After her impressive submission victory over Paige VanZant in the main event of Saturday’s UFC On FOX 22 event at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, rising UFC star “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson spoke…
https://youtu.be/2dkNwNtw5BM
After her impressive submission victory over Paige VanZant in the main event of Saturday’s UFC On FOX 22 event at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, rising UFC star “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson spoke with former UFC contender turned fight analyst Brian Stann for a post-fight interview inside the Octagon.
Featured above is the complete post-fight interview with “The Karate Hottie.” Below are additional video highlights of the Michelle Waterson vs. Paige VanZant fight from Saturday’s show. For alternate angle footage of the finish of the Waterson-VanZant bout, click here. For complete UFC On FOX 22: VanZant vs. Waterson results, click here.
Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight Brian Stann recently discussed the controversy surrounding Yoel Romero’s bouts inside of the Octagon, with the Cuban coming off of a third round knockout win over former 185-pound champ Chris Weidman at UFC 205 this past weekend. Stann passionately discussed Romero’s ‘in-cage antics’ on his show ‘Toe-2-Toe with Brian Stann’
Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight Brian Stann recently discussed the controversy surrounding Yoel Romero’s bouts inside of the Octagon, with the Cuban coming off of a third round knockout win over former 185-pound champ Chris Weidman at UFC 205 this past weekend.
Stann passionately discussed Romero’s ‘in-cage antics’ on his show ‘Toe-2-Toe with Brian Stann’ on Sirius XM Rush 93, in which the former United States Marine urged his fellow media members with a voice to help put a stop to Romero’s antics:
“You can’t talk about Romero without addressing some of his in-cage antics. Grabbing the fence, his coaches dumping water all over him — this guy will do anything to win a fight. And when I say anything I mean anything, bending the rules inside of the rules, he’ll do anything. And in my opinion it needs to get stopped, and it’s up to people like me and the media who have a voice to make sure he understands that, ‘Hey, Yoel, we see you doing it, we see your corner doing it, and the commissions need to look through and see back on the film.
“And there may be some people who may not be allowed to corner you anymore if you continue these antics. You gotta answer the bell after the stool no matter how tired you are, we’ve seen that trick too many times before. You gotta stop grabbing the fence, and referees when its egregious and it can alter the position of a fight, they’re gonna take a point away from this guy and they gotta do that. They gotta do that. They need to do that with this guy and hold him accountable, because in every fight we’re seeing some of this stuff.”
Stann also pointed to Romero’s recent United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) troubles also being a factor into something that could ‘tarnish’ the former Olympian’s legacy, but is reluctant to call him a ‘massive steroid cheat’:
“The most important thing for Yoel, for him to hear, is it’s gonna tarnish your legacy. You already have your legacy a little tarnished because of the drug test failure, which was ruled and proven to be a tainted supplement, that is true. He has been drug tested many many times, and you can believe USADA is gonna continue to drug test him, but it was proved and that’s why he had such a short suspension. So I hate to see — and you know how I am with drug testing,
“I am all for it and I want to see all these guys drug tested. I want all the cheaters caught, but I am not the guy that’s gonna go out and call Romero this massive steroid cheat because I’ve seen the details of that case and that to me doesn’t show a guy who was cheating and abusing steroids. It shows he took a tainted supplement, and he served time for it, and his reputation certainly took a hit for it. Certainly took a hit.”
In the end all Stann wants to see is Romero clean up his act inside of the cage and get rid of all the ‘garbage’ we’ve seen in his past performances in the Octagon:
“But I want him to clean up his antics in terms of grabbing the fence, all this water dumping, not answering the bell, all that garbage surrounding his fights needs to go away.”
You can listen to Stann’s comments on Romero here:
The MMA world is anxiously awaiting the return of longtime former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who will step back into the Octagon against arch rival Daniel Cormier in the main event of April 23’s blockbuster UFC 197 pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas. “Bones” won his last fight over “DC” at 2015’s UFC 182,
The MMA world is anxiously awaiting the return of longtime former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who will step back into the Octagon against arch rival Daniel Cormier in the main event of April 23’s blockbuster UFC 197 pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas.
“Bones” won his last fight over “DC” at 2015’s UFC 182, but was infamously suspended and stripped of his title belt when he became the subject of a brief manhunt after he allegedly hit a 25-year-old pregnant woman in his adopted home of Albuquerque, New Mexico and fled the scene. He turned himself in and struck a plea deal for the felony charges, agreeing to probation and numerous public appearances to help repair his image.
As far as fighting goes, Jones never lost his belt, as the vacant title went to Cormier when he submitted former top contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson in the main event of last year’s UFC 187. Now reportedly sober and intensely focused on regaining the belt, Jones has posted several photos of himself looking huge and ripped after undertaking an intensive weight training regimen.
While Cormier has speculated that may actually hurt Jones’ abilities in the cage due to the fact he always relied on speed, agility, and accuracy to beat his opponents with his very unorthodox striking, one of “DC’s” FOX Sports broadcast parters doesn’t agree. During a recent appearance on Bloody Elbow’s ‘Heavy Hands’ podcast, former UFC fighter-turned-announcer Brian Stann said that Jones now being bigger and stronger is a scary proposition for his opponents, and that includes his rematch with Cormier:
“I haven’t seen anything technically that leads me to believe he’s gonna be able to take Jon down consistently. Especially now that Jon has discovered weight lifting.”
“And Jon’s a unique athlete. Never lifted weights but you try to get your hands on him and his instincts for leverage and wrestling are phenomenal. I’ve watched him train with heavyweights and make them look really, really bad.”
As a former member of Jones’ home base of Greg Jackson’s MMA, Stann would know seemingly what he’s talking about, and indeed Jones posted a recent photograph on Instagram of him training with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski:
A photo posted by Jon Bones Jones (@jonnybones) on
No word as whether or not he made the Belarusian bruiser look bad in training, but the general consensus is that Jones will handle Cormier with ease when they meet in April. Cormier, a former heavyweight who won the Strikeforce World Grand Prix at the weight class, could be in for the fight of his life.
Of course, the same thing could be said about Jones, although the reason is quite different, as the talented but troubled former champion has been his own worst enemy. What, if anything, will be different for “Bones” this time around?
(The face of MMA’s anti-PED crusade, ladies and gentlemen.)
Does it say more about the UFC or its athletes that classy, universally-respected guys like Georges St. Pierre and Brian Stann only feel comfortable discussing their gripes with the organization’s drug-testing policies after they have stepped away from the sport? It’s hard to say for sure, but in any case, Stann has followed suit with GSP, first lamenting the sport’s drug issues as a “major part” of why he retired earlier this month before further explaining himself during an appearance on The MMA Houryesterday.
While Stann refused to name names, he was quick to admit that MMA’s lackadaisical drug-testing has made it easy for many a fighter to cycle on and off PED’s over the years — a trend that will continue to plague the sport until a change is made:
I think the time when you retire coming off a loss and then you say that, what I didn’t want to do was discredit any of my former opponents. You know, specifically seeing that Wanderlei (Silva) was my last fight, I didn’t want to come off like, ‘Hey, I’m making excuses. The only people that beat me were people on drugs.’ I don’t know any of that for a certainty. There’s one time when I fought a guy on TRT when it was allowed, and that’s the only time that I could say substantially somebody was taking something. But, it was a factor.
I’m a clean fighter. I’m 33 years old, and I have seen, in my own training, and in talking and knowing guys in the inner circle, I’ve known what guys are not on, and when they cycle on it. You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently by our athletic commissions is inadequate.
(The face of MMA’s anti-PED crusade, ladies and gentlemen.)
Does it say more about the UFC or its athletes that classy, universally-respected guys like Georges St. Pierre and Brian Stann only feel comfortable discussing their gripes with the organization’s drug-testing policies after they have stepped away from the sport? It’s hard to say for sure, but in any case, Stann has followed suit with GSP, first lamenting the sport’s drug issues as a “major part” of why he retired earlier this month before further explaining himself during an appearance on The MMA Houryesterday.
While Stann refused to name names, he was quick to admit that MMA’s lackadaisical drug-testing has made it easy for many a fighter to cycle on and off PED’s over the years — a trend that will continue to plague the sport until a change is made:
I think the time when you retire coming off a loss and then you say that, what I didn’t want to do was discredit any of my former opponents. You know, specifically seeing that Wanderlei (Silva) was my last fight, I didn’t want to come off like, ‘Hey, I’m making excuses. The only people that beat me were people on drugs.’ I don’t know any of that for a certainty. There’s one time when I fought a guy on TRT when it was allowed, and that’s the only time that I could say substantially somebody was taking something. But, it was a factor.
I’m a clean fighter. I’m 33 years old, and I have seen, in my own training, and in talking and knowing guys in the inner circle, I’ve known what guys are not on, and when they cycle on it. You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently by our athletic commissions is inadequate.
It’s not exactly a revelation to anyone who’s been following MMA for more than a week that the lack of random drug-testing is perhaps the biggest issue facing the sport today. Not helping this plight is NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar’s confirmation earlier this week that each random drug test costs the NSAC between $35,000 and $45,000 to execute.
Without help from the UFC, Aguilar stated, random drug testing simply can’t be fit into the NSAC’s budget. And if you expect the same people who regularly pay someone $8,000 to get their brains smashed in to pay six times that much for what some (falsely) consider an extraneous test, think again, brotha’.
But there you have it: the fastest-growing sport in the world is neck deep in a drug-testing crisis that can only be solved by money it apparently doesn’t have. I wish I could do something other than throw my hands in the air, but I’m just as confounded as Stann is here. Any suggestions, Nation?
Following Anderson Silva’s devastating leg-break against Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many observers hoped that one of the greatest fighters of all time would decide to retire in order to spend time with his family and count all of the “Anderson Silva money” he’s earned from fighting. Hell, even Silva’s son was hoping he would hang his gloves up. But following successful surgery, Silva has expressed his desire to return to the cage. Hopefully this is not the case. Silva has nothing left to accomplish in the sport, and at 38 years old, he would be facing a steep uphill battle to recover and earn back his belt.
Choosing to walk away from a long, fruitful MMA career is not an easy decision. Most fighters continue to compete long after they should have walked away. Nevertheless, every once in a while, an astute fighter realizes that their best days are behind them, and they decide to leave the sport for greener pastures. The following list is a tribute to five fighters who decided to leave MMA at the right time.
(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)
Georges St-Pierre recently decided to leave the sport of MMA for an undetermined amount of time. The reason why GSP’s decision to vacate his welterweight title is so incredible is because it’s so rare to see athletes leave at the top of their game. We’re used to dominant athletes staying too long, unable to give up the roar of the crowd and the lure of the paycheck. The list of accomplishments on GSP’s resume is long, varied and practically unparalleled in the sport of MMA. His in-cage achievements make him a legitimate candidate for the greatest of all time, with only fighters like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emeliananko even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.
Following Anderson Silva’s devastating leg-break against Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many observers hoped that one of the greatest fighters of all time would decide to retire in order to spend time with his family and count all of the “Anderson Silva money” he’s earned from fighting. Hell, even Silva’s son was hoping he would hang his gloves up. But following successful surgery, Silva has expressed his desire to return to the cage. Hopefully this is not the case. Silva has nothing left to accomplish in the sport, and at 38 years old, he would be facing a steep uphill battle to recover and earn back his belt.
Choosing to walk away from a long, fruitful MMA career is not an easy decision. Most fighters continue to compete long after they should have walked away. Nevertheless, every once in a while, an astute fighter realizes that their best days are behind them, and they decide to leave the sport for greener pastures. The following list is a tribute to five fighters who decided to leave MMA at the right time.
(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)
Georges St-Pierre recently decided to leave the sport of MMA for an undetermined amount of time. The reason why GSP’s decision to vacate his welterweight title is so incredible is because it’s so rare to see athletes leave at the top of their game. We’re used to dominant athletes staying too long, unable to give up the roar of the crowd and the lure of the paycheck. The list of accomplishments on GSP’s resume is long, varied and practically unparalleled in the sport of MMA. His in-cage achievements make him a legitimate candidate for the greatest of all time, with only fighters like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emeliananko even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.
During his career, GSP won the belt off the previous “most dominant Welterweight on the planet” and then went on to face every single 170-pound challenger to his belt. To borrow a phrase from Joe Rogan, St-Pierre faced a “murderer’s row” of contenders including Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Johny Hendricks. And it’s not as though he left the sport with a slew of guys who hadn’t yet had the chance to try and beat him. He gave all comers their opportunity and beat them all. Whether you like it or not, he even won his final match. He may have been clearly beaten up, but he won 3 of the 5 rounds and, according to the 10-point must system, that makes him the winner.
The reason why vacating the title is the right move for GSP is because he left the sport on his own terms. The multiple-time Canadian Athlete of the Year has done nearly everything any mainstream athlete ever could to maximize his earnings outside of the court of play. He has appeared on reality TV — as a coach on TUF — has already appeared in two films, and will portray the villain in the new Captain America movie. He also has huge endorsements, is a best-selling author, a fitness guru, and a certified ladies man. That, my friends, is why GSP is not only one of the greatest fighters ever…he is also one of the smartest.
(Lytle slugs it out with fellow recent-retiree Paul Taylor. / Photo via MMAWeekly)
Throughout his long career, Chris “Lights Out” Lytle was a technically proficient fighter but he employed a fan-friendly style of brawling that pleased both fans and the UFC brass alike. Lytle ended his career in the UFC having won five of his last six fights, so when he announced his retirement in 2011 — prior to his main-event fight against Dan Hardy at UFC on Versus 5 — many fans were shocked. That night, Lytle submitted Hardy, something that even then-champion GSP couldn’t do. The performance earned him Fight of the Night and Submission of the night bonuses and he celebrated the moment by bringing his kids into the Octagon. It was an emotional ending to an incredible 54-fight career that saw him earn 10 “Of the Night” bonuses, including an unofficial 11th one for his submission over Matt Brown (the actual bonus went to the Brock Lesnar).
Lytle fought for many of the top MMA promotions around the world including Cage Rage, Pancrase, IFL, WEC, and UFC. Incredibly he was never submitted or knocked out in his entire 54-fight career. When Lytle was cast on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback season, he was already well-known to hardcore fans, but it was the reality show that introduced him to mainstream fans and earned him a reputation as a gritty fighter and all-around good guy. In the final, Lytle lost a decision to Matt Serra, but it was close and one judge even gave him the fight 30-27. Even though he lost that fight, he did manage to beat Serra in a rematch.
Part of Lytle’s blue-collar appeal can be attributed to the fact that while training and fighting he also worked full-time as a firefighter at the Indianapolis Fire Department. He was also highly involved in the local community, running for the Indiana State Senate in 2012 and establishing a charity for at-risk youth. In late 2013, Lytle indicated that he could be lured back to the UFC — with his wife’s approval no less — for a big paycheck so that his family could finally “get that lake house.” Still training and sparring, Lytle said he’d be willing to come back for a short notice fight against a Nick Diaz-type fighter, as long as it didn’t require a long, arduous and time-consuming training camp. Whether or not a comeback ever happens, Lytle had a storybook ending to his illustrious MMA career. His decision to retire wasn’t about chronic injuries or declining ability; it was about other obligations and wanting to spend more time with his family. It’s a lesson that up-and-coming fighters should take note of.
(Photo via Getty)
Brian “All-American” Stann may have ended his career going 1-3, but this isn’t a list about fighters who ended on a winning streak; it’s about fighters who realized they had nothing left to prove and left the sport for longer-lasting pursuits, which is exactly why Stann deserves to be on this list. Besides, it’s not as though Stann’s final losses were against scrubs; they were against some of the best middleweights to ever enter the Octagon, including Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, and Michael Bisping.
Stann was the type of fighter who struggled against top-10 fighters but easily disposed of the mid-tier fighters. Personable and a favorite of the UFC brass, he certainly could have competed in the UFC for a long time as a gatekeeper for the middleweight division. But Stann was too smart to fall into that life. He has more going on outside of the fight game than most fighters, and he chose to capitalize on his non-fighting skills rather than being resigned to “perennial contender” status. As far as a life outside of fighting, Stann is best known as being a Silver Star U.S. Marine who served in Iraq. Currently, he runs a non-profit, called Hire Heroes, for U.S. military veterans to find work, and acts as a commentator for both the UFC on Fox and Atlantic Coast Conference football games. He has also authored a book about his life in and out of the cage.
Stann is now retired, focusing on broadcasting, his charitable endeavors and family. When he announced his departure from MMA, Stann stated it was because he has three young daughters and he didn’t want to risk brain injury after years of football, MMA and explosions in combat. He left the game with some hardware — he won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship — and his final bout against Wanderlei Silva was one of the most thrilling UFC fights of all time. Silva called their two-round war, at the UFC’s return to Japan in March 2013, one of the best fights of his career, which is incredible considering the wars that Silva has been in. Stann may not have ended his career on a win but that fight cemented his legacy as a warrior who will be fondly remembered by fight fans.
On the next page: The first “Face of WMMA,” the “Engineer of Pain,” and five honorable mentions…
@philmrwonderful super awesome job boss…!!!!! U are the man!!! Fuck you @brianstann learn how to be an unbiased commentator bitch. Don’t ?#?hate? cuz he beat Ur ass too!!!
Vera, of course, is a totally unbiased observer, who just happens to be a longtime training partner of Phil Davis. But hey, that’s the drawback of social media — any asshole with an Internet connection can tell you how to do your job.
As you can imagine, Brian Stann is too classy to respond to Vera’s angry insults, but Vera did make a retraction after he cooled off a bit:
(Years of being a Marine have trained him to show no emotion. But on the inside, Brian Stann is sobbing into his Pillow Pet. / Photo via MMAWeekly)
@philmrwonderful super awesome job boss…!!!!! U are the man!!! Fuck you @brianstann learn how to be an unbiased commentator bitch. Don’t ?#?hate? cuz he beat Ur ass too!!!
Vera, of course, is a totally unbiased observer, who just happens to be a longtime training partner of Phil Davis. But hey, that’s the drawback of social media — any asshole with an Internet connection can tell you how to do your job.
As you can imagine, Brian Stann is too classy to respond to Vera’s angry insults, but Vera did make a retraction after he cooled off a bit:
@BrianStann tho my opinion remains the same my choice of words shoulda been better. For my words I apologize.
For those of you who watched UFC 163 on Saturday, what did you think of Brian Stann’s performance in the broadcast booth? And was he more or less “biased” than regular color-man Joe Rogan?
: @thefoxidentity #Champion2016
