Tag: Featured

Video: UFC champ Sean Strickland shows off his new shirt before training with Paul Felder

Sean StricklandNewly crowned UFC middleweight world champion Sean Strickland is sporting some new swag as he returns to the gym following his shocking title win earlier this month. Despite stepping into the Octagon as a 7-to-1 underdog, ‘Tarzan’ did the unthinkable and scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to claim […]

Sean Strickland

Newly crowned UFC middleweight world champion Sean Strickland is sporting some new swag as he returns to the gym following his shocking title win earlier this month.

Despite stepping into the Octagon as a 7-to-1 underdog, ‘Tarzan’ did the unthinkable and scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to claim the middleweight title. Fans are still trying to come to terms with what exactly happened that night, but the fact remains that Sean Strickland is the new king of the 185-pound division.

Following his victory, the always-outspoken star revealed that he was forced to go on vacation. Now, it appears that Strickland is once again back to work in the gym and has a brand new shirt to show off to his teammates, including ex-fighter turned UFC analyst, Paul Felder.

As Strickland states in the video, the shirt was a gift, but I think we can all agree that it definitely works well with his sometimes controversial personality.

Is a Rematch with Israel Adesanya Next for Sean Strickland?

Following his big win in The Land Down Under, Strickland and his longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, suggested that a December return to the Octagon could be in the cards. With UFC 296 beginning to take shape, that no longer appears to be the case. Speaking about his next appearance inside the Octagon, ‘Tarzan’ made it clear that his only concern is making as much money as he can while he holds the gold.

“My thing is, dude, when it comes to that next fight, everybody’s like, ‘Who do you want to fight?’ I don’t give a f*ck, dude,” Strickland explained on his podcast. “I want to make f*cking money. I get those pay-per-view buys. Give me somebody who’s going to make f*cking money. I don’t want to fight anybody boring. I want to fight, you know, give me someone who’s making money.” 

Of all the potential fights out there, a rematch with Israel Adesanya may very well be the biggest money-making matchup for Strickland. ‘Tarzan’ even hinted that another scrap with ‘The Last Stylebender’ could be next, but in all likelihood, we won’t see it happen until 2024.

Stipe Miocic wanted a trilogy fight with Francis Ngannou before facing Jon Jones: ‘It definitely sucks’

MiocicFormer two-time heavyweight world champion Stipe Miocic was hoping to one day complete his trilogy with Francis Ngannou. On November 11, Miocic will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon in a bid to claim the heavyweight crown for the third time as he is set to square off with reigning titleholder Jon Jones. Touted […]

Miocic

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Stipe Miocic was hoping to one day complete his trilogy with Francis Ngannou.

On November 11, Miocic will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon in a bid to claim the heavyweight crown for the third time as he is set to square off with reigning titleholder Jon Jones. Touted as the biggest fight in the division’s history, it’s no surprise that the two GOATs will headline the promotion’s 30th-anniversary showcase, UFC 295, inside the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

However, if Stipe Miocic had his way, he would be stepping back into the spotlight to complete his trilogy with former heavyweight king Francis Ngannou.

“I really wanted to have a rematch with Francis,” Miocic told the New York Post. “Unfortunately, he left for bigger and better things, so good for him. After that, all I wanted was Jon Jones. It definitely sucks, I definitely wanted that trilogy, but unfortunately, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Listen, he’s onto bigger and better things. On paper, Tyson Fury is one of the best boxers of all time, but Francis hits really hard. It’s a fight, anything can happen. I wish him all the best. I hope he shocks the world” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Miocic and Ngannou Destined to Be Forever Deadlocked at 1-1

The two behemoths first met at UFC 220 in 2018 with Miocic scoring a unanimous decision victory over ‘The Predator’ to retain the heavyweight championship. Three years later, they would run it back at UFC 260. This time, Ngannou would walk away the victor, landing a vicious left hook that put Miocic away less than a minute into the second round.

Ngannou went on to defend the heavyweight title one time before exiting the promotion to sign a lucrative deal with the Professional Fighters League and bag a big-money boxing match with Tyson Fury.

Miocic, 41, will likely step into the Octagon for the final time, win or lose, at UFC 295 in November leaving his rivalry with Francis Ngannou forever deadlocked at one win apiece.

Who do you think would have come out on top in a trilogy fight?

UFC standout Bryce Mitchell challenges Sean O’Malley to flat Earth debate: ‘I’ll tell you all the proof of it’

Bryce MitchellBryce Mitchell is determined to bring UFC bantamweight world champion Sean O’Malley closer to God via a healthy debate over… flat Earth?! Returning to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 79, ‘Thug Nasty’ delivered a solid three-round performance against featherweight fan favorite Dan Ige, but much of Bryce Mitchell’s performance took a backseat to his unusual […]

Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell is determined to bring UFC bantamweight world champion Sean O’Malley closer to God via a healthy debate over… flat Earth?!

Returning to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 79, ‘Thug Nasty’ delivered a solid three-round performance against featherweight fan favorite Dan Ige, but much of Bryce Mitchell’s performance took a backseat to his unusual post-fight interview. Refusing to let Ige leave the cage once the official results of the bout were announced, Mitchell suggested that the horrific wildfires in Maui were manmade and a sign of Satan’s return to Earth.

Bryce Mitchell even attempted to force Ige to lead everyone in a post-fight prayer before Michael Bisping walked out of the Octagon, taking the microphone with him.

Aside from his incredibly strong religious beliefs, Bryce Mitchell is an avid advocate of the controversial and downright silly flat Earth theory. Thug Nasty’ even offered to debate the subject with Joe Rogan on the longtime UFC commentator’s popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Thus far, Rogan has “sissied out” from the challenge, but it looks like Mitchell has found himself another potential candidate in current bantamweight king Sean O’Malley.

“So Sean O’Malley made a video, he said that the Earth ain’t flat and he wants to be more like Bryce because he wants to have animals. First off, the Earth is flat and I can explain to you how,” Mitchell said in a video on Instagram. “Second off, you can be a farm boy as soon as you make up your mind, O’Malley,” Mitchell said. “I want to apologize to ya,

“Sean. I want to tell ya that the only bad thing I’ve ever said about ya really is before your Yan fight I picked Yan and said that your YouTube following wouldn’t win you the fight. Boy, was I wrong ‘cause you lost that fight, in my opinion, and your YouTube following helped persuade the judges for the decisions.

“But that was an absolutely respectable performance against Yan. That was a fight that I knew you could scrap and man, you made me look like a total fool after that fight. Don’t think that I think that you’re stupid, that I think that you’re gay, or whatever, dude,” he continued. “I don’t care what people say about you, all I said was that your YouTube following couldn’t win you a fight, and I was wrong (laughs). You looked damn good that fight brother, you showed so much heart and courage. I want to take my words back, and I hope you can forgive me.”

Bryce Mitchell is Ready to Show Sean O’Malley That Centuries of Empirical Evidence is No Match for His Ability to Google

Evidence of a spherical Earth was first established sometime around 500 B.C. by Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher who made many important developments in mathematics, astronomy, and the theory of music. Around 350 B.C., Aristotle declared that the Earth was a sphere based on observations he made about which constellations you could see in the sky as you traveled further and further away from the equator. Since then, mankind has orbited the planet on multiple occasions and high-resolution photos by NASA have shown empirical evidence that the Earth is in fact a sphere.

Unfortunately, Pythagoras and Aristotle were unable to forsee the rise of the internet and the thousands of self-proclaimed scientists that it would produce.

“As a Christian, I have to admit when I’m wrong attacking somebody, and that was a bit of an attack, and it was unprovoked,” Mitchell said. “I’m sorry, I hope you can forgive me. Now, that being said, here’s my business proposal for you. Have me on your podcast, I’ll tell you how the Earth is flat. I’ll tell you all the proof of it, you won’t be able to beat me in an actual argument, a debate with facts. I’ve done a lot of research and my attempt is to persuade ya and get you closer to Jesus.

“Because when you understand that the Earth is flat and there’s a dome around it, you’ll probably be like me and just be closer to God after you realize the actual shape of the Earth.”

Are you ready to see Bryce Mitchell and Sean O’Malley throw down in a flat Earth debate?

Ex-Strikeforce champ expects Jon Jones to continue competing ‘Into his forties’ despite retirement talk

Jon JonesMany fight fans believe heavyweight champion Jon Jones could call it a career following his highly anticipated title tilt with Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November. After dominating the light heavyweight division for nearly a decade, Jon Jones walked away from 205 determined to conquer the UFC’s biggest weight class. Three years later, ‘Bones’ […]

Jon Jones

Many fight fans believe heavyweight champion Jon Jones could call it a career following his highly anticipated title tilt with Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November.

After dominating the light heavyweight division for nearly a decade, Jon Jones walked away from 205 determined to conquer the UFC’s biggest weight class. Three years later, ‘Bones’ did exactly that, scoring a quick two-minute submission against Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 in March.

Next, Jon Jones is slated to square off with the general consensus heavyweight GOAT, Stipe Miocic, at the promotion’s 30th-anniversary showcase in Madison Square Garden. The bout is being dubbed by many as the biggest fight in the history of the division, but once Jones and Miocic settle their business inside the Octagon, what comes next?

With a lack of big-money fights left at heavyweight, many expect ‘Bones’ to walk away from the sport, win or lose, but former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson doesn’t see that happening. In fact, he expects the 36-year-old Hall of Famer to continue competing well into his forties.

“Jon doesn’t need to fight very often because he makes so much money,” Thomson said during a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast. “He can pick and choose when he wants to fight… He was talking about he may even retire after he beats Stipe. I can’t imagine him retiring.

“You go to the heavyweight division because it can prolong your career because you’re better than all of them. You don’t have to worry about them being faster than you and more athletic than you because you’re faster and more athletic, and you’re the same size,” Thomson continued. “I don’t know. I look at it as he could be there for a while, into his forties” (h/t MMA News).

Jon Jones Will Have Plenty of Contenders to Contend with Following UFC 295

Should Jon Jones earn a win over Stipe Miocic, there will be plenty of heavyweight contenders chomping at the bit to get their shot at the Octagon icon. Russian knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich will likely pose the biggest threat to ‘Bones’ in the division while UK sensation Tom Aspinall is quickly rising up the ranks and could very well be one big win away from title contention.

And, of course, there’s always Ciryl Gane who has established himself as something of a heavyweight gatekeeper in recent years.

Do you see Jon Jones sticking around following his scrap with Stipe Miocic?

Jared Gordon pays a shocking $22,000 for 17 tickets to UFC 295 including his fighter discount

Jared GordonYou’d think UFC fighters like Jared Gordon would get a deep discount on UFC tickets for an event they’re competing in, but as it turns out, that is far from the case. Flash’ will step back into the Octagon this November when the promotion makes its long-awaited return to the world’s most famous arena, Madison […]

Jared Gordon

You’d think UFC fighters like Jared Gordon would get a deep discount on UFC tickets for an event they’re competing in, but as it turns out, that is far from the case.

Flash’ will step back into the Octagon this November when the promotion makes its long-awaited return to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, for UFC 295. Using his fighter discount to snag some tickets for the event, Gordon revealed courtesy of a post by Bloody Elbow on X that he had to shell out an insane $21,869 for 17 tickets to the 30th-anniversary spectacular. That’s almost $1,300 per ticket.

UFC 295 has been a hot ticket with the event serving as the promotion’s 30th-anniversary showcase. It could also serve as the final fight of Jon Jones‘ illustrious career as he is slated to defend his UFC heavyweight world championship against the division’s general consensus GOAT, Stipe Miocic.

According to Ticketmaster.com, the lowest-priced seats for UFC 295 start at $712.90 and rise all the way to $9,448.25 for platinum seating, but some front-row spots are closing in at an astronomical $25,000. The average cost to attend UFC 295 will set you back roughly $1,818.

How much would you be willing to pay to attend UFC 295?

Jared Gordon Looks to Get Back in the Win Column as Part of a Stacked UFC 295 Card

Aside from Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, fans who snag a ticket will also be treated to a light heavyweight title fight in the co-main event as former titleholder Jiri Prochazka returns to reclaim the crown he never lost. Standing in his way will be former middleweight champ Alex Pereira who will be vying for his second UFC belt in as many divisions.

Strawweight fan favorite Mackenzie Dern will look to continue her surge toward a future title opportunity as she takes on ex-champion Jessica Andrade.

Jared Gordon will make his 14th walk to the Octagon at UFC 295 as he meets former Olympian Mark O. Madsen. ‘Flash’ has gone 1-2 with one no-contest in his last four outings. In December 2022, Gordon suffered a highly controversial unanimous decision defeat at the hands of UK fan favorite Paddy Pimblett. He returned four months later for a meeting with Bobby Green, but the bout was ruled a no-contest after an accidental clash of heads ended things early.

Joe Rogan has faith in Conor McGregor’s ability to return from devastating leg break: ‘If anybody can do it…’

Conor McGregorJoe Rogan believes if anyone can come back from a devastating leg injury, it’s Conor McGregor. In July 2021, the Irishman suffered a horrific leg break in the opening round of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. More than two years removed, McGregor is fully recovered by all accounts but is yet […]

Conor McGregor

Joe Rogan believes if anyone can come back from a devastating leg injury, it’s Conor McGregor.

In July 2021, the Irishman suffered a horrific leg break in the opening round of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. More than two years removed, McGregor is fully recovered by all accounts but is yet to make his return to the Octagon despite being heavily rumored for a clash with lightweight fan favorite ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler in December.

Unfortunately, that bout has seemingly been pushed into 2024, but many are still questioning whether or not McGregor will even make his long-awaited return. Speaking about the Irishman’s anticipated comeback, Joe Rogan discussed how incredibly difficult it is for a fighter to step back into the Octagon after sustaining such a horrendous injury. But the popular podcaster does believe that if anyone can do it, it’s Conor McGregor.

“If it wasn’t for his leg snap, he’s still in the prime of his career. But that leg snap is a real problem,” Rogan said on an episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. “I mean, if he does (come back from that), he’ll be the first. And if anybody does, maybe he can do it. If anybody can do it, maybe it’s him. Because he snapped his leg in the prime of his career. Anderson was a little older, I believe he was 36 or 37… Chris Weidman was a little older.

“It’s a hard one to come back from. Nobody really comes back from that one,” Rogan continued. “You have to have plates in there. Also, you’ve gotta think the differences to your kicking, taking kicks… nerve damage, all the above… I don’t know the extent of how much damage was done, but it’s been two years… I just think that if anybody can do it, it’s gonna be Conor” (h/t MMA News).

Can Conor McGregor Do What Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman Could Not?

Former middleweight world champion Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva suffered an absolutely brutal leg break during his rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168 more than a decade ago. Silva returned just over a year later, but was never quite the same, dropping five of his last six before exiting the promotion.

In an ironic twist of fate, Chris Weidman would go on to endure a very similar injury just seconds into his UFC 261 scrap with Uriah Hall. More than two years later, ‘All-American’ would make his own comeback, but unfortunately dropped a lopsided loss to Brad Tavares in his return this August.

Being a few years younger than both Silva and Weidman at the time of their individual injuries, Conor McGregor could potentially come back and compete at the highest level, but with a net worth estimated at over $200 million, many have questioned whether or not the Irishman even has the motivation to make a comeback. But that’s a different conversation altogether.