As noted, Thursday was the official UFC 202 Media Day in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the events that took place were the UFC 202 Fighter Face-Offs (watch here) and the Fighter Open Workouts (see above).
Featured above ar…
https://youtu.be/bDgeWTD9pxc
As noted, Thursday was the official UFC 202 Media Day in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the events that took place were the UFC 202 Fighter Face-Offs (watch here) and the Fighter Open Workouts (see above).
Featured above are highlights from the workouts, which unlike the Fighter Face-Offs, did include headliners Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Also included are brief backstage interviews with McGregor and Diaz immediately following the open workouts.
In addition to his backstage interview with the UFC web team, McGregor also grabbed the mic while on stage for the open workouts. Still worked up over everything that went down at Wednesday’s press conference (watch here), McGregor said, “F*ck Team Diaz, and if you’re down with Team Diaz, then f*ck you too!”
The 170-pound rematch between McGregor and Diaz headlines UFC 202, which goes down live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, August 20th.
Join us here at MMANews.com for live round-by-round results coverage of the UFC 202 PPV!
Anthony Johnson knows he is in for a challenge this Saturday night when he meets Glover Teixeira at UFC 202 in a light heavyweight title-eliminator.
“Rumble” was on the cusp of winning …
Anthony Johnson knows he is in for a challenge this Saturday night when he meets Glover Teixeira at UFC 202 in a light heavyweight title-eliminator.
“Rumble” was on the cusp of winning UFC gold last year, but lost via submission to Daniel Cormier in a bout to crown a new champion after Jon Jones was stripped of the belt.
With the top contenders having studied one another, Johnson sees only little spots to attack the Brazilian come this weekend.
“He’s got pretty tight boxing and his wrestling is solid,” said Johnson, during an interview on UFC Tonight. “I don’t see too many weaknesses.”
While many believe the winner will earn the next crack at Cormier, nothing is for certain in MMA, saying “We worked out butts off to get a crack at Cormier again. We all work hard. We don’t have time to sit back and wait on anyone. It’s a short career.”
Johnson has been working to become a more complete fighter, which includes improving his biggest weakness.
“I’ve been working hard,” he said. “I’m working on my wrestling, grappling more and I’m always working on my cardio. I hold my breath with my punches in the fight and you know how that catches up with you. But I’m ready for anything.”
UFC 202 is on Saturday, and if you haven’t looked closely, you might have missed the fact that there are other fights on the card aside from Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor. You can understand how that fight would suck all the energy (and energ…
UFC 202 is on Saturday, and if you haven’t looked closely, you might have missed the fact that there are other fights on the card aside from Nate Diaz vs. ConorMcGregor. You can understand how that fight would suck all the energy (and energy drink cans) out of a room, and while it’s the bout with the biggest monetary stakes, it isn’t the one with the greatest title implications.
That designation falls to the co-main event, a light heavyweight matchup pitting top-ranked contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson against No. 2 Glover Teixeira. The winner will most likely get a late fall date with current champion Daniel Cormier.
On paper, it makes perfect sense, and while the fight is certain to produce its share of fireworks, it also highlights the issues related to the lack of divisional depth. Both Johnson and Teixeira have had opportunities at the belt since the start of 2014, and few are clamoring for them to receive return engagements.
Unfortunately for UFC matchmakers, there is no other direction in which to turn. Elephant in the room Jon Jones is still awaiting word on his suspension status based on a potential anti-doping violation. Alexander Gustafsson’s lost two straight. Ryan Bader and Ovince St. Preux are both coming off losses. No one else in the top 10 has made much of a case for inclusion into the debate, so this is what we have, a division with one option.
Joining me to discuss the excitement level—or lack thereof—is MMA Lead Writer Chad Dundas.
Mike Chiappetta: Chad, I have to admit to feeling conflicted about this fight. On one hand, it has the potential to be a straight-up thrill ride. Johnson fires off his limbs like heat-seeking missiles and Teixeira has never met a firefight he’s backed away from. He runs to conflict. That means it’s quite likely that one man is going to add to his highlight reel and the other is going to leave with a very bad headache. From the selfish perspective of pure entertainment, it seems like a can’t-miss option.
On the other hand, the purpose of the match is to build to something, and that’s where we run into problems. The division seems to have stagnated to the point of staleness. Even if you accept Cormier as its rightful and proper champion, there have been precious few arrivals lately to shake up the division and threaten for the belt. Nikita Krylov has shown promise, as has Misha Cirkunov, but both seem at least a year or two away from contending, if they ever get there at all. And doesn’t it make it difficult to get excited about a division when it’s constantly the same cast of characters? Sports requires a certain amount of turnover in talent, and without an infusion of newcomers, the light heavyweights are sputtering.
Chad Dundas: If it were happening in a vacuum there would be nothing wrong with a matchup between Rumble and Teixeira. As you note, it comes preloaded with a high probability of violence. Maybe if you’re looking for nothing more than a high-octane, no-strings-attached palate cleanser before Diaz vs. McGregor, this fits the bill just fine.
But, man, this is the light heavyweight division we’re talking about here. This is supposed to be the glamour weight class of the UFC. The division of Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, for pity’s sake. The division of Jon Jones! And really, the trouble here is that the very notion of Johnson vs. Teixeira as a No. 1 contender bout only underscores how far 205 pounds has fallen.
Everybody likes and respects Cormier a great deal, but it told me this division was in serious trouble when his UFC 192 barnburner against Gustafsson garnered just 250,000 pay-per-view buys, according to estimates from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via MMA Payout). Can you imagine the UFC even trying to headline a PPV with a fight between Cormier and either Rumble or Teixeira?
I, myself, cannot.
It seems the only thing that might lift the fortunes of light heavyweight is the speedy return of Jones. To that end, at least we might be on the verge of getting good news.
Mike, are we really just killing time until Jones gets back? Can there be a workable storyline on the horizon at 205 pounds beyond Bones’ pursuit of all-time greatness?
Mike: The decline of the light heavyweight class is one of the most concerning and underreported developments in the UFC right now. While it’s true that it has always been difficult to find talent in the bigger weight classes, I am surprised that we haven’t seen more of an influx in the last few years based upon the era of stars you just mentioned. I wish some enterprising manager would visit NFL camps and pick off the 20-something linebackers and running backs that don’t make a final roster. There is actually money to be made now for big men, and anyone with top-shelf athleticism and a proven willingness to engage in contact sports would have a road paved for them if they’re willing to put in the effort.
To be fair, I think the criticism of the division needs to be made independent of Johnson and Teixeira, who are two studs with strong records. Johnson, for instance, was thought to be the most intriguing matchup for Jones based upon his unrelenting power and defensive wrestling skills. That’s a matchup that the world would still want to see. And Teixeira is almost always exciting.
I think this division suffers from Jones’ absence as much as talent issues. Everything within it is viewed from that prism, and he’s going to continue to be a specter until he returns. Until then, it’s a waiting game. So what’s the best-case scenario here, Chad? Frankly, I think it’s a Teixeira win. At least he offers a fresh matchup for Cormier, although his inability to stop the takedown against wrestlers (Patrick Cummins, Phil Davis and Jones combined for 16 takedowns against him, according to FightMetric statistics) seems like a major issue. Either way, the excitement meter isn’t hitting peak levels, and that’s a problem.
Chad: If the existence of guys like Cirkunov and Krylov predicts anything it’s that the next wave of great—or even good, I’ll totally settle for good right now—205-pounders probably isn‘t going to come from America. Absent a fantasy recruitment strategy like the one you mentioned, which I’m absolutely willing to fund as soon as I make my fortune, by the way, light heavyweight’s best hope is likely an influx of international talent.
Our colleagues Scott Harris and Patrick Wyman tabbed four 205-pounders this year for Bleacher Report’s annual list of MMA’s top 25 up-and-coming prospects. If you’re scoring at home, they were Paul Craig (Scotland), VadimNemkov (Russia), JiriProchazka (Czech Republic) and Mikhail Mokhnatkin (Russia).
Hopefully, we’ll all be learning how to pronounce those last couple names sometime very soon.
If you ask me, the No. 1 priority for the UFC during the second half of 2016 and beyond should be snapping up as much blue-chip talent in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions as possible. Otherwise, I don’t know how these two weight classes will even survive without some doomsday scenario where you have to combine them into one—and nobody wants that.
As far as this specific fight goes? I agree with you that the best-case scenario is a Teixeira win. If he proves durable and wily enough to avoid Johnson’s early flurries, perhaps he can drag Rumble to the mat and turn this into a long, slow slog (sorry, PPV viewers!). Johnson’s primary weakness has always been his cardio and testing it through clinch work and wrestling is likely Teixeira’s best path to the victory.
Unfortunately for him, if I were I betting man, I’d wager Johnson’s speed and power win the day here. I think Teixeira is too plodding to avoid the early storm. I’ve got Rumble by first-round KO.
How about you, Mike?
Mike: Against my better judgment, I’m going to slightly lean in the other direction. Johnson’s early storm is indeed terrifying, and there’s no question a first-round knockout is a real possibility, perhaps even the most likely one. However, Teixeira has proven himself to be nothing if not incredibly durable. He’s only been finished on strikes a single time in his career, and that was in his professional debut back in 2002.
If he can survive those opening barrages, Teixeira can sustain a blistering pace, while Johnson has been known to fade late. I can see an instance where Teixeira uses volume to overcome the power differential, or manages to take it to the ground, where he has the matchup’s biggest edge. He has a crushing mount and is equally adept at submissions and ground strikes. If Johnson finds himself on his back, the fight’s complexion will shift greatly.
I have to admit that over the course of this conversation, I’ve managed to work up a bit more interest in this fight. It is an intriguing matchup and a meaningful one, and we shouldn’t allow any criticism of the division to distort that.
That said, it’s hard not to think about what we’ll wake up to on Sunday morning. One of these guys will probably be headed to another title match against a guy who many still can’t view as the rightful champion. These are strange days in light heavyweight land, so I guess we should all accept the moments of enjoyment when we can.
Glover Teixeira worked his way to the UFC by stringing together win after win after win.
Once he entered into the Octagon, that didn’t stop until the Brazilian earned himself a shot at then-champion Jon Jones.
Now, Teixeira is a step away from another crack at the UFC light heavyweight championship belt if he can get through Anthony Johnson Saturday night at UFC 202. Teixeira, a veteran of the sport, is well aware of the power that “Rumble” holds in his hands.
“You just have to watch out,” he said during an interview on UFC Tonight with current titleholder Daniel Cormier. “He’s a very dangerous fighter. The punch that hurts the most is the one that you don’t see. I just have to pressure him, like you did, Cormier.”
Despite the mutual admiration between the two, Teixeira will throw that out the window once the Octagon door closes.
“I’m not intimidated by any fighter,” he said. “We all respect each other. Me and Anthony talked backstage today. It doesn’t matter how nice you are, the day of the fight I’m going to try to take his head off, and he’s going to do the same thing.”
Glover Teixeira worked his way to the UFC by stringing together win after win after win.
Once he entered into the Octagon, that didn’t stop until the Brazilian earned himself a shot at then-champion Jon Jones.
Now, Teixeira is a step away from another crack at the UFC light heavyweight championship belt if he can get through Anthony Johnson Saturday night at UFC 202. Teixeira, a veteran of the sport, is well aware of the power that “Rumble” holds in his hands.
“You just have to watch out,” he said during an interview on UFC Tonight with current titleholder Daniel Cormier. “He’s a very dangerous fighter. The punch that hurts the most is the one that you don’t see. I just have to pressure him, like you did, Cormier.”
Despite the mutual admiration between the two, Teixeira will throw that out the window once the Octagon door closes.
“I’m not intimidated by any fighter,” he said. “We all respect each other. Me and Anthony talked backstage today. It doesn’t matter how nice you are, the day of the fight I’m going to try to take his head off, and he’s going to do the same thing.”
For the time being, Anthony Johnson is a top contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
And “Rumble” plans to keep it that way.
Johnson takes on Glover Teixeira this Saturday n…
For the time being, Anthony Johnson is a top contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
And “Rumble” plans to keep it that way.
Johnson takes on Glover Teixeira this Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 202, with the winner moving into the role of No. 1 challenger to Daniel Cormier’s belt.
But Johnson sees himself fighting in another weight class at least one more time – it just won’t be anywhere near welterweight.
From 2006-11, the 32-year-old Georgia native was a member of the 170-pound weight class, fighting several times there for the UFC. But after missing weight horribly vs. Vitor Belfort in 2012, Johnson decided enough was enough.
He has fought at middleweight and heavyweight since, including wins over World Series of Fighting champion David Branch and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
When asked during a Twitter Q&A about his future in other divisions, Johnson was very honest.
“I’ll probably go up to heavyweight one (more) fight,” Johnson said. “I can never go under 205 (pounds) again. We’ll see what happens.”
Since 2012, Johnson has won 11 of 12 fights, losing only to Cormier via third round submission back in 2015.
It was just over a month ago that UFC interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was forced out of his UFC 200 main event against his hated rival Daniel Cormier, when he was flagged for violating the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) anti-doping policy. The winner of the contest between Cormier and Jones was expected
It was just over a month ago that UFC interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was forced out of his UFC 200 main event against his hated rival Daniel Cormier, when he was flagged for violating the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) anti-doping policy.
The winner of the contest between Cormier and Jones was expected to take on the winner of the upcoming 205-pound contest between Glover Teixeira and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson at UFC 202 this weekend (August 20, 2016).
During a recent interview with FOX Sports, Johnson reminisced on how he found out of Jones’ pulling from the massive card:
“Honestly, I was flying to Vegas whenever it happened. I got a group on What’s App with me and my friends and we were communicating with each other and had WIFI on the plane and all of a sudden my phone started getting all these notifications from Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and all this other stuff. I’m like what the hell is going on?” Johnson said.
“First thing I saw was ‘Jon Jones pulled from UFC 200 for anti-doping violation’.
I was you’ve got to be kidding me right now. Honestly, I was shocked. I was hoping this wasn’t true. Like this is bad. At the same time, I was like why would he do something that stupid? Knowing that you have a target on your back like that.
Nobody knows his story. I asked the same questions to myself that everybody else asked, why would you even do that to yourself? Why would you put yourself in that situation. I was just shocked,” Johnson said.
“It was crazy. Before I even landed in Vegas, my phone was going crazy. I was shocked, the world was shocked, everyone was shocked.
A lot of people were saying they weren’t surprised but yeah you were. You didn’t see this coming. Nobody saw this coming. So it was just crazy. It was something that threw everybody for a loop.”
One of the most highly-anticipated fights that could have been made in the light heavyweight division was a throw-down between ‘Rumble’ and ‘Bones’, but that all seemed to go down the drain with Jones’ potential two-year suspension looming:
“You know how it is. All the great fights happen when you least expect it, all the great things in life happen when you least expect it,” Johnson said.
“Every time somebody is pumped up and everybody’s ready for it and excited about it, it’s not what it turns out to be. It’s just like (Manny) Pacquiao and (Floyd) Mayweather — everybody’s like ‘oh I’m pumped up for this fight’ and when you saw the fight, you’re like this is garbage, I want my money back.”
“Am I disappointed I didn’t get to fight Jon? Yeah, because I wanted to fight the best in the world. The best of the best. I’m doing that but at the end of the day, Jon was and is to me, still the man,” Johnson said.
“He’s that guy because he didn’t lose the title due to fighting. He lost it because of his actions outside of fighting. It is what it is.
“I have another great opponent in front of me in Glover (Teixeira) and I also have Daniel Cormier in front of me. Everything keeps going. We’re still going to make the best of this division and have fun and make history.”
Johnson and Teixeira will meet in the co-main event of UFC 202 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 20, 2016.
During a recent interview with 
Johnson and Teixeira will meet in the co-main event of UFC 202 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 20, 2016.