Rumble Is Insanely Huge In Latest Weightlifting Video

Heavyweights are praying Rumble stays retired after seeing this.

The post Rumble Is Insanely Huge In Latest Weightlifting Video appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The UFC’s heavyweight division is praying that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson stays retired after seeing his recent weightlifting video on Instagram.

Johnson, a former two-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger, retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) competition back in April of 2017.

The heavy hitter posted the following Instagram video of himself lifting weights in the gym, and the former Blackzillian is looking tremendously jacked since hanging up his gloves:

“Rumble” is one of the most devastating knockout artists in UFC history. His highlight reel finishes of Antonio Nogueira, Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader, and Glover Teixeira are still engraved in the memories of MMA fans across the world.

Johnson was never able to get over one hurdle in his career at 205 pounds though – Daniel Cormier. In May of 2015, Cormier submitted Johnson to win the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight championship.

After picking up three straight knockout victories, Johnson earned himself another crack at Cormier, but the result was the exact same as he lost via submission. It was after that fight in Buffalo that Johnson decided to retire from fighting.

In recent months, however, some rumblings have emerged regarding the possibility of a return to the cage for Johnson at heavyweight. His freakishly enormous new size would serve him well in that endeavor; however, there’s just one problem. Daniel Cormier is now the king at heavyweight.

Should Johnson decide to come back for a run at the heavyweight title, the possibility of rematching “DC” for a third time is an intriguing one. If fighters thought Johnson hit hard at 205 pounds, imagine the force he’ll bring to the table with a jump up to heavyweight to coincide with his new build.

Regardless of an MMA return or not though, Johnson seems like he’s chasing after The Rock in terms of “Bulkiest Man On The Planet.”

The post Rumble Is Insanely Huge In Latest Weightlifting Video appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

10 Worst Weight Cuts In UFC History

These 10 fighters had the worst weight cuts in UFC history:

The post 10 Worst Weight Cuts In UFC History appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Weight cutting has been an integral issue at the forefront of the conversation in MMA lately.

It seems like every card is ruined by a fighter missing weight, and usually by a large margin. Main event fighters like Darren Till, Yoel Romero, and Kevin Lee have soiled recently featured bouts, and fight fans are rightfully getting frustrated.

Solutions from more weight classes to eliminating early weigh-ins have been considered, but thus far, nothing substantial has been done to address this glaringly obvious issue in MMA.

You won’t believe the amount of weight some fighters have clocked in at. Even worse, many of them are repeat offenders, making every weigh-in a gamble as to if they will actually make weight.

However, some of the fighters on this list who struggle with their weight cuts have been champions; for example:

 

10. Renan Barao – UFC 177

The former bantamweight champion had some serious difficulty making the 135-pound limit and didn’t even come close at UFC 177. Barao was attempting to take the title he had lost to TJ Dillashaw beforehand, but the rematch didn’t end up happening at UFC 177.

Rumor has it that he was cutting down from 163 pounds, making it a nearly 30-pound weight cut.

Barao’s weight cut was so bad that he actually passed out while in the sauna as he tried to sweat out water weight in an effort to make the bantamweight limit. Barao smacked his head on the bathtub upon blacking out and was forced out of the fight as a result.

Joe Soto ultimately filled in for Barao, making this a seriously messed up weight cut on Barao’s part. Blacking out and not even making it to a title fight is as bad as it gets.

Barao now fights at featherweight, which is still likely a difficult cut, but at least it hasn’t caused him to blackout.

The post 10 Worst Weight Cuts In UFC History appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Pics: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson Is Absolutely Massive After “Discovering” Weightlifting

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has always been a physically imposing figure, but now that he’s started a weightlifting regimen, he’s looking absolutely massive. Rumble has been on a bit of a hiatus from MMA after retiring following his second loss to light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier but has since stated his intention to return to the sport, […]

The post Pics: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson Is Absolutely Massive After “Discovering” Weightlifting appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has always been a physically imposing figure, but now that he’s started a weightlifting regimen, he’s looking absolutely massive.

Rumble has been on a bit of a hiatus from MMA after retiring following his second loss to light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier but has since stated his intention to return to the sport, perhaps at heavyweight.

Check out Rumble’s Instagram post of him hitting the weights with a trainer while looking ridiculously swole. 

As you can see, Johnson’s physical transformation will suit him well should he opt to move up to heavyweight, where he holds a victory over Andrei Arlovski under the WSOF banner back in 2013.

It’s incredible to think he used to compete at 170 pounds.

The post Pics: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson Is Absolutely Massive After “Discovering” Weightlifting appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Achilles’ Heels: 10 Elite MMA Fighters’ Biggest Weaknesses

Every fighter, no matter how great they may be or have been, has a weakness that served as their Achilles heel. Whether it be a expert striker’s proclivity for takedowns, or a wrestler who can’t seem to escape from triangle chokes, no mixed martial artist is bereft of weakness. Let’s take a look at the […]

The post Achilles’ Heels: 10 Elite MMA Fighters’ Biggest Weaknesses appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Every fighter, no matter how great they may be or have been, has a weakness that served as their Achilles heel. Whether it be a expert striker’s proclivity for takedowns, or a wrestler who can’t seem to escape from triangle chokes, no mixed martial artist is bereft of weakness.

Let’s take a look at the ten greatest weaknesses that have plagued fighters throughout their career.

10. Dominick Cruz – Injuries

Perhaps one of the best and quickest bantamweight fighter, Dominick Cruz has had tremendous success in winning the 135 pound title twice and being the second and last man to beat flyweight kingpin  Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

In spite of all his success, Cruz has repeatedly dealt with broken hands, torn ACLs, and the resulting surgeries that follow.

Cruz was stripped of the title after years of inactivity following a torn ACL while training to fight Urijah Faber in 2012, and although he finally returned to run through Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178, he tore his ACL again and was forced out of action until he triumphantly returned to win the title back from current champ TJ Dillashaw in January 2016.

Cruz defended the title against Faber but lost it to ‘The California Kid’s’ Team Alpha Male protege Cody Garbrandt to end the year. He was set to take on rising contender Jimmie Rivera in a potential title eliminator at December 30’s UFC 219, but a broken arm forced him out of yet another bout due to injury.

If Cruz’s hands were as durable as concrete, his knees more sturdy, and his limbs unbreakable, he’d be the best bantamweight alive right now. But unfortunately, that’s not the case, making this weakness a highly important – and omnipresent – vulnerability.

The post Achilles’ Heels: 10 Elite MMA Fighters’ Biggest Weaknesses appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC Rankings Update: Rumble’s Retirement Shakes Up Light Heavyweight

UFC 210 on pay-per-view (PPV) has come and gone from Buffalo, New York, and what a night of fights and controversy the UFC had in store for us. From Anthony Johnson’s abrupt retirement following his second loss to Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title, to the questionable stoppage of Chris Weidman vs. Gegard Mousasi,

The post UFC Rankings Update: Rumble’s Retirement Shakes Up Light Heavyweight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 210 on pay-per-view (PPV) has come and gone from Buffalo, New York, and what a night of fights and controversy the UFC had in store for us.

From Anthony Johnson’s abrupt retirement following his second loss to Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title, to the questionable stoppage of Chris Weidman vs. Gegard Mousasi, this week’s rankings update won’t come without a bit of dispute. With ‘Rumble’s’ retirement the 205-pound division opened up, propelling Alexander Gustafsson to the No. 1 spot and moving everyone else in the top ten up one notch as well.

Following Mousasi’s TKO win over Weidman the two middleweights have swapped places in the rankings, with the Dutchman taking over the No. 4-ranked spot. You can check out the full rankings update here below:

POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Conor McGregor
3 Daniel Cormier
4 Jose Aldo
5 Cody Garbrandt
6 Stipe Miocic
7 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
8 Dominick Cruz +1
9 Tyron Woodley -1
10 Michael Bisping
11 Amanda Nunes
12 Max Holloway
13 TJ Dillashaw
14 Khabib Nurmagomedov
15 Yoel Romero

FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Wilson Reis
4 Ray Borg
5 Jussier Formiga
6 Sergio Pettis
7 Ian McCall
8 Dustin Ortiz
9 Tim Elliott
10 Brandon Moreno
11 John Moraga
12 Louis Smolka
13 Ben Nguyen
14 Alexandre Pantoja
15 Ryan Benoit

BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Cody Garbrandt
1 Dominick Cruz
2 TJ Dillashaw
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 John Lineker
5 Jimmie Rivera
6 Bryan Caraway
7 John Dodson
8 Aljamain Sterling
9 Thomas Almeida
10 Eddie Wineland
11 Johnny Eduardo
12 Iuri Alcantara
13 Pedro Munhoz
14 Joe Soto
15 Rob Font

FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Jose Aldo
1 Max Holloway (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Ricardo Lamas
4 Cub Swanson
5 Jeremy Stephens
6 Chan Sung Jung
7 Anthony Pettis
8 Yair Rodriguez
9 Brian Ortega +1
10 Dennis Bermudez +1
11 Darren Elkins +1
12 Dooho Choi +1
13 Renan Barao +1
14 Mirsad Bektic +1
15 Myles Jury *NR

LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Conor McGregor
1 Khabib Nurmagomedov
2 Tony Ferguson
3 Eddie Alvarez
4 Rafael Dos Anjos
5 Edson Barboza
6 Michael Johnson
7 Michael Chiesa
8 Nate Diaz
9 Dustin Poirier
10 Beneil Dariush
11 Kevin Lee
12 Evan Dunham
13 Gilbert Melendez
14 Al Iaquinta
15 Francisco Trinaldo

WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Tyron Woodley
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Robbie Lawler
3 Demian Maia
4 Carlos Condit
5 Jorge Masvidal
6 Neil Magny
7 Dong Hyun Kim
8 Donald Cerrone
9 Gunnar Nelson
10 Kamaru Usman +1
11 Tarec Saffiedine -1
12 Ryan LaFlare
13 Jake Ellenberger
14 Santiago Ponzinibbio
15 Matt Brown

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Michael Bisping
1 Yoel Romero
2 Luke Rockhold
3 Jacare Souza
4 Gegard Mousasi +1
5 Chris Weidman -1
6 Robert Whittaker
7 Anderson Silva
8 Derek Brunson +1
9 Krzysztof Jotko +1
10 Vitor Belfort +1
11 Thales Leites +1
12 Uriah Hall +1
13 Sam Alvey +1
14 Tim Boetsch +1
15 Daniel Kelly *NR

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Alexander Gustafsson +1
2 Glover Teixeira +1
3 Jimi Manuwa +1
4 Mauricio Rua +1
5 Volkan Oezdemir +1
6 Corey Anderson +1
7 Misha Cirkunov +2
8 Ovince Saint Preux
9 Ilir Latifi +1
10 Rogerio Nogueira +1
11 Patrick Cummins +1
12 Gian Villante +2
13 Tyson Pedro +2
14 Jan Blachowicz -2
15 Jared Cannonier *NR

HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Fabricio Werdum
2 Cain Velasquez
3 Alistair Overeem
4 Junior Dos Santos
5 Francis Ngannou
6 Derrick Lewis
7 Mark Hunt
8 Andrei Arlovski
9 Travis Browne
10 Stefan Struve
11 Alexander Volkov
12 Tim Johnson
13 Marcin Tybura
14 Aleksei Oleinik
15 Daniel Omielanczuk

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
1 Claudia Gadelha
2 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
3 Jessica Andrade
4 Rose Namajunas
5 Tecia Torres
6 Michelle Waterson
7 Joanne Calderwood
8 Randa Markos
9 Carla Esparza
10 Maryna Moroz
11 Paige VanZant
12 Jessica Aguilar +1
13 Felice Herrig -1
14 Jessica Penne
15 Justine Kish

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Valentina Shevchenko
2 Julianna Pena
3 Ronda Rousey
4 Raquel Pennington
5 Holly Holm
6 Sara McMann
7 Cat Zingano
8 Liz Carmouche
9 Germaine de Randamie
10 Bethe Correia
11 Alexis Davis
12 Marion Reneau
13 Ashlee Evans-Smith
14 Katlyn Chookagian *NR
15 Jessica Eye -1

The post UFC Rankings Update: Rumble’s Retirement Shakes Up Light Heavyweight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Rumble Would ‘Maybe’ Fight Jon Jones In MMA Return

Anthony Johnson could still throw down with Jon Jones down the road. Following his second failed attempt at capturing the UFC light heavyweight division’s throne, ‘Rumble’ announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Johnson was submitted by Daniel Cormier in the second round of their UFC 210 main event last night (Sat. April

The post Rumble Would ‘Maybe’ Fight Jon Jones In MMA Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Anthony Johnson could still throw down with Jon Jones down the road.

Following his second failed attempt at capturing the UFC light heavyweight division’s throne, ‘Rumble’ announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Johnson was submitted by Daniel Cormier in the second round of their UFC 210 main event last night (Sat. April 8, 2017).

Many fans were hoping that Johnson’s tumultuous knockout power would be enough for the former Blackzillian to get the job done against Cormier, setting up a fight that many MMA fans have been gunning for between ‘Rumble’ and ex-light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. The pair were initially set to meet in the main event of UFC 187 back in 2015, but Jones embroiled himself in some legal issues out-of-competition and Cormier stepped in to win the vacated title against Johnson.

During his post-fight press conference Johnson seemed pretty firm on his retirement claim but noted that if he did ever return to the UFC he could take on ‘Bones’ in a bout a heavyweight (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“I’m an alpha male, he’s an alpha male. I wanted to see what I can do against him,” Johnson said. “I’m pretty sure he wanted to see what he could do against me, because you guys hyped it up so much, that I was supposed to be the guy to beat him and all this and that. You guys do your job very well, hyping things up, so props to you.

“But I feel I’m more, I don’t know if I want to say sad (or) disappointed, for the fans, because I know they really wanted to see it. Day in and day out, people were always talking about Jon Jones and myself fighting each other, and it just never happened. Maybe if I decide to come back one day, we can fight at heavyweight or something like that.”

Do you think we’ll ever get to see Johnson and Jones test themselves against one another inside the Octagon?

The post Rumble Would ‘Maybe’ Fight Jon Jones In MMA Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.