“A lot of people inside the top 15, top 5, top 10 they’re gonna say, ‘What the f**k is happening? Why is Conor McGregor getting to skip the line?’ Well, guess what? As I said, this is prizefighting, this is pay-per-views, this is the UFC, and they put on the fights, historically that we want to see, okay?” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.
Charles Oliveira Conor McGregor
“The fights that we want to see, they are the fights the UFC put up. So, if you’re not happy that Conor McGregor might get to skip the line and fight the champion when he’s not even ranked, don’t blame Conor McGregor, don’t blame Dana White, don’t blame the UFC, blame your-f**king-self because you are ultimately responsible.”
Although Bisping says McGregor is unranked, that is not true. He is ranked ninth but he still is well outside the top-five, which is generally where you need to be to get a title shot. However, even when Bisping fought Dan Henderson for the belt, Henderson was ranked 10th, so we have seen this before. Additionally, Georges St-Pierre was also unranked at middleweight when he defeated Bisping for the title at UFC 217.
McGregor is the biggest star in MMA history and draws a ton of pay-per-views, so financially it does make sense for the UFC to put the Irishman in the title fight, even if he is on a two-fight losing skid.
Do you think Conor McGregor should get the next lightweight title shot?
Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant isn’t giving up on her Bare Knuckle FC ambitions, as she plans a return to the ring later this year.
After an up-and-down tenure in the UFC, VanZant became a free agent and opted to sign with BKFC. She ended up drop…
Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant isn’t giving up on her Bare Knuckle FC ambitions, as she plans a return to the ring later this year.
After an up-and-down tenure in the UFC, VanZant became a free agent and opted to sign with BKFC. She ended up dropping her first two fights with the promotion against Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich via unanimous decisions.
Despite her recent struggles, VanZant remains a big name in the promotion and is still relatively young in her career at 27. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, BKFC President Dave Feldman alluded to preliminary plans for VanZant’s return to bare-knuckle.
“She’s going to be fighting again,” Feldman said. “We were thinking about throwing her on the KnuckleMania card, too. I thought it was too much and we needed to just spread it out a little. I don’t have an exact date but I’d love to get her back in April. It would be great to get her back and there’s a lot of talent out there that would be good opponents for her, April-May-ish.”
Photo via Instagram @barekuncklefc
VanZant had hinted at a possible move to Bellator as her BKFC contract nears an end and also detailed some of her struggles away from competition. VanZant has a large following on a variety of social media platforms, and the pressure to perform may have been a bit overwhelming for her in recent fights.
Coincidentally, VanZant hasn’t won in any combat sport since defeating Ostovich in the UFC Octagon in 2019. Before that, she had lost fights to the likes of Jessica-Rose Clark, Michelle Waterson, and Rose Namajunas.
VanZant is looking to get back on track in her professional fighting career and more than likely needs to get back in the win column in her next appearance to do so.
Do you think Paige VanZant has championship potential in BKFC?
UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich has reflected on his participation in the January 6 protest rally at the Capitol, an experience he says resulted in him losing his job.
January 6, 2021 is a day that will forever be marked in American history. On that…
UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich has reflected on his participation in the January 6 protest rally at the Capitol, an experience he says resulted in him losing his job.
January 6, 2021 is a day that will forever be marked in American history. On that day, over 10,000 protestors congregated outside the US Capitol in protest of the 2020 United States Presidential Election results. However, there are wildly varying interpretations of what the precise purpose of the protest was and whether the participants were “terrorists” or “patriots.”
Evan Vucci/AP Photo
The use of either label on the protesters is likely to draw strong reactions that are equal parts confused and angry from the opposing viewpoint, but the inaugural UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich is confident about who and what he saw from the majority of people who were alongside him at the rally.
“That day in Washington D.C., I went there,” Miletich told ABC WQAD8. “I went there and all the people I talked to, which were people of all walks of life…All they were talking about was election integrity and freedom…The thing that actually motivated me to go was thinking about my children’s freedoms…
“There was no talk of violence. It was a love fest.”
Once a large portion of the protestors began storming the Capitol, that is when Miletich says he realized this was no longer the same event he was originally participating in.
“When that took place, myself and my friends all looked at each other and said, nope, it’s too obvious. The optics don’t look good,” he said.
When Miletich’s attendance at the protest became public, there was strong backlash, which he said contributed to the loss of his job working with an MMA promotion.
“Suddenly there was an uproar that I had been responsible for some sort of domestic terrorism and a supporter of white supremacy, which is a joke…” Miletich said. “I did nothing but show up and express my First Amendment rights.”
Pat Miletich can be found in the center, second from the left. The man to the far right is flashing what has been determined by multiple sources to be a symbol for “White Power,” a determination that is often contested.
There were reports last year of Legacy Fighting Alliance distancing itself from Miletich as a color commentator prior to an event, but the promotion was not directly mentioned by Miletich in this recent interview.
Many people who were active participants of the riot portion of the protest have faced stiffer penalties, including jail time. Among them is ex-MMA fighter Scott “Wildman” Fairlamb, who was sentenced to 41 months for assaulting a police officer during the riot.
Looking back, Miletich stands by his participation in the non-violent portion of the protest because he feels it was the exercising of his rights as an American in the fight for something bigger and that he hopes will impact future generations.
“To me, that’s what’s most important,” Miletich said. “What kind of world are we going to leave our children…
“We’ve got serious problems on our hands if citizens can’t come together and understand who the real enemy is, the problems are never going to be solved,” Miletich said.
No specifics were provided regarding who the precise enemy is or the world Miletich is fearful of that contributed to his attendance of the protest and is thus open for interpretation. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research from various sources to learn more about the Jan. 6 Capitol protest and the ideologies associated with it.
Miletich still works as a freelancer in sports broadcasting and also teaches self-defense classes in addition to training military members and law enforcement officers.
Miletich retired with an MMA record of 29-7-2 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history. As champion, Miletich had four successful title defenses and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2014. His last professional bout was in 2008 in a victory over Thomas Denny.
MMA News had the chance to catch up with Pat Miletich last year, where the Hall of Famer discussed a wide array of topics. You can view that interview below.
As her ongoing feud with Jake Paul continues, Claressa Shields has denied having knowledge of her manager’s apparent pursuit to get her onto the YouTuber’s cards.
What initially began as a seemingly harmless back and forth between Paul and Shields …
As her ongoing feud with Jake Paul continues, Claressa Shields has denied having knowledge of her manager’s apparent pursuit to get her onto the YouTuber’s cards.
The rivalry picked up when Paul chose to mock Shields following her first professional loss in combat sports last October. Having won her MMA debut with a memorable comeback, Shields was unable to overcome her ground deficiencies when she met Abigail Montes at the 2021 PFL Finale.
Abigail Montes, Claressa Shields, Jake Paul
After “The Problem Child” branded Shields a “loser” for her two-fight MMA career and attitude, the two-time Olympic gold medalist hit back on Twitter.
? this is funny. You come running when I lose a split decision in a while new world mma but never even once said “congrats on all you’ve done and aspire to do.” 2 things that remain Jake, I still fight better than you & you won’t accomplish 10% of what I have in boxing or life https://t.co/V6TpqSNkQW
“This is funny. You come running when I lose a split decision in a while new world mma but never even once said “congrats on all you’ve done and aspire to do.” 2 things that remain Jake, I still fight better than you & you won’t accomplish 10% of what I have in boxing or life.”
Fast forward just over a month of further exchanges and Paul’s management team BAVAFA Sports made a surprising claim. In their own social media post, they suggested Shields’ team had been trying to get onto the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s cards, a sentiment shared by Paul to USA Today Sports+.
“We didn’t want her on for many different reasons. She took that to heart,” claimed Paul.
What’s hilarious is the multiple times you and your team tried to be a part of a Jake Paul event. Time reveals all. #Receipts
Unsurprisingly, Shields wasn’t about to let her reputation be damaged without a fight. In a Twitter rant, the 26-year-old threatened to sue Paul and his team for defamation.
@BAVAFASports y’all bout to get sued! Because Claressa Shields ain’t never asked to be on Jake Paul undercard. You sound crazy as hell! My lawyer will be reaching out though! Use my name for clout. I’ll use your name for a check ? losers
In the tweet from Jake Paul’s management team, they hinted at having “receipts” that supported their claims. In leaked emails obtained by USA Today Sports+, that evidence has now come to light, and it makes for pretty grim reading for Shields and her team.
In correspondences sent to Paul’s manager Nakisa Bidarian by Shields’ manager Mark Taffet and promoter Dmitry Salita, the boxing champion’s team apparently pushed to get their client on two cards that featured Paul.
Per USA Today Sports+’s review of the emails, an initial pursuit of a place for Shields on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. card in November 2020 didn’t come to fruition.
Discussing why there was no place for the “GWOAT,” Bidarian, who assisted Triller’s Ryan Kavanaugh ahead of the event, suggested she simply didn’t have the numbers or viewers to justify the remuneration her manager was after.
“Claressa is obviously one of the best female boxers of all time, but the numbers (of viewers) she has didn’t make sense for us in terms of what Mark was hoping to achieve for her (in purse money), so I didn’t think it added to the Tyson-Jones pay-per-view, which ended up being the eighth largest in history,” said Bidarian.
While Shields was seemingly snubbed, Paul featured on the undercard, brutally knocking out former NBA star Nate Robinson and further extending his venture into the sport of boxing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW00aVEpEAH/
Shields’ Manager Tries Again…
In another leaked email the next year, Taffet allegedly requested a spot for Shields on the April 17 card, which was built around and headlined by Paul’s clash with former ONE and Bellator welterweight titleholder Ben Askren.
Given Shields’ insistence that she’d never even think of competing on one of the Cleveland native’s cards, this revelation is more than shocking.
The leaked email, sent by Taffet to Bidarian on March 15, included Shields’ impressive feat of becoming the first boxer in history to simultaneously hold all four major world titles across two weight classes and championed for Triller to include her on their card.
“Claressa had a historic win … to become the first man or woman in the four-belt era to win an undisputed world title in two weight divisions. We are now beginning a plan for our next few fights, and would love to discuss out plan with you to see if Triller is interested in being the video platform of the world’s greatest female fighter. We would love to participate on your April 17 card if you have a slot available.”
After acknowledging Showtime’s decision to cut ties with Shields due to a disappointingly-low viewership, Bidarian, who is also a former UFC chief financial officer, turned down the request, and the card proceeded without the presence of the Michigan native.
“There wasn’t a business need that made sense and Jake had not started to focus on, ‘What can I do for boxing as a whole?’” Bidarian said. “Jake was still focused on building his own foothold into boxing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CODXi9QLN4p/
Shields: “I Don’t Care What The Email Says”
Given Claressa Shields’ consistent and stern rebuttal that she wouldn’t consider fighting on a Jake Paul card, which has even seen legal threats and defamation claims, the leaked emails are certainly a less-than-positive look for her and her team.
With that in mind, it’s unsurprising she was quick to deny knowledge of them ever being sent or of her manager’s efforts to secure her place on the November 2020 and April 2021 cards.
Reacting to the emails, she told USA Today Sports+ there was “never” an instance where she was meant to or planning on competing at an event featuring “The Problem Chid,” nor would she ever consider doing so, no matter the size of the pay check.
“I was never, ever supposed to fight on an undercard of Jake Paul. I don’t care what the email says,” Shields said. “I would never do that, no matter how much they’re paying me. And everything has to go through me.”
Whether or not she had knowledge of the emails is one thing, but the fact her team sent them, knowing her apparent and public stance on the matter now, is surprising. Discussing why Paul’s team chose to release the emails to USA Today Sports+, Bidarian said they weren’t ready to let Shields “belittle” Paul.
“The only reason we’re bringing this to light is because Claressa has felt this need to belittle Jake Paul,” Bidarian said. “The only thing we’re responding with now is, ‘Hey, we have the receipts: You guys were trying to get on Jake Paul’s cards.’”
Despite her denial, some will certainly suggest Shields was open to doing business with Paul prior to their feud igniting later in 2021.
If Shields did have no idea of her team’s efforts to work with Paul’s team, it will likely have sparked a heated debate within the boxing champion’s camp, something she’ll hope to have resolved when she returns to action.
After professional boxing was suspended in the UK throughout January due to COVID-19, Shields’ scheduled clash with Slovenia’s Ema Kozin has been pushed back to February 5.
Whether this feud will die down or remain as heated as ever is anyone’s guess, but with Shields’ ongoing pursuit of glory both inside the ring and the cage and Paul’s blossoming venture into the ring set to continue throughout 2022, both will certainly have their hands full between the ropes.
What do you make of Shields’ team’s apparent attempts to get her onto the same cards as Jake Paul?
Heavyweights bangers Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa have a fight in the works for UFC 271.
For Tuivasa, he gets his wish; and for Lewis, he gets a chance at redemption The news was reported early Friday afternoon by MMAJunkie’s Farah Hannoun. This …
Heavyweights bangers Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa have a fight in the works for UFC 271.
Lewis (26-8-1) is currently the #3-ranked heavyweight and is looking to build off of his most recent win against Chris Daukaus last month, where he KO’d Daukaus in just over three and a half minutes at UFC Vegas 45. Tuivasa (13-3), the #11-ranked heavyweight, is riding a four-fight win streak that includes three first-round knockouts.
As much potential this fight has to produce fireworks, it’s more than just that. For Lewis, he gets a chance to show out and put on the performance that his hometown Houston fans deserve. Lewis was disappointed the last time he fought in Houston, where he lost to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in an interim heavyweight title fight.
And “Bam Bam” gets what he wished for. Tuivasa recently stated in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hourthat he’d like a potential fight with Derrick Lewis.
“I’d love to step in the cage with him one day. I think he’s a bit up from me at the moment, especially coming off his last win,” said Tuivasa. “But definitely, I would love to fight Derrick Lewis. We both have good personalities, we are the fun of the division,”
Who do you have winning between Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271?
MMA Fighter Miroslav Štrbák is currently in stable condition after suffering a heart attack during training.
In a recent interview with the portal sport.sk, Štrbák’s manager revealed that the Polish MMA fighter fainted during training and had to be…
MMA Fighter Miroslav Štrbák is currently in stable condition after suffering a heart attack during training.
In a recent interview with the portal sport.sk, Štrbák’s manager revealed that the Polish MMA fighter fainted during training and had to be revived. Fortunately, the timely intervention was enough to restore Štrbák’s heart rate.
“I can confirm the intervention of the rescuers we sent yesterday to help the unconscious man. After treatment, he was taken to one of the Bratislava hospitals,” said Alena Kr?ová, a spokeswoman for the Health Service Operations Center in Bratislava.
“Miro is currently in stable condition at the hospital. We all hope it comes out without consequences,” his manager said.
Prior to this scare, there were no signs of danger or health risks for Štrbák. He had been doing construction work throughout the week prior to his heart attack during training.
Štrbák is well-known among Polish MMA fans. He has been competing as a professional since 2011 and has a record of 19-10.
In his most recent bout, Štrbák picked up a split-decision victory over Karol Rysavy at Oktagon MMA’s Oktagon 21 event on January 30 of last year. You can watch that contest below.
