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MMA Fighter Barred From Competing In Organization Due To Nazi Tattoos

MMA fighter Radek Roušal was recently barred from competing in Czech organization Oktagon MMA due to his visible neo-Nazi tattoos.

Roušal was scheduled to make his MMA debut against Nikolas Krivák in a last-minute booking, but the bout was called o…

Radek Rousal

MMA fighter Radek Roušal was recently barred from competing in Czech organization Oktagon MMA due to his visible neo-Nazi tattoos.

Roušal was scheduled to make his MMA debut against Nikolas Krivák in a last-minute booking, but the bout was called off when officials noticed a depiction of Adolf Hitler tattooed on Roušal’s right hand. Additionally, Roušal had a tattoo of an SS (Schutzstaffel) officer, which was a corps of political soldiers of the Nazi party.

Oktagon MMA promoter Ond?ej Novotný addressed his reaction when he observed Roušal’s controversial body art.

“This doesn’t exist for you come up to us and look like this,” Novotný told idnes.cz. “We have it in the contract, we could give him a fine. Even on the chest, he has (apparently the cap of an SS officer, the skull could also refer to the Death Skull Unit of the SS organization responsible for managing the extermination camps). Whatsoever!… We didn’t study what it looked like, nor did the photographers and cameramen notice. No one had talked about it before… We didn’t know about it, certainly not.”

Roušal & His Team Share Their Side Of The Story

Roušal did not deny the presence of neo-Nazi tattoos on his person, but he chalked it up to bad decisions made during a naive, desperate, and vulnerable stage of his life.

“I grew up in a problematic community of people that gave rise to this tattoo,” he explained. “At that time, I did not know what to do with life, I was young and this tattoo was stupid. Later, I started doing martial arts, which led me to a completely different life and view of the world. I have more tattoos that I regret, I’ll gradually re-tattoo them all.”

Novotný rejected this explanation when it was told to him directly from Roušal.

“He explained it to me,” adds Novotný. “I told him he was crazy. I’m not a tattoo expert, but how long can it take to re-tattoo this? Two days? It’s nice that he basically distanced himself from it, I trust him and I’m able to understand everything, but this is not and it can be done faster.”

Roušal’s gym Muay Thai Brno also issued a statement on the matter, which addressed the matter of having the tattoos removed.

“Radek and I have been dealing with the situation and the tattoo removal, which, according to his words, originated years ago in youthful indiscretion, has been ordered for a long time with a deadline for January. However, the offer for the match came at the last minute, before its removal.

“Our gym is unequivocally against manifestations of any racial or other discrimination and intolerance. We meet people of all nationalities and skin colors, we cooperate with various non-profit organizations, including those dedicated to working with minorities. At the same time, we also lend a helping hand to those who can learn from their mistakes and mistakes.”

Roušal remains 0-0 as an MMA fighter and is 0-1 as a kickboxer. His tale shares similarities with the story of UFC flyweight Andrea Lee’s ex-coach and estranged husband, Donny Aaron, who also has neo-Nazi tattoos.

At the time, Lee defended Aaron’s character in the middle of the controversy; yet, Aaron stated that he would not get the tattoos removed. Lee and Aaron are no longer together after Aaron was charged with domestic battery abuse against Lee.

What are your thoughts on this story?

Continue Reading MMA Fighter Barred From Competing In Organization Due To Nazi Tattoos at MMA News.

Sean Brady Sees “Wonderboy” As His Only Possible Next Opponent

Undefeated UFC welterweight Sean Brady believes a fight with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is the only matchup that makes sense for him next.

After a perfect 4-0 start on MMA’s biggest stage, which included a 2021 submission victory over Jake Matthe…

Stephen Thompson, Sean Brady

Undefeated UFC welterweight Sean Brady believes a fight with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is the only matchup that makes sense for him next.

After a perfect 4-0 start on MMA’s biggest stage, which included a 2021 submission victory over Jake Matthews, Brady had his chance to break into the group of contenders at UFC Vegas 43 in November. He faced the challenge of promotional veteran Michael Chiesa, a man who boasts the names of Neil Magny, Rafael dos Anjos, and Beneil Dariush on his résumé.

In a controlling performance, Brady extended his unblemished record to 15-0 with a unanimous decision triumph over “Maverick.” In doing so, he rose to #9 in the UFC welterweight rankings. With that in mind, he’s targeting a big name for his next Octagon outing.

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Brady Hopes To Use Thompson As A Stepping Stone Up The WW Ladder

While Brady surged up the welterweight ladder in 2021, one top veteran went in the opposite direction. At the start of the year, Stephen Thompson was riding a two-fight win streak and, as one of the few high-ranked names yet to challenge Kamaru Usman, had aspirations of a title shot.

Fast forward to the start of 2022 and the script has flipped for “Wonderboy.” Defeats to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad have left him in need of a rebound performance to keep his hopes of a third championship opportunity alive.

During a recent interview with The Schmo, Brady offered to give Thompson that chance. Discussing his options in 2022, the 29-year-old suggested there aren’t many beyond “Wonderboy.”

“It’s a weird division,” Brady said. “Honestly, I’m nine, Wonderboy’s seven, I don’t really see any other options right now. I know the guys in the top five, they only want guys higher than them or a title fight, and then Neil Magny and me are training partners, we’re not fighting each other, and there’s Masvidal; I’m realistic, I know I’m not getting that fight. So I think me and Wonderboy would be a great fight.”

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With Brady evidently ruling out a clash with teammate Magny, that leaves the UFC with two pairs of training partners refusing to fight inside the 170-pound top 10, top-five contenders Burns and Vicente Luque being the other.

Nevertheless, should Brady fight and beat Thompson, avoiding a clash with “The Haitian Sensation” shouldn’t be an issue, as he’ll be well on his way towards title contention and not far from a shot at “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

How do you think a fight between Sean Brady and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson would play out?

Continue Reading Sean Brady Sees “Wonderboy” As His Only Possible Next Opponent at MMA News.

Joanna J?drzejczyk Claims She’s Been Offered A World Title Fight

Joanna J?drzejczyk claims she could be fighting for the world title next if she wanted, but she has no intentions of sitting out for the required wait time.

Former UFC strawweight queen Joanna J?drzejczyk has not competed since March 2020 in her F…

Joanna J?drzejczyk

Joanna J?drzejczyk claims she could be fighting for the world title next if she wanted, but she has no intentions of sitting out for the required wait time.

Former UFC strawweight queen Joanna J?drzejczyk has not competed since March 2020 in her Fight of the Year-qualifying war against Zhang Weili. Zhang barely squeaked out a split-decision victory and went on to battle Rose Namajunas in back-to-back title fights that saw the Chinawoman come up short both times.

Meanwhile, J?drzejczyk has been inactive since this classic struggle, waiting for the most suitable moment to make her long-awaited return. First, J?drzejczyk expressed that she was not interested in competing while there were still no fans allowed in arenas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She then voiced discontent with her current UFC contract, even though company president Dana White used her as an example of fighter wealth present on the company roster.

Joanna J?drzejczyk Claims She Could Fight For Title In November/December

TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 8: Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland enters the ring prior to her fight against Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan in a flyweight bout during the UFC 231 event at Scotiabank Arena on December 8, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Last November, J?drzejczyk did name three potential names for her return fight, however. She expressed interest in facing either the winner or loser of the Namajunas/Zhang rematch at UFC 268 or Carla Esparza. With Esparza now being pegged as next in line for Namajunas, that leaves Zhang.

J?drzejczyk acknowledges this as her most likely next fight but also claimed that she could be fighting for the world title in the fourth quarter of 2022 if she so chose (via BBC Sport).

“I thought it might be Carla Esparza, but it’s been confirmed she is next to fight for the championship,” J?drzejczyk told Polish TV show Kanal Sportowy recently. There was also [Maria] Rodriguez, but she fights [Xiaonan] Yan in March so that leaves Weili.

“I don’t see any other fight. [UFC president] Dana [White] made me an offer to fight for the championship, but I would have to wait until November [or] December and I don’t want to wait. I want to fight.”

Due to her inactivity, J?drzejczyk is currently no longer in the strawweight rankings. She has lost two of her last three fights and four out of her last six. She also holds two title-fight losses to current champion Rose Namajunas.

What are your thoughts on Joanna J?drzejczyk’s claim that she was offered to fight for the title at the end of 2022?

Continue Reading Joanna J?drzejczyk Claims She’s Been Offered A World Title Fight at MMA News.

Manager Insists Paulo Costa Is Remaining At MW Despite White’s Claim

Paulo Costa’s manager insists that “Borrachinha” is staying put in the middleweight division.

It was unclear if Costa could handle the weight at 205 and make it all five rounds against Vettori. As commentator Michael Bisping mentioned early in roun…

Paulo Costa

Paulo Costa’s manager insists that “Borrachinha” is staying put in the middleweight division.

It was unclear if Costa could handle the weight at 205 and make it all five rounds against Vettori. As commentator Michael Bisping mentioned early in round one, “I’m tellin’ ya, Paulo Costa’s fading already…” Dana White echoed these comments in the post-fight show. However, “Borrachinha” hung around after everything “The Italian Dream” unleashed.

The days leading up to UFC Vegas 41 kept MMA fans confused and Marvin Vettori frustrated as to whether the fight would happen at middleweight or catchweight, but despite the one-sided weight hurdles, both men put on an outstanding battle, throwing heavy attacks until the final bell. The pre-fight tension certainly let everyone know these two meant business, and it was an exciting matchup to see.

Photo Credit: MMA Fighting

After Costa failed to make weight for a middleweight fight—moving the fight from 185 to landing at 205 pounds—and did not take home the victory against Vettori, Dana White made the call to move him to light heavyweight.

“He’s a light heavyweight,” said White. “I mean, you guys saw him tonight. He’s massive.”

Costa’s Manager Claims Costa Will Remain At Middleweight

Despite White’s insistence that Costa move to 205 permanently, Costa’s manager, Wallid Ismail, remains determined to see his fighter become a champion at middleweight and claims White’s notion of Costa moving up a weight class has changed since the post-fight conference.  

“The UFC is not the biggest fighting company in the world by chance,” Ismail told Sherdog.com. “They know that ‘Borrachinha’ was injured and that’s why he had problems with his weight. There is no doubt his next fight will take place in the middleweight division.”

So why was it difficult for Costa to make weight? He initially kept the MMA world in the dark about why he could not hit the 185lb mark. It was only during the post-fight press conference that Costa informed us about his weight-cut journey, in which he reported he “needed to stop some weeks in training” due to an injury to his left bicep.

Of course, Vettori shunned the excuse, claiming this explanation didn’t make any sense and that he didn’t buy Costa’s explanation.

Either way, Costa, now 13-2-0, is headed into a new UFC journey after his loss to Marvin Vettori, 18-5-1, during UFC Vegas 41 on October 23, moving down to #5 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

We now anticipate what comes next for “Borrachinha” and whether or not he will indeed remain in the middleweight division.

Do you think Paulo Costa should compete at middleweight or light heavyweight moving forward?

Continue Reading Manager Insists Paulo Costa Is Remaining At MW Despite White’s Claim at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Makes His Pick For Best Striker In MMA

UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou packs a heavy punch and knows a thing or two about striking.

In a Youtube video posted to his channel last Thursday, Ngannou came out and labeled potential foe Jon Jones as the best striker in MMA. Ngannou …

Francis Ngannou

UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou packs a heavy punch and knows a thing or two about striking.

In a Youtube video posted to his channel last Thursday, Ngannou came out and labeled potential foe Jon Jones as the best striker in MMA. Ngannou also talked about his most challenging fight, which was his first fight against Stipe Miocic; who the #1 trash talker in the sport is; the state of boxing; and who he thinks is the best striker in the sport. You can hear his explanation behind his best striker pick below.

“If I’m about to say the best striker for MMA striking it would still be Jon Jones,” said Ngannou. “For MMA striking, I would give it to Jon Jones. Because, like, with his elbow and all of that stuff he does.. the oblique kick, all those stuff. For MMA, it’s the perfect striking.”

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Jon Jones training via his Instagram

Ngannou and Jones have had a little history with one another. The two were in talks of fighting in a blockbuster mega-fight before it got shut down due to failed contract negotiations between Jones and the UFC.

Ngannou also said that Gane, who he will be fighting on January 22nd is the best kickboxer in MMA.

“But if we go kickboxing style, then I think it will be Gane,” Ngannou said.

Ngannou and interim heavyweight champion Gane used to be former teammates and sparring partners. When the two step foot in the Octagon in a few weeks, the undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned. This will be the first title fight of 2022 and Ngannou’s first title defense since becoming the champion last March when he KO’d Stipe Miocic.

You can hear Ngannou’s thoughts on the other range of topics he covered in the video below.

Who do you think is the best striker in the UFC?

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Makes His Pick For Best Striker In MMA at MMA News.

Taylor “Would Love” For Shields To Ditch MMA & Focus Solely On Boxing

Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor has praised Claressa Shields for her venture into MMA but believes the unified middleweight titleholder should now focus solely on her boxing career.

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the onl…

Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields

Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor has praised Claressa Shields for her venture into MMA but believes the unified middleweight titleholder should now focus solely on her boxing career.

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only boxer in history to hold all four major world titles simultaneously across two weight classes, tested the waters of mixed martial arts as part of the rising PFL promotion in 2021. Having built an unblemished 11-0 record in the squared circle, “T-Rex” looked to create similar success in the cage.

Last June, Shields got off to a winning start in her new sport, recovering from two dropped rounds to TKO Brittney Elkin in the third on debut. But while she was able to overcome her ground deficiencies in her first appearance, the 26-year-old was unable to do the same in her second outing.

At the PFL Finale in October, Shields suffered her first professional loss in combat sports. She fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Abigail Montes after failing to prevent her opponent’s takedowns and keep the fight on the feet.

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Taylor Gives Her Take On Shields’ Two-Sport Venture

Despite her first setback, most acknowledge the transition from boxing to MMA was always going to be difficult, and the likes of UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya have praised Shields for trying her hand at a new sport. It also seems the journey is far from over for “T-Rex,” who expects to return to the cage for her third appearance in 2022.

But one of her fellow pound-for-pound boxing stars Katie Taylor believes a return to MMA wouldn’t be wise. Speaking during an appearance on The MMA Hour, the Irish champion credited Shields for taking on the cross-over challenger. However, “KT” believes she should now streamline all her efforts towards her career in the ring.

“I definitely didn’t expect (Shields to fight in MMA). But I thought it was a fantastic challenge for her to take on because boxing and MMA are two completely different sports. It’s very, very hard for anyone in boxing to cross over because, obviously, we have no ground game.

“If anybody got me to the ground, for example, it would be a huge problem for me. I think obviously you always have a puncher’s chance maybe, but it’s a priority — it’s very, very hard to stay on your feet. So I think it was an admirable challenge for her to take on. But I would love for her just to focus on boxing now.”

Taylor’s plea for Shields to leave her MMA career in the past, for now at least, comes ahead of what looks to be a busy year in boxing for the “GWOAT.”

Shields was initially set to return to the sport to defend her middleweight belts against Slovenia’s Ema Kozin later this month. However, with the British Boxing Board of Control announcing the suspension of the sport in the UK due to COVID-19, the status of that clash, scheduled for Cardiff, Wales, is uncertain.

Beyond that, Shields looks set for a blockbuster undisputed middleweight showdown with England’s Savannah Marshall later this year. With exciting challenges ahead of her in boxing, Taylor believes her immediate future is best set in the squared circle and nowhere else.

“There’s a lot of big fights out there for her,” Taylor said. “The likes of Savannah Marshall, who’s a fantastic world champion fighter, and I think Savannah actually beat her as an amateur fighter, so that is a huge, huge, huge fight for them. It’s probably one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.” (h/t Boxing Scene)

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Do you agree with Katie Taylor? Should Claressa Shields focus on her career inside the ring?

Continue Reading Taylor “Would Love” For Shields To Ditch MMA & Focus Solely On Boxing at MMA News.