Tag: Boston

Travis Browne Insists He’s ‘Not A Dirty Fighter’

Heavyweight sluggers Travis “Hapa” Browne and Matt Mitrione did battle during the main card of yesterday’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The highly-ranked contender in Browne came away with a third round TKO victory, but it didn’t come without its fair share of controversy. “Hapa” ended

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Heavyweight sluggers Travis “Hapa” Browne and Matt Mitrione did battle during the main card of yesterday’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

The highly-ranked contender in Browne came away with a third round TKO victory, but it didn’t come without its fair share of controversy.

“Hapa” ended up landing a pair of eye pokes on Mitrione, neither of which were caught by the referee. Speaking with MMAFighting after the bout, Browne claimed that he wasn’t a dirty fighter, also admitting that he repeatedly apologized to “Meathead” inside of the cage:

“In the cage I was apologizing up and down to Matt,” said Browne, who won via third-round TKO. “That’s not my game. I’m not a dirty fighter. Even in the fight, I’m like, ‘Matt, man, I’m really sorry, I’m not trying to do that.’ He’s like ‘I’m jumping in on you, I’m alright, that happens.’ You know what I mean? It’s just one of those things where, it’s an accident, you know what I mean?”

Continuing on, “Hapa” said that the two pokes occurred at times where he was simply defending himself and letting his instincts and reactions takeover rather than a conscious effort to foul his opponent:

“If you watch the fight, it’s not like I’m moving toward him trying to paw at him and poke his eye,” Browne said. “It’s more like, I’m trying to back up and hold my hand out. Third round I finally started closing my fist. It’s just part of the game, I guess. There’s no malicious intent behind it.”

After the pokes, Browne admitted that the referee warned him, but it was obviously a tad bit late:

“That’s why the referee’s in there,” said Browne. “He warned me the last time: ‘Next time I’m taking a point.’ I did what I could do to not let that happen again. It was an accident. I don’t know what else to say.”

Mitirione’s eye would further take damage when Browne landed a huge right hand, breaking “Meathead’s” orbital bone in the process.

Eye pokes have definitely become a glaring problem within mixed martial arts (MMA), but is there really any solution to the issue?

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Urijah Faber Eyes Trilogy Bout, Cruz Shakes It Off

UFC Fight Night 81 is in the books as the event went down last night (January 17, 2015) live on FOX Sports 1 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The main event featured a highly anticipated and long awaited bantamweight title fight between TJ Dillashaw and Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz. After competing just once

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UFC Fight Night 81 is in the books as the event went down last night (January 17, 2015) live on FOX Sports 1 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

The main event featured a highly anticipated and long awaited bantamweight title fight between TJ Dillashaw and Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz.

After competing just once over the last few years, and going through multiple surgeries, Cruz rose to the occasion, regaining the title he had never actually lost with a close fought decision victory over Dillashaw.

Despite the MMA community’s highly regarded interest in the bout, one fighter in particular had his eyes closely fixed on the clash and that would be former WEC champion Urijah Faber.

After losing all three of his UFC title shots, “The California Kid” had the perfect opportunity in front of him. A fight with Dillashaw would be massive given the now former champion’s departure from Faber’s Team Alpha Male. And if Cruz ended up on top which he did, the UFC could finally book Cruz vs. Faber III, a trilogy bout between bitter rivals.

In the after math of the event, Faber was quick to call out “The Dominator”:

“Cruz, you have got to give it to him. What a journey he has been on,” Faber told Fox Sports on the post-fight show. “He’s a real champion, he’s a true champion, he’s only lost to one team, that’s Team Alpha Male. He’s only lost to one guy, that’s me.”

“And I feel like I beat him the second time also. I connected to his chin. I know he feels like he’s hard to hit. I found his chin, his butt found the ground, and I’m going to make that happen again. So let’s do it, Dom! this has been a long time coming.”

“I’ve been sticking around a couple extra years just to let you heal up buddy! You’re not made for battle. Thank goodness you made it out this thing, hopefully alive, hopefully, the foot’s okay. Let’s do this!”

Although it would undoubtedly be a huge fight, the newly crowned champion didn’t seem all the interested in mixing it up with his old foe again:

“I don’t even want to talk about that guy. We’re still talking about him?” Cruz responded. “How many title shots has he had?”

Who should Cruz defend his title against next?

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UFC Commentator Compares Dominick Cruz To Conor McGregor

Leading up to his highly anticipated title fight with bantamweight king TJ Dillashaw at tonight’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81, it seems as if returning former champion Dominick Cruz has ramped up his trash talk quite a bit. The two men came face to face on a recent edition of Counterpunch alongside UFC

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Leading up to his highly anticipated title fight with bantamweight king TJ Dillashaw at tonight’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81, it seems as if returning former champion Dominick Cruz has ramped up his trash talk quite a bit.

The two men came face to face on a recent edition of Counterpunch alongside UFC commentator Jon Anik, with Cruz using his intellectual and analytical mind to get the better of Dillashaw in terms of verbal warfare.

Anik spoke up to MMA Junkie Radio on the exchange, noting that while there’s a genuine dislike between the two, it seemed as if “Killashaw” was simply annoyed more than anything else:

“They were jabbing at each other up until T.J and his wife walked out of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ gym,” Anik said. “It didn’t stop when the camera stopped.

“I feel like Dillashaw was more annoyed than anything else. I don’t know that he’s going to be phased in a negative way by any emotions. I think there’s a legitimate dislike there, but at least in terms of what Dominick was doing that day, I just felt like T.J. was annoyed. I guess my biggest takeaway was the size discrepancy.”

Despite having suffered three torn ACLs and an injured groin, and having competed only once over the last four years, Cruz, a man many consider to be the best 135-pounder of all-time, appears to be highly confident heading into tonight’s affair.

Anik even went as far as to compare “The Dominator” to featherweight champion and Irish superstar Conor McGregor in terms of confidence:

“I feel like the confidence with Dominick Cruz is on a Conor McGregor level, so far be it from me to pick against him.”

While the UFC commentator has put his money on Cruz, we could be in for a very close fight this evening in Boston.

Who are you picking?

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UFC Fight Night 81 Predictions

Dominick Cruz vs. TJ Dillashaw: Mike Drahota: It should be a bantamweight title fight to remember, as a meeting between two elite competitors like Dillashaw and Cruz could be billed as the best 135-pound fight in UFC history and definitely the most hyped. The only thing holding it back from that being a certainty are

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Dominick Cruz vs. TJ Dillashaw:

Mike Drahota: It should be a bantamweight title fight to remember, as a meeting between two elite competitors like Dillashaw and Cruz could be billed as the best 135-pound fight in UFC history and definitely the most hyped. The only thing holding it back from that being a certainty are the question marks about Cruz’s health, which have limited him to only one bout since October 2011.

Dillashaw has obviously looked nothing ess than dominant in his run as bantamweight champion in Cruz’s absence, finishing his last three bouts with an amazing mix of pinpoint precision and power. But Cruz essentially invented the style that Dillashaw now employs (albeit with less power), so if ‘The Dominator’ comes back at anything close to one hundred percent here, we could see him regain the belt in impressive fashion.

He’s also seemingly got inside Dillashaw’s head during the media buildup for this fight where the champion was badly outclassed by the intelligent needling of FOX Sports analyst Cruz.

While I think that Cruz will use his movement-heavy style to give Dillashaw some issues, I still think ‘The Viper’ is the evolution of the 135-pound landscape, ad there are far less questions about him than there are the former titleholder. The trash talk could come it play here, and so could Dillashaw’s highly publicized departure from Team Alpha Male to Colorado’s Elevation. I just think the champ gets the job done here by a slim margin. While it’s a close one, I’m going with Dillashaw by unanimous decision.

Rory Kernaghan: In Cruz vs. Dillashaw, we have a very rare pairing of fighters with unique styles. Both have incredible footwork, which allows them to cut angles and land the worst strikes possible for their opponents, the ones they don’t see coming. A prime example of Dillashaw’s advantage over a more ‘regular’ fighter’s style is against Renan Barao, as he cracked the former champion with beautiful head kicks and sharp right hands to finish the Brazilian both times they fought.

‘The Dominator’ has dynamic head movement, and a style I’d be very surprised to learn that anyone could mimic in the gym for the champion. Cruz also has some serious wrestling chops, and just seems like a new man since all his injury woes in recent years. I don’t often go with my gut, but I just get the feeling that the head movement and striking of Cruz will win the day. Also, the trash talking element seems to have got to ‘The Viper,’ who could resort to little more than pointing out his record against fighters with standard styles, as opposed to what his actual strengths are against Dom. I’m gonna go with Cruz by TKO round one.

Mike Henken: To me, this is simply one of the best fights that the UFC could put on, and it’s quite a tough one to predict, as well. While Cruz has been nursing numerous injuries on the sidelines over the last few years, Dillashaw has risen to the top of the bantamweight division in emphatic fashion. Using a similar style to that of Cruz’s, the champion has implemented exquisite movement and footwork to bolster an accurate, yet powerful striking arsenal. Cruz, on other hand, is essentially known for his footwork as well, along with his head movement and striking defense. Both men have wrestling backgrounds, and are quite evenly matched in my opinion. It all depends on what shape “The Dominator” returns in, but I also have to go with my gut. Cruz by unanimous decision.

Find our picks for the pivotal lightweight co-main event on the next page….

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Healthy Pettis Doesn’t Think Anyone In The World Can Beat Him

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will return this weekend (January 17, 2015) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 81 from Boston, Massachusetts for the first time since losing his title last March Coming off of a brutal loss at the hands of current champion Rafael dos Anjos, Pettis is set to

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Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will return this weekend (January 17, 2015) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 81 from Boston, Massachusetts for the first time since losing his title last March

Coming off of a brutal loss at the hands of current champion Rafael dos Anjos, Pettis is set to meet former Bellator champion Eddie “The Silent Assasin” Alvarez in an attempt to jump back into the title picture.

Not only did “Showtime” suffer a huge loss, but he was also faced with yet another injury setback that has forced him out of the Octagon for the last 10 months.

Injuries have seemed to be the constant downfall for the ex-champ, but now seemingly healthy, Pettis feels as if he’s the best in the world:

“I don’t feel like these guys are on my level when I’m 100 percent. When I’m 100 percent, I don’t think anybody in the world can beat me.” Pettis told MMAFighting.com.

As far as the fight goes, “Showtime” currently sits at No. 1 in the 155-pound rankings while Alvarez is currently ranked No. 4. “The Silent Assassin” is also coming off of a hard fought win over Gilbert Melendez last June, meaning that this scrap could potentially have major title implications.

According to Pettis, he was actually guaranteed a title shot with a win over Alvarez, although he’s not sure he wants to sit around and wait:

“Yes, I was told [that I’d get a title shot], but I don’t know if I’m going to wait anymore. I feel like I have been waiting for belts. I have a new contract with the UFC. I’m getting paid what I want to get paid and I feel like now is the time to get out there and just keep fighting.”

Dos Anjos is slated to defend his title next in a mega fight with featherweight boss Conor McGregor at March 5’s UFC 197 from Las Vegas.

Should he get passed Alvarez in Boston, should “Showtime” get a chance to reclaim his title?

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Dominated! Even With The Trash Talk, Dominick Cruz Just Isn’t Conor McGregor

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has recently ramped up his trash talk heading into his title fight with TJ Dillashaw, but he just won’t be able to match Conor’s McGregor’s unattainable level… Billed as one of the most pivotal and resonating bantamweight title bouts in UFC history, former champion Dominick Cruz is finally set

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Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has recently ramped up his trash talk heading into his title fight with TJ Dillashaw, but he just won’t be able to match Conor’s McGregor’s unattainable level…

Billed as one of the most pivotal and resonating bantamweight title bouts in UFC history, former champion Dominick Cruz is finally set to return from a 16-month absence against current champion TJ Dillashaw in the headlining bout of this Sunday night’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cruz will seek to regain the belt that he never lost, as a seemingly never-ending slew of serious knee and groin injuries held ‘The Dominator’ to only a single fight since his decision victory over pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson in October 2011.

The former titleholder has since spent his time off becoming one of the most well known and respected analysts in the fight game, breaking down cards on FOX Sports with a technical expertise that few, if any, have ever demonstrated in the broadcast booth. That has resulted in a refined wit for the already sharp Cruz, and it’s clear that he’s certainly stepped up his smack talking outside the cage in his recent spots with a badly outclassed Dillashaw.

Its no doubt a cue that all fighters can take from Cruz, who’s apparently emulated featherweight champion Conor McGregor in a sense to create more buzz for his fights by berating his opponent outside of the Octagon. While that’s certainly nothing new in the fight game, Cruz has taken it to a new level for the bantamweight division.

Yet no fighters can match McGregor’s silver-tongued comebacks and his thunderous knockout power in the cage, and despite deserving recognition for his efforts, Cruz is one of these competitors. Let’s examine why.

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