Tag: Breaking News

Chael Sonnen on LeBron James, Steven Seagal, Vince McMahon, Rampage and More

Hours before Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 162, Chael Sonnen stood on a Las Vegas stage and answered questions from fans. The questions ranged from brand building to retirement and touched many topics in between. Son…

Hours before Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 162, Chael Sonnen stood on a Las Vegas stage and answered questions from fans. The questions ranged from brand building to retirement and touched many topics in between.

Sonnen handled the fan inquiries for almost an hour. Bleacher Report was on site for the Q&A session. What follows are some of the highlights:

 

On How to Build a Brand

“If I was to tell you how to build your own brand. First thing, when you are asked a question, remember you are not under oath. I don’t answer questions; I handle questions. Second, don’t ever apologize for anything. If you’re a grown up and it comes out of your mouth, stand by it.”

 

Jon Jones Fight

“I do. I do think it was stopped too early. I was surprised when they stopped the fight. You know any time you’re in that type of competition, whether you agree with it or don’t agree, you give up when you walk out. I won plenty of fights when they stopped them too early. So, it goes both ways. You got to understand, I stayed to fight. I walked out of the ring. That’s more than you can say about Jon Jones. His little piggy went to the market. I’m supposed to be impressed because he got a couple of takedowns? “

 

Retirement

“I’m 36 now, so every time I get hit with ‘is he going to retire, is this the last one?’ Anderson Silva gets hit with it. Dan Henderson gets hit with it. Randy Couture dealt with it for over a decade, and I think it’s fun. One of my goals is to reach where those guys were, to compete at a high level later in life. I don’t mind it. I still have a fight left on my contract. I will always honor my contract.

I don’t fight just to fight, I want to fight to be champion, and I’ll take on all comers.”

 

Earning Title Shots

“This is America. You take what you can get, when you can get it. If I want a fight, I’m going to go out and pick a fight. There were others guys that were in line before I was. That’s just the reality, they all said no. I talked my way into the fight with one word, I said yes. They asked me if I wanted to fight Jon Jones. I said, ‘yes I do.'”

 

How to Deal with Doubts

“I really think you need to envision what could possibly happen out there. People will tell you ‘oh, I never doubted myself.’ Well, that’s just ridiculous, of course you did. That’s okay, you have to make that walk anyway, and sometimes you’re going in there thinking ‘man, this guys got better skills than me.’ If you’re a bully, you’ll stay in the back, but if you’re a gangster, you’ll make that walk anyway.”

 

LeBron James

“LeBron James knows where that stems from. He’s been invited to the show, and if he comes tonight, I’m going to beat his ass and put picture up on Twitter. I’m telling you that now for the lawsuit. He’s been warned. I would have beat his ass at the last show if I could have got to him. He knows what he did, ask him.”

 

WWE

“Vince McMahon made his offer. I told him he could shove it up his ass. I’m not for sale. I made my choice a long time ago, and I’m with the UFC for life.”

 

Steven Seagal

“Steven Seagal is an interesting guy. You don’t see much more of this anymore. Guys were saying, ‘Steven Seagal is teaching me moves, and Steven Seagal‘s my master.’  He was paying those guys. That was a sponsorship. Steven Seagal ran out of money, and these guys have run out of compliments. Pretty weird coincidence, don’t you agree?”

 

Jon Jones Pizza

“You’re talking about the chicken special, loaded with cheese. We even deliver. We’ll bring a six pack of beer so you can avoid a DUI. That was a big seller. We ran out of cheese, chicken and beer after that one.”

 

Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman Weigh-In

“That was romantic, wasn’t it?  What a sweet and beautiful moment those two had. I have to tell you that I liked it. I thought the whole thing was interesting. I really liked how Anderson just kept walking forward. Nice and slow. He never stopped going forward. I thought it made the whole weigh-in fun.”

 

Rampage Jackson

“As far as the Rampage thing, he was in the UFC, and I like fighting guys in the UFC, so it just made sense. There are a couple of entitled punks that are out there. There are a couple guys that you will never see at an event like this; that will never give their time back or any kind of appreciation. They only want to come on the other side. No matter what you give them, they only want more, and that’s a bunch of crap, so I was going to give him more. More of this, but I couldn’t get him in there. I did everything I could do, and he wouldn’t show up. As soon as I get done with Shogun [Rua], I’m going right after Jon Jones.”

 

Toughest Fight

“The toughest fight I had was Yushin Okami. I had some other ones. You know, Jon Jones, I was only out there four minutes, and I got whipped, so that was quite easy actually.”

 

A Joke

“There is a new one going around. A guy named Shogun walks into a bar with a parrot on his shoulder. The bartender says, ‘That’s neat, where did you get him?’ The parrot says, ‘Brazil.'”

 

*All quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report.

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Jon Jones Lists His Top 5 Pound-for-Pound Fighters

The best pound-for-pound fighter debate has been raging ever since Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva at UFC 162 on Saturday. Now one man who many count among the list, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, has proffered his opinion on this v…

The best pound-for-pound fighter debate has been raging ever since Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva at UFC 162 on Saturday. Now one man who many count among the list, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, has proffered his opinion on this very subjective list.

According to MMA Mania’s Mike Bohn (via Twitter), Jones still ranks the fallen Silva as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and places himself, rather modestly, at the third position.

The debate over the list has been raging since the weekend and everyone seems to have an opinion. UFC president Dana White was quick to offer his thoughts moments after that eventful night, hailing Jones himself as the new best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world.

Indeed, the newly updated official UFC ranking also has Jones in the top position. That list places welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre in second and Silva now in third.

Curiously, however, Weidman himself—the man who has done so much to shake up the debate—is on very few top-five lists. That creates an unprecedented situation where the champion of a division is ranked lower than the fighter he just defeated, which perhaps demonstrates the absurdity of such lists in the first place.

Nevertheless, Jones’ list will find agreement among many.

Silva’s achievements in the sport remain unmatched. Although Jones has achieved amazing success in the short period he’s been fighting as a pro, his achievements still pale in comparison to GSP’s.

But whether longevity itself should be a criteria for the pound-for-pound list is up for debate.

It’s cliche to say that styles make fights and a champ can have success for years if he avoids facing the wrong type of fighter. Does that qualify him to be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? And, considering that weight has such an impact on the way each fighter performs, how can these fighters be compared “pound-for-pound” anyway?

Of course the debate will continue to rage, especially as new challengers and new prospects continue to be thrown up. Amid all this, what can be said is that this is an uncertain time in MMA and old uncertainties are most definitely being questioned.

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Vitor Belfort: Silva ‘Acted Inappropriately’ Against Weidman, Showed No Respect

UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort was anxiously awaiting the result of UFC 162, calling for the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman long before the fight went down. “The Phenom” undoubtedly had to be elated to see Weidman pull off th…

UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort was anxiously awaiting the result of UFC 162, calling for the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman long before the fight went down. 

“The Phenom” undoubtedly had to be elated to see Weidman pull off the upset, being that Silva already convincingly beat Belfort at UFC 126 in February 2011. 

As a matter of fact, UFC President Dana White said Belfort texted him 172 times following Weidman‘s knockout insisting that he should be the next in line for a crack at the middleweight strap. 

Belfort continued to plead his case for a title shot in an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. 

I guess sometimes you have to ask. So I’m asking. I did everything and now I’m asking. I’m asking for what I deserve. It’s not what I want, it’s what I deserve. And I deserve that. Everybody knows my history in the sport. I’m the T-Rex in this jungle, and I’m so mature; I’m so strong mentally, physically, spiritually, and also my skills, I’ve developed so much. I know that goal is about to be accomplished.

Should Silva stick to his word and decide not to square off with Weidman a second time, it is hard to argue that Belfort is the most credible challenger for “The All-American.”

Since his loss to Silva, the hard-hitting Brazilian has went 4-0 at 185-pounds, including back-to-back headkick knockouts over Michael Bisping and former Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold. 

Belfort also mentioned that he has always been a company man for the UFC, citing his short notice fight with light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones at UFC 152 in September as the latest example. 

As expected, Belfort is no Silva fan and slammed the former middleweight kingpin for the arrogance he displayed in his fight with Weidman. 

The first thing you learn (in martial arts) is respect. Your opponent across the other side of the mat, the Octagon, he is the most important person in that moment for you, because that’s the person who makes you compete, who gives you the pleasure to entertain people. But I see martial arts not just from an entertainment side. I see it as a sport. And as a sport, like in NBA, NFL, we have a code of conduct. And that’s something that the UFC, we need to start having that. I think [Silva] really didn’t have any conduct on this fight. He acted inappropriately and it wasn’t the first time, so I hope this will be the last time that he does.

Belfort, who currently trains with the Blackzilians camp in Florida, made a bold claim that if he fought Weidman it would be “more sellable” than Weidman vs. Silva II. 

Furthermore, the nearly 17-year fight veteran argues that waiting for Silva to decide if he wants redemption against his Long Island counterpart will take months. 

Conversely, Belfort says he is ready to sign the contract for a title fight with Weidman as early as next week. 

Does Belfort bring up several legitimate points here or are all his arguments moot anyway, based on the fact that Weidman-Silva II is inevitable?


John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.

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Jon Jones: Anderson Silva Disrespected His Opponent and Paid the Ultimate Price

Like most of the MMA world, Jon Jones was sitting front and center Saturday night when Anderson Silva lost to Chris Weidman in one of the most shocking finishes in UFC history. Whether the odds going into the fight were close or not, it seemed everyone…

Like most of the MMA world, Jon Jones was sitting front and center Saturday night when Anderson Silva lost to Chris Weidman in one of the most shocking finishes in UFC history.

Whether the odds going into the fight were close or not, it seemed everyone was in disbelief when Weidman connected with two left hands that put Silva down and out for the first time in his UFC career.

On the night of the fight, Jones took to Twitter and expressed himself in just two words—”this sucks” (the tweet has since been deleted).

During a UFC 165 pre-fight press conference Tuesday, Jones clarified his statement a bit by explaining that he is an Anderson Silva fan, so it was tough watching the greatest middleweight ever go down the way he did.

“Initially I thought it sucked, Anderson Silva is a guy I look up to a lot,” Jones stated.  “To see a great champion go down so obviously my initial reaction was yeah, this sucked.”

Silva has been criticized quite a bit for his antics in the fight where he put his hands down, stuck his chin out and basically dared Weidman to take a shot at him. 

It’s nothing new in the history of Silva’s fights. He’s done it time and time again, but this is the first time it has ever backfired on him.

Jones was watching carefully and admits that, as good as Silva is as a fighter, he lost sight of what it meant to be so gifted by toying and playing with an opponent.  When it went wrong, it cost him dearly.

“I think that Anderson Silva is a magnificent fighter.  I think he has an extraordinary gift, I think he’s got to the point where he really believes in his gift, and he’s comfortable with his gift, and he abused his gift.  He disrespected the gift by disrespecting his opponent,” Jones said.  “Martial arts is a sport that’s traditionally based around honor and integrity and treating people with respect and he somehow lost sight of that.  He paid the ultimate price for it. 

“I’m not over the Anderson Silva hype train.  I know exactly where he was at, you could tell where he was at by the way he was fighting.  I think he was fighting at a masterful level.  I think he just got disrespectful and the war gods just made him pay for it.  He’s still that great Anderson Silva in my book.”

Jones also learned a very valuable lesson from watching Silva tumble Saturday night. 

No matter how much hype or attention a fighter receives for their past performances, it can all change in a moment’s notice.

Saturday night, Weidman was the superior fighter and it came at the expense of one of the best of all time.  Jones has no intention of letting his next opponent Alexander Gustafsson—or anybody else for that matter—feel the same sense of accomplishment when facing him.

“It actually motivates me a lot too to watch somebody who I look up to like that lose. It’s just like a reality check,” Jones commented.  “I try to keep my ego in check when it comes to the fight game. But watching Anderson lose like that, first of all it’s what I would never do is put my hands down like that and fight my opponent that way.  Watching Chris Weidman’s dream come true, I have to make sure I continue to be the dream-crusher.  It motivated me.”

Following the loss by Silva, Jones’ own stature elevated as he was soon recognized as the new No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. 

UFC president Dana White said the same thing when he spoke about Jones Saturday, and the official UFC ranking system backed up his assessment.

Jones isn’t nearly as fast to accept the recognition because he believes that the only reason he’s now the top ranked fighter is because Silva lost. 

If he can go out and dispatch of Gustafsson in impressive fashion when they meet at UFC 165, then Jones will more likely accept the honor as something he earned.

“It means a lot to me, but at this point it doesn’t really feel real.  My goal is definitely to become the No. 1 fighter to ever do it.  To become No. 1 because Anderson lost doesn’t really make me feel like I accomplished anything,” Jones stated.  “So I am going to continue to work extremely hard to become the No. 1 light heavyweight to ever play the sport and to eventually creep up on Anderson Silva and the things Anderson Silva has done in his career. 

“Yeah it doesn’t really do too much for me, it doesn’t feel real, it doesn’t feel earned.  Winning this fight will make me feel a little bit more better about it.  I have the mindset to just keep in that position and make it more legit through my actions and through my performances instead of just taking a spot from a guy.”

Jones’ primary goal with his next fight is to defend the UFC light heavyweight title for a sixth consecutive time, which would be a new company record.  If all goes well in September, he’ll be a lot more receptive to receiving the accolades associated with becoming the best fighter in the sport today.

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

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UFC 162: Chris Leben Becomes 1st Fighter to Receive Exemption for Suboxone

While the topic of testosterone replacement therapy and exemptions for it were not a focal point following UFC 162, Chris Leben created a little bit of history for receiving a different exemption.According to Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie, Leben became…

While the topic of testosterone replacement therapy and exemptions for it were not a focal point following UFC 162, Chris Leben created a little bit of history for receiving a different exemption.

According to Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie, Leben became the first fighter to receive an exemption for the prescription opioid medicine Suboxone. The drug is typically used as a replacement therapy for people with a narcotic dependency; something Leben has struggled with in the past.

In 2011, Leben tested positive for oxycodone and oxymorphone following a loss to Mark Munoz at UFC 138. That caused the UFC to suspend the former TUF star for a year. It would be the second time the UFC had to take action against Leben. The UFC also suspended him after he tested positive for the synthetic anabolic stanozolol in October 2008.

Leben also had a driving under the influence incident back in 2010 that all but derailed any momentum he had gained after winning three straight in the Octagon.

The hard-hitting southpaw has done everything he can to maintain his sobriety. Leben admitted to attending rehab for an addiction to prescription painkillers and counted 15 months of sobriety. He also moved from his longtime residence of Hawaii to Southern California.

A guy who has struggled with his addiction on a national stage for much of his career, Leben is using his addictive personality in a positive way these days, per John Morgan of MMA Junkie:

“I’m a creature of excess – everything in excess and nothing in moderation,” Leben said. “That’s kind of been my motto for life. So this health thing, and this energy I have, I’m getting addicted to that. It’s a complete rebirth.”

Leben must be in a better place now if he can manage to joke about his prior troubles.

“Well didn’t get the comeback story, but i promise you there will be no relapse story. Gonna stay strong & continue on the path,” he wrote on Twitter following his UFC 162 loss.

Leben‘s skill and ability may be deteriorating inside the cage but at least his willpower and determination to stay clean is going strong outside of it.

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Felony Charges Dropped Against UFC Featherweight Jeremy Stephens

UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens can rest easy after felony assault and burglary charges were dropped on Monday following a very brief start to a trial that was set to begin in Iowa.Stephens was arrested in October 2012 while in Minnesota as the fight…

UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens can rest easy after felony assault and burglary charges were dropped on Monday following a very brief start to a trial that was set to begin in Iowa.

Stephens was arrested in October 2012 while in Minnesota as the fighter was preparing for his bout scheduled for UFC on FX 5 later that day. He was arrested on an outstanding warrant from an assault charge in 2011 in Iowa, and he was held for a total of 12 days despite the best efforts from UFC president Dana White to bail him out that same day.

White stood by the fighter the entire time during the ordeal as well, which Stephens publicly acknowledged as he fought the charges. From the very beginning of the situation, Stephens maintained his innocence in the charges against him, and on Monday he was vindicated.

Following his arrest and subsequent release, Stephens’ managers at EVO Agents released a statement proclaiming his fight against the charges (via MMAWeekly.com).

Jeremy felt it was very important to thank each and every one of those who have stood by his side during this tough time. He wanted everyone to know that despite the negative situation that he’s been placed in, he has remained upbeat and positive, reflecting on the opportunities that have been and will be presented to him, reflecting on his family, and his firm belief in his innocence. Jeremy’s legal team is already hard at work to prove what many already know; he is not guilty of the crimes he’s been accused of.

According to Stephens’ manager, Ryan Hass of EVO Agents, who spoke to Bleacher Report on Monday, the fighter was ready to go to trial to prove his innocence in the matter. Prosecutors were attempting to get Stephens convicted on felony assault and burglary charges that could have landed him in jail for up to 10 years if found guilty.

The news of the felony charges being dropped was first reported by MMAFighting.com.

A previous plea agreement was offered according to Hass, but Stephens and his attorneys opted to turn it down because he was confident that once a jury heard his side of the story, along with a slew of witnesses lined up in his defense, he would be found not guilty.

As the trial and jury selection began, the prosecutor came back with another deal offering Stephens a much lesser charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct that would result in time served and court costs.

Stephens opted to take the lesser charge and will serve no additional time for the misdemeanor.

With the trial and charges behind him, Stephens can now get back to focusing on his fight career. He recently moved down to the featherweight division where he picked up a dominant win over Estevan Payan at UFC 160.

He is currently back in training awaiting word from the UFC on his next bout.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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