Tag: Breaking News

Johny Hendricks: Thin Hand Wraps Had Me Punching at Only 70% Power at UFC 167

Recent UFC welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks, whom many are praising as the uncrowned champion at 170 pounds, believes there is a simple reason why Georges St-Pierre lasted 25 minutes with him: thin hand wraps. 
“Bigg Rigg” explained t…

Recent UFC welterweight title challenger Johny Hendricks, whom many are praising as the uncrowned champion at 170 pounds, believes there is a simple reason why Georges St-Pierre lasted 25 minutes with him: thin hand wraps. 

“Bigg Rigg” explained to the Dallas Morning-News that thinner hand wraps than he is normally accustomed to had him punching at just 70 percent total power at UFC 167 last weekend. 

“I usually get a thick wrap and this time I didn’t do that. Instead of me asking for a thicker wrap, I kept my mouth shut. It’s my fault. That’s on me. It means I hit hard enough that I can punch through the 4 oz gloves. So that’s what made my hands get bruised. I couldn’t punch as hard as I could (have). The more injured I get, the less I get to use it, the more he gets comfortable, so I had to tone down my power. I was still hurting at 70 percent. Wait till I get a full hand wrap.  That only builds confidence, because I beat the pound for pound best fighter in the world. I will be back, and I will be stronger than before.”

While most fans, fighters and analysts alike, as well as UFC President Dana White, all believed the challenger did enough to dethrone St-Pierre on Saturday, two of the three judges in Las Vegas disagreed and awarded the champion the fight via split decision. 

As St-Pierre appears to be mulling over retirement in the midst of dealing with some undisclosed personal issues, White insists that GSP vs. Hendricks II will be booked “within a couple weeks,” per MMA Mania.  

Controversial or not, “Rush” has now won 12 fights in a row, including nine successful title defenses.

On the other hand, Hendricks saw a six-fight win streak snapped, which included quick knockouts over then-perennial contenders Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann. 

The UFC welterweight title picture remains a bit cloudy at the moment, as it seems pretty obvious that Hendricks will be the next man fighting for the welterweight strap, but will it be a rematch against GSP or not?

 

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

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Lorenzo Fertitta: UFC Events Will Number “In the 40s” in 2014

The UFC plans to hold more than 40 MMA events in 2014, fewer than the staggering 54 originally identified by UFC leaders but still enough to comfortably set a new UFC record for events held in a single year.
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta made t…

The UFC plans to hold more than 40 MMA events in 2014, fewer than the staggering 54 originally identified by UFC leaders but still enough to comfortably set a new UFC record for events held in a single year.

UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta made the announcement Thursday. The 54 events number was originally tweeted by MMA reporter and broadcaster Ariel Helwani:

 

However, in a video interview with Helwani posted later to MMAFighting.com, Fertitta said he “misspoke” earlier in the day, and that the real number would be “in the 40s.” Fertitta also said that a more aggressive expansion of UFC Fight Night events in foreign countries would account for the increase.

“We’re going to take that fight night product and expand it into Europe and into Asia next year,” Fertitta said, noting events already on the books in London and Singapore. 

He also said the UFC would have some “groundbreaking ideas” for when and where the fights would air, hinting that every event would not necessarily air on the traditional channels of Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 or pay-per-view.

Even if the event schedule settles in the 40s, it would blow away anything previously seen, including the original plan (itself a potential record) of 35 events for 2014 announced last month by UFC president Dana White. By comparison, 2013 featured a UFC record 33 events.

The UFC dramatically increased the number of events it hosted after it signed a broadcast deal with Fox in mid-2011. Some fans enjoy the larger number of fights (particularly available on free television), while others note that the large number of cards dilute the quality of the contests.

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Lorenzo Fertitta Clarifies UFC’s Stance on Georges St-Pierre Controversy

One of the major talking points coming out of UFC 167 was Dana White’s fiery and controversial comments about Georges St-Pierre.
After being awarded a close split-decision win over challenger Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre said that he wanted to hang up hi…

One of the major talking points coming out of UFC 167 was Dana White‘s fiery and controversial comments about Georges St-Pierre.

After being awarded a close split-decision win over challenger Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre said that he wanted to hang up his gloves and step away from the sport for a bit. He was going through some things in his personal life and needed some time to focus on those issues.

Here’s what White had to say at the press conference, which Bleacher Report attended:

You owe it to the fans, you owe it to that belt, you owe to this company and you owe it to Johny Hendricks to give him that opportunity to fight again, unless you’re going to retire. There’s no I’m going to go on a cruise, and I’m going to be gone for two years, and I’m going to take a hiatus…That’s not how it works.

White received plenty of criticism for his comments, from me and others, but he nevertheless doubled down on his stance during Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight.

On Thursday morning, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta took a more measured approach to the situation during an interview with Ariel Helwani:

I think Dana was misunderstood and think hopefully he’s trying to clarify that. GSP doesn’t owe us anything. If he chooses to retire, then so be it, he’ll retire and become someone that people will always look up to as one of the great champions in the UFC. If he decides to fight again, then great.

Georges doesn’t owe us anything. Just, what I think he does owe us is – clarify what you’re doing, right? Just let us know so we can plan.

I’ve often wondered why Fertitta doesn’t do more media like this. White is an incredible promoter, and you have to respect him for always speaking his mind, even when it’s to the detriment of some of his top stars. That trait connects him with hardcore fight fans, and it’s the reason he’s one of the UFC’s biggest stars despite not being a fighter.

But, as you see here, Fertitta is much more polished and well-spoken, and he has the ability to break things down with clarity and conscience. He’s the kind of figurehead that people think of when they think of major sports commissioners.

Fertitta is right: The only thing that St-Pierre owes the UFC is direct communication regarding his plans for the future. If he wants to retire—and despite White’s insistence, retirement is still a viable option for the welterweight champion—then so be it. If he wants to return to the Octagon, even better. 

And if he decides he needs some time away to handle his personal issues, that’s fine, too. All he has to do is pick up the phone and let Fertitta know. He’ll have to relinquish the welterweight belt, because it’s not fair to Hendricks and other top contenders to shelve the title that they’re trying to obtain for a year or more.

But if St-Pierre’s personal problems are as important to him as they seem to be, giving up the title while he’s away shouldn’t be an issue.

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UFC 168 Opponents Del Rosario and Inocente Injured, Removed from Card

Fights are typically scratched or altered when a single fighter is injured; it’s a rare situation when two fighters scheduled to face each other suffer injuries at the same time.
But that’s exactly what happened with UFC 168 opponents Shane Del Rosario…

Fights are typically scratched or altered when a single fighter is injured; it’s a rare situation when two fighters scheduled to face each other suffer injuries at the same time.

But that’s exactly what happened with UFC 168 opponents Shane Del Rosario and Guto Inocente. Both fighters were injured and have been removed from the event.

The UFC announced the news via its official @UFCNews Twitter account. It’s unlikely that a replacement fight will be named. 

UFC 168 takes place on Dec. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It is headlined by a pair of title-fight rematches: Middleweight champion Chris Weidman takes on former champ Anderson Silva, while women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey takes on fellow The Ultimate Fighter coach Miesha Tate.

Other featured bouts include former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett taking on Travis Browne, the hottest prospect in the heavyweight division. Jim Miller also faces Fabricio Camoes.

Del Rosario (8-2, 0-2 UFC) has suffered two consecutive losses to Stipe Miocic and Pat Barry since making his promotional debut at UFC 146 in 2012. Prior to the two losses, he had rung up an undefeated record since his MMA debut in 2006, mostly under the Strikeforce banner.

Inocente (6-2, 0-0 UFC) has yet to make his UFC debut after signing with the promotion when Strikeforce closed its doors. He fought one time in Strikeforce, winning a unanimous decision over Virgil Zwicker at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier in 2012. 

Del Rosario trains with Team Oyama alongside flyweight Ian McCall, while Inocente is a member of the famed Blackzilians team in Florida.

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UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks Phantom Cam Highlights

While UFC 167 was memorable in full speed, nothing quite captures UFC action like the Fox Phantom Cam does in slow motion. The event saw Georges St-Pierre defend his welterweight belt for a ninth consecutive time in a controversial decision. Although m…

While UFC 167 was memorable in full speed, nothing quite captures UFC action like the Fox Phantom Cam does in slow motion. The event saw Georges St-Pierre defend his welterweight belt for a ninth consecutive time in a controversial decision. Although many felt he should have lost to Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre broke the record for UFC title fight wins on Saturday with his 12th win.

Rashad Evans also picked up an important win at UFC 167, dominating Chael Sonnen to return himself to light heavyweight title contention. Sonnen, meanwhile, is now set to coach opposite Wanderlei Silva on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.

Additionally, Robbie Lawler put himself near the front of the line for a shot at the welterweight strap by beating St-Pierre teammate Rory MacDonald. Unfortunately for Lawler, he may have to win again, with a rematch between St-Pierre and Hendricks looking like an eventuality. St-Pierre hinted at retirement following his win on Saturday, but UFC president Dana White expects the Canadian champion to return to the Octagon for a bout with Hendricks sooner rather than later.

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UFC Fight Night 35: Thiago Silva Injured, out of Bout vs. Ovince St. Preux

Not even 24 hours after the UFC announced the bout, Thiago Silva is out of his UFC Fight Night 35 co-main event bout against Ovince St. Preux.
The news was revealed via the UFC’s official @UFCNews Twitter account. The update did not reveal if Silva was…

Not even 24 hours after the UFC announced the bout, Thiago Silva is out of his UFC Fight Night 35 co-main event bout against Ovince St. Preux.

The news was revealed via the UFC’s official @UFCNews Twitter account. The update did not reveal if Silva was injured or pulled from the card for another reason, but it did say that a new co-main event for UFC Fight Night 35 will be determined soon.

UFC Fight Night 35 takes place on Jan. 15 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. A middleweight fight between former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold and Costas Philippou headlines the event.

Silva (16-3-2, 7-3-2 UFC) is coming off consecutive wins over Matt Hamill and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, but the Brazilian’s recent UFC tenure has been a troublesome one. He failed a drug test following his UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera due to the usage of a urine adulterant. He was suspended for 12 months, and the win was turned into a no-contest.

Silva was suspended yet again—this time for six months—after failing a drug test for marijuana metabolites following his Nov. 2012 win over Stanislav Nedkov. Once again, the win became a no-contest.

He also missed weight for his win over Hamill, coming in at 208 pounds for the light heavyweight bout.

St. Preux (14-5, 2-0 UFC) made his promotional debut at UFC 159 after six fights under the Strikeforce banner. He has two consecutive wins over Cody Donovan and Gian Villante.

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