Daniel Cormier Dropping to Light Heavyweight No Matter What Happens at UFC 166

Daniel Cormier is making the move down to light heavyweight, but it isn’t a move based purely on the fact that his good friend and teammate Cain Velasquez currently sits as king of the heavyweight division.
Ever since he came to the UFC, Cormier h…

Daniel Cormier is making the move down to light heavyweight, but it isn’t a move based purely on the fact that his good friend and teammate Cain Velasquez currently sits as king of the heavyweight division.

Ever since he came to the UFC, Cormier has had to answer questions about his high ranking in the division, which would eventually put him on a collision course with Velasquez, the UFC heavyweight champ.

Time and time again, Cormier has said that he’d never fight his teammate and if necessary he would pursue a move down to 205 pounds to keep the conflict at bay.

Now Cormier is making that move, slowly but surely, as he gets ready for one final fight at heavyweight at UFC 166 where he’ll face Roy Nelson. Cormier‘s motivation has changed, however, as he approaches the cut-down to 205 pounds, because it’s not just about avoiding his teammate any longer—it’s about a better life.

“I don’t want to fight Cain (Velasquez) but I also want to start living life a little healthier, I’ve got kids now,” Cormier explained when speaking on UFC Tonight on Tuesday. “A lot of fans have asked me to go down to 205, they’ve been asking me since I started fighting. So now I’m doing it, but I’m starting to put the earnest on them, I want them to do it with me.

“I have a website GetFitwithDC.com and I can watch their progress as we go down together.”

Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler who was the team captain ahead of the 2008 games, but never actually got the chance to compete after weight-cutting shut his body down and he was ineligible to compete due to kidney failure.

This time around, Cormier is pledging to cut the weight in a more natural way, shedding the pounds over months instead of days to ensure his move is smooth and without any further damage to his body.

That said, the heavyweight division could still end up looking much different after UFC 166, as Cormier‘s teammate is battling Junior dos Santos in the main event with the title on the line. If Velasquez loses to Dos Santos for a second time, it could leave the door wide open for Cormier to step in and avenge his friend’s loss while also getting a shot at the heavyweight title.

Cormier says while it’s nice to know that so many people are dropping his name, his move to 205 pounds is happening regardless of the results of UFC 166.

“I’m confident (Junior dos Santos) won’t win that fight and, as I said, it doesn’t matter,” Cormier stated. “I want to try to live healthier for my kids and for my family. I want to live a longer life, a healthier life, so I’m going to go down regardless.”

Cormier‘s statement should now close the door on the heavyweight discussion. It appears he will get his last fight in against Nelson at UFC 166 after which he will officially drop down to 205 pounds and await his next challenge.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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Louis Gaudinot Might Become No. 1 Contender with Win at UFC 164

The UFC flyweight division is looking for a new challenger to face champion Demetrious Johnson, and UFC 164 fighter Louis Gaudinot might be the man for the job.
Gaudinot currently only has one win in the UFC at 125 pounds, but it’s an impressive victor…

The UFC flyweight division is looking for a new challenger to face champion Demetrious Johnson, and UFC 164 fighter Louis Gaudinot might be the man for the job.

Gaudinot currently only has one win in the UFC at 125 pounds, but it’s an impressive victory over John Lineker, who has since won his last three fights in a row.

His next matchup comes at UFC 164 against Tim Elliott in a pivotal fight that could propel Gaudinot directly into title contention.

“Hopefully after this one it can get me a No. 1 contender’s match, or something like that,” Gaudinot told Bleacher Report recently. “Like I said, it’s wide open, I’m looking to break into the top three or four.”

Gaudinot might just do better than the top three or four with a win because, during a recent exchange with Johnson on Twitter, it appeared the champion was ready to welcome him to a title fight should he get past Elliott.

“I’ll be waiting,” Johnson said when responding to Gaudinot‘s challenge.

In the interview, Gaudinot also explained how his feud with fellow flyweight Ian McCall started and how it escalated to the point where they are both chomping at the bit for a fight.

The green-haired flyweight also gave his theories on what it takes for the 125-pound division to truly take off.

Check out this exclusive one-on-one interview with Louis Gaudinot ahead of his upcoming fight at UFC 164 in Milwaukee.

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Bellator Officially Drops Women’s Division, Releases 3 Remaining Fighters

Bellator MMA has dropped their women’s division effective immediately following the releases of Jessica Aguilar, Jessica Eye and Felice Herrig.
The writing was on the wall as of Tuesday when both Aguilar and Eye announced their releases via Twitter, an…

Bellator MMA has dropped their women’s division effective immediately following the releases of Jessica Aguilar, Jessica Eye and Felice Herrig.

The writing was on the wall as of Tuesday when both Aguilar and Eye announced their releases via Twitter, and Herrig signed a new exclusive multi-fight deal with women’s MMA promotion Invicta FC.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney issued a press release and statement on Tuesday evening via email confirming that as of now the promotion is moving forward without a women’s division, and no longer has any women’s fighters under contract.

“Jessica Eye, Jessica Aguilar and Felice represent all that is good in women’s MMA.  Both Eye and Aguilar are ranked No. 1 in the world in their respective divisions and carry themselves with class and distinction elevating the women’s game. I’ve said many times that fighters need to fight and fight often.  Given our current focus, we are not in position to provide these very deserving women regular and reoccurring fights on a large platform,” Rebney stated.  “And, I felt it was best to let them go and secure options that did.  I genuinely wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors and will be rooting for each of them wherever they fight.”

Bellator first added a women’s division during their third broadcast season when they introduced the 115-pound weight class and tournament.

The promotion managed to add several high profile names including Aguilar, former top ranked women’s fighter Megumi Fujii, and eventual Bellator champion Zoila Frausto-Gurgel. Unfortunately, Gurgel suffered an injury following her first fight after winning the title (she never actually defended the belt), and had to have major reconstructive knee surgery that kept her out of action for over a year.

Bellator continued to stage women’s fights on a case-by-case basis, but never put on another tournament again in any weight class.

The move on Tuesday to release the remaining women’s fighters under contract now eliminates the women’s division from Bellator’s roster.

While Herrig has already signed to Invicta FC, both Eye and Aguilar will likely be hot prospects to snap up by another promotion in short order.

Aguilar is ranked as the No. 1 fighter in the world at 115 pounds, and Eye is also a highly touted fighter who can fight at both 125 and 135 pounds. Eye’s ability to jump up to bantamweight may be enough to secure her a shot in the UFC, if the promotion is adding any additional talent to the women’s division.

Bellator will now move forward with their current roster of men’s weight classes, which include bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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Report: Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida May Fight in Brazil This November

Looks like perennial 185-pound contender Vitor Belfort has finally found a fight that peaks his interest, outside of a middleweight title bout. 
“The Phenom” is currently in negotiations to fight another ex-UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Ma…

Looks like perennial 185-pound contender Vitor Belfort has finally found a fight that peaks his interest, outside of a middleweight title bout. 

“The Phenom” is currently in negotiations to fight another ex-UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida, at a November 9 event set to take place in Goiania, Brazil, according to Globo’s Combate.com (via Bloody Elbow). 

The report comes roughly two weeks after Belfort‘s manager/wife, Joana Prado, said the hard-hitting Brazilian wasn’t making the cut to middleweight unless the title was on the line (via MMA Junkie). 

However, Belfort remained open to light heavyweight, heavyweight or catchweight match ups, as it looks like a potential showdown with Chael Sonnen fell on deaf ears (via MMA Mania). 

Belfort is 4-1 in his past five fights, with his sole loss coming on a short-notice 205-pound title fight against Jon Jones at UFC 152 in September. 

He could face an interesting challenger in Lyoto Machida, who defeated two high-ranked opponents in Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson decisively after getting soundly beat by Jones at UFC 140 in December 2011. 

“The Dragon” looked to be on the short list of title contenders with a win over Phil Davis at UFC 163 earlier this month, however, Davis won a highly-debated unanimous decision. 

While Davis did score late takedowns in the first two rounds, showcasing improved striking, Machida landed the harder strikes and defended eight other takedowns throughout the contest. 

The majority of MMA media outlets scored the fight for Machida, most of which scoring the contest 30-27 in his favor, with FightMetric supporting the notion that Davis should’ve come up short. 

While his unofficial scorecard, of course, has no impact on the outcome of any given bout, UFC President Dana White supported the notion that Machida won all three rounds of the contest. 

Should this light heavyweight tilt come to fruition, it would be Belfort‘s third straight Octagon appearance in front of his Brazilian home crowd.

This would inevitably draw a lot of negative feedback from fans as the 36-year-old fight veteran is a known user of testosterone replacement therapy. 

According to the UFC’s official rankings, Belfort and Machida are ranked number 2 in their respective weight classes. 

 

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

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Jessica Aguilar ‘Bittersweet’ About Bellator Exit, Ready to Defend No. 1 Ranking

When Bellator Fighting Championships first decided to add a women’s division, American Top Team fighter Jessica Aguilar was on the short list of competitors that Bjorn Rebney and the matchmakers at the promotion targeted as a key addition.
Aguilar then…

When Bellator Fighting Championships first decided to add a women’s division, American Top Team fighter Jessica Aguilar was on the short list of competitors that Bjorn Rebney and the matchmakers at the promotion targeted as a key addition.

Aguilar then went 5-1 during her time at Bellator, where she also picked up a win over former women’s top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Megumi Fujii. The victory bumped Aguilar up to No. 1 in the world in rankings at 115 pounds, and she’s held onto the spot ever since.

On Tuesday, however, Aguilar officially said goodbye to Bellator. The promotion issued her release, as it has opted to move away from pursuing a women’s division for now.

Aguilar was the latest fighter to exit Bellator, along with fellow women’s fighters Jessica Eye and Felice Herrig, who were also released from the promotion this week.

Aguilar admits that getting the call from Bellator that she was being released was tough, but it wasn’t anger or angst that she was feeling—it was a bit of sadness.

“It’s bittersweet only because I started with Bellator on day one at the beginning. I was out there with Bjorn (Rebney) going to TV stations and radio stations doing interviews with him and Eddie Alvarez. I was there since day one, and what a journey. They employed me and I was very happy with them,” Aguilar told Bleacher Report on Tuesday.

“They were the vehicle that made my dream possible of being No. 1 in the world and getting the fights I always wanted. I’m thankful for everything they did for me, and I’m just excited for the future.

“I’m sad to leave Bellator because I started with them, and they were so good to me. I’m ready for the next chapter for my life, and I’m excited about what it holds for me in the future.”

Bellator was committed to the women’s division starting with its third season on television. But after crowning a champion in Zoila Frausto-Gurgel at 115 pounds, everything was put on old when the newly crowned title holder suffered a knee injury that forced her to the sidelines for over a year.

While Gurgel was away, Bellator continued to put on women’s fights sporadically, but it never launched another tournament to try and restart the division.

Aguilar kept getting fights, and her ranking kept getting higher and higher. But with Bellator now moving on without a women’s division, she’s excited to find a new fight home and continue to pursue her dream to be known as the best fighter on the planet.

“Everything happens for a reason. There’s a perfect time for everything. I’m where I need to be right now,” Aguilar said. “I am just excited for the future, and I want to continue, and I will continue to defend my ranking. I will continue to put on exciting fights for the fans and continue to be an ambassador for the sport as a female athlete.”

Aguilar is in a very unique position of being a free agent as the No. 1 fighter in her weight class. Beyond her ranking, she not only has a win over Fujiiwho was ranked at the top of the division for yearsbut also holds a victory over current Invicta women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza.

In other words, Aguilar is not only the top fighter in her weight class, she’s also already beaten the next top two contenders.

So now Aguilar enters free agency for the first time in years, but she says her motto is “smile and believe.” And she’s sure there are good things coming.

“I’m always going to be ready. Whenever we make a deal with the prospects out there, and whoever is the best choice and makes sense for me and my team, and that’s where we’ll be. I’ll be ready whenever the opportunity comes in the next couple of months,” Aguilar stated.

“I’m a free agent. I’m the No. 1 fighter in the world at strawweight, so I’m very excited and looking forward to the future.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Nick Newell Not Thinking About the UFC

Nick Newell became the talk of the mixed martial arts world after the fighter, with an ostensible disability, took his undefeated career record to 10 straight wins on Saturday.
The impressive record, topped with that win at the WSOF event, has led some…

Nick Newell became the talk of the mixed martial arts world after the fighter, with an ostensible disability, took his undefeated career record to 10 straight wins on Saturday.

The impressive record, topped with that win at the WSOF event, has led some to speculate of his eventual inclusion among the sport’s elite in the UFC. However, in a frank interview with Bloody Elbow, Newell has said that he is not thinking about the UFC, but instead focusing on his WSOF career:

“UFC is still the number one promotion in the world, but WSOF really treats their fighters well. This whole week has been phenomenal. Anything you need, they have it for you. They’re friendly, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Every time I had a request, they accommodated me.”

Newell’s achievements in the sport so far have been remarkable considering he was born with only half an arm on his left-hand side. Nevertheless, this former wrestler has gone on to dominate every single man put before him, finishing all but one inside the first round.

That includes his WSOF opponent from the weekend, Keon Caldwell, who barely lasted two minutes against Newell.

The fighter has talked of his dream to fight in the UFC in the past and even tried out for The Ultimate Fighter TV show, however, the promotion has yet to show any interest in him. In fact, UFC president, Dana White, has gone on record to say that Newell would “never” fight for the promotion.

It’s some comfort then, that he has found a home at the WSOF, where he’s poised to become a huge star.

“Yeah, I’m getting a huge push. [The WSOF] put me on such a big stage and given me such a great opportunity. I couldn’t be happier. I got a lot of coverage for this fight, more so than usual. I usually fly in to a fight the day before, but World Series flew me out on Monday and had media lined up for me all week. They kept me busy, for sure. I worked really hard for this, and it’s good to get the recognition.”

No opponent has been lined up for Newell’s next fight, although, based of his last performance, the WSOF is likely to put him front and centre when he returns to the cage.

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