Travis Browne Denies Domestic Violence Allegations, UFC Issues Statement

Travis Browne’s manager has revealed his client “1,000 percent” denies allegations of domestic violence. 
Browne has been axed from the UFC’s International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb accused him of physically harming her on social medi…

Travis Browne‘s manager has revealed his client “1,000 percent” denies allegations of domestic violence. 

Browne has been axed from the UFC’s International Fight Week after Jenna Renee Webb accused him of physically harming her on social media.

John Fosco, Browne’s representative, questioned the allegations and suggested they were premeditated, reported by Matt Erickson and Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie:

If Travis Browne abuses a petite woman, do you think that’s what happens? If he’s an abuser, you’ve got to get someone involved—he’s a dangerous guy (as a fighter). You go to the police. … Abuse is unacceptable.

(Discussing the allegations ahead of fight week) That looks kind of measured. It’s kind of bizarre since they haven’t seen each other in five weeks. She hasn’t said anything about this in five weeks, and I don’t know if she’s ever gone to make a report.

Webb’s Instagram post can be seen below:

UFC has reacted to the situation with an official statement, confirming an investigation will take place, reported via Ryan McKinnell of Yahoo Sports:

UFC is aware of the social media allegations made against heavyweight Travis Browne. The organization requires all athletes to act in an ethical and responsible manner, as mandated by the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. UFC will not tolerate domestic violence or any other violation of the policy. Every athlete is deserving of due process and this situation, as with any official allegations, will be duly reviewed and thoroughly investigated by an independent party.

Browne is currently ranked fifth in the heavyweight division with a career record of 17-3-1. He suffered defeat in an all-out war against Andrei Arlovski in May, but he is unlikely to have lost significant momentum after the thrilling battle between two former training partners.

However, Browne is the latest of a series of high-profile fighters to potentially face major punishment. UFC poster boy Jon Jones was stripped of his light heavyweight title and suspended in April after he allegedly crashed his car into another vehicle, decided to flee and then headed back to grab a large sum of money before departing again.

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson—who was due to face Jones for the belt and subsequently lost the interim battle against Daniel Cormier—recently had a domestic violence case dismissed by a Florida judge, reported by UFC.

In February, Brazilian legend Anderson Silva received a suspension after failing two drug tests. Lightweight competitor Gilbert Melendez was more recently handed a suspension for failing a test of his own, reported by Sky Sports.

Browne will need to prove his innocence before he will step into the Octagon again.

An enforced punishment will severely hamper his reputation and chances of grabbing the gold at this stage in his career. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Pros predict UFC 189: Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald

LAS VEGAS — UFC 189 is called The McGregor Show for good reason. The sea of Irish green that’s suddenly flooded the Las Vegas Strip can attest to that. But nestled below the spectacle sits a mighty fine helping of welterweight violence, as …

LAS VEGAS — UFC 189 is called The McGregor Show for good reason. The sea of Irish green that’s suddenly flooded the Las Vegas Strip can attest to that. But nestled below the spectacle sits a mighty fine helping of welterweight violence, as Robbie Lawler puts his UFC strap on the line against Rory MacDonald in a rematch of a crackling 2013 contest that saw Lawler stun Canada’s soft-spoken son en route to claiming a split decision that few ever saw coming.

Much has changed in the 20 months since that first fight. Lawler blazed a trail to one of mixed martial arts’ most unexpected and uplifting comeback stories, capturing the UFC title with newfound aggression that occasionally bordered on insanity. MacDonald, meanwhile, fashioned the loss into fuel to at last emerge as the top-tier contender he always seemed destined to become. It’s as compelling of a rematch as one can find in this sport, and the odds have ping-ponged all week to reflect the true pick’em nature of the fight. So to add onto the fun, we’ve asked another slew of pros to weigh-in and call their shot for Saturday’s co-main event. Enjoy.

Daniel Cormier: I got Robbie, man. You know, I watched that last fight just the other night, which, it was a great fight. And it’s unbelievable how this fight is getting overlooked. But dude, when Robbie Lawler gets mad and gets physical with Rory, Rory pretty much s–ts his pants. He just starts diving for shots and he panics.

If Robbie does that, if Robbie fights Rory as he did Johny Hendricks, Rory can be in a lot of trouble. And I think that’s all Robbie knows at this point, is fighting as he fought Hendricks. So I pick Robbie Lawler. I think he’ll retain.

Ben Rothwell: Robbie Lawler is my boy. He’s going to go in there and knock this motherf–ker out.

Gunnar Nelson: Rory is going to win this time. I think Rory has a wider skill set. Robbie is very tough fighter, and if you haven’t fought him, you’re going to get in there and it’s going to be tough. That’s how it was the first time, and he lost that fight. But I think this time, he’s already gone against Robbie once and he has a lot more weapons. So I think he’s going to be able to defeat Robbie Lawler.

Jorge Masvidal: I got Robbie all day, man. All day. He did it the first time and I think he’s going to do it even better this time. I think he’s just going to put the pressure on him and break him. I think he might even stop him late in the fight.

Dustin Poirier: Of course Lawler, because he’s the champ. He’s already beaten this guy and he’s way better than he was when he beat him. He’s a workhorse, man. He’s always working on small things, tedious things in the gym. He’s fun to be around. Lawler, for sure.

Kenny Florian: It’s a tough one, man. I always said, I will never doubt Robbie Lawler again. However, I think now is the time for Rory MacDonald. He’s really putting his skills together, and I think mentally he’s a different fighter than what he was before. He learned a lot from that first fight against Robbie Lawler, so I’m going to go with Rory MacDonald. I think he gets it done. I don’t think there’s another fighter on the planet who can beat Robbie Lawler at 170 pounds — I think Rory is probably the only one, and I think he wins.

Jeremy Stephens: I’m going to go with Robbie, man. I’m an Iowa boy and I’m going with Robbie all the way.

Tim Means: I’ve been a Lawler fan since he fought Nick Diaz way back in the day. I was watching that fight back home when I was, like, 17. So I’m going to have to go with Lawler on that one. I like his style and I just like the guy overall.

Frank Mir: It’s very difficult to call. I think Rory is very talented, a very great athlete who has phenomenal takedowns. But I think that Lawler is just gritty. He’s hard to take down. He’s very hard to get on the ground, and he’s always looking to violently try and hit you very hard. I think Rory has always been a little bit suspect when getting caught with hard shots, and knowing that, Lawler is very hard to put away.

The only way I’ve seen Lawler get finished that I can think of is just submissions. People aren’t knocking him out. Nick Diaz was kind of a freaky one, so there’s one. But as a rule of thumb, he can take a beating. So over five rounds, I think he makes a connection. But that one is a hard one. I wouldn’t put money on it.

Brandon Thatch: S–t, man. I like both guys. I’ve trained with Rory and he’s an animal. I like Rory, he’s a nice guy. And I’ve been a fan of Robbie Lawler for a long time. I don’t even want to pick that one. But I think Rory is really hungry right now. He’s got that get-back mentality. He’s got to get that payback, so I’m going to go with Rory.

Cezar Ferreira: That’s going to be a war. Man, I don’t know. It’s like a surprise, but I think Lawler is going to win.

Anthony Johnson: Robbie, dog. I have a lot of respect for Robbie, because to me, he has a story just like mine. He started from the bottom and worked his way up, knocking fools’ heads off left and right, going through the battles, going through the fire, and he became champ. I hope he keeps that title. I love his style. I love his style, but Rory has a different style, for sure. He’s got more of a, he’s got a nice flow to his stuff, you know what I’m saying? So I know Rory will go out there and give him a test. He’s going to test him. But Robbie, to me, is on another level. That man is on fire.

Joseph Benavidez: Oh man, that’s good fight. It’s hard to look at that fight. I mean, Robbie already beat him so you have to give the advantage to him. He beat him last time, and he’s looked good in every fight. Rory, obviously there’s revenge factors there. It’s mental, the vengeance part of it. But you know, I always give the advantage to the champions, just because they’re champion for a reason.

Matt Brown: Robbie. He beat him once, so that’s really the only reason. This sport comes down to match-ups a lot of times. Obviously he can do it once, so I don’t know why he couldn’t do it again. He has five rounds to land that big punch. He only had three rounds the first time and he got it.

Kevin Lee: I’m going to go Rory. I think Rory gets either a late stoppage or a decision. You know Rory, he comes with Firas Zahabi. Firas is a master game-planner. They’re going to look at that first tape, they’re going to go back and they’re going to make the necessary adjustments.

And Robbie is just a guy, he just gets in there and he fights. When you put gameplan versus the fighter mentality, especially when they’ve already had that fight before — Rory is somebody who doesn’t mind executing that gameplan to the tee while Robbie goes off of emotion, so I think Rory will take it, an easy, kind of boring decision probably. But a decision nonetheless.

Michelle Waterson: Robbie. I just like Robbie. I’m a fan of Robbie Lawler.

John Howard: I’m going Robbie. Robbie is a great striker. He’s very hard to take down. He’s hard to keep down. And he beat Rory before. I know Rory was injured when that fight happened, but I just think Robbie is a better striker and he’s harder to take down, so I’m going with Robbie on this one.

Dennis Bermudez: I got Robbie. I like Robbie, man. He’s tough, man. I’ve seen him get clipped by Hendricks and he was just standing there, smiling and throwing it back. Like, jesus. He’s ruthless.

Cathal Pendred: Agh, I’m a big Robbie fan. I really hope Robbie wins. But if I was to put my money on it, I would think Rory. I just think he’s a bit more complete. The only advantage Robbie has is mentally. I think Rory can be a little bit wishy-washy. Robbie is an unbelievable fighter — I really hope Robbie wins — but I think Rory is one of the few guys who’s under 30 in the top-15 and I think he’s going to be around for a while.

Brad Pickett: I’ve got Robbie. He’s a champion. He’s confident now. He’s had a little bit of time off to recoup his body, he’s training really well. It’s going to be a great fight, because Rory MacDonald is a great opponent, but I’m going to have to go with Robbie.

Rose Namajunas: I think Rory is really talented, but Robbie Lawler seems to be stronger and more experienced, so I give it to him.

Stipe Miocic: I think Rory gets better every fight. And Lawler, he’s been around, man. Lawler hits hard. Rory is just one of those guys, he’s such a good, technical fighter, he has such a good gameplan when he comes into a fight. But I just have to say, I think if Lawler does what he does every fight, just bring the fight to you, put the pressure on, it’s going to be a long night for Rory.

Johny Hendricks: If I’m Robbie Lawler, I want to fight on the inside. I want to get inside, I want to bring it in the fight, just like it was in the third round of the first fight. Right? Bring it in close, hit him a couple times, put him on his back. And if I’m Rory MacDonald, I want to keep him at range like he has in his last few fights. Keep him at range, throw kicks, and if they do move inside his comfort zone, use your wrestling to take him down.

Now, who can stop that? If Rory MacDonald can stop Robbie Lawler from getting inside, it leans more towards Rory MacDonald. If Rory MacDonald can’t stop Robbie Lawler from getting inside of his range, then it starts leaning more towards Robbie Lawler. So that’s sort of the big question. Who knows? I don’t care. I want to fight either one of them.

Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor: Updated Odds, Predictions Before Weigh-in

As fight time nears, the Conor McGregor hype train continues to make him a slightly heavier favorite against Chad Mendes in the main event at UFC 189. 
According to Odds Shark, McGregor’s odds have gone from 20-21 to 10-19 since the line first ope…

As fight time nears, the Conor McGregor hype train continues to make him a slightly heavier favorite against Chad Mendes in the main event at UFC 189

According to Odds Shark, McGregor‘s odds have gone from 20-21 to 10-19 since the line first opened. Mendes—on the other hand—has gone from equal footing with McGregor to a slight underdog as fight time approaches. 

At this point, the line is assuredly a reflection of McGregor‘s popularity rather than an assessment of the fight. All things considered, it’s a tough fight to handicap due to McGregor‘s meteoric rise up the rankings. For as good as he’s been against the likes of Dennis Siver, Diego Brandao and Dustin Poirier, there’s still no way to tell how he’ll perform with the best of the division standing across the cage from him. 

The line has definitely been brought into question by those who feel like Mendes deserves to at least be at even odds with McGregor. Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report chimed in on the subject:

Just like everything about this fight, it really comes down to how you perceive McGregor. For those that see him as the next big thing in MMA, this line is an extreme value. Much like Jon Jones coming in as low as a 20-37 (-185) favorite against Shogun Rua in his first title defense, these odds may seem absurd in a few years. 

On the other hand, if you view McGregor as nothing more than a mouthpiece who is good with promotion, the fact he’s even favored is absurd. After all, Mendes is currently ranked as the No. 1 fighter in the division. He holds wins over four of the fighters in the top 10, including a first-round dismantling of Ricardo Lamas in his last fight out. 

By contrast, McGregor‘s only victory against a fighter in the top 10 of the division at the time of writing was over Max Holloway in a bout that went the distance. 

Conclusions can’t be drawn by comparing resumes in this case, though. McGregor can only beat who UFC brass puts in front of him. If Mendes fought the same slate of opponents that McGregor has, he would probably run through them in easy fashion. 

However, if McGregor fought the same slate Mendes has, we really don’t know if he would succeed where Mendes has failed (namely, beating Jose Aldo). 

In picking this fight, one has to look at the skills each fighter is bringing to the cage. This bout has been billed as a wrestler vs. striker matchup, but that doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. As Patrick Wyman of Sherdog notes, Mendes is an underrated striker:

In fact, Wyman has predicted that Mendes‘ ability to counterstrike in tandem with his takedowns will be the reason he takes home decision:

In a pure striking matchup, the Irishman will eventually force Mendes to the fence and overwhelm him with volume and pressure. Mendestakedowns, however, should prevent McGregor from settling into his preferred rhythm and offensive output. In a slower-paced fight, the brick-fisted Mendes can get his own counter game going, crack McGregor in the pocket and eat up large chunks of time. The pick is Mendes by close decision in a fun, back-and-forth fight.

By the same token, McGregor‘s own wrestling ability might be a little overlooked heading into the fight. According to FightMetric, he does boast a 100 percent takedown defense rate. But most interestingly, he’s also spent a good percentage of time controlling his opponents on the mat, per Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics:

The biggest advantage in the fight might not actually have to do with skill in the first place. It’s McGregor‘s length that could give Mendes issues. The Notorious will have an 8″ reach advantage over the Money.  

It’s one of the reasons that Scott Harris of Bleacher Report believes that McGregor will have his hand raised via TKO in the second round.

Mendes will have a lot more trouble closing the distance than people think. Too much trouble, in fact. McGregor will spray some hard stuff on him at range and catch him coming in with something harder. This fight might hit the ground, where McGregor is a bit of an unknown quantity, but I think he’ll find a way to scramble back to his feet and avoid big damage.

As we’ve seen illustrated by Jon Jones over the years, a fighter who knows how to control distance with freakish length is tough to beat—even against the best of wrestlers. Bones has found ways to pick apart some great grapplers, and McGregor feels like he’s destined to be that kind of fighter. 

Mendes will have his moments in the fight, but this is looking like an additional step in the ultimate buildup to a match with Jose Aldo. 

McGregor via second-round TKO.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 189 Weigh-in Results: McGregor vs. Mendes Fight Card

The biggest fight card of the year is upon us, and the 11-fight slate is nearly official. All that is left is for the fighters to hit the scales Friday evening.
Conor McGregor was supposed to meet Jose Aldo, but an injury forced the featherweight champ…

The biggest fight card of the year is upon us, and the 11-fight slate is nearly official. All that is left is for the fighters to hit the scales Friday evening.

Conor McGregor was supposed to meet Jose Aldo, but an injury forced the featherweight champion off the card. Enter Chad Mendes for an interim title tilt. The featherweight battle will headline the event with UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler playing second fiddle against Rory MacDonald.

Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the electric weigh-ins when they get underway.

The weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET.

 

UFC 189 Fight Card

  • Interim UFC Featherweight Championship: Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor
  • UFC Welterweight Championship: Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
  • Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Gunnar Nelson vs. Brandon Thatch
  • Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida
  • Matt Brown vs. Tim Means
  • Mike Swick vs. Alex Garcia
  • Cathal Pendred vs. John Howard
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Henry Briones
  • Neil Seery vs. Louis Smolka
  • Yosdenis Cedeno vs. Cody Pfister

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

CM Punk Targeting December UFC Debut in Welterweight Division

Former WWE superstar CM Punk is looking to make his UFC debut in December, although he won’t be rushed into taking his first steps in the Octagon.
Punk quit the professional wrestling game last year and has decided to make the arduous transition over t…

Former WWE superstar CM Punk is looking to make his UFC debut in December, although he won’t be rushed into taking his first steps in the Octagon.

Punk quit the professional wrestling game last year and has decided to make the arduous transition over to mixed martial arts. Although he has a desire to fight as soon as possible, the 36-year-old knows he must put in the work before becoming a competitor in the combat game.

“I say this all the time: I’d love to fight tomorrow,” he noted during International Fight Week, reported by Michael Martinez of UFC’s website. “But I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be and I will be. I’m still shooting for December. It might be January, I’m not sure. But I’ll be ready when I fight.”

Punk admits he is “a fan of knowledge,” so enjoys the “super fun” training sessions of former kickboxer Duke Roufus, who trains him three times per day. The Roufusport camp has worked with UFC stars such as Pat Barry, Anthony Pettis and Matt Mitrione over the years.

However, things are quickly going to turn serious if Punk is to make a splash in the organisation. Unlike many WWE superstars, he doesn’t possess a traditional wrestling background. In fact, Martinez’s article suggests he is a white belt in every MMA discipline.

Punk admits he is still adjusting to grappling and the intensity of a non-scripted fight, per Martinez:

Wrestling is probably my hardest day just because that’s the grind. You’re constantly in somebody’s face. You’re not trying to give up any ground. It’s no secret I didn’t wrestle in high school or anything like that. Everybody I train with did, so they have a lifetime of experience. But I love that.

I’ll get beat up and tired, but I’ll be the guy that stands up and says, ‘Let’s go again. I’ll get you one of these days.’

Punk believe it’s a “bad idea” for him to face opponents who “are a lot bigger” than him in the middleweight division (185 pounds). Instead, a jaunt onto the welterweight ladder (170 pounds) is “doable,” in his own words. 

SiriusXM’s RJ Clifford previously told Bleacher Report’s Adam Lefkoe that Punk should square off against UFC commentator Joe Rogan (a multiple black belt holder):

Question marks will certainly remain over the Chicago native’s suitability. Many fighters who are more experienced than him get nowhere near the organisation. Punk is a huge draw and a marketable brand—hence why Phil Brooks, his real name, isn’t used in the UFC’s headline—and could lead plenty of WWE viewers toward MMA.

Wrestling fans will remember Punk’s character having a disregard for authority and leading a revolution against WWE’s current PG era. He’s charismatic, a great showman and someone who knows how to rally an audience. Punk is also essentially an MMA rookie, though.

Brock Lesnar had an extensive NCAA wrestling background before becoming a professional wrestler. His transition from WWE to MMA was aided by his ruthlessness, outrageous power and years of training. If Punk is to make the same waves as the former UFC heavyweight belt-holder, he’ll need to show a killer instinct within his opening three rounds.

A high-profile or embarrassing loss could end his MMA career before it’s even really begun. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 189 weigh-in video

At the UFC 189 weigh-ins, all 22 fighters taking part in Saturday night’s UFC 189 fights will step on the scale Friday evening, and we’ll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.In the main event, Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes will have to mak…

At the UFC 189 weigh-ins, all 22 fighters taking part in Saturday night’s UFC 189 fights will step on the scale Friday evening, and we’ll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.

In the main event, Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes will have to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds.

The UFC 189 weigh-in takes place at 7 p.m. ET, and the video is above.

The UFC 189 weigh-in results are below.

Main card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens
Gunnar Nelson vs. Brandon Thatch
Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida

Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)
Matt Brown vs. Tim Means
Mike Swick vs Alex Garcia
Cathal Pendred vs. John Howard
Cody Garbrandt vs. Henry Briones

Undercard…