Tag: Featured

EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson: ‘It Was A Surprise’ To See Kevin Lee Get Released

Stephen ThompsonUFC Welterweight contender Stephen Thompson hopped on the horn with LowKick’s James Lynch this week and addressed a variety of topics. One topic brought up was the UFC’s surprising release of former Lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee. “It was a surprise to me. He is a popular guy so it was pretty surprising to see […]

Stephen Thompson

UFC Welterweight contender Stephen Thompson hopped on the horn with LowKick’s James Lynch this week and addressed a variety of topics.

One topic brought up was the UFC’s surprising release of former Lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee.

“It was a surprise to me. He is a popular guy so it was pretty surprising to see him get released. He beat an undefeated Gregor Gillepsie and lost to the champ Oliveira. I hope he can keep his chin up and find success in another promotion.” Thompson said.

One thing is for sure, the Kevin Lee news wasn’t just a surprise to Thompson, it shook the MMA world up and many fighters and pundits alike seemed taken back at the news.

Kevin Lee Seemed To Share Stephen Thompson’s Suprise At The News

During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Lee said that the UFC brass didn’t contact him directly to notify him of the move, and had a coordinator email him about it.

“That was kind of the worst part about it,” Lee said on The MMA Hour. “Didn’t really have the proper notice or even really have a phone call about it. At first, I was shocked a little bit. I didn’t really understand what was going on. Then once I talked to my manager, agent and kind of made sure it was official, I hopped on the phone with a bunch of other people.

“I’m pissed and a little bit embarrassed and it really doesn’t make much sense to me.”

Do you agree with Stephen Thompson? Is Kevin Lee’s release from the UFC surprising?

Israel Adesanya’s Coach Says Whittaker Rematch Not A Done Deal

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is slated to face Robert Whittaker in a title rematch at UFC 271, but Adesanya’s coach says nothing is finalized and the fight could get pushed back.

Adesanya and Whittaker were expected to fight at the end…

Israel Adesanya

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is slated to face Robert Whittaker in a title rematch at UFC 271, but Adesanya’s coach says nothing is finalized and the fight could get pushed back.

Adesanya and Whittaker were expected to fight at the end of 2021, but contract negotiations never materialized. The fight was pushed back to UFC 271 in February at a location that has yet to be determined.

Now, coach Eugene Bareman says the fight could be in jeopardy of happening once again, and Adesanya and his team are unsure if Whittaker and his team will be ready to compete in just a matter of months.

“Rob and his people, his wonderful manager, can’t secure this fight and they’re panicking,” Bareman said in an interview with Submission Radio. “So, they put out these stupid tweets and this and that. It’s like, mate, just relax, boys. Just train. That’s all we’re doing. You guys do the same. Let us handle the business because you guys are incapable. That management team’s incapable. So, we’ll just handle the business side of things, and if this is the direction that the fight is going to go, towards Robert, then we’ll secure it for you. We’ll do your job for you. But stop with the social media stuff. Like, that doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t do anything. It just shows your insecurity about the fight. Don’t worry. We’ll sort the fight out.”

Bareman went on to hint that Adesanya is also considering other options if the Whittaker rematch doesn’t happen right away.

“Maybe we’re working on something different. Maybe if we can delay this Robert fight by a few months, we can have it in a big stadium in Australia,” Bareman continued. “Maybe that’s the right thing to do. And that’s fine. Let’s get everybody around together and let’s push Robert back a bit. I’m sure Robert would love to do this fight in a massive stadium on home turf. Let’s put someone else in this February slot. You don’t know, and I’m not willing to confirm that.”

Israel Adesanya Has Looked Nearly Flawless Since Their First Matchup

UFC President Dana White and the rest of the brass have yet to confirm whether or not the UFC 271 matchup is at risk of cancelation. White has hinted that the Adesanya vs. Whittaker rematch could happen in Australia once again, as their first bout did.

Since earning the title over Whittaker at UFC 243, Adesanya has successfully defended the belt three times over Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa, and Yoel Romero. Adesanya also challenged former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, falling short by a unanimous decision.

Whittaker has gotten back on track as well since losing the title. He’s currently on a three-fight winning streak and most recently dominated Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 24.

There’s no love lost between Adesanya, Whittaker, and their respective teams. The two sides have gone back-and-forth on social media for months and Whittaker has shared his disdain for Adesanya.

It’s unclear whether or not UFC 271 is legitimately in trouble, but it sounds like Adesanya and coach Bareman are prepared to wait a bit longer for the rematch with Whittaker.

What is your prediction for the eventual rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker?

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Says Whittaker Rematch Not A Done Deal at MMA News.

EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson Expects Belal Muhammad To Be ‘Shooting’ At UFC Vegas 45

Stephen ThompsonStephen Thompson is expecting Belal Muhammad to try to wrestle him at some point during their welterweight match-up which is set to take place at UFC Vegas 45 on December 18. During a recent interview with LowKickMMA, ‘Wonderboy’ spoke about the advantages he carries into the fight and how Muhammad is pretty good at neutralizing […]

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson is expecting Belal Muhammad to try to wrestle him at some point during their welterweight match-up which is set to take place at UFC Vegas 45 on December 18.

During a recent interview with LowKickMMA, ‘Wonderboy’ spoke about the advantages he carries into the fight and how Muhammad is pretty good at neutralizing his opponent’s greatest strengths.

“I feel like I do have the height and reach (advantage) but again I’ve seen him fight taller and longer guys and he works them,” Thompson said. “The guy has got a work ethic and spirit like no other. I mean, he’s relentless, he comes forward, he wrestles, he’s got amazing cardio. I mean, you saw his wrestling against Demian Maia. I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never seen anybody defend Demian Maia like he did.”

Thompson believes his opponent is as well-rounded as they come but expects that on fight night he will try to wrestle him, especially after seeing who Muhammad has recently been training with. “

“He’s good everywhere. He’s a really tough guy,” Thompson said. “So I do believe that at some point he’s going to be shooting, obviously. He’s done some work recently with Gilbert Burns, so he might take a note out of Gilbert Burns’ book and go straight in for the takedown but I’m ready for it.”

Stephen Thompson Is Looking To Remain Relevant At 170lbs

‘Wonderboy’ enters UFC Vegas 45 off the back of a dominant decision loss to Burns last time out. A second successive defeat would be catastrophic to Thompson who at 38-years-old cannot afford any more slip-ups if he wants to become UFC champion before he calls it a career.

The Karate specialist twice came close to dethroning Tyron Woodley but ultimately walked away without the title. Since then his form has been patchy but he has still managed to pick up several high-profile wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque, and Geoff Neal.

Do you think Stephen Thompson will get back in the win column at UFC Vegas 45?

Jon Jones Sends A Warning To Winkeljohn Regarding Recent Accusations

Jon Jones has sent a message loud and clear to his former coach Mike Winkeljohn: tread lightly.

In October, one of Jon Jones’s longtime coaches at JacksonWink MMA, Mike Winkeljohn, made the decision to ban Jones from the gym due to the domestic vio…

Mike Winkeljohn, Jon Jones

Jon Jones has sent a message loud and clear to his former coach Mike Winkeljohn: tread lightly.

In October, one of Jon Jones’s longtime coaches at JacksonWink MMA, Mike Winkeljohn, made the decision to ban Jones from the gym due to the domestic violence charges he is currently facing.

After a delayed period, Jones went absolutely scorched earth on his former coach, branding the man a “miserable bastard” and implying that he is a hypocrite for allowing a convicted rapist to train in the gym yet take such a strong stance against him.

Winkeljohn has not yet offered any public response to Jones, but just in case he gets any ideas, Jones issued a preemptive warning Thursday in a since-deleted tweet.

“I’m waiting for Wink to make a statement and try to deny any of my allegations, I’ll hit you guys with some more news. Some real juicy shit,” Jones vowed.

In another deleted tweet, Jones accused Winkeljohn of threatening to ban any gym member who trained with Donald Cerrone, another disgruntled ex-Jacksonwink MMA member. Jones stated that such childish and bitter behavior is affecting the livelihood of others, even though how they spend their time away from the gym do not directly concern Winkeljohn.

After exiting JacksonWink MMA, Jones has been spending time over in Arizona at Fight Ready, primarily under the mentorship of Henry Cejudo. Jones also recently announced that he would be training at a JacksonWink affiliate gym led by another longtime coach, Greg Jackson. It is unclear whether those plans have changed in light of this newfound feud with Winkeljohn or Jones’s increased time at Fight Ready.

Jon Jones last competed in February 2020 in the final defense of his light heavyweight championship against Dominick Reyes. Jones is now expected to debut in the heavyweight division in 2022. But first, he’ll have to answer for the aforementioned domestic violence charges, beginning with a court date scheduled for January 31.

What do you make of Jon Jones’s warning to Mike Winkeljohn?

Continue Reading Jon Jones Sends A Warning To Winkeljohn Regarding Recent Accusations at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev Mocks Diaz Brothers After Nate Publicly Rejects Fight

Khamzat Chimaev is questioning the Diaz brothers’ gangster.

Khamzat Chimaev has reacted swiftly to Nate Diaz’s public rejection of a bout between the two. Chimaev is on pace to setting UFC call-out records, if they haven’t already been broken. Amon…

Nate Diaz, Nick Diaz, Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is questioning the Diaz brothers’ gangster.

Khamzat Chimaev has reacted swiftly to Nate Diaz’s public rejection of a bout between the two. Chimaev is on pace to setting UFC call-out records, if they haven’t already been broken. Among the names Borz has wanted to smesh are both of the Diaz brothers.

Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz
Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz

Earlier this year, Chimaev challenged Nick Diaz to a fight prior to Diaz’s eventual return to the Octagon. And more recently, he has been hounding the younger Diaz brother, Nate, for a fight, even bringing an AK into the conversation. Chimaev was particularly emboldened for his Nate Diaz callouts after receiving the backing of UFC President Dana White.

Nonetheless, Nate Diaz publicly rejected the fight on Thursday, stating that Chimaev is a rookie with only four fights. Accordingly, the mere suggestion of him fighting Chimaev was disrespectful and that Borz should not speak his name.

Borz Continues To Speak Both Diaz Brothers’ Name

Khamzat Chimaev
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Immediately after Diaz’s rejection, Chimaev took to his home away from home, Twitterland, to let his thoughts on the matter be known. The common theme to be found in the tweets below: Borz is not a believer of the Diaz brothers’ gangster reputation.

“you are the easiest money for me thin @NateDiaz209“

“say hello to your older brother, tell him not to be afraid of me, I don’t beat old people, he knows what I mean, in Vegas I just wanted to say hello well, poor man ran away @NateDiaz209.”

Chimaev would also share the following animation. This could very well be directed at the entire UFC welterweight division, which Dana White himself claims wants no part of Borz.

Khamzat Chimaev’s latest smeshing took place at UFC 267 in a swift, showboating domination of Li Jingliang. Since then, there have been reports of Chimaev being in talks to face the #2-ranked Gilbert Burns.

However, based on Chimaev’s incessant callouts and the shared frustrations between himself and Dana White, there is legitimate doubt on how far such talks have progressed.

Do you think Nate Diaz is showing a lack of ‘gangster’ by turning down Khamzat Chimaev’s challenge?

Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Mocks Diaz Brothers After Nate Publicly Rejects Fight at MMA News.

Geoff Neal Arrested On DWI, Weapons Charges Days Out From UFC 269

Geoff Neal has experienced a bit of a rough patch ahead of his UFC 269 bout with Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Neal is looking to get back on track after losing two in a row for the first time in his career, by facing Ponzinibbio in the UFC’s final pay-per…

Geoff Neal

Geoff Neal has experienced a bit of a rough patch ahead of his UFC 269 bout with Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Neal is looking to get back on track after losing two in a row for the first time in his career, by facing Ponzinibbio in the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year. However, he will be doing so just days after having spent time in jail following an arrest in Texas.

According to reports, Neal was picked up by the Texas Department of Public Safety at 3:47 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, just 16 days before his upcoming bout at UFC 269. He was arrested on misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying a weapon.

Geoff Neal was then taken to the Collin County Jail, in McKinney, where he was processed. After facing a bail amount of $1,000 for each charge, he was released from jail just after 8 p.m., that very same day.

At the time of writing, it appears that Neal will still be facing Ponzinibbio on December 11th. Additionally, neither he nor the UFC has released an official statement regarding this incident.

Geoff Neal is in need of a big win, after suffering back-to-back losses to Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny, which derailed his seven-fight winning streak. Prior to that, he was in the ICU for about a week dealing with septicemia, a blood infection that could have easily cost him his life.

Time will tell if this incident in Texas will have any effect on Neal’s conditioning for the fight or is an indication of the way his training camp went.

Continue Reading Geoff Neal Arrested On DWI, Weapons Charges Days Out From UFC 269 at MMA News.