Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley isn’t making a ton of new friends heading into his championship rematch with Stephen Thompson at this weekend’s (Sat., March 4, 2017) UFC 209 from Las Vegas. The polarizing titleholder was recently the subject of some heat from UFC President Dana White, who called Woodley out for fighting with his haters on social
Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley isn’t making a ton of new friends heading into his championship rematch with Stephen Thompson at this weekend’s (Sat., March 4, 2017) UFC 209 from Las Vegas.
The polarizing titleholder was recently the subject of some heat from UFC President Dana White, who called Woodley out for fighting with his haters on social media because of his oft-discussed accusations of racism in MMA. Woodley has often stated he’s the worst-treated champion in the UFC, and the doubters of those beliefs claim he’s hated simply because he started acting like he was owed super fights with Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz minutes after he won the belt from Robbie Lawler last year.
White called Woodley out on ESPN, praising his good qualities but noting he was a bit dramatic:
“He’s a smart guy, he’s a good-looking kid,” White said. “He’s explosive. He’s got knockout power. But he’s a bit of a drama queen.”
Whatever the reason, Woodley isn’t going to back down to those who don’t believe in him. Speaking up on today’s episode of The MMA Hour, Woodley told Ariel Helwani that White had no room to call anyone a drama queen:
“How is Dana White gonna call me a drama queen?” Woodley said. “He’s the biggest drama queen. I learned from the best. I just think that we’ve seen Dana, if you get Dana mad, he gets really mad,” Woodley said. “And then really quickly — I think he’s mad at so many people, I think he forgets he’s mad at you. And he almost just wipes it from his memory. I thought it was actually kind of funny when he called me a drama queen.”
While Woodley wants a ‘money fight’ and is open about it, White’s suggestions that he should be more like Conor McGregor seemed a bit contradictory, as while “The Chosen One” has attempted to hype up three big-name matches, in reality he’s only fought “Wonderboy” since he won the belt. The 34-year-old Duke Roufus fighter will readily he’s not like McGregor and will never be like the outspoken Irishman:
“I didn’t take it personal. I think what he was saying is that he feels as if some of the treatment that I was talking about and some of the buzz, he thinks that if I was more like Conor I would be a bigger star. Well, guess what? I will never be anything like Conor. So if that’s what it takes to be a star, then I will never be a star. You can’t tell a man to be like another man. That’s just not who I am. I just will never be it.”
Matt Riddle and Dana White aren’t likely to exchange Christmas cards at the end of 2017. Riddle, who used to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has made a splash on the independent wrestling scene. While Riddle seems to have moved on from professional mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, he hasn’t forgotten about his […]
Matt Riddle and Dana White aren’t likely to exchange Christmas cards at the end of 2017. Riddle, who used to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has made a splash on the independent wrestling scene. While Riddle seems to have moved on from professional mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, he hasn’t forgotten about his […]
In an interview with TMZ Sports on Friday, UFC President Dana White revealed that little progress has been made regarding a potential fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
As seen in the following video, White said, “We’re nowhere,” whe…
In an interview with TMZ Sports on Friday, UFC President Dana White revealed that little progress has been made regarding a potential fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
As seen in the following video, White said, “We’re nowhere,” when asked about negotiations between the sides:
Both McGregor and Mayweather have expressed interest in striking a deal to box each other, but Mayweather tweeted on Feb. 14 that no terms have been agreed upon:
While it remains unclear if or when McGregor and Mayweather will lock horns, White believes he knows what the UFC lightweight champion’s next fight will be.
White said he expects it to be an MMA encounter in the UFC against the winner of the lightweight tilt between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 on March 4.
The UFC president’s comments are in direct conflict with McGregor’s views, however, as the 28-year-old told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani (h/t Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie.com) on Jan. 28 that his next fight will be against Mayweather.
Shots have been fired between the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA. Back in 2014, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the UFC when several mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters accused the largest MMA promotion in the world of violating antitrust laws. This did not sit well with the UFC, obviously, so the promotion
Shots have been fired between the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA.
Back in 2014, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the UFC when several mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters accused the largest MMA promotion in the world of violating antitrust laws. This did not sit well with the UFC, obviously, so the promotion is fighting back and is hoping to use Bellator to prove that it treats the fighters the same, if not better than other MMA promotions. The key to proving all of this is to receive copies of Bellator’s financial details.
To no one’s surprise, Bellator President Scott Coker and Viacom, which is the parent company of Bellator, are not going to just hand over that important information just because the UFC attorneys asked for it. Bellator recently filed an affidavit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in an attempted to block subpoenas from UFC. In the affidavit, Bellator stated that they have already “produced in excess of two thousand pages of responsive documents” that pertains to the antitrust case, according to Sporting News.
The last thing that any business wants is for their competitor to be armed with all of their info as well as all of its trade secrets. Not only does it hurt Bellator but it could hurt the fighters as well when it comes to contract negotiations. Lawsuits usually drag on for as long as possible, and the perfect example of that is the antitrust lawsuit against the UFC as it’s already been two years and nothing has been accomplished so expect to see the next update in another two years, which would be 2019.
In the past few weeks, the talk of the long-rumored boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and longtime boxing king Floyd Mayweather has gone from merely speculation to a rolling hype train making it appear to be a mere formality to one day take place. It’s far from guaranteed, however, as a recent
In the past few weeks, the talk of the long-rumored boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and longtime boxing king Floyd Mayweather has gone from merely speculation to a rolling hype train making it appear to be a mere formality to one day take place.
It’s far from guaranteed, however, as a recent rumor revealing the two sides had agreed to a deal being shot down by both Mayweather and UFC President Dana White. MCGregor kept the press clippings rolling by posting a video of him training boxing, which was largely lambasted by many such as McGregor’s rival Nate Diaz.
But someone thinks McGregor is doing it on purpose, and that’s Colin Cowherd. The television host revealed on his show Friday (via FOX Sports) his opinion that the Irishman put the video out there on purpose in order to dupe Mayweather into thinking his skills are less than subpar:
“I think McGregor put this video out to show how bad he is. To entice Mayweather to sign the fight papers. Mayweather is seeing this thinking, ‘I have no chance to lose.’ McGregor would never go into the ring and fight like that against Mayweather. Why would you put a video out when you are barely beating a batboy? That kid just delivered a pizza in my neighborhood and McGregor can’t even land a punch on him?”
That may or may not be an interesting stance from Cowherd, who has been known to put his monstrous degree of pomp and circumstance into his UFC propaganda (in addition to being employed by the UFC’s cable network).
Regardless, McGregor has often been dubbed one of the most cerebral combatants in the fight game, seemingly often inside many of his opponents’ minds before they even set foot into the octagon. But he’ll be facing a foe of a much more evolved skillset for the rules system in place if he does finally square off opposite Mayweather.
Could McGregor be lulling “Money’s” team into false overconfidence, or is he truly not up to speed in the sport of kings?
As usual, Georges St-Pierre’s timing is impeccable.
With the UFC slumping out of the starting gate in 2017 and bankable stars like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones all MIA for one reason or another, the fight company badly needed some big-nam…
As usual, Georges St-Pierre’s timing is impeccable.
With the UFC slumping out of the starting gate in 2017 and bankable stars like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones all MIA for one reason or another, the fight company badly needed some big-name help to prop up its flagging live event schedule.
Friday’s news that St-Pierre has officially ended his three-year hiatus and will return to the Octagon should make folks breathe a little easier around the UFC’s Las Vegas headquarters.
It also immediately once again made the 35-year-old GSP the most interesting man in MMA.
UFC President Dana White told Pugmire there will be no shortage of options on the table when the former longtime welterweight champion next steps in the cage.
“It could be the winner between Tyron Woodley and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson [at UFC 209] or it could be Michael Bisping,” White said. “Georges has also talked about fighting at 155 pounds. He says he can make the weight. But I have no idea when he’s going to fight right now. We don’t have anything booked and literally haven’t talked to anybody about it.”
Responses to St-Pierre’s return from fans and analysts will no doubt run the full emotional gamut.
On one hand, it’s exhilarating that one of the sport’s best fighters is reentering the fray just when MMA seemed headed for a downturn.
For years, St-Pierre has been neck-and-neck with guys like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones in the race to be considered the greatest of all time. If he returns to the cage and wins another UFC title, there would be very little argument against proclaiming him the undisputed GOAT.
On the other hand, in a sport known to exact a terrible physical toll, there is bound to be a fair amount of concern for the well-liked GSP.
When he departed the sport near the end of 2013, it was immediately in the wake of a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. That fight left him bruised and battered, and he received an undeserved tongue-lashing from White at the press conference after announcing his plans to step away from the cage.
St-Pierre had long said fighting brought out his personal “dark side” and often spoke openly about the pressures of being UFC champion. For him to return now after what seemed to be a clean break from the sport is certainly going to cause some raised eyebrows and crossed fingers.
“You were out,” lamented MMA Fighting’s Chuck Mindenhall in a Friday column. “If B.J. Penn’s comeback bout with Yair Rodriguez reminded us of anything, it’s that there’s only different shades of humiliation to be found at the finish line in the fight game. Why come back to such a cruel environment, where so many bruisers are mashing their fists, hoping to take home your faculties like so many souvenirs?”
Considering St-Pierre’s advanced age and injury history, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden also pointed out perhaps we shouldn’t raise our hopes unfairly high here:
One thing is certain, however. For the UFC to get a drawing card as powerful as GSP back, just when it seemed to be headed for a rocky year on pay-per-view, could be a lifesaver. With Rousey potentially gone for good, McGregor seemingly more interested in boxing Floyd Mayweather than fighting again in the Octagon and Jones suspended until July, it needed this.
Expect nothing but the biggest money matchups for St-Pierre moving forward.
A 185-pound superfight against Silva has been bandied about for years and might make more sense now than ever before. The 41-year-old Silva is rarely mentioned these days as a legitimate title threat in the middleweight division he once ruled, and he just scraped by with a controversial decision victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 208.
Meanwhile, St-Pierre may well feel the need for a tune-up fight to knock off the rust of his recent inactivity before jumping into the thick of contemporary UFC competition. It’s possible a meeting with Silva might be the most logical first step.
If not that—or after it—perhaps the most intriguing and fresh idea surrounding GSP’s return is the notion of a lightweight title bout against McGregor.
St-Pierre has never made that division’s 155-pound weight limit but has long insisted he could do it. If he can, a matchup between the UFC’s previous PPV king and its new one could well set numerous financial records for the organization.
Would a lucrative matchup with St-Pierre be enough to convince McGregor to abandon his posturing about taking on Mayweather in a boxing match and sign on the dotted line? We have no way of knowing yet.
Aside from Silva and McGregor, a middleweight title fight against Bisping or a welterweight championship bout against the winner of Woodley vs. Thompson both make immediate sense for GSP.
He’s Georges St-Pierre, after all.
He’s earned the right to do just about anything he wants inside the Octagon.
Now, it just remains to be seen if this comeback helps bolster his case for GOAT-status or ultimately tarnishes his hard-won legacy.
In an interview with