Add Vitor Belfort to the list of mixed martial artists in support of a fighters’ union. The former Brazilian light heavyweight champ recently spoke to MMA Fighting regarding the current uprising of unions such as the MMAFA, MMAAA and PFA, and although he doesn’t know what each organization is fighting for specifically, he does believe a
Add Vitor Belfort to the list of mixed martial artists in support of a fighters’ union.
The former Brazilian light heavyweight champ recently spoke to MMA Fighting regarding the current uprising of unions such as the MMAFA, MMAAA and PFA, and although he doesn’t know what each organization is fighting for specifically, he does believe a union is the way to bring about change:
“I’m a smart guy, and the smartest thing in the world is to not side (with something) if you don’t know who’s the leader and what are his motivations,” Belfort said.
“I’m glad that fighters that are part of the history of the sport see me this way, but it’s important for fighters to realize that it’s time to have a fighters’ union. There’s unions for everything, there’s an union even for prostitutes, and we won’t have one for fighters? It’s time for the athlete to have his union.”
Belfort admitted that neither the MMAFA, MMAAA or PFA have contacted him in regards to joining their cause. If he were to align himself with an organization, however, it would be in a leadership role rather than letting somebody use him for his image alone:
“For me to be part of something, I have to be in the leadership. If you just want to use my image, I won’t let anyone do that,” Belfort said. “I don’t think we have to go against the UFC. We have to be together and work together. You have to remember that the same way we want to fight for our rights, we have to understand their rights, too. You need to know that.”
“And it’s not only the UFC,” he said. “There are several promotions. People talk about the UFC, but it’s wonderful for the sport. We are grateful, but there should be a law that benefits every combat sports athlete.”
Three key changes that Belfort would like to see include health insurance for fighters, sponsorship accommodations similar to that of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and the banning of elbows to lessen the amount of blood seen inside the Octagon:
“I think there should be a health insurance for fighters, they should allow sponsors like the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) does, and they should create a league of legends, to bring back fighters fans love. Those would be my three changes,” Belfort said. “And get rid of elbows so there would be no blood. Big companies want to be associated with fights if there are no bloody fights.”
Do you agree with the changes Belfort would like to see in the UFC?
The Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA) has remained rather silent as of late, after debuting this past November with an All Star cast of members from the sport of MMA such as Cain Velasquez, Donald Cerrone, TJ Dillashaw, and Tim Kennedy. That silence was broken earlier today (Mon. January 23, 2017) when Kennedy joined
The Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA) has remained rather silent as of late, after debuting this past November with an All Star cast of members from the sport of MMA such as Cain Velasquez, Donald Cerrone, TJ Dillashaw, and Tim Kennedy. That silence was broken earlier today (Mon. January 23, 2017) when Kennedy joined MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
Kennedy who serves as the President for the MMAAA, and announced his retirement from MMA competition recently, admitted that bringing on former Bellator MMA CEO Bjorn Rebney may have been a mistake, as it took attention away from the message the association is trying to get across:
“It was a mistake during the announcement to have him be a public presence,” Kennedy said. “We obviously regretted that. But he will still be somebody that the board members will go to and ask, ‘As a promoter, did you do this?’”
Kennedy and the fighter board will serve as the key decision makers when it comes to the association’s day-do-day activities, while Rebney is serving strictly in an advisory role as it pertains to how promoters operate, and has no true authority:
“I need that information and he will be the guy that I am going to ask those questions to,” Kennedy said. “But he has no authority and he has no position within the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association and he has no vote.”
“He’s never been a part in a sense that he has any authority or ability to affect anything,” Kennedy said. “The only people that can vote are board members and the only ones people that can be board members are fighters. His role has not changed. But I regret that he was a distraction.”
It was also mentioned that Kennedy has visited some of the most well recognized camps in MMA, such as Jackson-Wink, and the visit was well received by the fighters; making the future of the MMAAA look rather bright if they continue to get some of the biggest names in the sport on its side.
Kelvin Gastelum’s weight cutting past is well documented. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 winner has had three mishaps when it came time to step on the scale. His last weight cut for a welterweight bout was a disaster. It was so bad, that his fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 was canceled and he was forced to move back up to middleweight.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com, Gastelum admitted he is irked by his critics. On the flip side, he also understands that he has no one to blame but himself:
“It does bother me. But at the same time, I’ve brought it onto myself. I have to face the consequences on a media standpoint now. It does bother me. It bothers me a lot. But I have to take it. I’m not one of those guys who shies away from his problems. I like to handle it upfront and kind of grab the bull by the horns.”
Gastelum was once firmly set on staying at 170 pounds. Now, he is more open to sticking around as a middleweight. Many feel the Mexican warrior’s size may be a detriment to him in the 185-pound division. Gastelum disagrees and actually believes his height is an advantage.
“I don’t see (height) as a problem at all. Guys are going to have to come down to me. What I mean is my center of gravity is going to be lower than a lot of these taller guys. It’s hard to even take me down. You have to really come under me to take me down, which is kind of hard to do if you’re tall.”
The next stop for Gastelum is Fortaleza, Brazil. There, he will be taking on former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. The fight will headline a UFC Fight Night Event on March 11.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4Qwpmstas
Kelvin Gastelum’s weight cutting past is well documented. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 winner has had three mishaps when it came time to step on the scale. His last weight cut for a welterweight bout was a disaster. It was so bad, that his fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 was canceled and he was forced to move back up to middleweight.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com, Gastelum admitted he is irked by his critics. On the flip side, he also understands that he has no one to blame but himself:
“It does bother me. But at the same time, I’ve brought it onto myself. I have to face the consequences on a media standpoint now. It does bother me. It bothers me a lot. But I have to take it. I’m not one of those guys who shies away from his problems. I like to handle it upfront and kind of grab the bull by the horns.”
Gastelum was once firmly set on staying at 170 pounds. Now, he is more open to sticking around as a middleweight. Many feel the Mexican warrior’s size may be a detriment to him in the 185-pound division. Gastelum disagrees and actually believes his height is an advantage.
“I don’t see (height) as a problem at all. Guys are going to have to come down to me. What I mean is my center of gravity is going to be lower than a lot of these taller guys. It’s hard to even take me down. You have to really come under me to take me down, which is kind of hard to do if you’re tall.”
The next stop for Gastelum is Fortaleza, Brazil. There, he will be taking on former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. The fight will headline a UFC Fight Night Event on March 11.
Kelvin Gastelum is coming off arguably the most impressive performance of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. After hitting a low point by having his UFC 205 bout canceled due to reoccurring weight cutting issues, Gastelum fought like a man on a mission.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 middleweight winner met Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 in Toronto. Gastelum decimated his opponent and earned a third round TKO win.
The Mexican warrior recently spoke with MMAFighting.com. While Gastelum said he isn’t opposed to staying at 185 pounds, he still believes the 170-pound mark fits his frame the best:
“I’m not against (staying at 185), but I feel like welterweight is my optimal weight class. But I’m not against staying at 185. What I want is the No. 1 contender fight after this fight, whether it’s at middleweight or at welterweight. I want to fight for the No. 1 contender so I might get my title shot. But it doesn’t matter if I’m at middleweight or welterweight, I just want to fight the No. 1 contender.”
Gastelum’s next fight will be against Vitor Belfort. The two will share the Octagon on March 11 in Fortaleza, Brazil. Gastelum acknowledged “The Phenom’s” experience and how accustomed he’s gotten to being under the bright lights.
“He’s dangerous. He’s a very, very dangerous fighter. He’s been fighting for over 20 years. That’s something to respect. He’s been up, he’s been down, he’s been up again, he’s been down again. Right now, his last few fights haven’t gone his way, but he’s been in this position before so I’m not counting him out at all. I feel like he’s been in this position before, he’s been fighting for 20 years, so he should feel very comfortable coming into his fight.”
If Gastelum beats Belfort, it would certainly see him move up at least one spot in the middleweight rankings. That’s not enough for him, however, and he has claimed he won’t settle for anything less than a number one contender bout.
“That’s the only fight I’m willing to take. I’m not gonna take any other fight other than the number one contender fight.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4Qwpmstas
Kelvin Gastelum is coming off arguably the most impressive performance of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career. After hitting a low point by having his UFC 205 bout canceled due to reoccurring weight cutting issues, Gastelum fought like a man on a mission.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 middleweight winner met Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 in Toronto. Gastelum decimated his opponent and earned a third round TKO win.
The Mexican warrior recently spoke with MMAFighting.com. While Gastelum said he isn’t opposed to staying at 185 pounds, he still believes the 170-pound mark fits his frame the best:
“I’m not against (staying at 185), but I feel like welterweight is my optimal weight class. But I’m not against staying at 185. What I want is the No. 1 contender fight after this fight, whether it’s at middleweight or at welterweight. I want to fight for the No. 1 contender so I might get my title shot. But it doesn’t matter if I’m at middleweight or welterweight, I just want to fight the No. 1 contender.”
Gastelum’s next fight will be against Vitor Belfort. The two will share the Octagon on March 11 in Fortaleza, Brazil. Gastelum acknowledged “The Phenom’s” experience and how accustomed he’s gotten to being under the bright lights.
“He’s dangerous. He’s a very, very dangerous fighter. He’s been fighting for over 20 years. That’s something to respect. He’s been up, he’s been down, he’s been up again, he’s been down again. Right now, his last few fights haven’t gone his way, but he’s been in this position before so I’m not counting him out at all. I feel like he’s been in this position before, he’s been fighting for 20 years, so he should feel very comfortable coming into his fight.”
If Gastelum beats Belfort, it would certainly see him move up at least one spot in the middleweight rankings. That’s not enough for him, however, and he has claimed he won’t settle for anything less than a number one contender bout.
“That’s the only fight I’m willing to take. I’m not gonna take any other fight other than the number one contender fight.”
Johny Hendricks apparently isn’t retiring after all. The former welterweight champion, who said he would call it a career if he lost to Neil Magny at UFC 207 and then proceeded to do so (albeit by a close and controversial decision), will instead move up to 185 pounds for a rumored bout with Hector Lombard
Johny Hendricks apparently isn’t retiring after all.
The former welterweight champion, who said he would call it a career if he lost to Neil Magny at UFC 207 and then proceeded to do so (albeit by a close and controversial decision), will instead move up to 185 pounds for a rumored bout with Hector Lombard at February 19’s UFC Fight Night 105 from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The move, which was reported by Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, will come at a time when Hendricks had missed the welterweight limit of 170 pounds prior to his last two fights, with a third fight against current champion Tyron Woodley having been called off due to “Bigg Rigg” being hospitalized because of complications from the weight cut. The UFC attempted to book the reported bout against former Bellator champion Lombard for February 11’s UFC 208 pay-per-view (PPV) event from Brooklyn, New York, but complications with the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) forced it to be moved to the Halifax card.
That could be good news for the event, which recently lost its Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve heavyweight main event after Struve was forced to withdraw due to injury. As it stands right now, it appears dos Santos will be removed from the card after Fabricio Werdum supposedly refused to fight him three times.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas for USA TODAY Sports
The bout comes at an ultimately pivotal time for former champion Hendricks, who has dropped his last three bouts to top welterweights Stephen Thompson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Magny. His issues with making weight are well-documented, as he hardly made the 170-pound limit for his title bout against Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 in March 2014, a “Fight of the Year” candidate which he won by a thrilling-but-close split decision.
Hendricks will face a fighter in a very similar situation in Lombard, the once-touted former Bellator champ who has lost his last two UFC bouts by stoppage after having both Dan Henderson and Magny on the ropes early on. “Lightning” (or “Showeather,” depending on which you prefer) has also had issues with cutting weight down to welterweight, as a failed run at the 170-pound title ended when he was suspended after 2015’s UFC 182 and he returned to the middleweight division where he made his biggest mark.
With losses in their last five combined bouts, these two former champs could be fighting for their jobs in Halifax next month.
Kelvin Gastelum has had a history of weight cutting issues. The fighter punched his ticket to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) by winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 as a middleweight. Due to his size, Gastelum moved down to welterweight.
Unfortunately at times his issues on the scale have overshadowed his talent. He missed weight for his fight with Nico Musoke back in June 2014. He then missed weight by nine pounds for his bout with Tyron Woodley. The final straw was when his UFC 205 scrap with Donald Cerrone had to be canceled due to how much he missed the weight limit.
Gastelum was forced to move back up.
At UFC 206, he went toe-to-toe with Tim Kennedy. It was a one-sided thrashing that saw Gastelum improve his record to 13-2. Speaking with Bloody Elbow, Gastelum believes he can fight at both 170 and 185:
“I don’t see why I can’t be competing in both weight classes. I felt great at 185. I feel I can excel at this weight, and I feel I beat the top guys at this weight. I remember a few years back, I wasn’t very confident in my abilities. But now, a few years have passed, and I’m pretty confident in my abilities, confident in my skills to know that I can compete with the best middleweights and also the best welterweights.”
When it comes to his weight cutting history, Gastelum takes full responsibility. He feels he has made positives strides in keeping the weight off
“When I’m outside of camp, I gain 40 or 50 pounds above my weight class. It shouldn’t have to be that way, and that’s on me. I go out and I eat all this delicious Mexican food. It’s just little changes of habits (and) lifestyle. So far I’ve been able to do well. I did well in the holidays that just passed; I did pretty good, surprisingly.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6I_ch6Lalk
Kelvin Gastelum has had a history of weight cutting issues. The fighter punched his ticket to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) by winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 as a middleweight. Due to his size, Gastelum moved down to welterweight.
Unfortunately at times his issues on the scale have overshadowed his talent. He missed weight for his fight with Nico Musoke back in June 2014. He then missed weight by nine pounds for his bout with Tyron Woodley. The final straw was when his UFC 205 scrap with Donald Cerrone had to be canceled due to how much he missed the weight limit.
Gastelum was forced to move back up.
At UFC 206, he went toe-to-toe with Tim Kennedy. It was a one-sided thrashing that saw Gastelum improve his record to 13-2. Speaking with Bloody Elbow, Gastelum believes he can fight at both 170 and 185:
“I don’t see why I can’t be competing in both weight classes. I felt great at 185. I feel I can excel at this weight, and I feel I beat the top guys at this weight. I remember a few years back, I wasn’t very confident in my abilities. But now, a few years have passed, and I’m pretty confident in my abilities, confident in my skills to know that I can compete with the best middleweights and also the best welterweights.”
When it comes to his weight cutting history, Gastelum takes full responsibility. He feels he has made positives strides in keeping the weight off
“When I’m outside of camp, I gain 40 or 50 pounds above my weight class. It shouldn’t have to be that way, and that’s on me. I go out and I eat all this delicious Mexican food. It’s just little changes of habits (and) lifestyle. So far I’ve been able to do well. I did well in the holidays that just passed; I did pretty good, surprisingly.”
Three key changes that Belfort would like to see include health insurance for fighters, sponsorship accommodations similar to that of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and the banning of elbows to lessen the amount of blood seen inside the Octagon:
Kennedy and the fighter board will serve as the key decision makers when it comes to the association’s day-do-day activities, while Rebney is serving strictly in an advisory role as it pertains to how promoters operate, and has no true authority:
