While many are complaining over Conor McGregor not defending his featherweight title and jumping ahead of other lightweight contenders for a shot at that belt, Anthony Pettis can honestly say he understands what “Notorious” is doing.
Pettis, who made his debut at 145 pounds earlier this year and submitted Charles Oliveira, wanted to do exactly what McGregor is right now when he was UFC champion.
“I was trying to do that when I was champ,” he said, during an appearance on UFC Tonight. “Right when I won the belt, I called out Aldo. Conor is winning fights, knocking guys out. He’s winning fights. That was my plan. He’s selling the fights.”
McGregor will challenge Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title next month and has yet to defend his own belt since winning it last year. Instead, he fought twice at 170 pounds opposite Nate Diaz.
As for his own future, “Showtime” is looking to carve out his place in MMA history.
“I want to be two-division champ,” he said. “I want (Jose) Aldo. If he’s ready, let’s go. He’s more frustrated than trying to retire. He’s not going to retire. He want’s Conor, but Conor is busy. I’m here. My name is big.”
While many are complaining over Conor McGregor not defending his featherweight title and jumping ahead of other lightweight contenders for a shot at that belt, Anthony Pettis can honestly say he understands what “Notorious” is doing.
Pettis, who made his debut at 145 pounds earlier this year and submitted Charles Oliveira, wanted to do exactly what McGregor is right now when he was UFC champion.
“I was trying to do that when I was champ,” he said, during an appearance on UFC Tonight. “Right when I won the belt, I called out Aldo. Conor is winning fights, knocking guys out. He’s winning fights. That was my plan. He’s selling the fights.”
McGregor will challenge Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title next month and has yet to defend his own belt since winning it last year. Instead, he fought twice at 170 pounds opposite Nate Diaz.
As for his own future, “Showtime” is looking to carve out his place in MMA history.
“I want to be two-division champ,” he said. “I want (Jose) Aldo. If he’s ready, let’s go. He’s more frustrated than trying to retire. He’s not going to retire. He want’s Conor, but Conor is busy. I’m here. My name is big.”
Tony Ferguson has his own career to worry about, as the red-hot lightweight contender meets former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos in November.
But, that doesn’t mean “El Cucuy” is ignoring all the talk centering around UFC 205 and the lightweight title fight between champion Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor.
Recently, Ferguson appeared on “Submission Radio” to give his thoughts on the encounter:
“Honestly, I hope they both knock each other out to be perfectly honest. It’d be kind of cool, we haven’t seen a double KO in a while. I just hope it’s a good fight. (There’s) a lot of shit talk, a lot of hype and stuff. I just hope it’s more than one round. Give the crowd a fight. Give them something that everybody wants to see, which is a good bloody war.”
As for his main event fight in Mexico City with dos Anjos, Ferguson sees himself taking RDA to “snap down city.”
“I’m gonna snap his ass down. I’m gonna put him in snap down city and I’m gonna get him so lost in that place that he has no idea and I’m gonna choke him out. That’s going to come after a barrage of strikes. I’m gonna hit that nose and make his eyes water and make him shoot – It happens with everybody – and once he does, I’m gonna cut him up with my elbows and I’m gonna stuff some knees in there. If he tries to take me down, I’m gonna put him in 10th Planet territory and it’s over for RDA.”
Tony Ferguson has his own career to worry about, as the red-hot lightweight contender meets former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos in November.
But, that doesn’t mean “El Cucuy” is ignoring all the talk centering around UFC 205 and the lightweight title fight between champion Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor.
Recently, Ferguson appeared on “Submission Radio” to give his thoughts on the encounter:
“Honestly, I hope they both knock each other out to be perfectly honest. It’d be kind of cool, we haven’t seen a double KO in a while. I just hope it’s a good fight. (There’s) a lot of shit talk, a lot of hype and stuff. I just hope it’s more than one round. Give the crowd a fight. Give them something that everybody wants to see, which is a good bloody war.”
As for his main event fight in Mexico City with dos Anjos, Ferguson sees himself taking RDA to “snap down city.”
“I’m gonna snap his ass down. I’m gonna put him in snap down city and I’m gonna get him so lost in that place that he has no idea and I’m gonna choke him out. That’s going to come after a barrage of strikes. I’m gonna hit that nose and make his eyes water and make him shoot – It happens with everybody – and once he does, I’m gonna cut him up with my elbows and I’m gonna stuff some knees in there. If he tries to take me down, I’m gonna put him in 10th Planet territory and it’s over for RDA.”
Not too many people are happy about the recent booking of UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and UFC 145-pound champ Conor McGregor headlining UFC 205 next month, and one such man who isn’t too hot about the idea is none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor will attempt to make history when he takes on Alvarez,
Not too many people are happy about the recent booking of UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and UFC 145-pound champ Conor McGregor headlining UFC 205 next month, and one such man who isn’t too hot about the idea is none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor will attempt to make history when he takes on Alvarez, as the current 145-pound title holder is eying to become the first man in UFC history to hold two titles in different weight classes simultaneously.
Alvarez is a fresh champion who is coming off of a first round knockout win over Rafael dos Anjos to secure the lightweight crown, and is hoping to derail the Irishman’s hype train on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts (MMA) history.
By doing this, however, he will be leaving No. 1-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov waiting in the wings for his long awaited shot at the division’s championship, as he will instead be taking on Michael Johnson on the same card that ‘The Silent Assassin’ and ‘The Notorious One’ will be headlining.
During a recent appearance on The Luke Thomas Show, courtesy of FightSports.TV, Nurmagomedov discussed Alvarez’s reluctance to meet him in the Octagon for the title, revealing the champ declined to fight him on three different offers:
“UFC said ‘You’re going to fight August 27 in Canada against Eddie.’ I said yes, I take this fight. Eddie does not take this fight. After this UFC gives me UFC 205, Eddie say no. 206, Eddie say no.”
‘The Eagle’ went on to claim that if he doesn’t get his title opportunity after his match with Johnson, he’ll show them just how powerful he is in his home-country of Russia:
“After this fight I have to fight for the title,” he said. “UFC thinks Conor has power? Ireland only has like 6 million people. I am from Russia, 150 million people. If UFC don’t give me the title fight after this fight, I’m going to show how I have power in Russia and I know if I don’t fight for the title next fight, UFC will never ever go to Russia.”
Nurmagomedov went on to point out the fact that Alvarez called for an easy fight after his title win over ‘RDA’, stating that Alvarez knows he is a bad match-up for him:
“Eddie understands who is who,” Nurmagomedov said. “Eddie and all his coaches know ‘This [is a] very tough fight for me.’ He even said ‘I want an easy fight’. No, you’re champion. You fight #1 ranked, and #1 ranked is not easy. For me, it’s a crazy situation. But it’s ok, life is going and I’m going to keep going and I’m going to finish Michael Johnson at UFC 205 and after this I’m going to fight for the title.
“I’d rather take this fight because he signed with the UFC bullshit contract because he knows if he takes fight with me, his belt is going bye bye.”
In an even bolder statement the Russian went on to promise that if he isn’t granted his shot at the 155-pound throne with a potential win over ‘The Menace’, he won’t fight for the UFC again:
“If I don’t fight after this fight for the title, I never fight in the UFC, no more. I deserve this. If UFC doesn’t give me title after fight — I don’t care about unanimous decision, split decision, first round KO. If I don’t fight, I’m gonna show how I have power in Russia. Because UFC think Conor have power? I have power too. This is not all about pay per view. I have power too. I’m gonna show this power.”
“Very soon,” he said, “a young and very hungry Eagle is going to change these rules.”
Nurmagomedov will meet Johnson on the preliminary card of UFC 205 live on FS1, from the Madison Square Garden arena in New York City on November 12, 2016.
The chance of it actually happening was always next to nothing, but it seems like the prospect of a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather bout just won’t seem to go away. It was close to being on the verge of gone, with Mayweather recently stating it was time to move on. However, McGregor brought the
The chance of it actually happening was always next to nothing, but it seems like the prospect of a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather bout just won’t seem to go away.
It was close to being on the verge of gone, with Mayweather recently stating it was time to move on. However, McGregor brought the ridiculous potential super fight up yet again at last week’s UFC 205 press conference, adding that he might move on to face ‘Money’ after he was done with Eddie Alvarez at the UFC’s massive event from New York City.
But UFC President Dana White isn’t buying that. The outspoken exec met up with TMZ Sports (transcribed by Bloody Elbow) to give his opinion that the fight was never happening, and the two don’t actually want to throw down:
In White’s opinion, the fact that the two combatants ruled different sports was one of the main factors of it not happening. And as expected, White deemed it a ruse for the sake of money:
TMZ: “They’ve been talking a lot about this McGregor/Mayweather thing. Do you still think it’s going to happen?”
White: “No. I never thought it was going to happen.”
TMZ: “You never thought it was going to happen?”
White: “No. Two totally different sports!”
White then moved on to remind people McGregor was currently under contract with the UFC, something that means a McGregor vs. Mayweather bout would be difficult to make happen even if the two superstars wanted it to:
TMZ: “Because McGregor and Mayweather seem to want to make it happen, badly.”
White: “They seem to want the money, probably! But I don’t know how bad they actually want to make that a reality. Listen, Conor’s under contract with me. We can start with kicks, punches, and elbows.”
McGregor is set to break his own pay-per-view records when he meets Alvarez at arguably the biggest MMA event of all time on November 12. If he beats “The Underground King” to earn a second UFC title, it’s anyone’s guess as to where ‘The Notorious’ will go next.
Just don’t count on him fighting Mayweather anytime soon, at least according to White.
When the UFC pulled the trigger on Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor for the UFC Lightweight Championship as the official main event for UFC 205, they apparently signed the Octagon retirement of arguably the greatest 145-pound fighter it has ever seen.
Jose Aldo noted after the Alvarez-McGregor news became public that he wanted out of his contract with the UFC, as he intends to retire after being given the run-around by UFC brass.
On Monday, the Brazilian MMA legend appeared on SporTV and finally elaborated on his desire to walk away from the sport.
When asked if he would change his mind and regain his interest and passion to fight inside the Octagon again if the company were to offer him the McGregor rematch he desired, Aldo claimed it would not.
“No. Not even that because that would be the right thing to happen,” Aldo said. “This fight is the fight that should happen next in the featherweight division. I conquered that [right] ever since I entered the UFC. I saw other champions losing and fighting right away for the belt. That was the right thing.
“I didn’t fight for the belt. They made me fight for the interim title, I went there and won, and still have no definition whatsoever. To me, not even a fight with McGregor… It’s not about him being fighting now or not. I don’t care where he’s going. I want to follow my path. Today, the right is me getting released from the contract.”
In another sign that he is serious about being done as an active professional MMA fighter, Aldo followed up by saying nothing will change his mind and that he’s not mad at the UFC or Dana White.
Aldo explained that he is still young, as he just turned 30 years old last month, and pointed out that he wants to enjoy his life outside of the cage and possibly conquer another field.
“It’s hard for me. If there’s something good [the UFC can do] is release me,” he said when asked if there’s anything the UFC could do to change his mind. “I don’t want to fight for other promotion. I’m at the level above. There’s no reason why leave the first division to fight at the second division when I’m well appreciated in the first division, it would mean taking a step back. I don’t want to fight for other promotion. I want to follow my way in a different sport, do new things. I’m a young guy, and I want to enjoy that side, too.
“A good thing would be if they release me without a fight. I’m not mad at the UFC or no one else. I like Dana, I have a special love for Lorenzo [Fertitta], a guy that always treated me well since I got to the UFC. If there’s something good from this, I hope they release me so I can follow my way and the UFC follows its way.”
Aldo went on to make the claim that McGregor is afraid to fight him, pointing out that the style he beat Frankie Edgar with at UFC 200 to become the interim UFC Featherweight Champion and earn the right to be the next to fight McGregor for the 145 pound title could beat anyone at 145 pounds.
“Everybody knows he’s scared to fight [me],” Aldo said. “He knows how dangerous I am for him for the fact that my last fight, everybody said that I had a safe performance and if I fight this way I don’t lose to anyone. I’ve seen him in press conferences saying that he would fight with Frankie Edgar but not against me. I think he’s scared.”
When the UFC pulled the trigger on Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor for the UFC Lightweight Championship as the official main event for UFC 205, they apparently signed the Octagon retirement of arguably the greatest 145-pound fighter it has ever seen.
Jose Aldo noted after the Alvarez-McGregor news became public that he wanted out of his contract with the UFC, as he intends to retire after being given the run-around by UFC brass.
On Monday, the Brazilian MMA legend appeared on SporTV and finally elaborated on his desire to walk away from the sport.
When asked if he would change his mind and regain his interest and passion to fight inside the Octagon again if the company were to offer him the McGregor rematch he desired, Aldo claimed it would not.
“No. Not even that because that would be the right thing to happen,” Aldo said. “This fight is the fight that should happen next in the featherweight division. I conquered that [right] ever since I entered the UFC. I saw other champions losing and fighting right away for the belt. That was the right thing.
“I didn’t fight for the belt. They made me fight for the interim title, I went there and won, and still have no definition whatsoever. To me, not even a fight with McGregor… It’s not about him being fighting now or not. I don’t care where he’s going. I want to follow my path. Today, the right is me getting released from the contract.”
In another sign that he is serious about being done as an active professional MMA fighter, Aldo followed up by saying nothing will change his mind and that he’s not mad at the UFC or Dana White.
Aldo explained that he is still young, as he just turned 30 years old last month, and pointed out that he wants to enjoy his life outside of the cage and possibly conquer another field.
“It’s hard for me. If there’s something good [the UFC can do] is release me,” he said when asked if there’s anything the UFC could do to change his mind. “I don’t want to fight for other promotion. I’m at the level above. There’s no reason why leave the first division to fight at the second division when I’m well appreciated in the first division, it would mean taking a step back. I don’t want to fight for other promotion. I want to follow my way in a different sport, do new things. I’m a young guy, and I want to enjoy that side, too.
“A good thing would be if they release me without a fight. I’m not mad at the UFC or no one else. I like Dana, I have a special love for Lorenzo [Fertitta], a guy that always treated me well since I got to the UFC. If there’s something good from this, I hope they release me so I can follow my way and the UFC follows its way.”
Aldo went on to make the claim that McGregor is afraid to fight him, pointing out that the style he beat Frankie Edgar with at UFC 200 to become the interim UFC Featherweight Champion and earn the right to be the next to fight McGregor for the 145 pound title could beat anyone at 145 pounds.
“Everybody knows he’s scared to fight [me],” Aldo said. “He knows how dangerous I am for him for the fact that my last fight, everybody said that I had a safe performance and if I fight this way I don’t lose to anyone. I’ve seen him in press conferences saying that he would fight with Frankie Edgar but not against me. I think he’s scared.”
When Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez stared each other down at the first UFC 205 pre-fight press conference recently at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, fans got goosebumps watching the two UFC champion…
https://youtu.be/hHq3iw3r1pM
When Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez stared each other down at the first UFC 205 pre-fight press conference recently at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, fans got goosebumps watching the two UFC champions go face-to-face for the first time.
If you ask Alvarez, however, it wasn’t that big of a deal at all compared to past face-offs. In fact, quite the contrary.
The Philadelphia native, who will be putting his UFC Lightweight Championship on the line against the Irish UFC Featherweight Champion at the first-ever UFC event held in the state of New York, told Ariel Helwani during his appearance on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” at MMAFighting.com that he has “never felt so unthreatened” by an opponent before.
“Usually when I square off with a man, my heart rate goes up, I feel something. I never felt so unthreatened by a human being as when I was up on a stage with him. That’s the God’s honest truth. I’ve never felt so unthreatened.”
When pressed to elaborate, Alvarez claimed that compared to the stacked lineup at 155 pounds, McGregor doesn’t possess the same well-rounded skillset or conditioning.
“They have a well-rounded skill set and even if the fight goes to another realm of MMA, from standing up, to ground, to jiu-jitsu, everyone is tough in each one. They’re well versed, to the point where they can hang with some of the toughest guys in the world in any aspect of the sport. And I don’t think [McGregor] can, from what I’ve seen.”
“The conditioning aspect is just not a good level of conditioning. The last Nate Diaz fight was a very big eye opener for me.”
UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor takes place on Saturday, November 12th from the world-famous Madison Square Garden Arena in New York City. Join us here at MMANews.com on 11/12 for live coverage of the pay-per-view!
‘The Eagle’ went on to claim that if he doesn’t get his title opportunity after his match with Johnson, he’ll show them just how powerful he is in his home-country of Russia:
Nurmagomedov will meet Johnson on the preliminary card of UFC 205 live on FS1, from the Madison Square Garden arena in New York City on November 12, 2016.
