Tag: Breaking News

Vitor Belfort Could Fight for Title Next but TRT Use Won’t Determine Location

Vitor Belfort is stuck in the crosshairs of controversy surrounding his use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), but it doesn’t mean he won’t get the next shot at the UFC middleweight title. Last weekend, Belfort knocked out former Strikeforce mi…

Vitor Belfort is stuck in the crosshairs of controversy surrounding his use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), but it doesn’t mean he won’t get the next shot at the UFC middleweight title.

Last weekend, Belfort knocked out former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold with a spectacular spinning heel kick, which marked his second head kick finish in a row.  The previous knockout was over top-five middleweight Michael Bisping, and it put Belfort back at the top of the division where he remains undefeated at 185 pounds outside of a lone loss to champion Anderson Silva.

The discussion surrounding Belfort‘s next fight hasn’t started yet, but UFC President Dana White didn’t rule out the possibility of a title shot against the winner of Silva and current top contender Chris Weidman at UFC 162.

“There’s no plans right now with Vitor.  He just fought so we’ll see what happens.  It would make sense for those two (Silva and Weidman) to fight and that’s not far away, and then those two fight or Vitor could fight again,” White said when speaking to the media on Thursday.  “He could fight either one of those guys.”

The biggest question that continues to swirl around Belfort‘s involvement in a potential title fight is his continued use of TRT.  While the treatment is not illegal by any means, Belfort‘s 2006 suspension after testing positive for steroids still haunts the middleweight contender.

For Belfort to continue on his TRT treatments he must receive a therapeutic use exemption from whatever state commission his fight is taking place in, and because of his past steroid trouble it could cause an issue.

“Vitor doesn’t want this, he’s aggravated and pissed off about this stuff. He doesn’t want his name to be smeared,” White said about Belfort‘s TRT usage.  “I don’t like TRT, I’m not a fan of it, I don’t like it at all. I said a while ago these guys are going to be tested and Vitor was tested.  Vitor followed the rules and did what he was supposed to do.”

As far as a location for the fight, White doesn’t see Belfort having any trouble receiving his fight license, but a use exemption for TRT is another story all together.  White leaves that up to the commissions, but promises that the UFC isn’t putting Belfort in places like Brazil where he is allowed to use TRT just so he can continue to fight while using the treatment.

“That’s up to them.  They’ll have to do a hearing or however they want to do it,” White said about Belfort being approved by another commission.  “We’re not keeping Vitor out of fighting from anywhere.  We had Vitor fight in Brazil because Vitor sells out in Brazil.  It’s all a bunch of conspiracy, f—king crock of s—t.”

Whether or not Belfort sits out to face the winner of Silva vs. Weidman remains to be seen.  Depending on who wins that fight and what kind of time off they will require after the early-July title bout could determine Belfort‘s next course of action.

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

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Dana White Blasts ‘Moron’ John Cholish, Cholish Offers Response

John Cholish walked away from the UFC after a second-round submission loss to Gleison Tibau at UFC on FX 8. The loss was the second defeat in a row for Cholish, who retired from the sport with a professional record of 8-3 and a UFC record of 1-2. After…

John Cholish walked away from the UFC after a second-round submission loss to Gleison Tibau at UFC on FX 8. The loss was the second defeat in a row for Cholish, who retired from the sport with a professional record of 8-3 and a UFC record of 1-2.

After his retirement, Cholish, a graduate of Cornell University who holds a job as a commodities trader on Wall Street, spoke to Bleacher Report’s Damon Martin about one of the reasons he walked away from the sport, low fighter pay:

Zuffa is a private company so they don’t have to disclose a lot of their information, and again this is my personal opinion, I’m not saying it’s for anyone else but I’ve spoken to a vast array of fighters from top level guys to mid-tier guys to lower level guys and I feel at least the guys I’ve spoken with kind of have that same feeling of maybe they’re not being fully compensated the way that they should be. But guys are scared.

During his conversation with Martin, Cholish broke down all the costs associated with his recent fight in Brazil. In the end, Martin estimated that Cholish returned home from Brazil losing a significant amount of money for his troubles.

UFC president Dana White was asked about the statement Cholish made to Martin.

“What’s scary is this guy wasn’t good enough to be in the UFC,” White said.  “I wonder if he’s good enough to be on Wall Street. I mean, this guy has to be the biggest moron I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s talking about taxes? Yes, Wall Street guy you have to pay taxes, so do I. When we go down to Brazil and do a fight I pay taxes in Brazil too, and Sweden, and in all these other countries and states. Every state that we go to takes taxes.”

White continued, “He signed a contract. He got the same opportunity that Georges St-Pierre, that Anderson Silva, that Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez and the list goes on and on. The unfortunate part of this business is some of you are good enough to be here and some of you are not. That’s life, Cholish.

“Unfortunately my friend, you weren’t good enough to be here. Hopefully you’re good enough to stick around on Wall Street, because if you don’t know what taxes are, I’ve got a feeling you’re not.”

According to the UFC president, “Fighter pay has been beaten to death. If you don’t want to be here, don’t sign a contract with us. I can tell you this, John Cholish was paid discretionary bonuses even when he lost. What do you want me to tell you? The guy is delusional, not too bright and what do you want me to say to that?”

Word of White’s comments did get back to Cholish, and he made it clear that he was more than willing to discuss the topic with White in person:

 

White has not responded to Cholish at this time.

**all quotes obtained firsthand by BR MMA unless noted.

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Dana White: UFC Champ Jon Jones Could Be Out Six Weeks, Could Be Out Six Months

The last time we saw UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones inside the Octagon, he made quick work of Chael Sonnen, earning a first-round TKO victory at UFC 159.  Through the course of the four-and-a-half-minute bout, Sonnen landed a mere six si…

The last time we saw UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones inside the Octagon, he made quick work of Chael Sonnen, earning a first-round TKO victory at UFC 159.  Through the course of the four-and-a-half-minute bout, Sonnen landed a mere six significant strikes, seemingly setting Jones up for a quick turnaround.

The MMA gods, being a vindictive bunch, had other plans for the light heavyweight kingpin.

When the celebrating champion took a brief glance down to the mat, he saw something no one should ever have to see. The bone of Jones’ left big toe was jutting through the skin, and his toe was bent at an unnatural angle.

When the damage was assessed, it was not as severe as it first appeared. For starters, the toe was not broken, just badly dislocated.

Jones has been on the mend, but little has been discussed about when he will be back in the Octagon. 

UFC president Dana White talked about the promotion’s hobbled champion on Thursday, telling the media, “We talked yesterday.  He’s feeling great, his toe is healing good, but the problem is the ligament. That ligament popped and anywhere you tear a ligament blood flow helps the thing heal and you don’t get a lot of blood flow in the toe.”

As for when Jones will be back in the cage, White was unsure: “The thing could be six weeks, it could be six months.  It’s a pain in the ass.”

More info will be known early next week on Jones.  The champion is currently in Russia, but when he returns, which White said would be on Monday, he will get another MRI on the toe.

Once the results of that MRI are known, speculation will begin as to who Jones will face in his next title defense along with when and where that fight will take place.

**all quotes obtained first-hand by BR MMA.

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Dana White: Mark Hunt’s Story ‘Is One of the Greatest Stories in Sports’

UFC heavyweight competitor Mark Hunt may be one win away from fighting for the UFC title.  Yes, the same Mark Hunt whom the UFC once tried to pay to just go away and never fight for the promotion at all.Hunt’s road from unwanted asset to tit…

UFC heavyweight competitor Mark Hunt may be one win away from fighting for the UFC title.  Yes, the same Mark Hunt whom the UFC once tried to pay to just go away and never fight for the promotion at all.

Hunt’s road from unwanted asset to title-fight contender is a crazy story. On Thursday, UFC president Dana White spoke about the tale of Mark Hunt.

When the UFC bought PRIDE FC, Hunt was part of that deal. His record at the time was 5-3, and he was coming off consecutive first-round submission losses to Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko.  As White recalled, Hunt was not a fighter the UFC wanted: “We said ‘here, we’ll just buy your PRIDE contract out and pay you not to fight.'”

According to White, Hunt replied, “‘I want to fight, I want to earn it’ and he comes in and does what he did.”

What Hunt did and is still doing is to win. Sure he lost his first fight with the UFC, falling to a Sean McCorkle armbar at UFC 119, but since that loss, it’s been all victories for Hunt.

Hunt has won four straight fights. Two of them earned him “Knockout of the Night” bonus money, including his spectacular walk-off knockout of Stefan Struve on the UFC on Fuel TV 8 fight card.

White was asked if he admired the stance and accomplishments that Hunt has run up since their conversation about the possible buyout.  The UFC president took it one step further than mere admiration: “I don’t admire it, I absolutely, positively and completely respect it. What he’s been able to accomplish is one of the greatest stories in sports right now.  It’s unbelievable.”

Will Hunt take another step in his unbelievable journey?  We’ll find out on Saturday night when he faces Junior dos Santos in the co-main event of UFC 160.

 

All quotes were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report MMA.

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Dana White: ‘Fed Up with the Bulls—t,’ Not Playing Around with Code of Conduct

UFC lightweight Nate Diaz found out the hard way that the promotion isn’t playing around with their newly instituted code of conduct, and a recent Twitter message that contained a homophobic slur cost him $20,000 as a result. The message was Diaz’s res…

UFC lightweight Nate Diaz found out the hard way that the promotion isn’t playing around with their newly instituted code of conduct, and a recent Twitter message that contained a homophobic slur cost him $20,000 as a result.

The message was Diaz‘s response to bantamweight fighter Bryan Caraway receiving a post-fight bonus for Submission of the Night at UFC 159 only after Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana.  Diaz used a homophobic slur as part of the message blasted out on the social media site, and it didn’t take long for the UFC to take action.

Diaz was suspended for 90-days and faced a stiff penalty for the use of the word.

It marked the third such fine the UFC has handed down since instituting the fighter code of conduct policy (Matt Mitrione was fined an unstated amount for comments about transgender fighter Fallon Fox and Anderson Silva was fined $50,000 for missing a media obligation), and UFC president Dana White wants all of his fighters to know that they will not be easing up so long as misconduct is happening.

“I am fed up with the bulls—t,” White said when speaking with the media on Thursday.  “Money makes people f—king react real quick.  Sorry’s great—I love a sorry here and there, sorry’s are always good.  But when you’ve got to start forking out some cash, you start remembering a lot more.”

Since the fine was handed down, Diaz hasn’t responded much outside of another Twitter message aimed at Caraway, this time without the use of a homophobic slur. 

White says he’s also heard from many fans and critics reminding him that he said the same word that Diaz used when ranting about a reporter in an infamous video blog from 2009.  The UFC president says his verbal slip cost him plenty as well because it’s something that continues to haunt him to this day.

“Do you think that I didn’t pay in a million different ways for saying that word?  The difference is I’m really sorry for saying it,” White stated.  “I am not a homophobe whatsoever.  When I said it, I have people that work for us that are gay, I have friends that are gay, it is a word that bothers them and it’s a word that shouldn’t have been said.  I had the same argument that Nate had, and I don’t disagree with that argument.”

The argument actually comes from Diaz‘s manager Mike Kogan who spoke to Bleacher Report about the incident just hours after it happened.

“That one word did not mean homosexual, it was not intended to be homosexual,” Kogan stated.  “It was not meant to have a homophobic connotation at all.  The word for years and years and years also means b—ch, little punk, little whiny, little f—kers.  That’s what he meant with what he said.”

White said that he has no doubt that Diaz probably used the word in that exact context, but it doesn’t matter because it’s still offensive and it’s not an excuse to use it.

“I grew up in the 80’s and that was a word you used,” White explained.  “If you go back and watch Sixteen Candles, that word is in Sixteen Candles.  Molly Ringwald says it to Anthony Michael Hall.  I was watching another 80’s movie the other day where these little kids are saying it.  That’s the way it was. 

“It’s not that way anymore.  It’s an offensive word that they don’t like and people want to call it oh we’re bowing down to political correctness.  No we’re not, we’re being civil human beings.”

Kogan‘s defense of Diaz was also brought up to White when he was asked if the manager’s statement actually did more harm that good in the long run.  It prompted White to then detail his opinion of managers in mixed martial arts and the job they provide the fighters.

“Managers are scared s—tless of their clients.  No manager wants to come out and say “he was stupid for saying that.”  You’re one phone call away from not working for that guy anymore,” White said.  “Managers don’t matter. Let me put that one out there.  I don’t give a s—t what they have to say or what they think or whatever.  They’re puppets.”

White had no problem pointing the finger back at himself as well because at one time before he was the president of the UFC he also represented fighters like Chuck Liddell as a manager.

“I was a puppet, too,” White said about himself.

When it’s all said and done, Diaz will walk away from the situation $20,000 lighter in the wallet whether he likes the fine or not. 

While White did apologize for his use of the homophobic slur back in 2009, Diaz has done no such thing since he tweeted out that particular message. While Diaz did eventually delete that particular Twitter message, White says he’s not going to force the lightweight fighter to apologize for something he’s not sorry about.

“I’m not going to tell grown men to apologize if they’re really not sorry,” White stated.

Sorry or not, Diaz is still left with a hefty fine to pay and a three month suspension for his actions.

 

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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Jacare Souza Faces Yushin Okami Next in the UFC, No Date for the Fight Yet

It didn’t take long for former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to make his impact felt in the Octagon when he submitted Chris Camozzi in the first round of their bout at UFC on FX 8 in Brazil. Now the Brazilian submission machi…

It didn’t take long for former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to make his impact felt in the Octagon when he submitted Chris Camozzi in the first round of their bout at UFC on FX 8 in Brazil.

Now the Brazilian submission machine will take a sizeable step up in competition when faces perennial UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami later this year.

UFC President Dana White stated on Thursday during the UFC 160 media day that plans are in place for Jacare vs. Okami to take place later this year, although no date or card have been determined for the middleweight showdown.

“That fight will happen,” White said about Okami vs. Jacare.  “That’s the fight we’re going to make.”

Following a long and fruitful career fighting in promotions in Japan and then eventually Strikeforce, Jacare finally made his UFC debut less than a week ago and it didn’t take long for the rest of his division to take notice.

Jacare literally put Camozzi to sleep with an arm triangle choke just minutes into their fight, but now he will face one of the middleweight division’s toughest challengers.

Throughout his UFC career, Yushin Okami has been a top contender although he’s only fought for the belt one time in a losing effort to Anderson Silva at UFC 134 in 2011.

A wrestling-first powerhouse, Okami has stifled and suffocated opponents as he’s continued to climb up the middleweight ladder time and time again. Following the loss to Silva, Okami actually dropped his next fight to Tim Boetsch by knockout, but then reeled off three wins in a row.

Among those victories was a dominating performance over Alan Belcher, and a win over former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.

Okami can potentially add yet another big-name win to his resume if he can get past Jacare later this year.

White did not hint around at a timeline for when they could announce the fight with Okami and Jacare, but the promotion is currently still filling up cards through August.  One of those cards happens to be UFC 163, which takes place in Jacare’s home country of Brazil.

It could be the perfect landing spot for the top ten middleweight tilt, but only time will tell what the UFC ultimately decides to do with the newly created fight.

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

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