But wouldn’t you know it, it seems that Diaz had a slight change of heart, and has now agreed to face McGregor at UFC 196 in a five round main event.
If you’ll excuse us for a moment….
The fight, which was first reported by Fox Sports and confirmed by Ariel Helwani shortly thereafter, will be a non-title fight contested at 170 pounds, marking the featherweight champion’s first trip up to the division. Diaz, meanwhile, hasn’t competed at welterweight since stringing together two stoppage victories over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis alongside a pair of decision losses to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald between 2010 and 2011.
This…is an incredible, insane fight to put it simply, as well as the best possible scenario fans could have hoped for following the removal of Dos Anjos from the card. In McGregor vs. Diaz, you have two fighters who are, as Mike Goldberg would put it, virtually identical in a lot of ways. Both guys are tried-and-true finishers who compete at an absolutely insane pace and bring a diverse, punishing arsenal of strikes to the cage. It may not be the fight we were expecting, and it may be happening on two weeks notice, but McGregor vs. Diaz has “Fight of the Year” implications written all over it.
Not to mention, uhhh, this:
The amount of shit-talking that will take place during the fight alone is worth the price of the pay-per-view. Speaking of which, the UFC has scheduled a press conference for the two to face off for the first time, which will be broadcast at 4 p.m. EST today on UFC.com.
Last week, we expressed the less-than-popular opinion that the booking of Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 in the co-main event of Bellator 149 was perhaps the greatest matchmaking move in the promotion’s history. Our main argument was that, by booking such a clearly ridiculous, freakshow of a fight, Scott Coker was declaring once and for all that his promotion would not be attempting to compete with the UFC in terms of legitimate talent moving forward, but would instead be cashing in on the millennial driven, “so-bad-it’s-good” market that has begun to dominate the film and television industries in recent years.
With Slice vs. Dada now in the rearview mirror, we think it would be safe to say that we were right on the money.
Last week, we expressed the less-than-popular opinion that the booking of Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 in the co-main event of Bellator 149 was perhaps the greatest matchmaking move in the promotion’s history. Our main argument was that, by booking such a clearly ridiculous, freakshow of a fight, Scott Coker was declaring once and for all that his promotion would not be attempting to compete with the UFC in terms of legitimate talent moving forward, but would instead be cashing in on the millennial driven, “so-bad-it’s-good” market that has begun to dominate the film and television industries in recent years.
With Slice vs. Dada now in the rearview mirror, we think it would be safe to say that we were right on the money.
How bad was Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000? Arguably one of the worst fights that the sport has ever seen, yet also on par for what you would expect from two near-40 year-old street fighters with limited MMA training. It was a fight wherein both competitors gassed out within the opening minute, yet valiantly continued (struggled) on for 13 more. It was a fight that appeared to take place underwater and was capped off by a hilarious non-finish that would’ve turned Ric Flair green with envy.
The reactions may have been scathing, but if there’s one thing that Slice vs. Dada did, it’s get us talking. Early indications are that Bellator 149 was a huge hit among its coveted demographics and the fight itself is still trending on Twitter. In its failure to entertain, Slice vs. Dada quickly became the most entertaining fight of the weekend for some of us, and you have to imagine that it was exactly what Scott Coker wanted when he booked it in the first place.
Of course, it didn’t come without a cost. Our gleeful takedown of the fight was soon followed by general concern for Dada 5000, who was carried out of the event on a stretcher and later rushed to critical condition due to renal failure. As it turns out, the 40 pounds that Dhafir Harris had dropped in the lead-up to the fight had taken its toll on his body, and he nearly lost his life as a result. It was a sobering turn of events, and one that has led to even greater backlash from the MMA community. While the finger rightfully has been pointed at Bellator for booking this fight, it could (and should) just as easily be pointed at the Texas athletic commission that allowed Harris to step into the cage after a 5-year absence when his body was clearly not ready for it.
At the end of the day, we highly doubt that Dada’s near-death experience will do anything to curb Bellator matchmaking moving forward. The promotion is shifting ever-further away from “legitimacy” in an attempt to give us guilty pleasure fights, and that’s exactly what it did last weekend. Regardless of how those fights turned out, you can bet your bottom dollar that the reputation of MMA’s second most popular promotion didn’t suffer in the slightest for it. I mean, what else could we have possibly expected? A high-level display of technical mixed martial arts? A slick submission? Outrage may be the fuel that powers the Internet, but it will ultimately be rendered meaningless as long as keep tuning in (and we will).
Of course, then came the evening’s main event, which pitted 49-year-old Ken Shamrock against 51-year-old Royce Gracie. Whereas Slice vs. Dada had at least the potential to end in crowd-pleasing fashion, this fight did not and played out accordingly.
What is there to even discuss, really? Gracie came out in the same flat-footed stance he’s been using since the early 90′s and Shamrock went down in the same mysteriously fishy fashion that he has in his last umpteen fights. Was Gracie’s fight-ending shot below the belt? Will Shamrock’s appeal see the light of day? Who gives a sh*t. We never needed Gracie vs. Shamrock III and we certainly don’t need a fourth go at it, so let’s just be thankful that this thing ended early and without either guy being carried out on a stretcher. In this latest incarnation of Bellator, that’s clearly a higher water mark than we’ll be able to set moving forward.
Main card
Royce Gracie def. Ken Shamrock via first-round TKO (2:22) (live blog)
Kimbo Slice def. Dada 5000 via third-round TKO (1:32) (live blog)
Derek Campos def. Melvin Guillard via second-round TKO (0:32)
Linton Vassell def. Emanuel Newton via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27 x2)
Emanuel Sanchez def. Daniel Pineda via split decision (28-29, 29-27, 29-28)
Undercard
Justin Wren def. Juan Torres via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jeremy Mahon def. Davis Sylvester via TKO (R3, 4:22)
C.J. Hancock def. Ruben Esparsa via submission (rear-naked choke) (R3, 1:26)
Adrian Yanez vs. Ryan Hollis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Isaac Villanueva def. Richard Knepp via knockout (R1, 0:42)
Mike Trinh def. Angel Zamora via submission (armbar) (R1, 3:49)
Jason Langellier def. Anthony Ivy via submission (anaconda choke) (R1, 2:09)
Manny Lozoya def. Jacob Norsworthy via submission (guillotine) (R1, 2:33)
If you guys haven’t been following the lead-up to tonight’s battle between Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000, hooooo boy have you been missing out.
For starters, the fight is being billed as a matchup to determine the “King of the Streets” despite the fact that, you know, it’s being contested in a cage. Secondly, the trash-talk between the two Miami-based brawlers has been next level bonkers, with Slice calling out Mr. 5000’s “baby nuts” and challenging him to a literal dick-measuring contest at the event’s press conference earlier this week. Oh, and had we mentioned that the fight has been so heavily bet on by “three or four” mystery men that it literally forced bookmakers to shift the odds for the fight? It has been an outstanding series of events, to put it mildly.
Anyways, CagePotato recently weighed in on what this bizarre matchup means for the future of Bellator over at Uproxx, and wouldn’t you know it, we think it’s the best move that the promotion could have possibly made. Head after the jump for a little preview of our assessment and make sure to tune into what will surely be a ludicrous matchup at Bellator 149 tonight.
If you guys haven’t been following the lead-up to tonight’s battle between Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000, hooooo boy have you been missing out.
For starters, the fight is being billed as a matchup to determine the “King of the Streets” despite the fact that, you know, it’s being contested in a cage. Secondly, the trash-talk between the two Miami-based brawlers has been next level bonkers, with Slice calling out Mr. 5000′s “baby nuts” and challenging him to a literal dick-measuring contest at the event’s press conference earlier this week. Oh, and had we mentioned that the fight has been so heavily bet on by “three or four” mystery men that it literally forced bookmakers to shift the odds for the fight? It has been an outstanding series of events, to put it mildly.
Anyways, CagePotato recently weighed in on what this bizarre matchup means for the future of Bellator over at Uproxx, and wouldn’t you know it, we think it’s the best move that the promotion could have possibly made. Head after the jump for a little preview of our assessment and make sure to tune into what will surely be a ludicrous matchup at Bellator 149 tonight.
——-
The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to realize that the booking of Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 actually signals a rather brilliant shift in ideology by Bellator. Do you guys see it? Bellator knows that this fight is shit, and in fact, that’s why they booked it in the first place.
We are living in the era of nostalgia-driven, “ironic” entertainment — an era where more so-bad-it’s-good films, television shows, comics, and whathaveyou are being churned out than ever before, with the lone goal of gaining a “cult following” through pure, intentional ineptitude. Knowing that they may never top the UFC in terms of actually talent, Bellator isn’t simply lowering its standards, it’s adapting its business model to cash in on a proven trend among millennials that is already being exploited by every other entertainment industry. It’s as if Scott Coker wandered into one of the monthly screenings of The Room held at the Regent Theater, saw how people were reacting to it, and thought “Hey, maybe I can do this with MMA.”
So as someone who views Dream’s Super Hulk Grand Prix as the pinnacle of modern mixed martial arts, I was all in on the idea of Kimbo vs. Dada from the day one.
Read the rest of our thoughts on Slice vs. Dada over at Uproxx.
It doesn’t really matter all that much, because Wanderlei Silva has spent the past three years in exile from the sport (and, oh yeah, retired from it over 2 years ago), but the former Pride and UFC star’s long legal battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission has finally come to an end. His sentence? THREE MORE YEARS OF IRRELEVANCY.
It doesn’t really matter all that much, because Wanderlei Silva has spent the past three years in exile from the sport (and, oh yeah, retired from it over 2 years ago), but the former Pride and UFC star’s long legal battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission has finally come to an end. His sentence? THREE MORE YEARS OF IRRELEVANCY.
Sort of.
Details after the jump.
Yes, after initially being handed a lifetime ban by the commission for skipping out on a drug test prior to his UFC 175 bout with Chael Sonnen — a ruling that was later overturned by a Nevada District Court judge — Silva appeared before the NSAC earlier today to challenge the suspension. According to those present, Silva’s attorney, Saul Goodman, used the opportunity to lay into NSAC head Bob Bennett with a line of questioning that was deemed ”insulting” by the board. After some brief debate, Silva was hit with a three year suspension retroactive to May of 2014, meaning he will be free to compete in May of 2017. The $70,000 fine he received was also rescinded due to the fact that oh who gives a f*ck.
Speaking of drug test-related suspensions, you might recall that Gleison Tibau was hit a USADA notice of his own back in December, after flunking an out-of-competition drug test on the heels of his submission win over Abel Trujillo at Fight Night 77 (I know, contain your surprise). At first, it looked like the long-standing member of the lightweight division would be appealing, but just as quickly, Tibau pulled a rare move in MMA these days and publicly apologized for failing the test. Even crazier, he honest-to-God admitted to using EPO and subsequently ended his appeal, telling MMAFighting:
It’s going to be it. They asked me if I wanted to appeal, but it was too tiresome. Three months of meetings at the court, that’s tiring. I don’t want to appeal anymore. I’m done. I expected it to be easier, but that demands a lot from you mentally, physically and financially. If I wanted to continue the appeal, I would have to pay all the court costs from now on, I would have to pay my lawyer, and the suspension would probably go down only three or six months, I don’t know, so I decided not to appeal.
“I’m upset,” continued Tibau. “I have to apologize to my fans because it was a medical mistake. We used a substance we thought wouldn’t be anything, we used it out of competition. I have my conscience clear that I took it without imagining I was doing something wrong. It’s going to be hard for me, but I will pay the price for my mistake.”
Well at least his conscience is clear. I don’t know if I’d be able to live with the idea of a cheater who nearly strangled his last opponent to death having a case of the sads.
(Well, at least Miller’s training for what awaits him in prison.)
If you ever find yourself in a heated discussion about the American justice system, look no further than the case of Jason “Mayhem” Miller as proof that it might be in need of some retooling. The former Strikeforce/UFC fighter has been arrested no less than half a dozen times in the past couple of years for various degrees of assault (some on women, others on police officers) and yet continue to roam free from the only cage he actually belongs in: a jail cell or padded room. It’s a statistical anomaly, really.
But because MMA promoters do not care one bit about the wellbeing of their fighters, it was announced a couple days back that Miller would be returning from his self-imposed retirement/exile/whatever to take on Luke Barnatt at Venator FC III in Milan, Italy on May 21st. It was, in a word, saddening.
Even more saddening, as it turns out, is what Miller did immediately after booking the fight…
(Well, at least Miller’s training for what awaits him in prison.)
If you ever find yourself in a heated discussion about the American justice system, look no further than the case of Jason “Mayhem” Miller as proof that it might be in need of some retooling. The former Strikeforce/UFC fighter has been arrested no less than half a dozen times in the past couple of years for various degrees of assault (some on women, others on police officers) and yet continue to roam free from the only cage he actually belongs in: a jail cell or padded room. It’s a statistical anomaly, really.
But because MMA promoters do not care one bit about the wellbeing of their fighters, it was announced a couple days back that Miller would be returning from his self-imposed retirement/exile/whatever to take on Luke Barnatt at Venator FC III in Milan, Italy on May 21st. It was, in a word, saddening.
Even more saddening, as it turns out, is what Miller did immediately after booking the fight…(via MMAFighting):
The troubled Miller was arrested the morning of Feb. 7 in Irvine, Calif. for suspicion of driving under the influence, according to Orange County public arrest records. He was released later that day and is due to appear in a local court on March 7.
According to a report published on TMZ.com, because of Miller’s past history of violence toward law enforcement, approximately 15 police officers and a K9 unit were on hand for his arrest in Irvine, although there was no physical confrontation this time.
The cherry on top of this shit sundae? The video below, wherein a drunken Miller fails to recall the name of the man he is supposed to being facing while announcing the damn fight.
“I have to announce, I’m gonna fight again,” says a visibly inebriated Miller, whose voice sounds like he’s been huffing inhalants non-stop from the moment he finished taping his segment for Real Sports.
“I’m fighting Josh Barnett…for the the title of…Venator FC or PC of LMNOP. Catch wrestling is nothing compared to monkey Jiu-Jitsu.” It only gets worse from there.
Come to think of it, this video was more than likely shot directly before Miller was arrested, which gives you a little insight as to the kind of people he has allowed to drag him from the bright lights of the UFC into the deepest, darkest cesspool of humanity (looking at you, guy in Superman shirt).
The recent arrest and mental state of his opponent aside, Barnatt seems to be under the influence that this is a fight we should care about, and has already taken to Instagram for a little preemptive trash talk.
Honestly, we don’t even know who to be more disappointed in, Venator for booking this fight or Barnatt or accepting it. We get that a paycheck is a paycheck, but shouldn’t the line be drawn when it comes to fighting the mentally unstable? Miller has been spending more time in a jail cell than anywhere else since his last fight — which was in 2012, for what it’s worth — and if the video above is any indication, we’re going to assume that he’s all but completely withdrawn from training. The likelihood of “Mayhem” making it to this fight or even making weight for it are slim-to-none, so what can Barnatt possibly expect to gain from this fight (except maybe Hep C)?
We’d like to think that the fight will be scrapped in light of Miller’s arrest and/or this video, but who are we kidding? Bellator has probably already promised the winner a contract. To recap how everyone involved in this story should feel:
(No no no, Ben. You’re supposed to kick dirt *in* your opponent’s face, you silly goose. via Getty)
Ben Rothwell has been enjoying quite the little career resurgence in recent years. After starting his UFC career off a mediocre 2-2, “Big Ben” has been running roughshod over every heavyweight he’s faced in the past three years. Even more impressive than the wins themselves has been the ways in which Rothwell has been finishing his opponents, which include a knockout win over former K1 champion Alistair Overeem and most recently, a submission of the previously unsubmittable Josh Barnett at UFC on FOX 18.
As it just so happens, Rothwell was booked against one of those two guys late last night, so if you’re not the type of person who reads headlines, head after the jump to find out which.
(No no no, Ben. You’re supposed to kick dirt *in* your opponent’s face, you silly goose.via Getty)
Ben Rothwell has been enjoying quite the little career resurgence in recent years. After starting his UFC career off a mediocre 2-2, “Big Ben” has been running roughshod over every heavyweight he’s faced in the past three years. Even more impressive than the wins themselves has been the ways in which Rothwell has been finishing his opponents, which include a knockout win over former K1 champion Alistair Overeem and most recently, a submission of the previously unsubmittable Josh Barnett at UFC on FOX 18.
As it just so happens, Rothwell was booked against one of those two guys late last night, so if you’re not the type of person who reads headlines, head after the jump to find out which.
Unfortunately for Rothwell, Miocic is currently trapped in something of a title shot purgatory; the Cleveland native received a last-minute title shot against Werdum following Velasquez’s withdrawal from UFC 196 last month, only to have it ripped away from him when Werdum subsequently withdrew from the fight. Despite this, Miocic has been hinting at a potential fight with Werdum in May recently, dependent on how Velasquez recovers from his latest surgery.
So with Miocic off the table, a matchup with the former heavyweight champion was really all that was left for Rothwell, and for once, the UFC was able to give “Big Ben” exactly what he wanted. (via Rothwell’s Facebook):
Considering that Dos Santos is coming off a loss to Alistair Overeem, another recent victim of Rothwell’s, fans were quick to criticize this booking as “not making any sense.” Rothwell, on the other hand, was quick to dismiss these notions in an interview with MMAFighting.
“Look at it this way: waiting 10 months is really the [other] option,” said Rothwell. “No. Because, Alistair Overeem, even though we already fought, is a top guy. Top guys are top guys, and he’s injured or he’s dealing with things. He says it’s a shoulder. Andrei Arlovski, same thing. He said it’s a shoulder. Cain Velasquez, everybody knows. It’s documented. Cain, back injury.”
“Travis Browne was, I guess from everything I’m hearing, supposed to take this fight (against dos Santos). It was a lock. Then things were said, or something happened, and he said that his foot was too injured. So all four of the top guys [are out], and then the other two (Stipe Miocic and Fabricio Werdum), obviously common sense will say something is happening there. So, that leaves Junior.”
In a world where heavyweights are going down left and right, one cornfed, soft-shoeing sonofabitch stands alone, it would seem. On April 10th, the ultimate battle of good and evil will be held in Croatia, so start placing your bets, Nation.
