Tag: javier mendez

DC’s Coach Disputes Jon Jones GOAT Talk With One Name: Lance Armstrong

Daniel Cormier’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently stirred the debate around Jon Jones’ GOAT status by invoking a comparison to Lance Armstrong. In recent months, the conversation surrounding the pound-for-pound greatest MMA fighter of all time has intensified, with Jones’ name consistently leading the discussion. UFC CEO Dana White has been especially vocal, passionately championing the […]

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Daniel Cormier’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently stirred the debate around Jon Jones’ GOAT status by invoking a comparison to Lance Armstrong.

In recent months, the conversation surrounding the pound-for-pound greatest MMA fighter of all time has intensified, with Jones’ name consistently leading the discussion. UFC CEO Dana White has been especially vocal, passionately championing the reigning heavyweight kingpin’s place at the top of the all-time rankings.

Jones etched his name in the history books as the youngest champion in UFC history, seizing the light heavyweight title at just 23 years old with a commanding victory over Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011. Since that momentous win, “Bones” has stepped into the octagon for 15 title fights, emerging victorious in every single one, save for the no-contest in his rematch against Cormier at UFC 214 in July 2017.

Jones’ resume is arguably unmatched in the sport, but his illustrious career has been marred by a series of high-profile scandals, most notably his positive test for the banned substance turinabol. This tainted legacy is precisely why Mendez believes that, despite his achievements, Jones is unworthy of the GOAT status…

Mendez Asserts Jones’ Doping Test ‘Disqualifies’ Him From GOAT Status

During a recent episode of the Javier Mendez Podcast, the renowned MMA coach weighed in on White’s persistent endorsement of Jones as the GOAT. Mendez drew a striking comparison between “Bones” and legendary cyclist Armstrong, who famously won the Tour de France a record seven times, only to have all his titles and accolades stripped away following his admission to using performance-enhancing drugs.

“Dana is still insisting that Jon Jones is pound-for-pound #1,” Mendez said. “He has his valid points, but my valid point is I just want to say one thing: Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France how many times, and basically, he got all those titles taken away from him because of one thing—doping. And even though it was many years later that they caught him, he lost all the Tour de France titles. Well, it’s been a fact, it’s been proven, Jon Jones has been caught doping. So, I’m sorry, I think that disqualifies him just based on that alone.”

“Bones” has been inactive since his move to the heavyweight division in March 2023, where he made a triumphant debut by securing a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 to clinch the vacant title.

Jones was initially set to make his first title defense against former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023. However, just days before the fight, the heavyweight champ had to pull out due to a shoulder injury. Now, the highly anticipated clash between the two is rumored to headline UFC 309, scheduled for November.

Continue Reading DC’s Coach Disputes Jon Jones GOAT Talk With One Name: Lance Armstrong at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev’s Coach Discusses Potential Middleweight Title Fight Against Du Plessis & Adesanya

Islam Makhachev will have been happy to see Belal Muhammad become the welterweight champion at UFC 304 after the training they have done together in the past. However, there is a sense that this result messed with the future plans of the lightweight champion. Had Leon Edwards defeated Muhammad and secured his third title defense, […]

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Islam Makhachev will have been happy to see Belal Muhammad become the welterweight champion at UFC 304 after the training they have done together in the past.

However, there is a sense that this result messed with the future plans of the lightweight champion.

Had Leon Edwards defeated Muhammad and secured his third title defense, Makhachev would have been high on the list of his potential challengers having laid out his ambition to become a two-weight world champion in the near future.

He now finds himself in a similar situation as to the one Kamaru Usman had during his welterweight title reign where he wanted a second belt but a friend of his, Israel Adesanya in Usman’s case, is the champion of the weight class above.

Just like how Usman briefly flirted with the idea of skipping over Adesanya’s division to jump up two weight classes instead, Makhachev has mentioned competing at middleweight.

Javier Mendez Gives His Take On Islam Makhachev Fighting At Middleweight

Though the idea was brushed off by the current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, maybe there is a future where Makhachev moves from 155 to 185.

He still has contenders to face in his own division and is set to be out for a bit longer due to a recently disclosed hand injury but the lightweight king has big ambitions.

In an interview with Submission Radio, his coach Javier Mendez spoke about what this would mean for Makhachev, revealing that whilst nothing serious has taken place, they have spoken about the idea.

“Islam said that middleweight would be kind of something but he’d have to put on some muscle so this is not just me, this is Islam thinking the same thing that yeah if it did ever come through, so it’s really not ideally something that we’re really looking at but it was something that was discussed but he’d have to put on some size if that was ever to happen.”

Mendez went on to say that whilst it would obviously be a tough and unheard of task to accomplish, he can understand why Makhachev would want to do it because it would define his legacy.

“If he was able to pull something like that off, if that ever was materialized and he did pull it off, that would put him in the top three pound-for-pound of all time.”

Read also: Belal Muhammad: There’s ‘Turmoil’ Between Leon Edwards & Coach After UFC 304 Loss

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Coach Discusses Potential Middleweight Title Fight Against Du Plessis & Adesanya at MMA News.

Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’

During Belal Muhammad’s current winning streak which now sees him at the top of the welterweight division, a lot has been made about the company he has chosen to keep. “Remember The Name” has got a solid and small team around him but he has also decided in recent times to do some work alongside […]

Continue Reading Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’ at MMA News.

During Belal Muhammad’s current winning streak which now sees him at the top of the welterweight division, a lot has been made about the company he has chosen to keep.

“Remember The Name” has got a solid and small team around him but he has also decided in recent times to do some work alongside the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

This was especially true heading into Muhammad’s fight with Sean Brady, which produced his best performance inside the Octagon at that time.

It was also a part of the narrative heading into his title fight with Leon Edwards last month.

Whilst the champion at the time had dealt with American wrestlers in Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, how would he match-up with someone that has been training with some of the best grapplers in the sport?

Javier Mendez Says Belal Muhammad’s Coaches Deserve More Credit For UFC 304 Win

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, AKA head coach Javier Mendez said that people got too carried away with giving ‘coach Khabib’ credit for Muhammad’s recent title win.

Whilst the welterweight challenger did manage to get some work in with “The Eagle” before heading to Manchester, Mendez revealed that it was only for a very small amount of time in the grand scheme of the training camp.

He said that while Nurmagomedov did contribute and would have added some extra value, the credit for this win on the coaching side of things deserves to be aimed at Muhammad’s long-time team instead.

“What about his coaches? What about Lou? What about his other coaches? Mike Valley, you know, what about them? I mean they were with him through this whole time so to me, it isn’t anything other than what they did as coaching staff because Khabib only put like maybe a week – two weeks to help him on this one and the rest he spent with his coaches. So, to me, I don’t like the narrative when they make it look like Khabib made the big difference when yeah he helped him but his coaches made the difference.”

Read also: Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin

Continue Reading Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’ at MMA News.

Coach On Donald Trump Calling Khabib Nurmagomedov Favorite UFC Fighter

Shortly after his latest corner assignment in Abu Dhabi last Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov received some kind words from a figure that has been on record as a big fan of his. The former US President Donald Trump has always been tied to the sport of MMA to some degree and just like any fight fan, […]

Continue Reading Coach On Donald Trump Calling Khabib Nurmagomedov Favorite UFC Fighter at MMA News.

Shortly after his latest corner assignment in Abu Dhabi last Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov received some kind words from a figure that has been on record as a big fan of his.

The former US President Donald Trump has always been tied to the sport of MMA to some degree and just like any fight fan, he has his favorites.

Trump has mentioned the former lightweight champion in the past and even posted on social media about it, after meeting him whilst in attendance at UFC 302.

During a recent stream alongside Adin Ross, he said that “The Eagle” is number one on his own personal list.

Nurmagomedov’s long-time coach turned fellow corner Javier Mendez gave his reaction to this in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA.

“No I haven’t seen it and I’m not surprised, Donald Trump has spoken always highly about Khabib and what a great fighter he thinks and also, Donald Trump from the very beginning back when the UFC just started and they would get into the Trump Towers, their hotels and Donald Trump was one of the few people that took a chance on them back in the day. So, Donald Trump’s an MMA fan so not surprising that he would choose ‘The Eagle’ because we all choose ‘The Eagle’, I choose ‘The Eagle’.”

Javier Mendez On Why The UFC Decided To Release New Conor McGregor & Khabib Nurmagomedov Footage

On July 15, the UFC released the latest episode of their “UFC Muted” series on YouTube which strips away the commentary so you can hear audio from fights that wasn’t possible before.

The subject of this particular instalment was sure to bring attention due to it being no-commentary clips of the biggest fight in UFC history, Conor McGregor vs “The Eagle”.

Mendez was asked to give his thoughts on why the UFC decided to release this footage at this time in particular.

He explained how in his opinion, this was done to keep Nurmagomedov in the spotlight ahead of his return to the corner this past weekend, where he helped his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov to stay undefeated against Cory Sandhagen in the main event.

He said that the promotion knows what they’re doing and if they can’t have the former champion back inside the Octagon, they’ll look to make the most out of his star quality in other ways.

“I believe the UFC’s genius at what they do. I believe they’re building the ‘young eagle’ situation because Khabib was in the corner and they showed the corner. Why would you show the corners if you’re not trying to build that as a corner. So no, UFC, they go with the algorithm, they know what they’re doing and I believe that’s what they’re doing. They’re building up Khabib as the next great coach and he is. He’s on track to being the next great coach if not the greatest coach. So I believe the UFC is playing that narrative because that’s a smart move on their part.”

Read also: Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin

Continue Reading Coach On Donald Trump Calling Khabib Nurmagomedov Favorite UFC Fighter at MMA News.

Coach backs Islam Makhachev to make huge middleweight move: ‘He’s that good’

Coach backs Islam Makhachev to make huge middleweight move: 'He's that good'Forever staking his claim for a move to the welterweight limit prior to his friend, Belal Muhammad’s title coronation…

Coach backs Islam Makhachev to make huge middleweight move: 'He's that good'

Forever staking his claim for a move to the welterweight limit prior to his friend, Belal Muhammad’s title coronation at UFC 304 earlier this month, lightweight best, Islam Makhachev has now been backed to excel as high as middleweight, per his coach, Javier Mendez.

Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 302 back in May, successfully defending his crown for a third time in a fifth round D’Arce choke submission win against former interim gold holder, Dustin Poirier.

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And expected to return at UFC 308 in October in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev has been ruled from the event amid an arm injury, which may require a surgical procedure to address – postponing an targeted rematch with number one contender, Arman Tsarukyan.

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Instead booked to headline the Etihad Arena card – undisputed featherweight kingpin, Ilia Topuria draws the former champion, Max Holloway in a title grudge fight in the Middle East.

Islam Makhachev tipped to make middleweight leap

And while calling for a title fight with Leon Edwards ahead of UFC 304, Islam Makhachev has since cooled talk of a leap to 170lbs after his close friend, Muhammad lifted the crown in Manchester – and instead, has been tipped to succeed at middleweight in a huge two-division leap.

Islam Makhachev turns down fight with Michael Chandler you are unreliable dude

“That’s a good reason to fight Arman (Tsarukyan) or anybody else any you get the most defenses in the lightweight history,” Javier Mendez told Red Corner MMA. “I can’t believe three is the record. That’s just amazing how it turns over. So many fighters have won titles there but they never kept it more than three title defenses so Islam (Makhachev) will break the record and I want to see him go down as one of the greatest of all time.”

“And I believe he’s on track to do that,” Mendez explained. “So, him defending that lightweight title is on track for that. Then after that let’s see what happens – maybe Islam gains weight and goes [to] 185 [pounds]. I mean, he’d have to gain weight, obviously, because that’s a little big for him. You never know. He’s that good. Pound-for-pound number one for a reason.”

Do you think Islam Makhachev could excel at middleweight?

Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin

Islam Makhachev may have picked up where the great Khabib Nurmagomedov left off with dominating the lightweight division, but his legacy has also been continued by his own family. There are a lot of parallels in the careers of Khabib and his younger cousin Umar Nurmagomedov. Both have been incredibly dominant inside the Octagon but […]

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Islam Makhachev may have picked up where the great Khabib Nurmagomedov left off with dominating the lightweight division, but his legacy has also been continued by his own family.

There are a lot of parallels in the careers of Khabib and his younger cousin Umar Nurmagomedov.

Both have been incredibly dominant inside the Octagon but during their climbs, were held back by injuries and issues with finding opponents.

Eventually, “The Eagle” was undeniable and proved himself to be a top-tier lightweight and that’s what happened in the bantamweight division with Umar this past weekend.

His win over Cory Sandhagen means that just like Islam and his cousin before him, he’s arrived at the top at long last.

Javier Mendez Says Khabib Was A Better Grappler But Umar Nurmagomedov Is Already A Better Striker

In a recent interview with The Schmo, AKA head coach Javier Mendez was asked to compare Umar and Khabib as fighters, given where the undefeated 135-pound contender is at right now.

Mendez is very high on Umar’s potential and went on to say that with Islam being four years older than him, Khabib’s cousin could go on to claim the position of being the number 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world at some stage.

He spoke about what separates the two cousins, by running down which one has the edge in terms of their skill set and toughness.

“Well as far as skills at this juncture of their careers, that’s a tough one you hit me with. I would say that Khabib’s ground is still top notch. Umar’s ground is great but Khabib was just another level but again, Khabib’s stand up wasn’t up to where Umar’s is on par. But, as far as their mental, their mental is fairly comparable. Khabib’s chin’s granite, I’ve never seen anybody have a chin like Khabib. Umar has got a great chin as he proved from the last fight when he got dropped and he was able to go for the takedown as he was being dropped but I guess the chin level would have to go with Khabib but the mental toughness, I think they’re pretty equal, mental toughness. I mean Umar is a tough customer man.”

Read also: Umar Nurmagomedov ‘Not Happy’ With Performance Against Cory Sandhagen At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: ‘I Thought I Would Maul Him’

Continue Reading Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin at MMA News.