Tag: Breaking News

Jon Jones Wants Superfight with Cain Velasquez ‘Within the Next Year’

Within the next year, Jon Jones seeks the showdown of all showdowns: a superfight with UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.
For more than two years, MMA fans have salivated over the possibility of Jones moving up in weight and testing his skills again…

Within the next year, Jon Jones seeks the showdown of all showdowns: a superfight with UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.

For more than two years, MMA fans have salivated over the possibility of Jones moving up in weight and testing his skills against the behemoths in the heavyweight division. Even Jones himself has hinted that a change in weight class was likely sometime down the road, but he would never pinpoint an exact time frame.

It appears that a plan is finally in motion.

Within the next two years, Jones hopes to make a permanent move to heavyweight, but fans may not have to wait that long to get a sneak peak at his transition.

On Saturday afternoon, Jones told fans at the Gentleman’s Expo, which was attended by MMA Digest, that he would like to test the waters in the heavyweight class within the next year.

But he won’t be looking to fight just any random heavyweight.

Jones is seeking a bout for all the marbles against the heavyweight kingpin himself, Cain Velasquez:

I think that’s going to happen within the next two years. I’ll go up to heavyweight, permanently, but I am looking to take a superfight sooner or later, within the next year. So, yeah I’m excited for it.

I’ve been really thinking about me and Cain Velasquez going at it. It would be huge for the sport. He’s definitely the toughest guy in that division, and he’s not that big, so I think it would a really entertaining fight. Don’t be surprised if you see that sooner or later.

A counterargument could be made that this fairy-tale fight might end up being another wasted pipe dream. 

Jones’ current itinerary for 2014 includes a light heavyweight title bout with Glover Teixeira and a possible rematch with Alexander Gustafsson, depending on the outcomes of upcoming bouts.

One has to also figure heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier, who is slated to make his light heavyweight debut next year, will automatically be in the mix for a title shot. Phil Davis and Rashad Evans are waiting in the wings for a shot at Jones as well.   

As Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter puts it, there is just too much on Jones’ plate right now to give the go-ahead for a heavyweight superfight:

[Jones] has logical contenders. … Daniel Cormier is moving down to 205 pounds. He’s easily the most interesting challenger for Jones, and he’s not even the next contender. That honor goes to Glover Teixeira, who will face Jones at some point in the awakening months of 2014. After that, it could be Gustafsson, or it could be Cormier. Or perhaps Cormier and Gustafsson will square off in a top contender’s fight to determine Jones’ next challenger. Hell, throw Phil Davis’ name in the hat there, too.

There is always the chance that UFC president Dana White steps in and makes the superfight a priority.

The UFC has always hinted at the possibility of doing a show in Cowboys Stadium, and a bout between the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the heavyweight champ would make for a colossal main event.

If the fight comes to fruition and Jones’ personal timeline stays intact, his permanent move to heavyweight might actually come within the next year.

It makes little sense for the UFC to let Jones test the waters against the heavyweight champ and then return to the light heavyweight division. The heavyweight title would have to be up for grabs in such a historic and high-profile fight.

If Jones managed to defeat Velasquez, there would be no going back down to 205 pounds.

Superfight talk is quickly becoming the MMA community’s favorite pastime, but there is a slight chance that reality might show its face in this newest pipe dream. If Jones and Velasquez continue to win and stay healthy, fans could be on the verge of witnessing the biggest superfight in MMA history by the end of next year or early 2015.

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Coach: Dana White Admitted to GSP He Beat Hendricks

Kristof Midoux, a coach and mentor to Georges St. Pierre, told Journal de Quebec the UFC president called the welterweight champion the day after he retained his belt at UFC 167 to apologise for his “emotional” outburst the night before (h/t …

Kristof Midoux, a coach and mentor to Georges St. Pierre, told Journal de Quebec the UFC president called the welterweight champion the day after he retained his belt at UFC 167 to apologise for his “emotional” outburst the night before (h/t MMA Mania).

What’s more, Midoux claims, Dana White also told GSP that he thinks he beat Johny Hendricks.

Controversy surrounded the French-Canadian’s ninth UFC title defence last week against Hendricks, after a close decision win many thought should have gone to the contender.

To make things more cryptic, GSP hinted at retirement moments after his victory.

White seemed outraged—both at the judging decision and GSP’s comments that he was hanging up his gloves.

Indeed, there is a strong case for Hendricks as the deserving winner, considering the amount of damage he delivered and the fact that he came close to finishing GSP more than once.

On the other hand, GSP supporters believe he won at least two of the five rounds, with only the first round splitting the judges. That’s the argument GSP’s corner has been making. Midoux explained, “Few people know it, but the next morning he (White) called George and told him, ‘I’m sorry, I watched the fight again and you have indeed won. I spoke under the influence of emotion.'”

White has yet to verify Midoux’s statements and hasn’t publicly taken back what he said about GSP. Perhaps he should considering he’s been such a loyal long-serving champion. His words, in many people’s eyes, were an attack on the champion’s reputation, something reputation management company Nuprofile could fix.

Midoux, a former MMA fighter himself, has spent 15 years in GSP’s corner and has been sounding the calls for his retirement since before UFC 167, per La Presse (translation via MMA Underground).

Since the fight, he’s been repeating his calls, urging the champion to retire in an interview with Journal de Montreal (h/t BJPenn.com).

GSP, meanwhile, remains tight-lipped about plans for his future.

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Hendricks to GSP: ‘If You Can’t Handle the Stress of Being Champion, Give It Up’

Recent UFC welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks has zero sympathy for titleholder Georges St-Pierre and his personal problems. 
Appearing on AXS TV’s Inside MMA Friday night, “Bigg Rigg” pulled no punches when he was asked about GSP’s rec…

Recent UFC welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks has zero sympathy for titleholder Georges St-Pierre and his personal problems. 

Appearing on AXS TV’s Inside MMA Friday night, “Bigg Rigg” pulled no punches when he was asked about GSP’s recent remarks stating that he was “going crazy” and had problems sleeping (transcription per MMA Junkie).

“Dude I’ve got three kids. You know what I’m saying? Talk about sleep? Are you kidding me?” Hendricks said. “Everybody’s got problems in life. That’s the way that it is. If you can’t handle the stress of being champion, give it up. We chose to get into that octagon. We chose not to sleep. I don’t know how many times I went to bed at 5, 6 o’clock in the morning, waking up at 10, running four miles because I wanted to beat GSP that bad. Dude, who cares? I chose that life. Tell yourself whatever you need to. Just get back in that octagon with me, and I can’t wait for the rematch.”

The widespread belief is that Hendricks did enough to take the belt from St-Pierre at UFC 167 last Saturday; however, two of the three Las Vegas judges disagreed and gave the champ the nod. 

While UFC president Dana White insists that a rematch will happen soon, per MMA Mania, rumor has it that those close to St-Pierre are advising him to retire.

At best, it seems blatantly obvious that the French-Canadian superstar has no intention of getting back inside the Octagon anytime soon, opting for some much-needed time off. 

With a 19-2 record under the UFC banner, avenging his losses to both Matt Hughes and Matt Serra in decisive fashion, “Rush” is an obvious addition to the UFC Hall of Fame when he does hang up the gloves for good. 

He also ranks No. 2 all time with nine consecutive UFC title defenses, behind only long-reigning middleweight champ Anderson Silva (10). 

Does Hendricks have a valid point when addressing GSP’s issues behind the scenes, or is the heavy-handed wrestler being overly dismissive of the champ’s current situation?

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

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Chael Sonnen: ‘Anthony Pettis Would Smash GSP, Period’

Chael Sonnen hasn’t shied away from his opinion that Georges St-Pierre deserved the decision win over Johny Hendricks, but against Anthony Pettis, he believes the UFC Welterweight champ would get smashed, period.
The ballsy proclamation came in a…

Chael Sonnen hasn’t shied away from his opinion that Georges St-Pierre deserved the decision win over Johny Hendricks, but against Anthony Pettis, he believes the UFC Welterweight champ would get smashed, period.

The ballsy proclamation came in a Twitter post on Thursday.

 

St-Pierre, who defended his UFC title for a ninth consecutive time at UFC 167, has toyed around with the idea of either moving up to the middleweight division or dropping down to lightweight.

During the UFC 167 pre-fight press conference, he told the media that he believed it would be easier for him to drop weight considering his already medium size frame as a welterweight. If he’s able to make 155 pounds, a bout with Pettis certainly makes for an interesting superfight.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty unlikely the stars will align for that bout to ever come to fruition. St-Pierre admitted in his comments at the pre-fight presser that making lightweight would be a tough transition for him at this point in his career.

It would require a high-profile nutritionist and a drastic dietary change, and this is all assuming his body, which is already incredibly lean, reacts appropriately to the weight cut.

As for Pettis, his stock has definitely skyrocketed since defeating Benson Henderson for the lightweight title in August. His name has been popping up all over the place involving bouts against marquee names like Jose Aldo, BJ Penn and now St-Pierre.

It’s still interesting that Sonnen would give Pettis an edge over St-Pierre, who would have a significant strength and grappling advantage. Pettis’ lone loss in the UFC came at the hands of Clay Guida, who utilized his superior wrestling to score takedowns and ride out the clock from top position.

If a puncher’s chance is all Sonnen is banking on, St-Pierre likely quelled all questions regarding his chin from the many haymakers he absorbed during his bout with Hendricks.

As a fighter, Sonnen is known for trash talking and fueling hype for upcoming bouts, but as an MMA analyst, he has always been open and honest when breaking down fights. A part of him must truly believe Pettis would dominate St-Pierre in a fight. 

Is “Showtime” really ready to compete against one of MMA’s all-time greats?

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Watch Chinzo Machida’s Brutal Knockout of Brian Wood at RFA 11

After three years out of the cage, Chinzo Machida, brother of former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, returned in devastating fashion with a savage knockout of Brian Wood. You can check out a GIF of the hellacious flying knee that put Wood…

After three years out of the cage, Chinzo Machida, brother of former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, returned in devastating fashion with a savage knockout of Brian Wood. You can check out a GIF of the hellacious flying knee that put Wood on a stretcher here (courtesy of Bloody Elbow’s Zombie Prophet).

Machida has been a major part of his brother’s training camps, as well as a member of the major Brazilian MMA gym, Black House. While he has been training for over a decade, he has a limited professional fighting record, making his MMA debut at Jungle Fight 4 in 2005 but only fighting three times since. This win advances his record to 2-2.

As stated, the knockout was legitimately fearsome. However, it was so brutal that the fallout primarily focused on questions about the well-being of Wood.

Former UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich, who was providing commentary for the event, chimed in as well.

While Machida is still in the early stages of his MMA career, chances are slim that he will be able to put enough fights in to achieve true relevance. He is currently 36 years old, and none of his fights (including his losses) have come over ranked opponents. 

His last fight came almost three years ago in December 2010, which ended in a decision loss, and left him with a badly broken hand. While he was planning on making a serious run in MMA, this put him on the sidelines for over a year. His obligations to his brother also helped keep him out of the cage, as Lyoto made two separate title runs during that time, losing to Jon Jones, and worked his way back into contention before being slapped back down by a controversial loss to Phil Davis.

Still, Chinzo has set his goals high, and is hoping the UFC is in his future.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Goes off on UG Post Saying He Should Retire

Evidently longtime UFC president Dana White stumbled upon a thread that touched on a sensitive subject on The Underground Forum on Mixedmartialarts.com on Wednesday.
White fired back aggressively after reading a post from Youtube personality Reggi…

Evidently longtime UFC president Dana White stumbled upon a thread that touched on a sensitive subject on The Underground Forum on Mixedmartialarts.com on Wednesday.

White fired back aggressively after reading a post from Youtube personality Reggie Warren Jr. that concluded with “Step the f*** down and let someone who understands what these guys go through be the face of Zuffa. The fighters and fans deserve better.”

Warren Jr. vilified White for his comments of the UFC’s most prolific pay-per-view draw, Georges St-Pierre, following the welterweight champ’s controversial win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Saturday.

The 44-year-old White didn’t stray from his typical never-back-down persona, posting the following in response to Warren Jr.’s assaults:

“Hey Reggie, Go f*** yourself. There is another bad word for all you P*****S on the UG!!”

White’s fun didn’t stop there, however, and when another fan chimed in to compare the money Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez made in their boxing match in October to typical UFC payouts, White erupted.

“STFU and go away. If you hate the UFC so bad then WTF are you doing here? go follow 1 Direction or something else! Bradley wished he makes what GSP makes, so the fact that you have no clue what you are talking about and you hate me and the UFC just GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE,” White posted.

White continued to defend himself, and later pointed out that St-Pierre competes significantly more than Bradley or Marquez. The UFC’s figurehead then insinuated that Bradley, who in October made $4.1 million to Marquez’s $6 million, would envy the type of money Hendricks rakes in.

“Yes dip****, GSP makes big f****** $$$$! You didnt know that because its none of your f****** business. Y ou also have no clue what JH makes. Bradley wishes he made what Johnny made too. … and GSP fights 3 times a year!! They do not,” White posted.

Another fan needled White by reminding him that St-Pierre fought only twice in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013 and only once in 2011 and 2012. The nitpicking seemingly pushed the UFC’s linchpin into a corner where he continued to scrap to defend his name.

“D***head, you will know what a certain fighter makes if HE wants to say it. I on the other hand will say whatever the f*** i want beacuse i DO know what they make,” White posted.

Third-ranked flyweight Ian McCall momentarily joined the thread to come to White’s defense, claiming essentially that the company’s brass compensates its fighters more than the public perceives it to. 

In his last bout, and on top of his fight purse, McCall pocketed a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for his enthralling scrap with Iliarde Santos at UFC 163 in August. 

McCall’s sentiments apparently calmed his boss down, and White ended his tirade with a pair of more lighthearted posts, the first of which read: 

OK, I popped in to say hi to the UG. Always fun boys, Dont get butthurt and take s*** personal. This is the way i talk and i love talking to fight fans. You know me by now i have been here for 13 years and if you don’t like me or the way i talk then you probbably shouldnt talk to me. There are plenty of other personallities and cool people to talk to in the sport. See you on Dec 28th.

 

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