Tag: curses

The UFC Picked a Hell of a Week to Go to Mexico City…

(via reddit/MMA)

On Saturday night, protesters in Mexico City set fire to the front doors of the National Palace and attempted to break inside, in response to the abduction and mass murder of 43 students by drug cartel gangsters in September. Protests have been escalating since late last week, as outraged citizens and families of the victims blame local government officials and crooked police for the horrific incident.

The National Palace is about 7.5 miles away from the Arena Ciudad de México, which will host UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt this weekend, a card that has already been torn apart by injuries. Things were bad enough when the card lost Cain Velasquez as a headliner — now the UFC will have to pull off a show during a period of civil unrest, where people are literally trying to burn a palace down. International attention is on Mexico City right now for the worst possible reasons. Can an American cage-fighting promotion bring some healing to this terrible moment?

Short answer: No, of course not. At this point, UFC 180 has to be one of the top 5 most cursed events ever, and I honestly feel bad for the UFC, which really doesn’t happen often. Stay safe, everybody.


(via reddit/MMA)

On Saturday night, protesters in Mexico City set fire to the front doors of the National Palace and attempted to break inside, in response to the abduction and mass murder of 43 students by drug cartel gangsters in September. Protests have been escalating since late last week, as outraged citizens and families of the victims blame local government officials and crooked police for the horrific incident.

The National Palace is about 7.5 miles away from the Arena Ciudad de México, which will host UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt this weekend, a card that has already been torn apart by injuries. Things were bad enough when the card lost Cain Velasquez as a headliner — now the UFC will have to pull off a show during a period of civil unrest, where people are literally trying to burn a palace down. International attention is on Mexico City right now for the worst possible reasons. Can an American cage-fighting promotion bring some healing to this terrible moment?

Short answer: No, of course not. At this point, UFC 180 has to be one of the top 5 most cursed events ever, and I honestly feel bad for the UFC, which really doesn’t happen often. Stay safe, everybody.

OMFG: Renan Barao Withdraws From UFC 177 After Botched Weight Cut, Joe Soto Replaces Him Against TJ Dillashaw


(Please, Renan, you’re scaring the children. / Photo via MMAWeekly)

As karmic retribution for the UFC trying to sell us a garbage-ass pay-per-view, Renan Barao withdrew from his UFC 177 headlining fight against TJ Dillashaw earlier today, following complications during his weight cut.

According to a statement provided to MMAFighting.com by Nova Uniao, “Barao felt dizzy when leaving the tub in his hotel room and hit his head against the wall. The bantamweight passed out and was rushed to the hospital.” A catchweight bout between Barao and Dillashaw was not considered due to safety concerns. Barao is currently recovering in a Sacramento hospital.

As a result of the withdrawal, the UFC has drafted — get this — former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Soto to step in on a day’s notice against Dillashaw. Soto is riding a six-fight win streak, and was set to make his UFC debut tomorrow night against Anthony Birchak (never heard of him) on the prelims. So now, tomorrow’s pay-per-view event is UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto. Card subject to change. Refunds now available.

UFC 177 was so star-deprived that Renan Barao himself was the biggest name on the card. And now he’s gone. God help us all. UFC 177 will proceed with just eight fights on the card. When we woke up this morning, there were ten, but then Henry Cejudo did his thing, and now this. Unreal.

“(Barao) is scared,” Dillashaw said after the bad news broke. “He doesn’t want it. His coaches wanted the rematch more than he did. He’s never missed weight before. It’s kinda funny he does it now.”

Also:


(Please, Renan, you’re scaring the children. / Photo via MMAWeekly)

As karmic retribution for the UFC trying to sell us a garbage-ass pay-per-view, Renan Barao withdrew from his UFC 177 headlining fight against TJ Dillashaw earlier today, following complications during his weight cut.

According to a statement provided to MMAFighting.com by Nova Uniao, “Barao felt dizzy when leaving the tub in his hotel room and hit his head against the wall. The bantamweight passed out and was rushed to the hospital.” A catchweight bout between Barao and Dillashaw was not considered due to safety concerns. Barao is currently recovering in a Sacramento hospital.

As a result of the withdrawal, the UFC has drafted — get this — former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Soto to step in on a day’s notice against Dillashaw. Soto is riding a six-fight win streak, and was set to make his UFC debut tomorrow night against Anthony Birchak (never heard of him) on the prelims. So now, tomorrow’s pay-per-view event is UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto. Card subject to change. Refunds now available.

UFC 177 was so star-deprived that Renan Barao himself was the biggest name on the card. And now he’s gone. God help us all. UFC 177 will proceed with just eight fights on the card. When we woke up this morning, there were ten, but then Henry Cejudo did his thing, and now this. Unreal.

“(Barao) is scared,” Dillashaw said after the bad news broke. “He doesn’t want it. His coaches wanted the rematch more than he did. He’s never missed weight before. It’s kinda funny he does it now.”

Also:

And finally, here’s today’s weigh-in staredown between Dillashaw and Soto:

Dillashaw seems appreciative; it’s great that he’ll still get a chance to compete. But seriously guys, don’t buy this one.

Karo Parisyan Becomes the Latest UFC Vet to Drop Off the Cursed Bellator 106 Card


(“Say kid, have I ever told you about the time I made Steven Seagal shit his pants? I have? Dozens of times? Well let me tell you again…” / Photo via CombatLifestyle.com)

First, Tito Ortiz‘s neck injury tanked the pay-per-view, pulling Rampage Jackson off the card with him. Then, Vinny Spartan blew his knee out, dragging Cheick Kongo out as well. And now, a fifth UFC washout has dropped off this Saturday’s Bellator 106: Chandler vs. Alvarez 2 card in Long Beach. (Update: I forgot about Terry Etim. That would make it six.)

Due to an undisclosed injury, welterweight Karo Parisyan has withdrawn from his scheduled match against Cristiano Souza. Parisyan, who has had a long history of back injuries (and self-medication, and questionable fight-withdrawals) was unsuccessful in his Bellator debut back in April, suffering a second-round knockout loss to fellow judoka Rick Hawn. Souza will remain on Saturday’s card against Alejandro Garcia, a natural featherweight (!?) who was a part of the Fight Master cast.

The current 10-fight lineup for Bellator 106 is below. Beware, Joe Riggs — the UFC washout injury curse is coming for you next…


(“Say kid, have I ever told you about the time I made Steven Seagal shit his pants? I have? Dozens of times? Well let me tell you again…” / Photo via CombatLifestyle.com)

First, Tito Ortiz‘s neck injury tanked the pay-per-view, pulling Rampage Jackson off the card with him. Then, Vinny Spartan blew his knee out, dragging Cheick Kongo out as well. And now, a fifth UFC washout has dropped off this Saturday’s Bellator 106: Chandler vs. Alvarez 2 card in Long Beach. (Update: I forgot about Terry Etim. That would make it six.)

Due to an undisclosed injury, welterweight Karo Parisyan has withdrawn from his scheduled match against Cristiano Souza. Parisyan, who has had a long history of back injuries (and self-medication, and questionable fight-withdrawals) was unsuccessful in his Bellator debut back in April, suffering a second-round knockout loss to fellow judoka Rick Hawn. Souza will remain on Saturday’s card against Alejandro Garcia, a natural featherweight (!?) who was a part of the Fight Master cast.

The current 10-fight lineup for Bellator 106 is below. Beware, Joe Riggs — the UFC washout injury curse is coming for you next…

MAIN CARD (Spike TV)
Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez
Pat Curran vs. Daniel Straus
Muhammed Lawal vs. Emanuel Newton
Joe Riggs vs. Mike Bronzoulis
Mike Richman vs. Akop Stepanyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)
Jesse Juarez vs. Joe Williams
Joe Camacho vs. Cleber Luciano
Brandon Halsey vs. Hector Ramirez
Mike Guymon vs. Aaron Miller
Darren Smith vs. Josh Smith

Cursewatch: UFC 163 Loses Two More Fighters to Injury/Fear of Brazilians


(Clint Hester sends Bristol Marunde into a graveyard spiral at the TUF 17 Finale. Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting)

Ladies and gents, we got ourselves a curse goin’. After losing three notable American fighters due to injury — Anthony Pettis, Josh Koscheck, and Robert Drysdale — we have even more UFC 163: Aldo vs. Zombie withdrawals to report today. Also falling off the August 3rd card in Rio are…

– TUF 17 castmember Clint “Headbussa” Hester, the Georgia-bred middleweight who was supposed to face TUF: Brazil winner Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. Hester has pulled out of the main card bout due to injury, and Ferreira will now face 8-1 newcomer Thiago “Marreta” Santos.

– British flyweight Phil “Billy” Harris is also out of his scheduled main card bout (for undisclosed reasons) against Brazilian contender John Lineker, who will now be facing 33-3 veteran Jose Maria Tome.

Is it a coincidence that four Americans and one Brit have all pulled out of scheduled matchups against Brazilian fighters on this card? Yes. Do Brazilian UFC fighters have a notoriously high win-percentage while fighting at home? Sure. Should we file this under #boringconspiracies? Why the hell not.

The current UFC 163 lineup is after the jump. You know it’s a bad-sign when a barnraiser like Machida vs. Davis is by far the second-most-interesting match on this card…


(Clint Hester sends Bristol Marunde into a graveyard spiral at the TUF 17 Finale. Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting)

Ladies and gents, we got ourselves a curse goin’. After losing three notable American fighters due to injury — Anthony Pettis, Josh Koscheck, and Robert Drysdale — we have even more UFC 163: Aldo vs. Zombie withdrawals to report today. Also falling off the August 3rd card in Rio are…

– TUF 17 castmember Clint “Headbussa” Hester, the Georgia-bred middleweight who was supposed to face TUF: Brazil winner Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. Hester has pulled out of the main card bout due to injury, and Ferreira will now face 8-1 newcomer Thiago “Marreta” Santos.

– British flyweight Phil “Billy” Harris is also out of his scheduled main card bout (for undisclosed reasons) against Brazilian contender John Lineker, who will now be facing 33-3 veteran Jose Maria Tome.

Is it a coincidence that four Americans and one Brit have all pulled out of scheduled matchups against Brazilian fighters on this card? Yes. Do Brazilian UFC fighters have a notoriously high win-percentage while fighting at home? Sure. Should we file this under #boringconspiracies? Why the hell not.

The current UFC 163 lineup is after the jump. You know it’s a bad-sign when a barnraiser like Machida vs. Davis is by far the second-most-interesting match on this card…

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)
Jose Aldo vs. Chan Sung Jung
Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida
Cezar Ferreira vs. Thiago Santos
Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson
John Lineker vs. Jose Maria Tome

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT)
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh
Sheila Gaff vs. Amanda Nunes
Neil Magny vs. Sergio Moraes
Ian McCall vs. Iliarde Santos

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
Josh Clopton vs. Rani Yahya
Francimar Barroso vs. Ednaldo Oliveira
Viscardi Andrade vs. Bristol Marunde

Friday Link Dump: Ronda Rousey’s Manager Responds to Sandy Hook Controversy, Nick Newell Argues for ‘Equal Opportunity’ in the UFC, Kimbo’s Next Boxing Match + More

(The Gracie Brothers speak out about the rape case involving Lloyd Irvin students, and explain how an unhealthy training environment could contribute to similar situations. / Props: GracieBreakdown)

– Eddie Alvarez Offered UFC 159 Co-Main Event; Will Seek Injunction at Court Hearing on Jan 25 (BleacherReport)

– Manager: UFC Champ Ronda Rousey Meant No Disrespect With Sandy Hook Video (MMAJunkie)

– Nick Newell to Dana White: ‘I Want My Equal Opportunity’ (MMAFighting)

– Why the ‘Frank Mir Curse’ May Spell Doom for Daniel Cormier’s Octagon Career (MMAMania)

– Kimbo Slice to Box Shane Tilyard, Jan. 30 in Sydney (TheSweetScience)

– Dan Henderson Won’t Wait For Title Fight (FightDay)

– The 25 Greatest Trash-Talkers in Sports History (Complex)

– “I Know A Liar When I’m Around One.”: Manti Te’o’s Uncle Comments On Ronaiah Tuiasosopo (Deadspin)

– 7 Scariest Workout Injuries — And How to Prevent Them (MensFitness)

– The Screen Junkies Show: ‘Django’ Toy Review In South Central (ScreenJunkies)

– The 30 Most Awkward Childhood Photos Ever (WorldWideInterweb)


(The Gracie Brothers speak out about the rape case involving Lloyd Irvin students, and explain how an unhealthy training environment could contribute to similar situations. / Props: GracieBreakdown)

– Eddie Alvarez Offered UFC 159 Co-Main Event; Will Seek Injunction at Court Hearing on Jan 25 (BleacherReport)

– Manager: UFC Champ Ronda Rousey Meant No Disrespect With Sandy Hook Video (MMAJunkie)

– Nick Newell to Dana White: ‘I Want My Equal Opportunity’ (MMAFighting)

– Why the ‘Frank Mir Curse’ May Spell Doom for Daniel Cormier’s Octagon Career (MMAMania)

– Kimbo Slice to Box Shane Tilyard, Jan. 30 in Sydney (TheSweetScience)

– Dan Henderson Won’t Wait For Title Fight (FightDay)

– The 25 Greatest Trash-Talkers in Sports History (Complex)

– “I Know A Liar When I’m Around One.”: Manti Te’o’s Uncle Comments On Ronaiah Tuiasosopo (Deadspin)

– 7 Scariest Workout Injuries — And How to Prevent Them (MensFitness)

– The Screen Junkies Show: ‘Django’ Toy Review In South Central (ScreenJunkies)

– The 30 Most Awkward Childhood Photos Ever (WorldWideInterweb)

Forrest Griffin Suffers Knee Injury, Out of UFC 155 Fight With Phil Davis [CURSEPOCALYPSE 2012]

(I mean, seriously. Y’know?)

The UFC Injury Curse of 2012 has another big-name trophy to hang on its wall — Forrest Griffin, who will miss his UFC 155 main card match against Phil Davis on December 29th due to a wrecked knee. UFC president Dana White passes along the sad (but at this point completely unsurprising) news:

Forrest Has MCL tear and ACL strain. 20 cc’s of blood removed from his knee and the saga continues at the UFC!!

No word yet on whether Davis will be getting a replacement opponent at the “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II” event, or if he’ll be pulled from the lineup. Keep in mind that Davis was himself a replacement for Chael Sonnen, who ditched his matchup against Forrest when his TUF 17 coaching opportunity came up.

We’ll update you when we hear more.


(I mean, seriously. Y’know?)

The UFC Injury Curse of 2012 has another big-name trophy to hang on its wall — Forrest Griffin, who will miss his UFC 155 main card match against Phil Davis on December 29th due to a wrecked knee. UFC president Dana White passes along the sad (but at this point completely unsurprising) news:

Forrest Has MCL tear and ACL strain. 20 cc’s of blood removed from his knee and the saga continues at the UFC!!

No word yet on whether Davis will be getting a replacement opponent at the “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II” event, or if he’ll be pulled from the lineup. Keep in mind that Davis was himself a replacement for Chael Sonnen, who ditched his matchup against Forrest when his TUF 17 coaching opportunity came up.

We’ll update you when we hear more.