Tag: Brazil

Colby Covington Plans To Press Charges On Fabricio Werdum

If you thought rising UFC welterweight Colby Covington’s antics couldn’t get more over-the-top, you were wrong. Three weeks after the No. 3 challenger called out the entirety of Sao Paulo, Brazil after defeating hometown fan favorite Demian Maia, Covington made headlines today when former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum hit him with a boomerang in […]

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If you thought rising UFC welterweight Colby Covington’s antics couldn’t get more over-the-top, you were wrong.

Three weeks after the No. 3 challenger called out the entirety of Sao Paulo, Brazil after defeating hometown fan favorite Demian Maia, Covington made headlines today when former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum hit him with a boomerang in Sydney, Australia for this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 121.

Rapidly becoming one of the more notorious trash talkers in the UFC, Covington took offense to Werdum’s attack, later revealing that he planned on pressing charges on “Vai Cavalo” in a message to MMA Fighting because the incident was caught on tape:

“He f*cked up,” Covington said. “There’s video and I speak the truth. He will be exposed soon, probably end up in Australia prison.”

Here’s the video of the incident posted by New Zealand featherweight Dan Hooker:

There was also more violence supposedly involved, as Covington said Werdum punched him in the face during the altercation, which Werdum, who will meet Marcin Tybura in the UFC Sydney main event this weekend, said was false.

Covington not surprisingly denied this, stating that the truth would soon come forth due to the video of the incident:

“That’s a complete lie. He wrote a check his ass can’t cash. He’s on video so all his lies will be told soon.”

But even though it would seem to be Werdum’s fault from Covington’s point of view, he may have to fess up to at least part of the blame himself. The brash wrestler began filming towards the end of the melee on his phone, where he called Werdum an anti-gay slur and continued his stark anti-Brazil trash talk:

“F*ck Brazil. F*ck Fabricio Werdum, little bitch ass. F*ck Brazil. A bunch of filthy animals. And they wonder why they get talked to like that, because they’re a bunch of animals.”

Covington may be pressing charges on the assumption he was assaulted, which the above video does show. However, for those stating that his trash talk is not the grounds for physical assault, Werdum accused him of kicking him in the leg first, so it may come down to hearsay and what evidence the video shows.

The UFC quickly released a brief statement stating they were looking into the matter to find out if the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy had been violated:

“UFC was made aware of the altercation between Fabricio Werdum and Colby Covington at the organization’s host hotel in Sydney, Australia,” the statement read. “The organization will conduct a full investigation to determine if the Athlete Conduct Policy was violated before taking any further action on this matter.”

Overall, it’s simply not a good look for either Covington or Werdum.

The rising welterweight continues to make inflammatory statements about the Brazilian people based solely on their heritage, and while it may land him a big fight and a lucrative position as one of the UFC’s most hated heels, it’s also crossing the line of acceptable trash talk and making fighters look barbaric, especially when he used another anti-gay slur.

As for Werdum, it could be even worse, as the veteran was seen throwing several homophobic slurs of his own at Tony Ferguson during their UFC 216 luncheon incident, for which Werdum apologized and was supposedly headed to do outreach in the LGBTQ community. He’s since said he received no punishment, however, and these two incidents combined with Conor McGregor’s use of the same word backstage at October 21’s UFC Gdansk make the UFC and MMA look bad as a whole.

Are these run-ins helping foster interest in the sport, or are they simply making fighters look like ignorant brutes who can’t remain professional?

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UFC 212 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Aldo vs. Holloway

UFC 212 is not about Conor McGregor. It is about the real undisputed, UFC featherweight championship of the world between Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo.
The storyline that McGregor is still the 145-pound champion needs to be thrown out the windo…

UFC 212 is not about Conor McGregor. It is about the real undisputed, UFC featherweight championship of the world between Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo.

The storyline that McGregor is still the 145-pound champion needs to be thrown out the window at this point. Aldo is unfairly being called a fake champion, while Holloway has been waiting with incredible patience for his shot at the top of the totem poll after sweeping through the featherweight division on an incredible 10-fight win streak.

Tonight’s main event is bound to be an instant classic. How could it not be? Two diverse, athletic and fearless strikers going at each other for five rounds? That’s how you sell pay-per-views, ladies and gentlemen. 

Speaking of PPVs, let’s take a quick look at UFC 212’s main card that will be seen live on PPV from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the night’s preliminary bouts that can be seen on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. 

 

UFC 212 Fight Card and Odds

 

PPV at 10 p.m. ET

  • Jose Aldo -150 vs. Max Holloway -125
  • Claudia Gadelha -350 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +265
  • Vitor Belfort -160 vs. Nate Marquardt +130
  • Paulo Borrachinha -300 vs. Oluwale Bamgbose +230
  • Erick Silva +110 vs. Yancy Medeiros -140

 

Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET

  • Marlon Moraes -175 vs. Raphael Assuncao +145
  • Antonio Carlos Junior -235 vs. Eric Spicely +185
  • Matthew Lopez -210 vs. Johnny Eduardo +170
  • Iuri Alcantara -315 vs. Brian Kelleher +245

 

Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET

  • Viviane Pereira -130 vs. Jamie Moyle -110
  • Luan Chagas -250 vs. Jim Wallhead +195
  • Marco Beltran +120 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo -150

 

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark. 

 

Co-main event: Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Rose Namajunas may believe that she is in line for the next title shot, but the reality is that UFC 212’s co-main event is the title eliminator between the two best 115-pound fighters in the world not named Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Both Gadelha and Kowalkiewicz have gone toe-to-toe with the champion and at times looked to be the better fighter. Gadelha has had two wars with Jedrzejczyk, and it can be argued that in a three-round fight, Gadelha would’ve won the rematch handily.

Unfortunately for her, fighting the champion puts you in deep waters with five rounds, which left Gadelha gassed. As for Kowalkiewicz, she came alive in rounds four and five against the champion last November and hurt Jedrzejczyk in a way we haven’t seen before. Both fighters have only lost to the champion, but this fight favors Gadelha because it’s three rounds, meaning she won’t be gassed when it matters most.

Furthermore, Gadelha is in a new camp where she feels she unstoppable, per Fox Sports: 

“I didn’t want to go anywhere where I would change my game completely. That’s why I was studying all the possibilities, to find the best coach to add new tools to my game without changing me. Chris Luttrell is somebody that works perfect for what I do in MMA, plus I get to train at Jackson’s with all the amazing fighters and trainers and I think that’s the best thing I did.

“I feel different. I feel great. It’s kind hard to explain because it’s so new to me. I have to challenge myself and go somewhere that’s different. I’m trying different things 24/7. I’m excited to perform. I’m excited to see how I’m going to perform. I feel like I became a better athlete, I have more mobility, everything is in the right place. I feel much better than I used to.”

Gadelha 2.0? That’s a scary thought.

As good as Kowalkiewicz is, she won’t be able to execute her game plan in a three-round fight against a mauler like Gadelha. Expect Gadelha to bring Kowalkiewicz to the canvas with regularity en route to a unanimous-decision win, setting up a third fight with “Joanna Champion.”  

 

Main event: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway

Finally, the UFC’s featherweight division will crown its undisputed champion without any interim or default belts. This is going to be a great fight, no matter who wins. Holloway is as fearless as they come, and he won’t be intimidated once he steps inside the Octagon.

Let’s not forget how much courage he showed against Ricardo Lamas at the end of a fight he had already one. The Waianae boy just likes to scrap.

Holloway is a very well-rounded fighter and has shown an ability to finish fights via submission, TKO or by decision. One of his most impressive victories came against Cub Swanson when he submitted him with a guillotine choke, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s rising stars.

But make no mistake about it: Holloway will come forward and put Aldo on the back foot and test out his chin. And he’s not intimidated by fighting in Aldo’s backyard, per MMA Fighting:

He may not have one-punch knockout power, but Holloway has the endurance to throw combinations of five-plus strikes at a time without wearing down. Aldo is in for a tough fight against the Hawaiian, even if he is a legend.

The general consensus is that Aldo will come out looking to take out Holloway’s legs with his lethal kicks, but that’s going to be difficult if Aldo is constantly on the back foot. Holloway hasn’t been walked down by an opponent since he fought McGregor as a young prospect, and he’s improved with every fight he’s had inside of the Octagon.

Aldo’s legacy won’t be defined by 13 seconds against McGregor, but his legacy as the world’s most dominant 145-pound fighter ends tonight as the new age of the featherweight division takes hold.

Holloway is the future of the division, and he will put on a show tonight, leaving no doubt that he is the best featherweight in the world in a scintillating five-round war that Holloway walks away from with the belt, via unanimous decision. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anderson Silva Stands Up To UFC In Puzzling Online Video

For once in his decorated career, Anderson Silva is saying no to his longtime bosses at the UFC. The longtime former UFC champion was recently denied an interim middleweight title fight against top contender Yoel Romero after his original opponent for June’s UFC 212, rising prospect Kelvin Gastelum, was forced out with a failed drug

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For once in his decorated career, Anderson Silva is saying no to his longtime bosses at the UFC.

The longtime former UFC champion was recently denied an interim middleweight title fight against top contender Yoel Romero after his original opponent for June’s UFC 212, rising prospect Kelvin Gastelum, was forced out with a failed drug test for marijuana metabolites.

“The Spider” revealed he’d retire if he didn’t get it, yet UFC President Dana White essentially dared his onetime top draw to retire by calling his bluff. Silva spoke of his own value to a company who needs nothing more than big names like his in a video he posted to his official Instagram account:

“To say yes when you want to say no is to give more value to others than to ourselves, it is not to put your value in the right place, it is to impose no limits, and that is not to respect yourself. It is the same as saying that what we feel Is not worth anything, that others can pass over you at will. And they pass, if you permit it, they will pass without mercy, forgetting all that you have conquered through honor and dedication. If we allow it will destroy our values. This is the way to say no. When I do not want something, I simply say no. With no anger or emotion. It is not just a negative. It’s our limit. A right that we have to decide what we want or do not do. It is a way to make people respect our value, this is the name of dignity. When we put ourselves sincerely, saying what we feel, we are respected. People like it or not. So if you know your worth, do not let anything destroy it nothing and no one. If you take a $100 and knead it, step on it, throw it on the floor and then dismantle, pick it up, ask someone how much it’s worth, smart people will respond that the note is worth $ 100, so no matter how much they step on you, How much they will knead you, your worth no one can change.”

It’s wholly understandable as to why “The Spider” is miffed at not receiving the bout he requested after saving Daniel Cormier’s appearance on three days’ notice at last summer’s UFC 200 and also saving an event in his native Brazil when he decimated Stephan Bonnar in 2012. It doesn’t help that White essentially threw him under the bus in public, making it seem like he has respect for few if any fighters if he won’t reach an agreement with one of his biggest stars.

However, with a record of 1-4(1) in his last six bouts, its also tough to even attempt to justify being booked in a title fight of any sort. Yet star power has certainly appeared to take presedence over any merit under new ownership, and it’s something the promotion is clearly struggling to display in the early part of 2017.

In fact, Silva is probably the biggest star who is willing and able to fight, so perhaps the UFC should deal him some of the respect he’s been speaking out for in the media as of late.

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UFC Fight Night 106 Results: Winners, Scorecards for Belfort vs. Gastelum Card

Kelvin Gastelum knocked out one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen with an excellent display of boxing and combination strikes to put Vitor Belfort away in the first round in a front of a hostile crowd at UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza, B…

Kelvin Gastelum knocked out one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen with an excellent display of boxing and combination strikes to put Vitor Belfort away in the first round in a front of a hostile crowd at UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Whether or not Gastelum stays at 185 pounds or convinces Dana White to allow him to fight at welterweight again, he will be a force to be reckoned with in either weight class as one of the organization’s best prospects.

Belfort looked sharp in the opening two minutes of the fight and was even able to land some punches and show off the creativity that made him one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. But once Gastelum tagged Belfort with a jab and a left hook, there was no turning back.

Gastelum called out Anderson Silva after the fight, which could be an interesting matchup, but it’s up to the UFC to decide his fate. The talent is there for Gastelum; all he has to do is become a more disciplined fighter regarding his weight and training. 

 

UFC Fight Night 106 Results:

Kelvin Gastelum def. Vitor Belfort via first-round TKO (3:52)

Shogun Rua def. Gian Villante via third-round TKO (0:59) 

Edson Barboza def. Beneil Dariush via second-round KO (3:35) 

Ray Borg def. Jussier Formiga via unanimous decision 

Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau ruled a majority draw 

Alex Oliveira def. Tim Means via submission (RNC) (R2, 2:38) 

 

Cowboy gets his revenge 

Alex Oliveira came out on a mission against Tim Means in the opening fight on the night’s main card, and he didn’t disappoint. Means was helpless at the beginning of the fight, as he was being tossed around like a rag doll by Oliveira, who was able to take Means down to the canvas at will.

Poor technique on his last takedown attempt allowed Means to pull off a reversal and end up on top for some ground-and-pound, but the first round went to Cowboy. In the second round, the game plan didn’t change for either fighter.

Means continued to try to fight from his back but was growing tired of carrying Oliveira’s weight while he was backed up against the cage. Means eventually gave up his back, and Oliveira got two hooks in and sealed up the body lock as he hunted for Means’ neck. It didn’t take long for Oliveira to flatten out the American and force Means to tap from a beautifully executed rear-naked choke.

With the win, Oliveira puts Means in the rear-view mirror after their fist meeting ended with a no-contest, and he can now move forward to taking on ranked competition in the welterweight division. 

 

Correia and Reneau battle out for majority draw

A majority draw isn’t the most satisfying result in MMA, but this was the rare occasion that a draw was necessary.

Bethe Correia had some really good moments in this fight and showed clear dominance in wrestling over Marion Reneau. Correia arguably had Rounds 1 and 2 in her favor, but Round 3 was a whole other story.

An early kick landed flush on Correia’s jaw and stunned her, allowing Reneau to take advantage of a stumbling Correia, who shot for a takedown to buy her time. From there, Reneau began landing some vicious punches and elbows from side control and eventually made Correia give up her back to avoid taking any more punishment from Reneau’s strikes, but that’s exactly what Reneau was looking for.

After securing the body triangle, Reneau did her best to get her forearm under the Bulldog’s chin, but Correia was able to survive the third round and force the decision.

A draw between two top-15 fighters could mean a rematch is coming, and since it was an entertaining fight from start to finish, it might be a good idea for the UFC to book this match again immediately. 

 

Borg makes case for title shot 

Fighters who are just 23 years old should not be in title contention, especially in the UFC. But after Ray Borg defeated third-ranked Jussier Formiga in front of a hostile crowd, he has at least entered his name into the conversation for a shot against Demetrious Johnson or against the next No. 1 contender. 

It was a very close fight, and Formiga looked like he was going to cruise to a decision early on in the third round. That is, until Borg reversed a body triangle into top position, which gave him the opportunity to smash Formiga’s face in.

This fight didn’t carry much upside for Formiga, other than to solidify his place as a top-three fighter in the flyweight division, but falling to Borg, the eighth-ranked fighter at 125 pounds in the organization, will hurt his chances of seeing a title shot anytime soon. 

As for Borg, he’ll be sitting by the phone waiting for Dana White’s call to take on either Johnson or Wilson Reis. 

 

Barboza adds another fighter to the highlight reel

Edson Barboza is a terrifying human being. 

The No. 5 fighter in the lightweight division added another win to his resume after knocking out Beneil Dariush with a stunning flying knee.

Seeing Barboza win in spectacular fashion is nothing out of the ordinary at this point, but it is still a sight to see. Dariush seemed to have won the first round by keeping Barboza out of rhythm with some well-timed leg kicks. But unfortunately for Dariush, his lights went out before he knew what hit him.

As soon as Barboza’s knee made contact with Dariush, the fight was over. Moving forward, only a title fight or No. 1 contender bout will be in the cards for Barboza.

Maybe if Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t able to return before Ramadan, Tony Ferguson can take on Barboza in a rematch for the interim lightweight title.

 

Vintage Shogun

Mauricio Rua showed the world he is not finished wreaking havoc in the light heavyweight division.

The former 205-pound UFC champion finished Gian Villante with a barrage of strikes as Villante stumbled and fell back against the cage.

Shogun showed flashes of his former PRIDE days as he took care of Villante. While Villante had some good moments and even looked like he was going to take out Shogun early on in the fight, Rua was able to survive a few early scares en route to his third straight win.

 

Can Shogun take on a top-five light heavyweight and march back to the top of the division? Probably not. But Shogun can still extend his career by taking out other top-15 contenders for the next couple of years. 

As for Villante, there’s no shame in losing to one of the living legends of MMA. However, many will question if Villante is capable of taking on the elites of the division down the road. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Johnson Challenges Ex-Champion To Bout In Brazil

No. 7-ranked lightweight contender Michael “Menace” Johnson returned to action at Nov. 12’s UFC 205, but came up short in a bout against top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing by way of submission on the preliminary portion of the card. Now, Johnson is looking to get back to his winning ways, and he recently expressed interest

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No. 7-ranked lightweight contender Michael “Menace” Johnson returned to action at Nov. 12’s UFC 205, but came up short in a bout against top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing by way of submission on the preliminary portion of the card.

Now, Johnson is looking to get back to his winning ways, and he recently expressed interest in a bout with No. 4-ranked ex-champion Rafael dos Anjos (Via MMAMania.com). “Menace” even said that he’d be willing to fight dos Anjos in the former champ’s home of Brazil:

“Dos Anjos is the fight I want next,” he said. “I don’t know if he agrees with me — or if that’s a fight he wants — but that is what I’m going after. I was just down in Brazil for my brother Kamaru Usman’s fight and was sitting at the press conference when they announced the UFC would be coming back to Brazil in March.

“I thought, ‘Why not fight RDA in March?’” he continued. “I’ll come to his backyard and fight him in his home country. I have no problems with that at all. I think it would be a great fight. He’s a guy who likes to stand and trade and I’m the exact same way.”

Dos Anjos is also coming off of a tough loss to the red hot Tony Ferguson, and because of that, Johnson feels as if the pairing makes sense:

“We are both coming off tough losses to guys who we both would love to get back in there with. I think it’s perfect timing for this fight. I said before all the stars had to align for me to face Khabib and I think the same thing is happening now with RDA as well.” he added.

Who would you predict to win this potential clash?

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UFC Fight Night 100 Bonuses: Thomas Almeida Leaves With Extra $50,000

Back-to-back events for the UFC went down today (Sat., Nov. 19, 2016) for a total of 22 fights. The long day of fights ended in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the entire undercard and both the main and co-main event avoided the judges. In the main event, Ryan Bader came into hostile territory and dominated Rogerio

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Back-to-back events for the UFC went down today (Sat., Nov. 19, 2016) for a total of 22 fights.

The long day of fights ended in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the entire undercard and both the main and co-main event avoided the judges. In the main event, Ryan Bader came into hostile territory and dominated Rogerio “Lil’ Nog” Nogueira, earning the TKO stoppage.

Thomas Almeida came back from his first loss and completely dominated Albert Morales in the co-main event, battering him for a vicious finish, moving his record to 21-1. The fight became extremely one-sided in the second round when Almeida hurt Morales on numerous occasions before swarming and eventually dropping him with a body shot. The dominant victory earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

Three others also walked away with performance of the night bonuses. Cezar Ferreira, Gadzhimurad Antigulov, Pedro Munhoz all picked up submission victories Saturday night.

Ferreira had a dominant victory. In the first he more than held his own, peppering Jake Hermansson with left hands. Hermansson seemed content to exchange hands and continue to move forward. In the second round Ferreira decided to take the fight to the mat. Once they hit the ground Ferriera had a clear advantage, transitioning and locking in an arm triangle choke, picking up the submission win and an extra $50k.

Antigulov made quick work of Brazil’s Marcos Rogerios. It took the Russian grappler all of a minute to work the fight to the ground and sink in a guillotine choke to earn the stoppage.

Munhoz picked up the final performance bonus with a comeback victory. Justin Scoggins was piecing him up on the feet, but after Scoggins jumped in to lock on the guillotine choke and forcing Scoggins to tap.

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