NEW YORKKelvin Gastelum promises that when he walks into the Octagon at Madison Square Garden for his UFC 205 bout against Donald Cerrone that he will be better. Better than what? Well, according to the welterweight contender, better than a stellar per…
NEW YORKKelvin Gastelum promises that when he walks into the Octagon at Madison Square Garden for his UFC 205 bout against Donald Cerrone that he will be better. Better than what? Well, according to the welterweight contender, better than a stellar performance against former world champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 200 in July.“I did pretty well on probably the worst night of my life,” he said of the Hendricks fight, which he won via shutout decision on two of the three judges’ scorecards. “It really was a horrible experience, a horrible weekend.”
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Cross over athlete Bobby Lashley is confirmed to fight in Bellator 162! He is currently the TNA World Champion and is looking to make a name for himself in the world of Bellator and mixed martial arts as well. He will now get a chance to do exactly that when he returns to the cage […]
Cross over athlete Bobby Lashley is confirmed to fight in Bellator 162! He is currently the TNA World Champion and is looking to make a name for himself in the world of Bellator and mixed martial arts as well. He will now get a chance to do exactly that when he returns to the cage for his latest MMA round. Bellator has officially confirmed that the wrestling world champion will be part of the Bellaotor 162 which will occur on October 21st in Memphis, Tennessee.
However, the mystery now is not whether or not Lashley will take part in Bellator 162, but rather – who is opponent is going to be?
Coming to his form, immaculate is the appropriate word to describe his record in the Bellator so far. The TNA World Champion has fought just five times thus far in his Bellator campaign and he has emerged victorious in all five of his match ups. Just by his form so far and the fashion in which he was won his fights, it is safe to say that he has established himself as a fighter to certainly reckon with and anyone that will have to take him on car rest assured that they will have a challenge on their hands.
Lashley’s most recent (Bellator) fight was back in Bellator 145 and this was nearly a year ago in November of 2015 when he took on James Thompson who is revered as a PRIDE FC seasoned veteran. Not many through that Lashley would come through as the winner, but he was actually able to beat James Thompson fair and square by a technical knock out right in the very first round just a mere 54 seconds into the fight. Jaws dropped everywhere and it was clear that Lashley is no joke and that he is not afraid on anybody.
Apart from the confirmation that Lashley will be featuring in Bellator 162 which will happen on October 21st in Memphis, Tennessee, the only other fight that has been officially confirmed is that of Kendall Grove Vs. Alexander Shlemenko. Grove has not fought for a while and will be making his return after having taken some time off in his home state of Maui. If Grove is able to defeat Shlemenko despite his absence from the sport for a substantial period then it is expected (but not official) that Grove could be handed a title shot against current champion Rafael Carvalho.
In other mixed martial arts news, we are pleased to announce that it is official that Ricardo Lamas will take on Charles Oliveira in UFC fight night 98 which will take place in Mexico. Lamas at one point was the featherweight title champion will be hoping to get another win under his belt when he appears in the venue which is Mexico City arena, Mexico City, in Mexico.
Lamas was originally drafted to take on Penn in UFC fight night 97, but Penn had to pull out due to injury.
Kendall Grove is apparently just too busy living his life and just doing him to be worried about potential title shots that may come his way in the future. In all fairness, Maui is just the kind of place where life is beautiful and it is nearly impossible not to enjoy life. Yes! Kendall Grove […]
Kendall Grove is apparently just too busy living his life and just doing him to be worried about potential title shots that may come his way in the future. In all fairness, Maui is just the kind of place where life is beautiful and it is nearly impossible not to enjoy life. Yes! Kendall Grove did spend a couple of years down in Las Vegas training hard and focused on his fighting career, but since he moved back to Maui which is the state in which he was born and raised things have changed in terms of his attitude and outlook towards life.
Grove was quoted as having said. “I am living the dream here in Hawaii and trying to prolong this dream as long as I can”. In fact, in a recent interview with MMA Junkie radio, Grove opened up about how his experience in Bellator and expressed how bitter it was by saying that it chewed him up and spat him out. He has since moved back to Maui, has had kids of his own, is focusing on being there for his family, and that is making him reevaluate his priorities. He said that the recent changed in life has “chopped up his life and he loves it”.
This all seems fine and reasonable, except for the fact that Grove will be back in action in the octagon next week! The 33 year old is set to make his return for the first time since February when he fought last and he is scheduled to take on former middle weight title holder Alexander Shlemenko.
Grove has a professional record of 23 wins and 15 losses in MMA and 4 wins and 2 losses in Bellator. On the other hand, Alexander Shlemenko has 53 wins and 9 losses in MMA and 11 wins and 3 losses in Bellator. Not only is he returning to the octagon after a hiatus, but Grove’s fight will be the headliner for the night come Bellator 162. The main card will be live telecasted on Spike and will be the very next program after prelims on MMA junkie.
Despite Grove’s bitter statements towards his time at the Bellator and saying that it chewed him up and spat him out, he actually enjoyed pretty solid form before he went on his getaway to Maui. In fact, he won three of his last four fights and has also won back to back fights.
Some fans believe that if Grove was to emerge victorious against Shlemenko then he would be well deserving of a title shot and he may actually even get one against current reigning champion Rafael Carvalho.
However, Grove really does not seem to be bothered about whether or not he will get a shot at the title, because all he can do right now is focus on the fight at hand and then take things as they come.
After weeks of utter disappointment, José Aldo is seemingly satisfied with his recent meeting with UFC executives.
Former long-time featherweight champion José Aldo has been one of the big-name fighters who have been most vocal about their dissatisfaction with the UFC. He even went as far as requesting his release from the company and threatening to quit MMA altogether.
His tune seemed to have changed after his meeting with executives Dana White and Sean Shelby on Wednesday afternoon at the UFC headquarters in Las Vegas. In his conversation with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto right after the sit-down, Aldo says that while discussions did go well, he remains uncertain about his future.
“It was great. It was a good conversation. We came in here knowing what we were coming in to. We knew what to expect,” Aldo said through a translator. “It went exactly as expected. I want to thank Dana, I want to thank Sean Shelby as they have always been supportive of my career. So it was good.”
“I didn’t come here just wanting to cancel my contract or to be released. I came here because I had a lot on my chest and I had a lot of things I wanted to say. I thought that saying them in person was the professional approach and proper approach to take with them.”
“So I want to thank them for their time and the opportunity to get things off my chest. What the future will hold nobody knows. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“I came here from Brazil with my ideas already firmly fixed in my head. My current intention is to no longer fight. That hasn’t changed. That is how I felt when I left Brazil and that is how I feel here today.”
Like many of his contemporaries who have grown irate with how things are currently being run in the company, Aldo first aired out his grievances through media interviews. But now that he was given the chance to speak face-to-face with the UFC’s brass, his plans about challenging his contract status and taking legal action has seemingly been thrown out the window.
“No. None. There is no reason to do that,” Aldo said. “I am not that kind of guy you know. I’m a man. I came here. Nobody made me come here. I wanted to be here and have a face-to-face conversation, man to man, and make my feelings known. Not through statements made to third parties (that are) misinterpreted or mistranslated. I wanted to sit down with Dana and with Sean and tell them how I felt.”
After weeks of utter disappointment, José Aldo is seemingly satisfied with his recent meeting with UFC executives.
Former long-time featherweight champion José Aldo has been one of the big-name fighters who have been most vocal about their dissatisfaction with the UFC. He even went as far as requesting his release from the company and threatening to quit MMA altogether.
His tune seemed to have changed after his meeting with executives Dana White and Sean Shelby on Wednesday afternoon at the UFC headquarters in Las Vegas. In his conversation with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto right after the sit-down, Aldo says that while discussions did go well, he remains uncertain about his future.
“It was great. It was a good conversation. We came in here knowing what we were coming in to. We knew what to expect,” Aldo said through a translator. “It went exactly as expected. I want to thank Dana, I want to thank Sean Shelby as they have always been supportive of my career. So it was good.”
“I didn’t come here just wanting to cancel my contract or to be released. I came here because I had a lot on my chest and I had a lot of things I wanted to say. I thought that saying them in person was the professional approach and proper approach to take with them.”
“So I want to thank them for their time and the opportunity to get things off my chest. What the future will hold nobody knows. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“I came here from Brazil with my ideas already firmly fixed in my head. My current intention is to no longer fight. That hasn’t changed. That is how I felt when I left Brazil and that is how I feel here today.”
Like many of his contemporaries who have grown irate with how things are currently being run in the company, Aldo first aired out his grievances through media interviews. But now that he was given the chance to speak face-to-face with the UFC’s brass, his plans about challenging his contract status and taking legal action has seemingly been thrown out the window.
“No. None. There is no reason to do that,” Aldo said. “I am not that kind of guy you know. I’m a man. I came here. Nobody made me come here. I wanted to be here and have a face-to-face conversation, man to man, and make my feelings known. Not through statements made to third parties (that are) misinterpreted or mistranslated. I wanted to sit down with Dana and with Sean and tell them how I felt.”
Top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight contender, Julianna Pena (No. 5), was not thrilled when she learned that Ronda Rousey was awarded an immediate title shot after announcing her return to mixed martial arts (MMA) after a year-long layoff.
She’s probably going to flip her lid when she hears this.
Current women’s 135-pound champion, Amana Nunes, recently told MMA Junkie that if she topples “Rowdy” when they collide at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada (details here), that she will gladly give her an immediate rematch.
Her words:
“The UFC did well. Ronda Rousey has every right to fight for the belt. She was dominant for a long time in this division and also, Ronda was one of the biggest pay-per-views ever sold. There’s no way to even explain it – of course she has the right to fight for the belt. She only lost once, and took some time off to rest. If you look at it on the Internet, everyone is waiting for Ronda Rousey to return. Today, the UFC has women’s MMA because Rousey managed to change (UFC President) Dana White’s mind and put it in the UFC. I think she has the right to fight for the belt – not only once, but twice. I’ll beat her and give her a rematch right after that if she wants.”
Sorry, “Venezuelan Vixen.”
Of course, the chances of Rousey getting yet another crack at gold coming off a loss is highly-unlikely. Then again, “Lioness” still has to defeat “Rowdy” before UFC matchmakers get put in that predicament. Still, Nunes is more than confident she can exploit the holes Rousey has shown in her questionable striking, as well as her vaunted ground game, to prove victorious in her first-ever title defense.
Top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight contender, Julianna Pena (No. 5), was not thrilled when she learned that Ronda Rousey was awarded an immediate title shot after announcing her return to mixed martial arts (MMA) after a year-long layoff.
She’s probably going to flip her lid when she hears this.
Current women’s 135-pound champion, Amana Nunes, recently told MMA Junkie that if she topples “Rowdy” when they collide at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada (details here), that she will gladly give her an immediate rematch.
Her words:
“The UFC did well. Ronda Rousey has every right to fight for the belt. She was dominant for a long time in this division and also, Ronda was one of the biggest pay-per-views ever sold. There’s no way to even explain it – of course she has the right to fight for the belt. She only lost once, and took some time off to rest. If you look at it on the Internet, everyone is waiting for Ronda Rousey to return. Today, the UFC has women’s MMA because Rousey managed to change (UFC President) Dana White’s mind and put it in the UFC. I think she has the right to fight for the belt – not only once, but twice. I’ll beat her and give her a rematch right after that if she wants.”
Sorry, “Venezuelan Vixen.”
Of course, the chances of Rousey getting yet another crack at gold coming off a loss is highly-unlikely. Then again, “Lioness” still has to defeat “Rowdy” before UFC matchmakers get put in that predicament. Still, Nunes is more than confident she can exploit the holes Rousey has shown in her questionable striking, as well as her vaunted ground game, to prove victorious in her first-ever title defense.
When Daniel Cormier and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson collide for the second time in their mixed martial arts (MMA) careers in the main event of UFC 206 this December, the former Olympian will be defending his title against a rejuvenated Johnson who has yet to take a loss since he and Cormier’s initial meeting. Cormier and
When Daniel Cormier and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson collide for the second time in their mixed martial arts (MMA) careers in the main event of UFC 206 this December, the former Olympian will be defending his title against a rejuvenated Johnson who has yet to take a loss since he and Cormier’s initial meeting.
Cormier and Johnson last met in the main event of UFC 187 for the then vacant light heavyweight title after Jon Jones was stripped of the belt, to which Johnson submitted to a rear-naked choke in the third round. In the first round, however, Johnson came as close as anyone to becoming the first man to finish Cormier in his MMA career, sending ‘DC’ flying across the Octagon with a single strike.
Now Johnson has a shot at redemption to avenge his only loss since making the jump up to 205 pounds, recently speaking to MMA Junkie about his second shot at 205-pound gold:
“I’m hungry,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t as hungry the first time because the opponent got changed up at the last minute, so it kind of threw me for a loop. This time I just plan on going out there and fighting. Why worry about who it is? Why worry about the crowd? Why worry about all the hype? I just want to fight.”
‘Rumble’ initially pushed for the throw-down between he and Cormier to be on the massive UFC 205 card from New York, but with no such help from Cormier, he settled for his date this December in Toronto:
“Daniel wasn’t pushing for the New York card either, so I kind of knew it wasn’t going to happen,” Johnson said. “He kept talking about Dec. 30, so I was down for fighting whenever after New York. It really didn’t matter. At this point, I just want to fight for the title – it doesn’t matter if it’s in somebody’s backyard.”
Despite the fact that the two elite light heavyweights have to punch each other in the face come fight night in Toronto, Johnson says it’s ‘all love and respect’ when interacting with Cormier outside the Octagon:
“We talk a lot,” Johnson said. “He’s a talker. I’m not much of a talker, but I can talk it. It was fun. It’s all love and respect, but Dec. 10 I have to hate him. I have to beat him up. I have to take what he has.”
Upon the bout’s announcement Cormier has promised to stand and bang with the heavy handed ‘Rumble’ in the center of the Octagon, after having submitted Johnson the first time around last year:
“I believe he is a man of his word; I believe he’s going to try and trade with me, but at the end of the day he is a wrestler,” Johnson said. “I’m going to make him have to wrestle me. Because if I hit him with a better shot than I hit him with last time, he’s in for a long night.
“I look forward to seeing what Daniel can do. I look forward to seeing what I can do against Daniel. It’ll be very interesting. We’ll see what happens,” Johnson said. “Daniel’s smart. If he stays out of the way of my fists and my feet, he might live.”
Cormier and Johnson will collide in the main event of UFC 206 for the light heavyweight title live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 10, 2016.
