo said, per Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting. “‘Dede’ talked to me about it, said it’s cool, that it was a good fight for us. He saw his game, that Chad was winning while he had gas, and that they shouldn’t have stopped the fight. But when I’m not fighting, I don’t read or watch anything.”

Aldo, who is undefeated since joining the UFC, was originally scheduled to defend his featherweight title against McGregor but was ruled medically ineligible last month. The outspoken Irishman went on to stop Mendes in the second round, bringing his own UFC record to 6-0.

Aldo commented on his rib injury and how it was a tough fight to miss: “We considered fighting (McGregor) injured, I like those big events, and I was training well. We asked for a deadline to try to recover and fight injured, but I wasn’t recovering as expected. I still feel the pain. I would have fought if I could, but I couldn’t.”

“I was upset with this injury,” he continued. “This was one of the biggest fights in the history, and we had all the promotion, everything that was needed.” 

Aldo’s health will largely determine the next move for the featherweight division, as Aldo-McGregor could be rescheduled, or McGregor could put the interim title on the line against Frankie Edgar. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told Brett Okamoto of ESPN that the organization tentatively has a Jan. 2 unification fight lined up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Aldo wants to get back to training in two weeks,” Andre Pederneiras, Aldo’s coach, said to Cruz. “I don’t believe Frankie Edgar will fight Conor first. Aldo will be cleared to fight before the end of the year, in November or December. That’s what I think, but I’m not a doctor. We can’t rush anything. He will come back when doctors tell him he’s cleared and there’s no risk of getting injured again.”

Aldo also said he’d be open to fighting McGregor in his home country if UFC finds that location more amenable. He also sent a message to his potential opponent, saying that he could “say whatever he wants, but his weapons are nowhere near what I’m showing him.”

Either way, it’s looking increasingly like the prediction of this being the “biggest fight in the history of the UFC,” as stated by Bleacher Report‘s Riley Kontek, will come to fruition.

 

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Jose Aldo Withdraws from UFC 189, Chad Mendes Will Fight Conor McGregor

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has been forced to withdraw from Saturday night’s UFC 189 bout against Conor McGregor, leaving the challenger to fight Chad Mendes for the interim championship.
UFC President Dana White announced the decision on Tue…

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has been forced to withdraw from Saturday night’s UFC 189 bout against Conor McGregor, leaving the challenger to fight Chad Mendes for the interim championship.

UFC President Dana White announced the decision on Tuesday’s SportsCenter. Aldo, 28, had been trying to get medical clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission after suffering a rib injury in training. Reports varied on the extent of the injury, with UFC calling it a bone bruise and MMAFighting reporting it was a fracture.

Ultimately, White said Aldo’s injury was too painful regardless of its extent. The unfortunate circumstance leaves UFC 189 without one of the most marquee main events on the 2015 calendar. Aldo and McGregor have been building their bout for months, with the latter’s public brashness bringing a ton of mainstream attention.

There were even some theories that Aldo’s injury was a ruse designed to play WWE-style mind games with McGregor. Mendes, who lost to Aldo at UFC 179, will now have less than two weeks to prepare for the bout.

“Four minutes into the first, Chad Mendes will be unconscious,” McGregor said, per the UFC.

Mendes last fought in April, defeating Ricardo Lamas via first-round TKO. McGregor, who is undefeated since joining the UFC, defeated Dennis Siver via TKO in January. Odds are the winner of this bout will be facing Aldo next as White tries filling the featherweight championship on a non-interim basis. 

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Rampage vs. Maldonado Results: Scorecard, Highlights for UFC 186 Bout

Rampage Jackson needed to win a fight in court to even make it to UFC 186. Once there, Jackson proved he still has plenty left in the tank.
The former light heavyweight champion earned a unanimous-decision win over Fabio Maldonado at Saturday’s pay-per…

Rampage Jackson needed to win a fight in court to even make it to UFC 186. Once there, Jackson proved he still has plenty left in the tank.

The former light heavyweight champion earned a unanimous-decision win over Fabio Maldonado at Saturday’s pay-per-view, flashing his trademark power and a promising amount of patience. It was a surprising turn given how cooked Jackson looked the last time he stepped onto the UFC stage. To most, his loss to Glover Teixeira two years ago signaled the end, that perhaps he’d hang it up after dropping three straight fights.

On Saturday, Jackson proved his undying self-confidence was correct.

Aggressive from the outset, Jackson was dominant early and never really wavered. He hit Maldonado with a series of power punches, fighting with an anger that would have caused a lesser fighter to fold. Maldonado was able to keep himself upright until the final bell, but there was no question about the victor when the scorecards were read off.

“Fabio is a boxer, and I like people who stand with me,” Jackson said, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com. “He did a good job. Respect. I trained to knock him out, and he’s got a chin of steel. I hit him with everything but the kitchen sink.”

Jackson has now picked up four consecutive wins since the loss to Teixeira, slowly moving his way back up the light heavyweight rankings. Of course, three of those wins came in a Bellator stint that nearly derailed Jackson’s return to the UFC. 

The fighting promotion and its former top star are engaged in a high-profile legal battle that temporarily took the Jackson-Maldonado fight off of the UFC 186 card. Allowed to fight after earning a temporary injunction, he clearly relished at being back on the big stage. 

“You guys can’t know how stressful [the legal fight with Bellator] was; I wanted to come here and fight in front of the Canadian fans,” Jackson said, per Daniel Austin of the Toronto Sun. “I had to fight here. I thought I was going to do better by leaving the UFC, and I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong. The UFC is the best.”

As for Jackson’s next step, that remains entirely unclear. He wants to continue fighting in UFC. Following Saturday’s win, the former champ made his intentions clear by seemingly calling out half the light heavyweight roster.

“Honestly, I want to come back and beat everybody that beat me,” Jackson told Mike Bohn and Matt Erickson of MMAJunkie.com. “I want to fight [Mauricio] ‘Shogun’ [Rua], Rashad [Evans], Glover [Teixeira], and make my way back up to Jon [Jones]. That’s the honest truth.”

Whether Jackson will get an opportunity to pull that off is another question entirely. Bellator still plans on continuing its suit to keep Jackson’s contract, a move that could force him to fight with the promotion against his will or retire. Jackson has not fought for Bellator since defeating Muhammed Lawal in May of last year. 

“I think he’s definitely got some legal troubles ahead of him, so we’ll see how this thing plays out,” UFC President Dana White said, per Karim Zidan of SB Nation’s Bloody Elbow

The case will undoubtedly help shape the future of the light heavyweight division in UFC. Jackson, though getting up there in age (he’s 36), showed he can dictate the terms of a high-profile bout on Saturday. The pace was largely slow, with Jackson’s fits of aggression coming at the perfect time against Maldonado, who really only looked strong in the second round.

It was the type of fight that puts the rest of the MMA world on notice. Jackson didn’t return just to cash a few checks on his way out the door. Had he been doing that, Bellator would have been a fine stage. The promotion lavished him with a huge contract and promoted him as a franchise face. Playing out the string and continuing to dominate lesser fighters at Bellator would have been a nice, quiet final chapter in his storied career.

Jackson has made it clear that he doesn’t want to walk away with a whimper. He’s determined to go out on his own terms, whether that is a meteoric rise to take Jon Jones’ championship or flat on his back.

Now it’s up to the courts to decide whether that will happen.

 

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Anderson Silva Reportedly Recorded 2nd Failed Drug Test for UFC 183

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s denial of performance-enhancing drug use just took another hit. Silva, according to a report by MMA Junkie, recorded a second positive test related to his UFC 183 bout with Nick Diaz.
The report did not…

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s denial of performance-enhancing drug use just took another hit. Silva, according to a report by MMA Junkie, recorded a second positive test related to his UFC 183 bout with Nick Diaz.

The report did not indicate whether the test was PED-related or for recreational drug use. UFC announced Silva’s positive test for drostanolone metabolites last week after receiving word from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The 39-year-old star, who was making his UFC return following more than a year’s absence due to a broken leg, tested positive in an out-of-competition test on Jan. 9. A subsequent test 10 days later, however, revealed no trace of PED use, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie. Silva has denied all doping allegations.

“I’ve been competing in this sport for a very long time,” Silva said in a statement last week. “This is my 19th fight in the UFC. I have been thoroughly tested many times and have never had a positive test. I have not taken any performance enhancing drugs. My stance on drugs is and will always be the same. I’m an advocate for a clean sport.”

Silva recorded a unanimous-decision victory over Diaz, who tested positive for marijuana use. The Brazilian legend had told MMA Junkie in the past he believes steroid users should be banned from the sport for life. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is set to hear Silva’s case on Feb. 17. While Silva claims his innocence, it’d be a surprise if he weren’t given a suspension while the state goes through a formal investigation.

With reports of a second positive test, though, it’s looking more and more likely that an all-time great’s career will end in shame.

 

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Rashad Evans Injury: Updates on UFC Star’s Knee and Recovery

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will miss an additional six to seven months after his body rejected a cadaver ACL placed in his injured knee.
Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting passed along the news from colleague Ariel Helwani:…

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will miss an additional six to seven months after his body rejected a cadaver ACL placed in his injured knee.

Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting passed along the news from colleague Ariel Helwani:

Evans, 35, has not fought since Nov. 16, 2013 due to complications from a knee injury. He was scheduled to fight Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 but suffered a torn ACL in training and was forced to pull out. Expected to miss eight months, Evans’ recovery took longer than anticipated, and his return featured a number of setbacks.

A bout with Glover Teixeira, initially booked for UFC Fight Night 61 later this month, was called off due to Teixeira’s own lingering knee problems. The UFC did not immediately book Evans for a subsequent event, and in recent weeks he’s been insinuating he was at less than 100 percent.

“They say I should be fine in a couple months,” Evans said last week, per Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting. “But I’m gonna really take my time and see when. I want to get my leg strong I want to be back where I used to be. The right one was skinnier than the left one and it just wasn’t feeling right, so I just want to really build it up.”

Evans (19-3-1) was viewed as one of the sport’s best light heavyweights before this injury. By the time he’s even close to recovered, Evans will be right around two years removed from his latest fight. It’ll be interesting to see how Evans looks once he gets back into the Octagon—if he can at all.

 

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Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz Both Reportedly Fail UFC 183 Drug Tests

For the second time in as many pay-per-view events, UFC president Dana White has a drug scandal on his hands. The promotion announced Tuesday that former middleweight champion Anderson Silva tested positive for drostanolone metabolites prior to his una…

For the second time in as many pay-per-view events, UFC president Dana White has a drug scandal on his hands. The promotion announced Tuesday that former middleweight champion Anderson Silva tested positive for drostanolone metabolites prior to his unanimous-decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 183.

“Anderson Silva has been an amazing champion and a true ambassador of the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC, in Brazil as well as around the world,” the statement read. “UFC is disappointed to learn of these initial results. The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents by its athletes.”

What’s more, Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports has reported Diaz also failed a drug test—his a post-fight screening for marijuana:

Of the two, Silva’s is the more severe infraction. Drostanolone is an anabolic steroid that is most regularly used by bodybuilders to reduce fat, per EliteFitness.com. It lowers water retention, which cuts weight and allows for a more toned physique. Silva’s positive test is interesting because it comes not long after he called for a lifetime ban on performance-enhancing drug users.

MMAFightCorner.com provided a PDF of Silva’s test results. Iole would later report that Silva failed a second drug test as well:

Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com also got confirmation from Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Francisco Aguilar that Diaz tested positive for “marijuana metabolites” during a post-fight drug test.

“When the guys test for the steroids, (they should have) no more fights,” Silva told Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie in October. “When you use the steroids, you use them for a long time. When you use the steroids for a long time, you have a problem. It’s a drug and it’s not good for the sport.”

This is Silva’s first positive drug test. The 39-year-old legend made his return against Diaz at UFC 183 following a 13-month hiatus caused by a broken leg suffered in a TKO loss to Chris Weidman. Weidman handed Silva back-to-back losses for the first time in his career at UFC 162 and UFC 168.

Some saw Silva’s return against Diaz as the first step in a comeback aimed at taking down Weidman, who is the current middleweight champion.

Should the Nevada State Athletic Commission further confirm Silva’s out-of-competition results, it’s possible we’ve seen the last of him in the Octagon. A suspension would undoubtedly loom, and Silva may consider walking away as he pushes 40.

The UFC has not commented on Diaz’s reported positive test for marijuana. In 2012, the Nevada commission banned Diaz for one year and forced him to relinquish 30 percent of his earnings from UFC 143 after a positive marijuana test. He previously tested positive in the state while working for Pride Fighting Championships in 2007.

Diaz has long been a proponent of medical marijuana, but it remains banned in Nevada. White told reporters prior to Diaz’s UFC 158 bout with Georges St-Pierre that the UFC would consider releasing Diaz from his contract if he tested positive for marijuana again. Diaz’s loss to Silva was his third straight, so he may be done with the promotion for good regardless.

This is the second straight major event overshadowed by drug controversy. Jon Jones, MMA‘s undisputed pound-for-pound king, tested positive for cocaine prior to his win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 182. The UFC fined him $25,000 for a violation of the its code of conduct.

 

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