Tag: Breaking News

Daniel Cormier Signs New 8-Fight Deal with UFC, Rashad Evans a Possible Opponent

A top heavyweight contender—and an intriguing future addition to the UFC’s light heavyweight division—has signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will keep him with the world’s largest fight promotion for the fore…

A top heavyweight contender—and an intriguing future addition to the UFC’s light heavyweight division—has signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will keep him with the world’s largest fight promotion for the foreseeable future.

Daniel Cormier (13-0, 2-0 UFC) has signed a new eight-fight deal with the promotion.

Cormier became a free agent after beating Roy Nelson at UFC 166 in October, though Cormier told Bleacher Report at the time that he had no intentions of discussing a contract with any other fight promotion and that it would merely be a matter of time before he signed a new deal.

He confirmed the news with UFC Tonight‘s Ariel Helwani on Wednesday night.

Cormier also disputed the recent rumors surrounding a March fight with former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, which could take place at UFC 171.

That event, which takes place on March 15 in Dallas, is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira. Jones and Cormier have engaged in a war of words for nearly a year and Cormier is considered a potential threat to Jones’ history-making title reign. 

Cormier told Helwani that he wanted to fight sooner than March, which means we could see the undefeated heavyweight make his light heavyweight debut in late February.

Few other opponents in the division make sense. Cormier deserves a top-ranked light heavyweight, and of the top five fighters in the division, only Phil Davis (No. 4) is currently active and without a fight scheduled.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Raising PPV Prices for UFC 168?

Fans planning on ordering the star-studded UFC 168 fight card on pay-per-view should prepare to fork over some extra dough.
On Wednesday, both MiddleEasy.com and BJPenn.com reported that the UFC would be tacking on an extra five bucks to the usual pay-…

Fans planning on ordering the star-studded UFC 168 fight card on pay-per-view should prepare to fork over some extra dough.

On Wednesday, both MiddleEasy.com and BJPenn.com reported that the UFC would be tacking on an extra five bucks to the usual pay-per-view tab for UFC 168.

This means that those hoping to witness the biggest fight card of the year in the confines of their living rooms will have the choice of ponying up either $49.95 for standard definition or $59.95 for high definition.

The news was confirmed by a DIRECTV campaign ad for the event secured by MiddleEasy.com.

There hasn’t been anything official coming out of the UFC as to whether this is a temporary price hike or a permanent change. Back in 2009, UFC President Dana White vowed that he would never raise pay-per-view prices:

“My philosophy and my big [expletive] thing is not to gauge the fans in any way,” White told Radio Host Steve Cofield and other reporters during a media scrum. “If you don’t think that we have a CFO and [expletive] aggressive guys in the company that want to raise pay-per-view and do all this sh-t, I won’t do it. I’ll [expletive] go on record right now and say I will not raise pay-per-view. … I won’t raise it again.

If this report holds true, then things have obviously changed for White and company.

UFC 168 is slated to go down on December 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by the highly anticipated middleweight title rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva.

In the co-main event, The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will meet for a second time for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title.

Perhaps the thought process is that those who already pay the normal rate shouldn’t have any problem coming up with an extra five bucks to cover the bill. If you’re the type to catch UFC events in a bar or restaurant, this news doesn’t really affect your normal routine.

In any case, an official announcement or statement should be coming soon.

Bleacher Report will keep you informed as more news becomes available on this developing story.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Will ‘Probably’ Have Retirement Talk with Shogun If He Loses

If Mauricio “Shogun” Rua loses at UFC Fight Night 33, Dana White will probably ask the former light heavyweight champion to retire from MMA, according to comments he made on Wednesday night’s episode of FOX Sports Live.
Multiple knee …

If Mauricio “Shogun” Rua loses at UFC Fight Night 33, Dana White will probably ask the former light heavyweight champion to retire from MMA, according to comments he made on Wednesday night’s episode of FOX Sports Live.

Multiple knee surgeries have really taken a toll on Shogun, who hasn’t been able to put together more than two straight wins since his former Pride days. Despite winning the UFC title in 2009, he has remained relatively inconsistent in the Octagon.

Long gone are the days when Shogun was considered to be the most feared light heavyweight on the planet. Now he is getting stopped in the first round by fighters who normally tip the scales at middleweight.

On Friday night, Shogun faces light heavyweight hopeful James Te Huna in a bout that represents the biggest crossroads thus far in his legendary career.

A win should quell all of the retirement talk for the time being and help Shogun rebound from consecutive losses to Chael Sonnen and Alexander Gustafsson. A loss, however, could signal the end to one of the greatest careers in MMA history.

When speaking with Fox Sports Live, the UFC president said that he would “probably” have the retirement talk with Shogun if he loses his next fight:

Obviously for Shogun Rua, to be in this position right now fighting a guy like Te-Huna, this is the fight of Te-Huna’s life, said White. Te-Huna wins this fight, it catapults him into the top-10, everybody knows his name, and everybody’s going to want to see what’s next for him. Yes, if Shogun loses this fight, I probably would have [the retirement] conversation with him.

A loss to Te-Huna would be a major step back for Shogun, who would be ousted from the Top 10 for the first time in nearly a decade. It would be a strange world knowing Shogun was no longer one of the best light heavyweights in MMA.

Would a third consecutive loss signal the swan song to the 32-year-old legend’s career?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Julianna Pena Open to Fighting Both Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate

Julianna Pena will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of her, including Ronda Rousey and teammate/coach Miesha Tate.
After winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 less than a week ago, Pena’s name appears to already be popping up in the long list…

Julianna Pena will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of her, including Ronda Rousey and teammate/coach Miesha Tate.

After winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 less than a week ago, Pena’s name appears to already be popping up in the long list of contenders for the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight, the Venezuelan Vixen admitted that she was already hearing rumors of a future bout with Rousey.

“I heard that it could be a possibility. I’m just looking to get some more wins,” Pena said.

Pena breezed through the competition on TUF. She even managed to pull off a submission win over Team-Rousey favorite and longtime MMA veteran Shayna Baszler.

Outside of Pena’s rise to superstardom, perhaps the most interesting dynamic on the show was between coach and student.

Tate had trained with Pena prior to TUF, and a friendship developed between the two women. As a former world champion, Tate saw a lot of raw potential in Pena and decided to step into the mentor role for the 24-year-old fighter.

As usual in MMA, Tate’s kind gesture of inviting Pena into her gym could complicate things in the future.

What happens if the two are asked to fight each other?

With the show in the books, Pena now joins the growing roster of bantamweight women all vying for a shot at Rousey’s title, including Tate. The idea of friends fighting is a continued debate in the MMA community that typically yields split opinions.

Some fighters are able to put friendships aside and step into the cage to handle business. Others would sooner change weight classes or retire from fighting than be coerced into fighting a friend or teammate.

When asked about her position regarding a potential bout with Tate, Pena continued to imply that she was willing to fight anyone in the division: “I’ll fight whoever the matchmakers put in front of me.”

Those comments should certainly put a smile on the face of UFC President Dana White, who should be able to avoid an aneurysm over another pair of teammates refusing to fight one another.

Pena obviously has her own goals to accomplish in the UFC, and she is willing to go through anyone and everyone to make her dreams a reality.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira to Headline UFC 171 in Dallas

This fight has been announced and postponed so many times that it’s hard to believe what’s real anymore. 
According to Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight, Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira will finally happen at UFC 171 in Dallas on March 15, 2014. The UFC …

This fight has been announced and postponed so many times that it’s hard to believe what’s real anymore. 

According to Ariel Helwani on UFC Tonight, Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira will finally happen at UFC 171 in Dallas on March 15, 2014. The UFC had previously announced the match for both UFC 169 and UFC 170, and it finally lands a solid date…barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Jones has been the champion since early 2011 when he blasted through Mauricio Rua to take the title. He has since defended the title six times over competition such as Rashad Evans, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

His latest title win came in a close bout against Alexander Gustafsson, and UFC fans are clamoring for a rematch in the near future. Of course, Gustafsson can re-earn a title shot with a win over Jimi Manuwa next year. They will fight around the same time as Jones and Teixeira.

Teixeira is undefeated in the UFC at 5-0, beating guys like Ryan Bader, James Te Huna and Jackson. He has shown a great game that has seen him finish four of his five UFC opponents.

This battle offers an interesting matchup. Jones is a long, lanky wrestler with unorthodox striking that has been an unsolvable puzzle. Teixeira is a power boxer with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and great experience.

Teixeira has trained in the U.S. for a long time, as he linked up with John Hackleman and Chuck Liddell earlier in his career. That kind of backing gives him some hope in taking down the seemingly unbeatable Jones.

Jones is part of the prestigious Greg Jackson camp, which has led him to his overall success. He trains with Andrei Arlovski, Travis Browne and John Dodson, among others.

Jones vs. Teixeira is the only fight that has been announced for UFC 171 so far. The pay-per-view card promises to be a solid draw among UFC fans.

For more breaking news, stick with Bleacher Report as more updates are released.

 

Follow me on Twitter for MMA news and other random thoughts (@RileyKontekMMA). Or don’t…that’s cool too.

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Roy Jones Jr. Taking Tune Up Fight in Moscow for Anderson

For years, fight fans have been eager to watch a world-class boxer vs. mixed martial artist grudge match play out.
It’s a question of combat superiority that will never be answered until that infamous throwdown ensues.
We got a taste of this unheralded…

For years, fight fans have been eager to watch a world-class boxer vs. mixed martial artist grudge match play out.

It’s a question of combat superiority that will never be answered until that infamous throwdown ensues.

We got a taste of this unheralded square-off when Randy Couture beat down James Toney a few years back, but that was more saddening than competitive.  Plus, it was sanctioned as a MMA bout inside the ruthless chain-link cage of the UFC’s Octagon.

Now, on the eve of a potential 2014 boxing match between legendary Roy Jones Jr. and pound-for-pound MMA wizard Anderson Silva, the reality of our deepest fight fantasy playing out is all but certain.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael reported that Jones Jr. has decided to fight Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf in Moscow, Russia, in order to tune-up for the aforementioned bout opposite Silva.  The former boxing standout was scheduled to fight Bobby Green at cruiserweight later this month, but that is no more and Jones Jr. instead opted for a Russian slug fest.

People have wondered why the 44-year-old hasn’t decided to hang them up in the twilight of an illustrious career, but that hasn’t deterred the former champ’s mindset of fighting a MMA superman. Per Rafael’s report: 

“I want to be ready for Anderson Silva in case he beats [Chris] Weidman,” Jones told ESPN.com back in October. “Silva has made it clear that if he wins, he wants me next.  I’m here for him.  That’s a fight that intrigues a lot of people, but I can’t fight Anderson Silva coming off such a long layoff.  So I needed to get a fight first.  If it wasn’t for Anderson Silva calling me out, I wouldn’t be fighting this fight.”

Now it has yet to be determined as to what kind of promotional role the UFC would have in such a superfight and whether or not the public intrigue will sustain itself if Silva is unable to recapture middleweight gold when he fights Weidman on Dec. 28.

Regardless, it’s good to see that Jones Jr. is dead set on polishing his rusty pedigree before taking on arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history.

 

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