Gotta admit, didn’t see this one coming.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) wants undefeated lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov to pack on a few pounds and welcome former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre back to the Octagon -…
Gotta admit, didn’t see this one coming.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) wants undefeated lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov to pack on a few pounds and welcome former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre back to the Octagon — if and when “Rush” can get that contract knot untied.
That’s according to “The Eagle.”
“Yesterday the UFC called me with a proposal to hold the main bout of the evening against Nate Diaz, or against Georges St-Pierre,” Nurmagomedov told Match TV (via Bloody Elbow). “They hope that I will take the fight. But it is four days after the month of Ramadan, and it would be hard physically to fight five rounds. I’ll be back in September and October.”
Not just any main event, either.
Nurmagomedov claims the promotion wanted him atop the upcoming UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza in July, which is now in need of a headliner after Conor McGregor was forced — or chose, depending on what side of the fence you’re on — to abandon the main event slot against Diaz.
A UFC fighter, like most folks on social media, treats his Twitter account like it’s open mic night and tries to be funny, because everyone feels good about themselves when people around them are laughing (ha ha, tee hee) and slapping knees.
Unfortunately, former flyweight No. 1 contender John Dodson is not a comedian and failed to understand that pointing and laughing is not the same thing as developing a humorous point of view. And once the “joke” bombed, the “Magician” tried to make his tweet disappear.
A UFC fighter, like most folks on social media, treats his Twitter account like it’s open mic night and tries to be funny, because everyone feels good about themselves when people around them are laughing (ha ha, tee hee) and slapping knees.
Unfortunately, former flyweight No. 1 contender John Dodson is not a comedian and failed to understand that pointing and laughing is not the same thing as developing a humorous point of view. And once the “joke” bombed, the “Magician” tried to make his tweet disappear.
In case you’ve been absent for the past few days, here’s a brief update on the crazy circumstances surrounding Conor McGregor. The UFC featherweight champion set the internet ablaze with a Tweet announcing his sudden retirement, and since then it’s been sheer mayhem. Speculation erupted in the mixed martial arts community, and was further fuelled
In case you’ve been absent for the past few days, here’s a brief update on the crazy circumstances surrounding Conor McGregor. The UFC featherweight champion set the internet ablaze with a Tweet announcing his sudden retirement, and since then it’s been sheer mayhem. Speculation erupted in the mixed martial arts community, and was further fuelled by the announcement he’d been pulled from his UFC 200 rematch with Nate Diaz. In just a matter of hours, the promotion’s stance on McGregor had changed massively, as UFC president Dana White made clear his feelings on ‘The Notorious.’
White claimed he couldn’t make exceptions for any fighter, and that McGregor had refused to attend the first media obligations for UFC 200, leading to the eventual rift we are seeing today. His retirement was short lived though, as the Irish star clarified in his recent statement, declaring himself as still looking to fight at UFC 200. By all accounts, that window of opportunity is now closed as the promotion seeks a replacement to face Diaz. White even dropped in a USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) implication during his interview with UFC on FOX, adding to the rumours surrounding McGregor’s reasons for becoming embroiled in this saga.
The world is once again fixated on McGregor, the cameras keep rolling and the mics keep recording, but will the brash Irish striker keep fighting? His rise to prominence and sensational engulfing of the UFC is truly a first, with no one, not even greats like GSP or Anderson Silva ever having as much star power as McGregor. Perhaps this posturing by the UFC is the promotion trying to finally put a lid on the monster they created before he starts to take the limelight off of them. The UFC is clearly all about the promotion, and not the fighters, and maybe McGregor’s plight will actually help improve working conditions for future fighters.
Who knows, perhaps there really is more to this than we realise at this stage, but whatever the case, it’s one of the most publicized, mainstream included, MMA happenings ever.
Joe Rogan went on his awesome podcast last night and gave his opinions and feelings on the whole drama surrounding Conor McGregor and UFC 200.
As usual, it’s incredibly accurate and also thought provoking…
On social media, Jake Shields, a Cesar Gracie teammate of Nate Diaz, posted the following side-by-side photo of Conor McGregor and Diaz.
As seen in the photo below, the McGregor photo is shown on the left, which features his Tw…
The fun continues.
On social media, Jake Shields, a Cesar Gracie teammate of Nate Diaz, posted the following side-by-side photo of Conor McGregor and Diaz.
As seen in the photo below, the McGregor photo is shown on the left, which features his Twitter post directed at UFC on Friday evening.
On the other side, we see Diaz posing for the camera after stopping McGregor back at UFC 196 in March. The caption for Diaz’s half of the picture features McGregor’s quote, slightly modified to take a shot at the Irish champion.
It’s time to don the matchmaking caps and sit back down at the UFC 200 table.
By now, everyone has caught wind of the stunning yet brief retirement of Conor McGregor that saw his exit from the UFC 200 main event. Or, if you believe the UFC’…
It’s time to don the matchmaking caps and sit back down at the UFC 200 table.
By now, everyone has caught wind of the stunning yet brief retirement of ConorMcGregor that saw his exit from the UFC 200 main event. Or, if you believe the UFC’s version of the story, it pulled him for not committing to a press schedule.
Either way, he’s out and so is Nate Diaz for the time being.
Steven Rondina and I will take a look at the UFC’s leading options to replace McGregor vs. Diaz 2 atop the UFC 200 fight card on July 9. There are only a few realistic options on the plate. Mr. Rondina, what is the UFC’s leading option for a new UFC 200 main event?
Steven:First and foremost, it’s worth pointing out that the UFC would much rather keep Diaz vs. McGregor 2 in place rather than put something else together. No matter what kind of dispute may be happening behind the scenes or what sort of demands either side is making, there’s no question that keeping this fight in place is the most lucrative option available for all parties. Until the UFC officially announces, signs and promotes a new main event, I’m still expecting this fight to happen, regardless of UFC President Dana White’s bombast.
If McGregor is indeed out of the picture, the UFC would be best served by keeping Diaz atop the card. Nobody knows how much of a rub he got from defeating McGregor, but unless Ronda Rousey suddenly returns or Georges St-Pierre ends his hiatus, he’s the best option. Choosing an opponent for him is basically a two-horse race between either lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos or welterweight champ Robbie Lawler.
Dos Anjos is set to face Eddie Alvarez on the Thursday before UFC 200, but it wouldn’t be hard to sell him on a jump to UFC 200. As for Lawler, White told AXS TV broadcasters that he is going to fight at UFC 201 or 202 (probably) against TyronWoodley (probably), per MMAFighting.com. Again, it wouldn’t be difficult to woo Lawler into a fight with Diaz.
Of those two, Lawler has more legs and is the more fan-friendly fighter. If the UFC plans on making a totally new fight, however, that’s anyone’s guess.
But hey, Nathan! I’m fairly certain that you qualify as “anyone,” so what would you guess?
Nathan:McGregor is off the card for good, and I believe that will hold. The UFC will want to make a point that he can’t just waltz back into UFC 200 after everything that has transpired. Even though the UFC also pulled Diaz, he could end up back on the card against the right opponent.
Rouseydoesn’t seem like a realistic option at this juncture, given her hiatus and movie schedule, and it looks obvious she’s going to be a linchpin for the Madison Square Garden card.
The only three fighters I see coming in to save the day are Jon Jones, Lawler and GSP. The top option is, of course, the return of the Canadian superstar. Talks are ramping up on his return, and if there was ever a time for the UFC to throw canvas bags with a dollar sign on them at the former champion, now would be it. I’m just too skeptical that it will happen.
This weekend’s UFC 197 main event is going to play a big role in what goes down. If Jones runs through Ovince Saint Preux, I would expect an announcement that Jones vs. Daniel Cormier is the new UFC 200 headliner. It’s too easy of a fight to make, and Jones is one of the top UFC draws behind McGregor. If the fight goes on a bit too long and Jones is banged up, I could see the UFC having Lawler as the backup plan.
Steven, are there any options available to the UFC that may be just a little outside of the box?
Steven: Rousey, as you said, is out of the question. It stinks, but a return is unlikely to the point where it’s not even worth discussing further.
GSP, however, seems like a legitimate possibility. While he played coy Monday speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour,KhabibNurmagomedovtold Russian media that the UFC asked him about facing the former welterweight champ at UFC 200. Even though Nurmagomedov turned down the fight due to his plans to adhere to the fasting traditions of Ramadan, you can bet he’s not the only fighter the UFC called.
If GSP does indeed return, a fight against Diaz makes sense in a lot of ways. Past him, however, the options are limited to Lawler or Anderson Silva (if the UFC can get another quick turnaround out of him).
Jones is where things start getting interesting. As you mentioned, Cormier vs. Jones 2 is the biggest fight the UFC can make not involving Rousey or McGregor, but if Cormier can’t make it for July, the UFC has other options in Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson.
Nathan: All told, we’ll probably get our answer at the UFC 197 post-fight press conference. If Jones can’t put away OSP with ease, Lawler will probably go on tap to take on Diaz or Woodley. Late Thursday evening, rumors swirled that Diaz was also pulled from the card. Damon Martin of Fox Sports reported that Lawler vs. Diaz had been discussed but was no longer on the table. Diaz is much more palatable than Woodley for this huge event.
It’s off the table until the UFC knows if Jones can make it or not. The company wants Lawler to headline UFC 201 and only wants to resort to him as a last option.
Jones. GSP. Lawler. That almost seems to be a consensus at this point. It’s going to be a wild few days as speculation heats up and we get ready for the return of the most dominant light heavyweight in MMA history.
This is the sport that keeps on giving, and it’s giving us a lot to think and talk about for UFC 198 and UFC 200. These are crazy times all thanks to an Irish superstar who wanted to focus on training.
Jon Jones returns to action Saturday night in a battle for the interim light heavyweight championship in a battle against Ovince Saint Preux in the headline bout for UFC 197.
Jones (21-1) was once the king of the light heavyweight division, having defe…
Jon Jones returns to action Saturday night in a battle for the interim light heavyweight championship in a battle against Ovince Saint Preux in the headline bout for UFC 197.
Jones (21-1) was once the king of the light heavyweight division, having defended his title an impressive eight times before he was stripped of the championship in April 2015.
He returns against Saint Preux, a fighter with excellent quickness and explosive punching power. The idea was that Jones would fight Daniel Cormier upon his return, but Cormier suffered a knee injury in early April and Saint Preux got the call to step in.
While Saint Preux (19-7) is a solid fighter, this is the biggest challenge of his career. He will be fighting one of the most dangerous men on the planet.
The odds reflect the respect Jones carries when he fights. Odds Shark has Jones as the minus-550 favorite, while Saint Preux is plus-375.
Jones uses his length and quickness to dominate his opponents. He is 6’4″ with an 84″ reach, and he generates tremendous and surprising power with his punches.
He has knockout ability from a distance, and unless Saint Preux can figure out a defense against Jones, he will have to look out for the long-range punches that could cause consistent damage. However, Jones is equally dangerous when he gets his opponent in a clinch. He is able to fire vicious elbows that are capable of inflicting great pain.
Jones is dangerous from long distance because he also has the kind of quickness that is rare for a man of his size. His ability to launch punches and kicks in sharp succession and have them land on the button and do maximum damage is one of Jones’s signature moves.
The best opportunity for Saint Preux may be to keep Jones in the pocket, where he is good but not special. The problem when fighting at mid-range is it’s difficult to stay out of clinches, where Jones can use his leverage to impose his will on an opponent.
Saint Preux does not want any part of a ground battle with Jones, who is both ruthless and technical. Once he starts striking, it is just a matter of time before he does significant damage. He is also a threat to choke out an opponent who attempts to escape from a ground position.
Saint Preux is a powerful puncher, and his southpaw style can be difficult to figure out. If he finds the range from the pocket with his left hand, he could cause quite a bit of damage. OSP also has a wrestling background and an array of moves.
Like most underdogs in all combat sports, Saint Preux is fighting for respect from his opponent.
It’s difficult to find analysts who believe OSP is going to defeat Jones. Riley Kontek of FanSided does not expect Jones to be at his best upon his return, but he still expects him to come away with a finish in this fight and win.
Vince Carey of Combat Press also believes Jones will win, and he predicts he will accomplish his victory with an early stoppage.
Mike Schultz of Sports Interaction is also expecting a Jones win via knockout, and Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports sees Jones ending the fight with a series of ground strikes in the fourth round.
The prediction here is that Saint Preux will hold his own in the first round and into the second, but Jones will take over at that point and dominate the fight. He will get close to registering a knockout in the third and fourth rounds before putting away his worthy challenger with a fifth-round submission.
