Daniel Cormier eyeing Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida as potential training partners for Jon Jones fight

While Daniel Cormier has accomplished much in his brief mixed martial arts career, the title of UFC champion has thus far eluded him.

Naturally, Cormier is hoping to change that fact on September 27th when he challenges the sport’s pound-for-pound kingpin, light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones, at UFC 178. Though if all goes as planned, Cormier will have some unexpected championship pedigree aiding him in his quest for the belt.

“I’ve got some friends and they put me in contact with some of the guys down in southern California, with Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. I may down go there for a week,” Cormier revealed on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.

“That’s a possibility. We haven’t worked out all the details, but that is a possibility and we’ll see what happens.”

Aside from a potential partnership with Silva and Machida, Cormier also expects top-10 ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis and 6-foot-6 former UFC fighter Cyrille Diabate to join him in camp midway through August, although Cormier made sure to note that any additional training partners are just cherries on top of an already formidable sundae.

“I tell Jon Jones, show me two guys who can beat my two main training partners, Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold,” Cormier said of his accomplished stablemates at AKA. “You show me your two who are going to prepare you better than my two. So I’m going to rely on my guys, man. I’m going to rely on Cain, I’m going to rely on Luke to help me become the UFC champion. I’m going to reach out a little bit, but I’m not going to stray very far from my comfort zone.”

While the circumstances of his long-awaited title shot may not have been ideal — Cormier was initially scheduled to undergo knee surgery in July but elected to delay the procedure prior to receiving the call — he offered no excuses on Monday and firmly reiterated that he felt no limitations in his knee heading into the most important eight-week fight camp of his career.

Combined, Cormier and Jones’ remarkable résumés may make up one of the most decorated pairings in the history of mixed martial arts, and despite there being no love lost between the two rivals, Cormier also made it clear that he holds Jones’ accomplishments in high regard, to the degree that he even struck the champ’s lone loss from his record.

“Jon Jones is 22-0. He is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter that we may have ever seen, and I believe I can beat him,” Cormier asserted.

“I believe that on September 27th, reach and height, I don’t think all that’s going to matter. I believe I have the ability to beat Jon. I have the ability to compete with Jon, and I have the confidence in knowing that I can get the job done. This is the first time you have two undefeated guys fighting for a UFC championship. This is a big deal, man. This is the type of fight that we need in MMA to show that guys can sustained being undefeated for a really long time, and then getting to the top of the sport and fighting each other for the ultimate prize. So this is a big deal. I know I can feel it, Jon can feel it, and it can’t wait for it.”

While Daniel Cormier has accomplished much in his brief mixed martial arts career, the title of UFC champion has thus far eluded him.

Naturally, Cormier is hoping to change that fact on September 27th when he challenges the sport’s pound-for-pound kingpin, light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones, at UFC 178. Though if all goes as planned, Cormier will have some unexpected championship pedigree aiding him in his quest for the belt.

“I’ve got some friends and they put me in contact with some of the guys down in southern California, with Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. I may down go there for a week,” Cormier revealed on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour.

“That’s a possibility. We haven’t worked out all the details, but that is a possibility and we’ll see what happens.”

Aside from a potential partnership with Silva and Machida, Cormier also expects top-10 ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis and 6-foot-6 former UFC fighter Cyrille Diabate to join him in camp midway through August, although Cormier made sure to note that any additional training partners are just cherries on top of an already formidable sundae.

“I tell Jon Jones, show me two guys who can beat my two main training partners, Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold,” Cormier said of his accomplished stablemates at AKA. “You show me your two who are going to prepare you better than my two. So I’m going to rely on my guys, man. I’m going to rely on Cain, I’m going to rely on Luke to help me become the UFC champion. I’m going to reach out a little bit, but I’m not going to stray very far from my comfort zone.”

While the circumstances of his long-awaited title shot may not have been ideal — Cormier was initially scheduled to undergo knee surgery in July but elected to delay the procedure prior to receiving the call — he offered no excuses on Monday and firmly reiterated that he felt no limitations in his knee heading into the most important eight-week fight camp of his career.

Combined, Cormier and Jones’ remarkable résumés may make up one of the most decorated pairings in the history of mixed martial arts, and despite there being no love lost between the two rivals, Cormier also made it clear that he holds Jones’ accomplishments in high regard, to the degree that he even struck the champ’s lone loss from his record.

“Jon Jones is 22-0. He is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter that we may have ever seen, and I believe I can beat him,” Cormier asserted.

“I believe that on September 27th, reach and height, I don’t think all that’s going to matter. I believe I have the ability to beat Jon. I have the ability to compete with Jon, and I have the confidence in knowing that I can get the job done. This is the first time you have two undefeated guys fighting for a UFC championship. This is a big deal, man. This is the type of fight that we need in MMA to show that guys can sustained being undefeated for a really long time, and then getting to the top of the sport and fighting each other for the ultimate prize. So this is a big deal. I know I can feel it, Jon can feel it, and it can’t wait for it.”

Report: Colton Smith, Pat Healy Among Recent UFC Roster Cuts

It looks like the UFC is trimming the fat on its bulky roster.
At least that’s according to a report from Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander about some fighters being removed from the UFC’s roster page. Fans should note the disclaimer that BE shared befor…

It looks like the UFC is trimming the fat on its bulky roster.

At least that’s according to a report from Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander about some fighters being removed from the UFC’s roster page. Fans should note the disclaimer that BE shared before considering this as a fact, but there are some notable names on the list of recent cuts.

Chief among them has to be former The Ultimate Fighter winner Colton Smith. He defeated Mike Ricci in the finals to claim the TUF crown but will likely go down as the worst TUF winner. Smith has posted a 0-3 record in the UFC since defeating Ricci, with all three losses coming before the final bell.

A hardcore fan favorite, Pat Healy is another notable name that’s missing from the UFC’s ranks. Healy rose to the ranks of contender during his time with the Strikeforce promotion, ending his run there with a six-fight winning streak.

Healy entered the UFC by taking on Jim Miller, and the two men put on an entertaining affair. After wearing Miller down, he capped off the performance with a submission victory.

The happiness would be short-lived, however. Healy would test positive for marijuana, and his win was subsequently overturned to a no-contest. He also lost out on a few Fight Night bonus paychecks.

Since the Miller fight, Healy has dropped four straight inside the Octagon. He doesn’t feature the most fan-friendly (to newer fans at least) style and is on a four-fight losing streak, so it’s easy to see this coming.

The other members of the cut list have yet to pick up a win in the UFC, going a combined 0-6 in the promotion.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dennis Siver returns from suspension, fights Robert Whiteford in Stockholm

Dennis Siver will return to the Octagon in October.
The UFC announced Tuesday that the German featherweight will meet Robert Whiteford at the UFC Fight Night 53 card in Stockholm, Sweden, on Oct. 4. The UFN event is scheduled to take place a…

Dennis Siver will return to the Octagon in October.

The UFC announced Tuesday that the German featherweight will meet Robert Whiteford at the UFC Fight Night 53 card in Stockholm, Sweden, on Oct. 4. The UFN event is scheduled to take place at the Ericsson Globe Arena.

Siver (21-9, 1 no-contest) enters the cage for the first time after testing positive following his unanimous decision victory over Manny Gamburyan in December. His first drug test sample came back with “inconclusive results,” but hCG was found in his second sample. The result was changed to a no-contest.

Whiteford (11-2) makes his third appearance under the UFC banner against Siver. After tapping to Jimi Hettes in his Octagon debut last October, the Scottish fighter scored his first UFC win over Daniel Pineda at UFC 171.

Siver vs. Whiteford is the third featherweight bout added to the UFN 52 card, alongside with Niklas Backstrom vs. Mike Wilkinson and Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Ernest Chavez. A welterweight clash between Nico Musoke vs. Amir Sadollah will also take place at the event.

CagePotato’s “Irreverent” Caption Contest: Win a Copy of ‘The Raid 2? on Blu-ray!


(Click here to submit your captions on Lockerdome. / Photo via Getty)

In honor of the highbrow mainstream press we got last week, CagePotato has decided to celebrate. We have in our possession three Blu-ray copies of ass-kickin’ action flick The Raid 2 (courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), and we’re going to give them away to three loyal fans. But nothing comes for free in this world. Indeed, nothing comes for free.

To win a copy of the movie, you have to enter the deluxe caption-contest we just put together on Lockerdome. First, give us a funny caption to this photo of artist Brian Kirhagis trying to explain his work to UFC president Dana White. Then, complete some of the other tasks on the page — including answering MMA trivia questions and visiting various corners of the CP universe — and you’ll increase your chances to win. Any questions, let us know in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma. Good luck everybody, and check out the trailer for The Raid 2 below. Seriously, it’s awesome.


(Click here to submit your captions on Lockerdome. / Photo via Getty)

In honor of the highbrow mainstream press we got last week, CagePotato has decided to celebrate. We have in our possession three Blu-ray copies of ass-kickin’ action flick The Raid 2 (courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), and we’re going to give them away to three loyal fans. But nothing comes for free in this world. Indeed, nothing comes for free.

To win a copy of the movie, you have to enter the deluxe caption-contest we just put together on Lockerdome. First, give us a funny caption to this photo of artist Brian Kirhagis trying to explain his work to UFC president Dana White. Then, complete some of the other tasks on the page — including answering MMA trivia questions and visiting various corners of the CP universe — and you’ll increase your chances to win. Any questions, let us know in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma. Good luck everybody, and check out the trailer for The Raid 2 below. Seriously, it’s awesome.

Buy The Raid 2 on Amazon.com

Rashad Evans says no to fighting Anthony Johnson or helping Jon Jones prepare for Daniel Cormier

There are things former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will and won’t do.
First up, getting healthy and returning to the Octagon is ‘Suga’s’ top priority. He will do that. As he told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s The MMA Hour, he su…

There are things former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will and won’t do.

First up, getting healthy and returning to the Octagon is ‘Suga’s’ top priority. He will do that. As he told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s The MMA Hour, he suspects early 2015 is when he’ll finally be able to get off the sidelines.

“I want to return in February,” Evans said, since being on the proverbial bench from an injury he sustained in February of this year. “That’s just me giving myself enough time to make sure that I feel comfortable getting back in there because I know when I get back in there, there’s nothing but tough guys in my way. I’m definitely going to have a tough fight coming back. I want to be ready for that.”

And does he have anyone in mind he’d like to fight specifically?

“I was thinking like that earlier and all like, ‘It’d be fun to fight Glover [Teixeira] or whoever’, but honestly speaking, the way things are shaping up right now in my weight class, whoever I fight is going to be an interesting match up because I’ve got a lot to prove coming back from an injury and trying to make that push for the title,” he confessed. “Whoever they have up there, whoever is ready for me, whoever they’re going to put me up against, I’m ready for whatever.”

That’s all conjecture and speculation, though. What’s real and more recent is the accomplishment of his Blackzilians teammate Anthony Johnson, who bludgeoned Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in just 44 seconds of the first round of their UFC on FOX 12 bout on Saturday. While Evans wasn’t in attendance at the event, he made sure he watched the bout. And like everyone else, he was utterly blown away.


“Oh, I did watch it, I did watch,” he acknowledged. “It was on the big screen at this event [I attended] and it was just brutal, man.

“Anthony just showed everybody that, you know what, he’s a contender, and he does have that beat mentality. I talked to him before the fight and I was like, ‘How you feeling?’ and he said, ‘Like a beast!’. I know when he says that and the face that he makes. I’m like, ‘He’s definitely feeling like a beast right now.'”

As a friend, training partner, mentor and fellow light heavyweight, Evans is positioned better than most to make sense of Johnson’s stunning development. As Evans tells it – which he is all too happy to do – it comes from understanding his own mistakes and doing what’s necessary to not be defined by them.

“There’s a saying, you know, ‘In the valley, I grow.’ It was in AJ’s valley of his career where he grew, where he was out of the UFC and had to fight in smaller shows. He didn’t really know what his mixed martial arts career would really be. A lot of people said a lot of bad things about him and that’s where he grew to be the person we see right now.

“It was all the negative things,” Evans continued. “All the disappointment and heartbreak that he himself had, that he did to himself that allowed him to grow up to where he is right now. Now he’s got that hunger. Now he’s got that belief. He knows he’s the best. He just wants to go out there and prove it. Now everybody else is seeing what he’s been harnessing and working on for the last year and a half.”

The admiration is nice and certainly sincere, but they both occupy top spots in the UFC’s 205-pound division. Does that mean a possible bout between the two is possible? After all, Evans was signed to fight his friend Daniel Cormier before being injured in training.

As it turns out, that’s something Evans simply won’t do.

“We fight all the time,” he said of training with ‘Rumble’. “We fight more than the UFC can pay us, I’ll tell you that. We fight every single day. We’re each other’s number one training partners. So, would I fight him professionally? No, I wouldn’t. I don’t need to fight him. We feed off each other in a lot of different ways and I can’t fight him.

“And you’re like, ‘Oh my god, we’ve heard this before,'” Evans said, referencing his well-publicized unwillingness to fight one-time teammate Jon Jones before actually competing against him upon leaving their once shared camp. “I believe with the relationship that Anthony and I have, that if that bridge ever needed to get crossed, we’ll find a way to handle it in a different way than I did the first time.”

Speaking of which, Evans and Jones recently spoke when the two were in Baltimore for UFC 172. Evans claims the conversation was not only cordial, but healthy. The two couldn’t be called friends, but they’re long past being enemies, too. He and Jones, Evans explained, were willing to let bygones be bygones.

“You know, it was the first time we had a conversation in a long time and it was something that really need to be had because a lot of things were left unsaid. A lot of in-between people going back and forth between both parties,” he explained. “It was actually good to have a conversation where we got to hash out and talk about a lot of things that were said. It was definitely good that we talked.”

As good as it was, however, training with Jones to help him prepare for his upcoming title defense against Cormier is not something he’s prepared to do.

Like the case with Johnson, this is also something Evans just won’t do.

“I couldn’t do it. Like I said, I have no problem with Jon, but at the same time, there’s a couple of factors in the way. One, I have an outstanding relationship with DC. I’ve known DC since college and the beginning of his career and everything else like that. I can’t see myself giving away any kind of inside information on DC.

“I couldn’t give away game plans or what I would do and it’s just because, not only that, we all may compete against each other. I would love a chance to get to fight Jon again. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a fighter and a champion and what he’s done for the last few years. I definitely would like to get a crack at him again. I’m sure DC and I might cross paths as well in the cage again, too.”

Given what he knows about Jones and how close he is to Cormier, does Evans have someone he’d point to as the odds-on favorite? Not really, Evans noted, and that comes from a place of respect for both competitors.

“That’s difficult because I know Jon had a very close fight with [Alexander] Gustafsson, but then I thought he came back very well and very dominant against Glover Teixeira, really showing no fear at all. Beating the guy with the exact game plan in which he thought he was going to beat Jon in. Really just taking it to him on the inside. From an outside analytical point of view, you would’ve never thought that was going to happen. It showed that he’s growing that much in his confidence. He showed that if he does train hard and really, really does focus, he does have another level that he can hit.

“Now, on the other hand,” he continued, “when we see DC, who is not like anybody he’s ever faced before because of his ability to take anybody down in any kind of way and it seems to be in his last few fights, if he wants you on the ground, you’re going to get on the ground. He’s going to take you down. Now what’s going to be interesting to see is how Jon Jones is able to handle that or counter that with someone who controls the pace any time they want to. It’s a very interesting match-up and it’s hard for me to say right now who gets what, but the Jon Jones that was preparing for Gustafsson – the mind set – I think he’s going to try to carry that over to DC now that they have a feud going on. He’s definitely going to try to make him that much more on point on fight night.”

Evans does have a side in this fight and it’s with his long-time friend. But with age and experience comes maturity, even against former rivals. For as much as Evans believes in and supports his friend, he is the first to tell you he positively cannot discount the remarkable run of Jones.

And while that sounds like a fighter hedging his bets, it’s also almost unheard of for a friend to not outright declare their other friend’s glory is all but destined.

For Evans, this one is too close too call. He will cheer for Cormier, but it sounds like he won’t rule it out anything from the likes of Jones.

“DC’s my brother, man. DC’s my guy, so I think it goes without saying, but if I’m not speaking on emotion, not speaking on any kind of personal relationship between the two of them, I would say it’s a really hard one for me to call,” he said.

“It’s hard to honestly discount what Jones has done in the light heavyweight division for the last few years. He really hasn’t had a close fight except for the Gustafsson fight. He’s really beat everybody by that much. It’s hard to say, ‘DC’s going to destroy him,’ because if I was to say that, then I really wouldn’t be paying attention to what’s been happening to what he’s been doing to everybody else the last few years.”

Morning Report: Ronda Rousey likely to ‘be the face’ of UFC’s exclusive apparel deal

According to Ad Week (via FOX Sports), UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is ‘likely be the face of the UFC’s first official outfitting deal,’ so says Mike Mossholder, UFC’s Senior Vice President of global marketing partnerships.

Mossholder says the UFC is ‘actively engaged in conversations’ with a ‘premium apparel line’ to produce the promotion’s own exclusive uniform inside the Octagon and that Rousey is ‘highly likely’ to be ‘highlighted.’ Referred to by Mossholder as the ‘No. 1 most requested athlete’ by UFC sponsors like MetroPCS, Rousey now ranks No. 3 in ticket sales for UFC, as reported by Ad Week.

Rather than sporting gear produced by a smaller clothing company, Rousey currently wears UFC branded shorts and top while competing. Rousey also represented the UFC’s official energy drink, Xyience, in her Jul. 5 bout with Alexis Davis, sporting the brand’s logo on her backside.

Citing Mike Tyson as an example, Rousey says she belives in excentuating the few sponsors she chooses to work with. “You give yourself more value if you don’t walk out looking like a race car covered in ads,” Rousey said. “I like to think my sponsors are valued more because it’s more clean looking.”

Mossholder wouldn’t reveal which brand is in talks for the exclusive uniform deal and reps from Nike, Under Armour and Adidas declined to comment.

Star-divide

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Full-on Phenom. Vitor Belfort compares himself to an animal and says he isn’t worried about Chris Weidman because he’s in another dimension. ‘It’s not personal. It’s personal in the Octagon, but I just have to be better, how I can kick and how I can knee. I’m also improving, and that’s why I’m fighting in another dimension now.’

Heel. Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones should abandon his good guy act because people have already stopped believing in it. ‘I like his heel persona. But for me, it just tells me that he’s a bit uncomfortable because this is out of character for Jon Jones. He doesn’t directly go at his opponents like he has with me. This is out of character a little bit.’

Big Fox. Chuck Mindenhall explains how Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown made the most of their time Saturday night on the network.

Johny Two Arms. UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks is excited about being healthy for a second fight with Robbie Lawler.

Fortunes changed for five. Dave Meltzer explains how Robbie Lawler, Matt Brown, Anthony Johnson, Dennis Bermudez and Josh Thomson move forward from UFC on FOX 12.

Make sure to check out The MMA Hour with Vitor Belfort, Daniel Cormier, CM Punk, Johny Hendricks, Rashad Evans, Brendan Schaub and Chuck Mindenhall.

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MEDIA STEW

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Freddie Roach breaks down a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.

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Highlights from Bellator 122.

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Michael Bisping on Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Nick Diaz Vs Anderson Silva & Cung Le.

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More from Inside MMA on the NSAC hearings with Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.

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Marcos Maidana reacting to Floyd Mayweather calling him an ‘MMA fighter.’

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A nice profile of San Jose as a fight town.

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Long watches.

‘Rowdy Ronda Rousey’ – ESPN’s 9 for IX short film.

Ivan Farneti – Glory Kickboxing | London Real

Full Event Video: Watch Shooto Gig – Tokyo Vol. 17: Ishibashi vs. Mizuno

(HT to Bloody Elbow)

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TWEETS

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Deleted, of course.

Jon_jones_cormier_tweet_2014-07-29_medium

I moisturize “@Lakercity1: @JonnyBones He said you have soft hands.”

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) July 29, 2014

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But he was impressed with Rumble.

Man that was awesome, he looked great “@Arkenstar: @JonnyBones what did you think about rumbles performance? excited?”

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) July 29, 2014

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Featherweight matchmaking.

Some Featherweight fights I’d like to see @ufc pic.twitter.com/dFeW9AlZoi

Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) July 29, 2014

@AkiraCorassani @BradTavares if Zombie don’t take that fight I’ll accept it right now! Lmk

Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) July 28, 2014

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Yes.

The answer is yes to everyone who keeps if id take the fight. @ufc @danawhite already have my signature,ready today! Next week. Say the word

— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) July 29, 2014

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Why not.

Jake in the house Wand team bem vinco jake! Vai treinar conosco esses dias aqui na Wand Team muito… http://t.co/zLrnICeB6A

Wanderlei Silva (@wandfc) July 29, 2014

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No context necessary.

@DustinPoirier @ufc Do you and @clayguida have the same manger??? pic.twitter.com/BBhlfyYpnh

— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) July 29, 2014

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That time Pat Barry rescued a woman trapped in a hotel bathroom.

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Not exactly a tweet but it deserves mention. Jorge Masvidal went back to a three-day old Facebook post and took some time to go troll random people who thought he was looking past Daron Cruickshank. There’s a lot more.

Jorge_masvidal_trolling_screen_shot_2014-07-29_at_3.46.57_am_medium

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Jul. 28 2014)

Urijah Faber vs. Masenori Kanehara at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson

Roland Delorme vs. Yuta Sasaki at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

Milana Dudieva vs. Elizabeth Phillips at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

Star-divide

Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.

According to Ad Week (via FOX Sports), UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is ‘likely be the face of the UFC’s first official outfitting deal,’ so says Mike Mossholder, UFC’s Senior Vice President of global marketing partnerships.

Mossholder says the UFC is ‘actively engaged in conversations’ with a ‘premium apparel line’ to produce the promotion’s own exclusive uniform inside the Octagon and that Rousey is ‘highly likely’ to be ‘highlighted.’ Referred to by Mossholder as the ‘No. 1 most requested athlete’ by UFC sponsors like MetroPCS, Rousey now ranks No. 3 in ticket sales for UFC, as reported by Ad Week.

Rather than sporting gear produced by a smaller clothing company, Rousey currently wears UFC branded shorts and top while competing. Rousey also represented the UFC’s official energy drink, Xyience, in her Jul. 5 bout with Alexis Davis, sporting the brand’s logo on her backside.

Citing Mike Tyson as an example, Rousey says she belives in excentuating the few sponsors she chooses to work with. “You give yourself more value if you don’t walk out looking like a race car covered in ads,” Rousey said. “I like to think my sponsors are valued more because it’s more clean looking.”

Mossholder wouldn’t reveal which brand is in talks for the exclusive uniform deal and reps from Nike, Under Armour and Adidas declined to comment.

Star-divide

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Full-on Phenom. Vitor Belfort compares himself to an animal and says he isn’t worried about Chris Weidman because he’s in another dimension. ‘It’s not personal. It’s personal in the Octagon, but I just have to be better, how I can kick and how I can knee. I’m also improving, and that’s why I’m fighting in another dimension now.’

Heel. Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones should abandon his good guy act because people have already stopped believing in it. ‘I like his heel persona. But for me, it just tells me that he’s a bit uncomfortable because this is out of character for Jon Jones. He doesn’t directly go at his opponents like he has with me. This is out of character a little bit.’

Big Fox. Chuck Mindenhall explains how Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown made the most of their time Saturday night on the network.

Johny Two Arms. UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks is excited about being healthy for a second fight with Robbie Lawler.

Fortunes changed for five. Dave Meltzer explains how Robbie Lawler, Matt Brown, Anthony Johnson, Dennis Bermudez and Josh Thomson move forward from UFC on FOX 12.

Make sure to check out The MMA Hour with Vitor Belfort, Daniel Cormier, CM Punk, Johny Hendricks, Rashad Evans, Brendan Schaub and Chuck Mindenhall.

Star-divide

MEDIA STEW

Star-divide

Freddie Roach breaks down a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.

Star-divide

Highlights from Bellator 122.

Star-divide

Michael Bisping on Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Nick Diaz Vs Anderson Silva & Cung Le.

Star-divide

More from Inside MMA on the NSAC hearings with Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.

Star-divide

Marcos Maidana reacting to Floyd Mayweather calling him an ‘MMA fighter.’

Star-divide

A nice profile of San Jose as a fight town.

Star-divide

Long watches.

‘Rowdy Ronda Rousey’ – ESPN’s 9 for IX short film.

Ivan Farneti – Glory Kickboxing | London Real

Full Event Video: Watch Shooto Gig – Tokyo Vol. 17: Ishibashi vs. Mizuno

(HT to Bloody Elbow)

Star-divide

TWEETS

Star-divide

Deleted, of course.

Jon_jones_cormier_tweet_2014-07-29_medium

Star-divide

But he was impressed with Rumble.

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Featherweight matchmaking.

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Yes.

Star-divide

Why not.

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No context necessary.

Star-divide

That time Pat Barry rescued a woman trapped in a hotel bathroom.

Star-divide

Not exactly a tweet but it deserves mention. Jorge Masvidal went back to a three-day old Facebook post and took some time to go troll random people who thought he was looking past Daron Cruickshank. There’s a lot more.

Jorge_masvidal_trolling_screen_shot_2014-07-29_at_3.46.57_am_medium

Star-divide

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Jul. 28 2014)

Urijah Faber vs. Masenori Kanehara at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson

Roland Delorme vs. Yuta Sasaki at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

Milana Dudieva vs. Elizabeth Phillips at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le

Star-divide

Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.