Thiago Alves Fires Back At Mike Perry’s ‘Ducking’ Allegations

The co-main event of last night’s (Sat. September 17, 2017) UFC Fight Night 116 event saw a late change, as rising welterweight star “Platinum” Mike Perry’s originally slated opponent, Thiago Alves, was forced to pull out of the fight. Alves was replaced by UFC newcomer Alex Reyes, who was made quick work of by Perry […]

The post Thiago Alves Fires Back At Mike Perry’s ‘Ducking’ Allegations appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The co-main event of last night’s (Sat. September 17, 2017) UFC Fight Night 116 event saw a late change, as rising welterweight star “Platinum” Mike Perry’s originally slated opponent, Thiago Alves, was forced to pull out of the fight.

Alves was replaced by UFC newcomer Alex Reyes, who was made quick work of by Perry in the first round of the fight. After the bout, Perry accused Alves of ‘ducking’ him by pulling out, something the Brazilian didn’t take too kindly to. “Pitbull” explained that he pulled out of the fight due to the fact that Hurricane Irma was heading towards his native Florida, which he decided to stay at home and ride out the storm with his family. The pullout marked a UFC record eight pullouts by Alves, something that he’s likely not too excited about having accomplished.

He took to social media to further explain his actions and also fire back at Perry for claiming he was ‘ducking’ him, saying he still has an ‘ass whooping’ with Perry’s name on it:

Don Wright for USA TODAY Sports

“This was my first hurricane as a husband and a father. The safety of my family it’s my duty and they will always come first! Still, i did make every attempt suggested by the UFC Travel Team to get to Pittsburgh besides taking a “Road Trip” with my wife and my 13 months son when the whole state of FL was evacuating. All my flights continued to get cancelled from Friday am all the way to Tuesday 11 pm. After spending 6 hours at the airport with no real idea when I would make to the fight, having no electricity, sleeping in the gym with my family, and dealing with my dog dying from heat exhaustion … I decided to stay with my family and rebuild. I will never apologize for that, it’s not in my nature.

“I have too much love and respect for my Sport, Family, Team and the MMA Fans to go to war not being 100% ready. Me and the UFC are in great terms, they understand my decision. I’ve been with the company for 12 years. I’ve known Sean Shelby for a very long time and he knows I always come to fight. I trained for 16 weeks bc this fight was originally happening in August. If I don’t fight I don’t get paid, so nobody suffers but Me and My Family. I’m ready and will stay ready. I should be rebooked by December. My support to everyone that went through Hurricane Irma. My thoughts and prays are with you #RipTanky

#RipTanky ????????Esse foi o meu primeiro furacão morando na Florida como Marido e Pai de família. A segurança da minha família é a minha obrigação. E eles sempre vão ser a minha prioridade. Mesmo assim, eu segui todas as instruções que o Time de Viajem do UFC me deu. A não ser lógico a opção pegar o carro e dirigir com a minha esposa e o meu filho de 13 meses, quando o Estado todo da Florida está em Evacuação de Emergência. Mesmo assim, eu tive vários voos que foram cancelados de sexta de manhã a terça feira 11pm da noite. Depois de passar 6-7 horas no aeroporto, não tendo certeza se iria conseguir seguir viajar a tempo para a luta. Não tendo eletricidade em casa, dormindo na academia com a minha família. E lidando com a morte do meu Bulldog de 9 anos devido ao furacão Irma. Eu decidi ficar em casa com a família e reconstruir. Foi a decisão correta e não me arrependo. Eu tenho muito Amor e Respeito pelo o meu Esporte pela a minha Família pelo meu Time para ir a guerra sem estar 100% focado. Eu e o UFC estamos em bom termos. Eles entendem e respeitão a minha decisão. Eu tenho 12 anos com o UFC, eu conheço bem o Sean Selby. Ele sabe que eu sempre venho proto para guerra. Eu treinei por 16 semanas, essa luta era para ter acontecido em agosto. Se eu não luto eu não faço dinheiro. Só quem se prejudica realmente só eu e a minha família. Eu estou pronto e vou continuar pronto! Eu lutarei esse ano ainda, Sean Shelby falou no máximo dezembro. A todas a vítimas do furacão Irma, que Deus nos abençoe! Osss

A post shared by Thiago 'Pitbull' Alves ???????????????? (@thiagoalvesatt) on

The post Thiago Alves Fires Back At Mike Perry’s ‘Ducking’ Allegations appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Luke Rockhold Dubs Robert Whittaker ‘True’ UFC Middleweight Champion

Following his crushing win over former World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) dual-weight champ David Branch, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has his eyes back on UFC gold. The Californian spoke to the media following his second round win over Branch in the main event of last night’s (Sat. September 16, 2017) UFC Fight Night […]

The post Luke Rockhold Dubs Robert Whittaker ‘True’ UFC Middleweight Champion appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Following his crushing win over former World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) dual-weight champ David Branch, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has his eyes back on UFC gold.

The Californian spoke to the media following his second round win over Branch in the main event of last night’s (Sat. September 16, 2017) UFC Fight Night 116 event from Pittsburgh, claiming to recognize interim division champion Robert Whittaker as the legitimate champion at 185 pounds – not Michael Bisping (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“Whittaker is definitely an interesting fight,” Rockhold said. “I think he’s the true champion right now – the man who fights the fights that count, other than some poser up there running away with the belt.”

Don Wright for USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to who should get the next crack at the middleweight throne following Bisping and Georges St-Pierre’s title clash this November, Whittaker has that spot reserved thanks to his interim title. Its seems that a match-up would perhaps have to take place between Rockhold and Weidman to determine who advances in the title picture after that, but that doesn’t seem to interest the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product too much:

“Chris Weidman’s lost three in a row,” Rockhold said. “That doesn’t make much sense at this point. I’d rather not do that again at the moment.”

Rockhold did express interest in eventually making a jump up to 205 pounds in the near future, noting that his cut down to middleweight can be tough at times:

“I’ll fight light heavyweight,” Rockhold said. “The weight cut was rough. I’m not going to lie, it always is. … I’d love to go to light heavyweight. I’d do really well. In the gym, it’s more natural for me. I think I could do things. But ‘DC’ is obviously the man in the division right now. I’m not going up until he gets out. If he goes up or he retires, you can damn well guarantee I’m coming up. I have business to do here first.”

As it pertains to his performance against Branch, Rockhold was overall satisfied with how he performed but admitted that he didn’t expect the former WSOF middleweight and light heavyweight champ to come out as aggressive as he did:

“I was OK with (my performance),” Rockhold said. “I didn’t expect him to come forward so hard. I wanted to find my timing, get my range. It was a bit of a weight cut and just trying to get my bearings there in the clinch and figure it out. When I’m best, I wait.”

Don Wright for USA TODAY Sports

The post Luke Rockhold Dubs Robert Whittaker ‘True’ UFC Middleweight Champion appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Mike Perry Almost Died After Possibly Ingesting Metal

Rising UFC welterweight contender Mike Perry will take on short-notice replacement Alex Reyes in the co-main event of tonight’s (Sat., September 16, 2017) UFC Fight Night 116 from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Penn., but he very nearly didn’t make it to any more fights. Perry was involved in a significant car accident on May […]

The post Mike Perry Almost Died After Possibly Ingesting Metal appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Rising UFC welterweight contender Mike Perry will take on short-notice replacement Alex Reyes in the co-main event of tonight’s (Sat., September 16, 2017) UFC Fight Night 116 from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Penn., but he very nearly didn’t make it to any more fights.

Perry was involved in a significant car accident on May 25th, and he suffered two herniated discs in his back in addition to headaches when he was rear-ended by another motorist. However, that was only the start of his side effects, as ‘Platinum’ told Ariel Helwani on this week’s The MMA Hour that he began experiencing pains in training because he potentially ingested a piece of metal in the accident:

“Something happened in the car accident and I possibly ingested a piece of metal. And I didn’t know about it for a couple of days. I was going to training and I had a friend of mine pressing me up against the fence, and he put his shoulder in my stomach and he pressed in, and he’s like 6’4” or 6’5”, so when he really leaned in, he’s got good leverage, and I didn’t think nothing of it — there was just this sharp pain in my stomach. And I just pulled guard and went to the ground, and I was like, ‘Wow, man, good job, dude, that was a lot of pressure, that took a lot of energy out of me.’”

Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports

Perry went into detail about just what the scarcely-seen and threatening injury did to his insides, which required him to undergo reoccurring medical tests as the metal ripped apart his insides. At one point, Perry said, he very nearly died from the metal:

“I was dying on the inside,” Perry said. “I went to the doctor the next day, or the day after, and they ran some tests and stuff like that, and they were like, ‘Did you eat a coin? Did you eat something? Did you ingest a piece of metal or something?’ And I was vomiting blood for a couple of days, and I had to go get [a procedure done where] they stick a camera down your throat to see what’s going on. I beat up my insides with that piece of metal, it cut me up and stuff, and it just took awhile to really get back to eating food, and my weight was low because I just didn’t have an appetite because of all the pain that I went through. It was pretty severe. It’s wild that as healthy as I am and as I was, and all the exercise and all the clean eating, just like, that I almost didn’t make it. That’s how I felt.

“I really didn’t think I was going to make it, man. I was dying. Literally dying.”

“Platinum” may be one of the most powerful knockout artists in the UFC right now, but even a warrior like him couldn’t stand up to the challenge of the back injuries in addition to the internal issue:

“Accidents are tricky, man,” Perry said. “Something like that, especially a tough guy like me, I’m feeling pain … it was a mix of a piece of metal in my stomach and a herniated discs in my back causing nausea, and I couldn’t decipher the two until they told me about both. And then I started realizing the differences in my body between back and stomach where the pain was really coming from, and it was coming from both places.”

Just as his health seemed to be on the edge of extreme danger, he rebounded when he apparently passed the piece of metal, which he never saw. His appetite is back to normal, and he’s feeling as fast and in-shape as he ever has heading into his bout with Reyes, who filled in for longtime contender Thiago Alves on only three days’ notice:

“I have no idea. It passed and I missed it. We tried to look for it, but I wasn’t digging through sh*t, but we were hoping to hear something and we never did.

“But I know I’m better now. My appetite is normal, and I’m just grateful, man. I’m thankful.

“I’m in the best shape of my shape, I’m stronger and better than I’ve ever been. I’m so fast, I’m so ready for this. I can’t wait for Saturday.”

The post Mike Perry Almost Died After Possibly Ingesting Metal appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Claudia Gadelha Expects To Receive Title Shot If She Beats Jessica Andrade

Claudia Gadelha knows what she wants, which is UFC gold. However, she knows following her win at UFC 212, she knows that it wasn’t time for a new title shot just yet. Gadelha (15-2) is coming off a quick submission win over former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 212. Prior to that fight, she […]

The post Claudia Gadelha Expects To Receive Title Shot If She Beats Jessica Andrade appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Claudia Gadelha knows what she wants, which is UFC gold. However, she knows following her win at UFC 212, she knows that it wasn’t time for a new title shot just yet.

Gadelha (15-2) is coming off a quick submission win over former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 212. Prior to that fight, she had beaten Cortney Casey, which puts her at 2-0 since a failed five-round title beat down by current champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk at last July’s TUF 23 Finale.

Now, she is set to take on Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 117. With this upcoming bout and possibility of winning the bout, Gadelha is hoping that this one will do the trick.

“I think that, getting past Jessica, I won’t have anything else to prove to anyone,” Gadelha told MMAjunkie. “I had two close fights with Joanna. If I don’t deserve that title shot, I don’t think anyone else does.”

A second title fight with the champion wouldn’t necessarily mean a trilogy with JedrzejczykThe promotion has already scheduled the UFC 217 bout between Jedrzejczyk, and Rose Namajunas could see the UFC’s 125-pound belt changing hands on Nov. 4.

“I think Rose doesn’t stand a chance against Joanna,” Gadelha said. I’m coming off a win, so I’d rather be fighting someone who was also coming off a win,” Gadelha said.

Gadelha had two things that she wanted to do on her mind. One of them was to stay active and the second thing was to fight in Japan, which she will accomplish.

“All the respect, the hierarchy – that’s very important to me,” Gadelha said. “I wanted to fight in Japan one day. And since (the UFC doesn’t) go there every day – or even every year – I wanted to be on this card, so I asked for it.”

Despite her desire to compete, Gadelha had to wait for the promotion to line her up with her next opponent. With six weeks to go before the event, no one had accepted the challenge. Thus, she had to take action and book a fight for herself via social media.

“It’s a soap opera at this point, but I think Carla Esparza and I should fight,” Gadelha said. “I think this fight should happen. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity. I also even thought about Felice (Herrig), who’s coming off a few wins. I did want to fight someone coming off a win. But then nobody said yes, only Jessica.”

“I don’t know what goes on with her,” Gadelha said. “I don’t think she’s professional. I think she fights more for the money. She has no goals in the division. She was the champion once, but I think she got very lax. She fights for the sake of it. She doesn’t really want anything, she has no objectives in there.”

“I’m waking up when I would be waking up there, sleeping when I should be sleeping there, and training when I should be fighting there,” Gadelha said. “This is what’s been very productive in my training: I can move around my coaches and the people who help out in my camp so it all revolves around me.”

UFC Fight Night 117 takes place on Friday, September 23, 2017 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will be the fifth that the promotion has hosted in Saitama, and first since UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson in September 2015.

“Jessica has some good physical characteristics: She’s very strong, she’s got a lot of heart, and she moves forward against her opponents,” Gadelha said. “I think we have similar physical features, as I’m also one of the strongest in the division.

“But I don’t think she’s a very technical fighter. I think she lacks a lot in that department, and that’s where I have to work.”

The post Claudia Gadelha Expects To Receive Title Shot If She Beats Jessica Andrade appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Max Holloway Seeking Fresh Contract Before Defending Featherweight Title

After downing the greatest featherweight fighter of all time in Jose Aldo, and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor essentially being done with the 145-pound division, Max Holloway is looking to become the money man at featherweight. Holloway has been on an 11-fight win streak since losing to Conor McGregor via unanimous decision back in 2013. […]

The post Max Holloway Seeking Fresh Contract Before Defending Featherweight Title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

After downing the greatest featherweight fighter of all time in Jose Aldo, and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor essentially being done with the 145-pound division, Max Holloway is looking to become the money man at featherweight.

Holloway has been on an 11-fight win streak since losing to Conor McGregor via unanimous decision back in 2013. “Blessed” has won two massive back-to-back fights via knockout against the likes of ex-UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo. Before he makes his first title defense, however, Holloway would like a fresh new contract with the UFC (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“Now we’re just taking it one step at a time. I can’t force something. I’m not going to rush something. I’m not going to get mad over something that I have no control over,” Holloway said. “Like I said, I can control my feelings and that’s what I am focusing on, myself. It’s only giving me more time to get better, you know? Don’t poke the bear. They’re poking at me right now, but they’re going to see on fight night, so I can’t wait. I’m only getting better.

“I’m just asking for a fair shake,” Holloway continued. “You see a lot of these guys, a lot of these other champions making what they’re making. I’m not trying to take anything away from them, but I feel like I’m one of the more exciting fighters under contract in the UFC. At the end of the day, I’m the king. I’m in my throne, you know? If you want to come see me, come see me.”

When “Blessed” does return to the Octagon, he’d like it to be in Las Vegas given that his previous two fights have been out of the country. He plans to visit “Sin City” this weekend to meet with UFC officials:

“My last couple of fights have been out of country,” Holloway said. “Let me come home. Let me come to the ‘ninth island’ (Las Vegas), as close as we can get to UFC Hawaii, so give me that.”

The post Max Holloway Seeking Fresh Contract Before Defending Featherweight Title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Jon Jones’ Coach Doubts He Returns If Banned Four years

Following the revelation that Jon Jones tested positive for a banned substance in a pre-fight drug test for UFC 214, “Bones’” third round knockout win over Daniel Cormier to capture the light heavyweight title was overturned to a No Contest, returning the 205-pound strap to “DC.” Now Jones is looking at the possibility of up […]

The post Jon Jones’ Coach Doubts He Returns If Banned Four years appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Following the revelation that Jon Jones tested positive for a banned substance in a pre-fight drug test for UFC 214, “Bones’” third round knockout win over Daniel Cormier to capture the light heavyweight title was overturned to a No Contest, returning the 205-pound strap to “DC.”

Now Jones is looking at the possibility of up to a four-year ban from mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, something his longtime coach Mike Winkeljohn doesn’t believe he would be able to come back from if the case were to be that severe (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“I don’t know,” Winkeljohn said. “If it’s a four-year (suspension), I think it could be just that kind of devastation (that stops Jon from coming back) and, which like I said, it’s not fair, you know?”

Jones has since maintained his innocence and insists that he did not knowingly cheat ahead of UFC 214. Winkeljohn stands by Jones’ claim and believes perhaps that Jones could have taken a tainted supplement or something that someone wrongfully okayed for him:

“He messed up in that maybe he took something that someone said was fine, but he’s not doing it thinking, ‘I’m taking steroids’ or something, you know,” Winkeljohn said. “And that’s the part that’s terrible. He’d be devastated at four years. Who knows, you know? Just, that’s just a long time to just spiral downhill, where bad things can happen.

“So that one scares me. If it’s a year, Jon Jones will come back and dominate the world again, I do believe.”

Winkeljohn can’t deny that his star pupil has made some questionable decisions in the past, and can fully understand why some people have the perception that Jones is a cheater, but they take it a bit far by accusing the former 205-pound champ of sticking needles in himself for an athletic edge:

“Jon Jones had been tested multiple times going through the fight camp,” Winkeljohn said. “He would not do something like that. The problem is the public perception. They think he’s got these needles and shoving steroids in his arms when, don’t get me wrong, I understand Jon has messed up in the past. He’s got caught drinking and driving. He’s done some bad things. He’s done things that are idiotic. But he’s grown up.

“As far as taking steroids, what he’s been busted for is, you know, taking a Viagra Cialis from Mexico that had something in it. That’s not steroids, but it came up that way. And if I had to guess, it’s going to come out that there’s been something that he took to re-hydrate himself after his cut or somewhere in that style, that time that was some kind of – what do I want to say – some kind of substance that he thought was just a supplement, that someone said, ‘Hey, this will make you feel better. It’s got electrolytes in it and stuff.’

“But it was tainted. And everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, that’s just an excuse.’ But, no, really, that’s it. That’s what it’s going to be.”

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The post Jon Jones’ Coach Doubts He Returns If Banned Four years appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.