Tag: General

Jon Jones Flagged With USADA Violation, Pulled From UFC 200 [UPDATED]

(Dana White breaks the news of Jones’ violation, via MMAJunkie)

Un. F*cking. Believable.

That’s pretty much the only way to sum it up, Nation. Just three days out from his rematch with Daniel Cormier — aka the most anticipated main event on the most anticipated fight card of the year — Jon Jones has been flagged with a potential USADA anti-doping violation and pulled from UFC 200.

Even when we’re preparing ourselves for the worst possible scenarios, it seems that MMA finds a way to somehow screw things up even worse. What a sport this is.

After the jump: Daniel Cormier reacts to Jones’ removal.

The post Jon Jones Flagged With USADA Violation, Pulled From UFC 200 [UPDATED] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Dana White breaks the news of Jones’ violation, via MMAJunkie)

Un. F*cking. Believable.

That’s pretty much the only way to sum it up, Nation. Just three days out from his rematch with Daniel Cormier — aka the most anticipated main event on the most anticipated fight card of the year — Jon Jones has been flagged with a potential USADA anti-doping violation and pulled from UFC 200.

Even when we’re preparing ourselves for the worst possible scenarios, it seems that MMA finds a way to somehow screw things up even worse. What a sport this is.

After the jump: Daniel Cormier reacts to Jones’ removal.

The news of Jones’ positive test was first revealed by MMAFighting via Twitter. According to Vice President of Athlete Health, Jeff Novitzky, Jones was flagged following an out-of-competition drug test administered on June 16th. This is important to note because it basically removes any idea that Jones may have tested positive for cocaine (as he had previously) or marijuana (which he’s also been known to dabble in), both of which are perfectly acceptable to use out-of-competition and wouldn’t have landed him with a potential fine or suspension.

While we won’t know for sure what substance is behind Jones’ positive test for some time, it almost seems certain that he did test positive for a steroid or masking agent of some kind in order to be removed from the event. BloodyElbow has also passed along an interesting theory on what may have caused Jones’ positive test.

One last thing to note is that Jon Jones is sponsored by GAT supplements, and at least one GAT product, “Testagen,” has a warning that it may cause “false positive” test results for athletes:

The warning reads: SUBSTANCE TEST WARNING! Bodybuilders and other athletes subjected to substance testing should never use this product unless first approved by the validating organization. Product may cause a drug test result called False Positive (urine or blood).

 
After calling an emergency press conference shortly thereafter, Dana White told reporters that the heavyweight clash between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt would be moved to the evening’s main event (because it’s not like you can have a non-Rousey women’s title fight headline an event, amiright?) while looking like a man just moments away from suicide.

For what it’s worth, Cormier has stated an interest to stay on the card and would even be willing to go up to 220 or 225 to face an opponent on short notice. Everyone from Alexander Gustafsson to Michael Bisping has thrown their names in the hat to replace Jones, and White has stated that he’d “like to find Daniel a fight” for UFC 200, so we’ll be sure to let you know if any of those scenarios come to fruition.

Once again, it seems that the only man who can beat Jon Jones is Jon Jones. More on this story as it develops, Nation.

UPDATE

According to Ariel Helwani, Jones will hold a press conference to address his removal from UFC 200 at 11:30 am EST today. Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa, has already taken to Twitter to deny that steroids were in fact behind Jones’ positive test.

The post Jon Jones Flagged With USADA Violation, Pulled From UFC 200 [UPDATED] appeared first on Cagepotato.

CM Punk Finally Healthy, Fight Against Mickey Gall Booked For UFC 203


(via UFC.com)

It has been, oh, I dunno, six or seven or twelve or fifteen years since CM Punk aka Phil Brooks first signed with the UFC, and the buzz surrounding his debut has never been lower thanks to — again, I’m just spitballing here — no less than eleventeen successive injuries that have kept him on the sidelines since the first Bush was President.

So before you hardcore Punkites (is that what you’re called?) completely flip your shit and start giving GTS’s to everyone in your office, perhaps takes this news with a grain of salt. As announced on the UFC’s Twitter last night, Punk will finally make his promotional debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September.

Details after the jump. 

The post CM Punk Finally Healthy, Fight Against Mickey Gall Booked For UFC 203 appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via UFC.com)

It has been, oh, I dunno, six or seven or twelve or fifteen years since CM Punk aka Phil Brooks first signed with the UFC, and the buzz surrounding his debut has never been lower thanks to — again, I’m just spitballing here — no less than eleventeen successive injuries that have kept him on the sidelines since the first Bush was President.

So before you hardcore Punkites (is that what you’re called?) completely flip your shit and start giving GTS’s to everyone in your office, perhaps takes this news with a grain of salt. As announced on the UFC’s Twitter last night, Punk will finally make his promotional debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September.

Details after the jump. 

Gall is, of course, the 24-year-old, 2-0 prospect who was discovered on Dana White’s Internet reality series, Looking For a Fight, and earned his shot against Brooks after defeating Mike Jackson via a lightning fast rear-naked choke in his UFC debut back at Fight Night 82. Brooks, on the other hand, was a seven time WWE world champion and the sixth longest reigning champion in promotional history who not only has his own Wikipedia page, but his own website to boot. SO YOU TELL ME WHO SHOULD BE THE FAVORITE HERE.

Said Brooks of his upcoming fight:

I think there’s probably something seriously wrong with me. Everyone is trying to figure out why I would want to do this. I’m a guy who gets bored easily and I have goals and there’s things in life I enjoy. It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.

Inspiring stuff.

UFC 203 goes down  at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on September 10th.

The post CM Punk Finally Healthy, Fight Against Mickey Gall Booked For UFC 203 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Kimbo Slice Dead At 42. World Definitively Less Awesome. Sadness Reigns Supreme.


(Father. Fighter. Undercover cowboy. Legend. via Getty.)

There are a dozen or more ways I could describe my feelings as I write this post, but I think “heartbroken” says it best. Kimbo Slice is dead, and I’m honest-to-God heartbroken to be delivering this news to you.

It may sound overly dramatic considering how tangential of a connection we shared with the guy, but to hear that the street fighting legend has passed away at just 42 years of age and just three months after his last appearance in the cage is so sudden, so bewildering, that it seems to hit with a greater weight than many of the unfortunate deaths we’ve reported on over the years.

Details after the jump.

The post Kimbo Slice Dead At 42. World Definitively Less Awesome. Sadness Reigns Supreme. appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Father. Fighter. Undercover cowboy. Legend. via Getty.)

There are a dozen or more ways I could describe my feelings as I write this post, but I think “heartbroken” says it best. Kimbo Slice is dead, and I’m honest-to-God heartbroken to be delivering this news to you.

It may sound overly dramatic considering how tangential of a connection we shared with the guy, but to hear that the street fighting legend has passed away at just 42 years of age and just three months after his last appearance in the cage is so sudden, so bewildering, that it seems to hit with a greater weight than many of the unfortunate deaths we’ve reported on over the years.

Details after the jump.

Of course, a huge part of my sadness can be attributed to the content of Kevin Ferguson’s character. To many, he may have looked like your run-of-the-mill street thug (which is understandable, given how he made his name in the first place), but beneath that glorious beard and do-rag was a kind and genuine human being with a surprisingly perceptive head on his shoulders. Ferguson was a family man, a humble man — someone who truly captured the American dream that we so often find ourselves chasing. He started with nothing and carved his own path to success, becoming one of the most recognizable and universally beloved figures in the sport despite having less actual training in it than 90% of his peers. How do you sum up a person like that?

Bellator President Scott Coker attempted to do as much last night via an official statement released through Bellator, which you can read below.

We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating and untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family.

One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.

Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. His loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans, and teammates.

No official cause of death has been listed as of this write-up, but some reports seem to indicate that Slice suffered a heart attack late last night and was unable to be revived after being rushed to a Florida hospital. He is survived by his six children and his fiance, Antionette Ray.

R.I.P Kimbo. You taught us that tapping was for bitches, so here’s hoping that you’re tapping bitches in heaven now.

The post Kimbo Slice Dead At 42. World Definitively Less Awesome. Sadness Reigns Supreme. appeared first on Cagepotato.

Friday Link Dump: The UFC 199 Weigh-Ins, MMA vs. Boxing: Chapter LXVIII, Best Booze-Based Father’s Day Gifts + More

(The UFC 199 weigh-ins kick off at 7 p.m. EST.)

Fighters React to Earlier UFC 199 Weigh-In, New CSAC Rules (MMAFighting)

White Confirms ‘Frustrating’ Diaz Meeting: ‘Nate’s Trying to Blow up the Deal’ for Conor Bout (BloodyElbow)

Have MMA and UFC Surpassed Boxing as King of Combat-Sports Betting? (MMAJunkie)

UFC 199’s Championship Rematches Are Hard to Get Up For, Despite Tough Talk (Bleacher Report)

Five Reasons Michael Bisping Has No Shot At UFC 199 (Low Kick)

The post Friday Link Dump: The UFC 199 Weigh-Ins, MMA vs. Boxing: Chapter LXVIII, Best Booze-Based Father’s Day Gifts + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(The UFC 199 weigh-ins kick off at 7 p.m. EST.)

Fighters React to Earlier UFC 199 Weigh-In, New CSAC Rules (MMAFighting)

White Confirms ‘Frustrating’ Diaz Meeting: ‘Nate’s Trying to Blow up the Deal’ for Conor Bout (BloodyElbow)

Have MMA and UFC Surpassed Boxing as King of Combat-Sports Betting? (MMAJunkie)

UFC 199′s Championship Rematches Are Hard to Get Up For, Despite Tough Talk (Bleacher Report)

Five Reasons Michael Bisping Has No Shot At UFC 199 (Low Kick)

TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows Review (Screen Junkies)

8 Great Overwatch Cosplay Pics (Escapist)

These Passive-Aggressive Office Notes Get Their Point Across in a Humorous Way (Radass)

Navy Blue Angels Fighter Jet Crashes Near Nashville (EveryJoe)

Read more: http://www.everyjoe.com/2016/06/02/news/navy-blue-angels-fighter-jet-crashes-nashville/#ixzz4AXOSXVvI

The Best Booze-Based Father’s Day Gifts (MadeMan)

The post Friday Link Dump: The UFC 199 Weigh-Ins, MMA vs. Boxing: Chapter LXVIII, Best Booze-Based Father’s Day Gifts + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More

(via UFC on FOX)

With last weekend’s Fight Night 88 main event matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida, we were being promised a glimpse at the future of the bantamweight division regardless of who won. More of us may have been banking on the latter to emerge as that future champion, sure, but it would be hard to discredit either fighter as anything but a top contender following an impressive win.

Given Almeida’s tendency to get rocked at least once in every one of his UFC fights thus far, one would assume that his camp would have placed an emphasis on head movement and staying off the line against a similarly devastating puncher like Garbrandt. Then again, this is Chute Box we’re talking about after all, so it’s likely that their gameplan for the fight never stretched beyond “swing for the goddamn fences and hope you land first.” As such, Almeida’s first round KO loss to the Team Alpha Male up-and-comer demonstrated that, as dynamic as the young Brazilian may be offensively, he still has a bit of work to do defensively. Live and learn.

Full results and highlights for Fight Night 88 are after the jump.

The post Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More appeared first on Cagepotato.


(via UFC on FOX)

With last weekend’s Fight Night 88 main event matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida, we were being promised a glimpse at the future of the bantamweight division regardless of who won. More of us may have been banking on the latter to emerge as that future champion, sure, but it would be hard to discredit either fighter as anything but a top contender following an impressive win.

Given Almeida’s tendency to get rocked at least once in every one of his UFC fights thus far, one would assume that his camp would have placed an emphasis on head movement and staying off the line against a similarly devastating puncher like Garbrandt. Then again, this is Chute Box we’re talking about after all, so it’s likely that their gameplan for the fight never stretched beyond “swing for the goddamn fences and hope you land first.” As such, Almeida’s first round KO loss to the Team Alpha Male up-and-comer demonstrated that, as dynamic as the young Brazilian may be offensively, he still has a bit of work to do defensively. Live and learn.

What a fall from grace it’s been for Renan Barao. The former bantamweight kingpin was pummeled right out of his division in back-to-back appearances against TJ Dillashaw, and his featherweight debut against Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event of Fight Night 88 didn’t exactly sell him as a future champion of that division either. Despite a strong showing in the opening round, Barao seemed almost insistent on gassing himself out in the second and third with failed takedown attempts, and in doing so, allowed the veteran Stephens to find his rhythm in the exchanges and bust the Brazilian open on multiple occasions. Like Florian said, Barao may not be a broken fighter, but he’s definitely a defeated one at this point.

There wasn’t really much else to write home about on Fight Night 88, however, and the UFC on FOX channel has likewise opted against uploading any more highlight videos. With that in mind, let’s just touch on a few other noteworthy moments:

– Even in victory, Rick Story was left with a gruesome reminder of Tarec Saffiedine’s kicking abilities.

– After all that trash he talked, Aljamain Sterling just couldn’t get it done against “Mr. Tate” Bryan Caraway. The only thing worse than his performance? The absolute garbage takes on Twitter that came in the aftermath.

–Erik Koch looked like a goddamn man possessed against Shane Campbell and showed next to no signs of the ring rust you’d expect from a guy coming off his *second* two year injury. His post-fight mean mug = absolute savagery.

The full results for Fight Night 88 are below. 

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET)
Cody Garbrandt def. Thomas Almeida via KO (punches) at 2:53 of round 1
Jeremy Stephens def. Renan Barao via unanimous decision
Rick Story def. Tarec Saffiedine via unanimous decision
Chris Camozzi vs. Vitor Miranda via unanimous decision
Lorenz Larkin def. Jorge Masvidal via split decision
Paul Felder def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision

Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET)
Sara McMann def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision
Abel Trujillo def. Jordan Rinaldi via unanimous decision
Jake Collier def. Alberto Uda via TKO (spinning back kick) at 1:06 of round 2
Erik Koch def. Shane Campbell via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:02 of round 2

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)
Bryan Caraway def. Aljamain Sterling via split decision
Adam Milstead def. Chris De La Rocha via TKO (punches) at 4:01 of round 2

The post Fight Night 88 Highlights/Results: Garbrandt Sleeps Almeida, Stephens Upsets Barao + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

[VIDEO] Jason Miller Shows Up 24 POUNDS Overweight, Pulled From Venator FC Bout With Luke Barnatt


(“209 pounds? Yeah, it must be the shorts.”)

You guys remember how Jason Miller was recently plucked from whatever Mission Viejo drug den he’s been rotting away in and booked for a fight against fellow former UFC middleweight Luke Barnatt, right? Or that even after being booked in said fight, he seemed to be under the impression that he was fighting UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett? How about the fact that he was *then* arrested and held on a million dollars bail, or that the President of the promotion that booked him then used a satirical statement we wrote as his company’s actual press release?

Well, it might shock you to learn that Miller hasn’t exactly used this fight as an opportunity to turn his life around, as some have suggested it would be. At this morning’s weigh-ins, Miller showed up a staggering 24 pounds over the middleweight limit and has subsequently been pulled from his fight.

Video and details after the jump.

The post [VIDEO] Jason Miller Shows Up 24 POUNDS Overweight, Pulled From Venator FC Bout With Luke Barnatt appeared first on Cagepotato.


(“209 pounds? Yeah, it must be the shorts.”)

You guys remember how Jason Miller was recently plucked from whatever Mission Viejo drug den he’s been rotting away in and booked for a fight against fellow former UFC middleweight Luke Barnatt, right? Or that even after being booked in said fight, he seemed to be under the impression that he was fighting UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett? How about the fact that he was *then* arrested and held on a million dollars bail, or that the President of the promotion that booked him then used a satirical statement we wrote as his company’s actual press release?

Well, it might shock you to learn that Miller hasn’t exactly used this fight as an opportunity to turn his life around, as some have suggested it would be. At this morning’s weigh-ins, Miller showed up a staggering 24 pounds over the middleweight limit and has subsequently been pulled from his fight.

Video and details after the jump.

You gotta love the hubris of Miller thinking that taking off his board shorts would somehow help him make weight here. It’s arguably a more scathing indictment of his current mental state than the 14 charges he will likely be arrested for while making his way to his car later today.

The craziest thing? Venator not only didn’t pull Miller from the fight immediately, but offered Barnatt 30 percent of Miller’s purse plus an extra five thousand euros to still fight Miller, who it bears repeating showed up 4 pounds over the light heavyweight limit for a middleweight bout. Barnatt and has instead been booked against Stefan Croitoru, a 6-1 Moldovian middleweight who weighed in at 183 for a separate bout on the Venator III card, in a five-round bout.

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, Venator is still attempting to find a replacement opponent for Miller on a day’s notice, because it’s not like they’re just going to just let a prize like Miller slip away from them, right? The man is clearly taking the first steps on a path to redemption, and anyone who thinks otherwise can kindly suck on Frank Merenda’s nuts.

The post [VIDEO] Jason Miller Shows Up 24 POUNDS Overweight, Pulled From Venator FC Bout With Luke Barnatt appeared first on Cagepotato.