UFC welterweight king Robbie Lawler is set to make yet another title defense when he takes on No. 3-ranked Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC 201 this July, but not all that long ago, he was linked with to a bout with Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Interestingly enough, many were talking up
UFC welterweight king Robbie Lawler is set to make yet another title defense when he takes on No. 3-ranked Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC 201 this July, but not all that long ago, he was linked with to a bout with Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
Interestingly enough, many were talking up a ‘Ruthless’ vs. ‘Notorious’ match-up at July’s UFC if McGregor would have gotten past normal lightweight Nate Diaz at March 5’s UFC 196, but we all know what happened there.
Diaz submitted McGregor with a second-round rear-naked choke, kicking off a whirlwind of media hype and attention that has now lead to a rematch at August’s UFC 202. In an interview with an Atlanta news station (courtesy of @GrabakaHitman), Lawler said that’s a good thing, because he wouldn’t have came for McGregor’s neck if they had indeed fought.
He was coming for something else – his soul. Check it out:
An intense interview from the ‘Ruthless’ one to be sure, but judging on how the No. 5-ranked lightweight handled him only three months ago, perhaps it’s a good thing McGregor never got to square off with Lawler at 170 pounds.
When UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was embroiled in a beef with the UFC over his removal from July’s UFC 200 card, the brash Irishman went on a Twitter rant that included claims that he has the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) numbers in company history: Years before the Irishman was main eventing PPV events, however, a
When UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was embroiled in a beef with the UFC over his removal from July’s UFC 200 card, the brash Irishman went on a Twitter rant that included claims that he has the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) numbers in company history:
It is not safe to say. It is fact to say. I hold PPV, Gate, TV, Fightpass and Embedded record. Even Title fight KO. https://t.co/nqwoQSap9A
Years before the Irishman was main eventing PPV events, however, a man named Brock Lesnar sat atop major UFC PPV bills himself and crushed numbers in the process.
Lesnar is set to make his long-awaited UFC return against Mark Hunt at UFC 200, and in a recent interview with ESPN ‘The Beast’ was asked on his thoughts of McGregor’s recent ‘record-holder’ comments:
“I’ve got no qualms with anybody,” Lesnar said. “If somebody wants to state they are the biggest pay-per-view draw in the world, I don’t care.
I’ve never came out and said, ‘Hey, listen, I hold the most pay-per-view buys.’ All I know is what I got paid, and I’m happy to do so. I’m a prizefighter. I don’t hang my championships on the wall because they don’t pay the bills.”
Lesnar was then asked on his personal thoughts on the Irish champion and his trash-talking ways:
“I don’t know him, but I know of Conor McGregor,” Lesnar said. “This sport has evolved even from the first time that I entered into the octagon.
I think people are finding out that you have to talk the talk, and more importantly you have to walk the walk. For guys that can talk and walk the walk, I think it’s great. It’s great for the company.”
While Lesnar enjoys the hefty paycheck that comes along with stepping inside the Octagon, the former heavyweight king is adamant that he does it for the true love of the sport:
“I’m a prizefighter; I fight for money,” Lesnar said. “They’re making money, I’m making money, everyone’s making money – that’s what this is all about. More importantly, it’s not about the money to me. I’ve always said money is very important to me, but you can’t step inside the octagon just for the money. This is in my heart. It just so happens I’m making a boatload of money.”
Lesnar is set to throw down with Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200, live on PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 9, 2016.
McGregor is set to rematch Stockton native Nate Diaz, the man who handed him his first and only UFC career loss, in the main event of UFC 202 live on PPV from the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 20, 2016.
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani was recently embroiled in a highly-publicized beef with the UFC after being banned for life from all upcoming events due to the journalist breaking news that former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would make his Octagon return at UFC 200 before the revealing video promo was released at UFC 199. Helwani and his staff
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani was recently embroiled in a highly-publicized beef with the UFC after being banned for life from all upcoming events due to the journalist breaking news that former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would make his Octagon return at UFC 200 before the revealing video promo was released at UFC 199.
Helwani and his staff were escorted out of the arena following the conclusion of the co-main event of UFC 199, having their credentials removed as well.
Helwani’s ban has since been lifted after an outpouring of support from his fellow MMA media members, but he still took the opportunity to dish out some of the seedier aspects of his packed career as a MMA reporter.
Two days following the event Helwani held a ‘tell-all’ Monday afternoon following buzz of the incident circulating throughout MMA media, as he dished on his work for the UFC and FOX throughout the years on his show ‘The MMA Hour.’
Helwani first started off by crediting UFC President Dana White for always treating him with respect since the beginning of his journalism career:
“In 1997 the first time I interviewed him, my microphone died and he said ‘Go out and get another one, I’ll be waiting here.’ And I went outside, I went in my car and got another microphone, and he was still there when I came back.
“He’s always given me the time of day and it hurts me that this has happened. But maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’m dreaming, but I felt like deep down inside he didn’t want to do that. I think he was respecting the wishes of his partner (Lorenzo Fertitta), who I’ve never really had a close relationship with, and he was doing what he was essentially told.”
Then an incident involving the main event of UFC 196 was mentioned, when Helwani got wind that UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was injured and out of his scheduled title defense against Conor McGregor:
“When I asked the UFC if Rafael dos Anjos was injured prior to UFC 196, you know what I was told? ‘Not true.’ Guess what? He was injured, and I knew he was injured, I knew for a fact that he was injured. They were already talking about Nate Diaz at that point. So then you’re faced with a moral dilemma, someone who you respect is telling you on the record that it’s not true and you’re going to go out and report it? That’s going to make things worse in my opinion.”
Helwani then began to tell the story of his employment with FOX and the UFC, beginning at the relationship’s inception in 2010:
“It kind of all started around December of 2010. A production company that I knew say ‘We want to make a show about you, like an MMA show.’ And I remember where I was, I was in Montreal for UFC 124. And one of the places they wanted to pitch this show to was Fuel TV, remember Fuel TV?
“I thought that was great, this is my big TV debut; this is awesome. I’m gonna have a show, an MMA show, this fantastic lets do it. Now again, I believe that I owe a lot to Dana White, and we’ve had a great relationship. I’ve sent him pictures of my kids, and he’s said nice things. And when the Patriots beat the Bills, he says not so nice things, but it’s been a fun ride and I hope this isn’t the end.”
With the lucrative TV deal on the table, Helwani called up White to get some advice on whether or not he should accept the offer:
“Well I called Dana and asked him , ‘Hey I have this opportunity maybe on Fuel TV, what do you think? Should I do it?’ I was actually looking for his advice. He told me that that wasn’t a good idea. He told me that the TV deal’s coming up, end of 2011, bigger opportunities are coming, just hold off on that.
“Do you know how hard that was for me? Do you know how hard it was to say ‘no’ to a potential TV opportunity, the first one of my career? I struggled with that so much, it was the hardest thing. It was the hardest decision, to go back to this group and say ‘You know what, I have to bow out.’ I didn’t tell them why, but ‘I have to bow out, I’ll explain why later.’ And why did I do that? Because I really respected Dana and what he was telling me, I really respected his advice.”
After Helwani respectfully declined the offer, but the UFC then went into business with FOX, which immediately upset the journalist as he had taken White’s advice:
“But the funny thing was, ten our so months later, UFC signed a deal with FOX. Guess what was they’re ‘unofficial’ home so to speak? Fuel! And so I was thinking to myself ‘I could have been there before the launch.
Why did I turn this down?’ Well as you know, as was reported by the Wall Street Journal, the UFC was in talks with NBC at the time. Viacom at the time. G4 was going to be the UFC Network. FOX came in at the eleventh hour, so I was like man… But It all worked out because I ended up on Fuel anyway.”
UFC President Dana White actually gave Helwani the scoop that the announcement of partnership between the UFC and FOX would be made official in L.A., so Helwani immediately flew out to cover the event:
“And I’ve told you about this first meeting with the FOX brass, this was in August of 2011 right after the big announcement. I sat down with a couple of people from FOX, and I remember them telling me that ‘Look we’re going to be in business with the UFC, but we want to do journalism.’ And you know my eyes lit up when I heard that.
But they didn’t offer me a contract that day, and I give a lot of credit to Dana, Dana actually told me that they were going to make the news official — they were going to break the news on that day, and that’s how I knew to fly out to L.A. for the big announcement.”
UFC 199 took Inglewood, California by storm last weekend (Sat., June 4, 2016) on pay-per-view (PPV), and MMA fans were blessed with one of the most exciting events in recent memory. Of all thirteen bouts that took place Saturday night, eight of them ended with someone taking an early nap on the canvas. Title contenders emerged, rivalries
UFC 199 took Inglewood, California by storm last weekend (Sat., June 4, 2016) on pay-per-view (PPV), and MMA fans were blessed with one of the most exciting events in recent memory.
Of all thirteen bouts that took place Saturday night, eight of them ended with someone taking an early nap on the canvas. Title contenders emerged, rivalries were ended, legacies were solidified, and a new champion was crowned to the surprise of many.
Aside from the event itself, a pair of exciting developments were revealed, as a rematch between two brash rivals was made official, and a former champion’s return was shockingly unveiled.
UFC 199 has given us plenty to talk about, so let’s jump right into the seven biggest takeaways from the groundbreaking night of fights…
So, what has the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor been up to since the blockbuster announcement on Saturday night that his 170-pound rematch against Nate Diaz is on for UFC 202?
Following a long stretch of virtually nothing but twe…
So, what has the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor been up to since the blockbuster announcement on Saturday night that his 170-pound rematch against Nate Diaz is on for UFC 202?
Following a long stretch of virtually nothing but tweets about a potential boxing match with Floyd Mayweather and coverage of his ongoing issues with UFC management falling the fallout of UFC 200 and the negotiations to set up the rematch with Diaz, “The Notorious” one has returned to social media.
McGregor posted the following tweet on Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the announcement that the fight he has reportedly been “obsessed” to get signed was officially made, showing himself with his girlfriend and a beer, with the caption reading, “The fruits. #Enjoying.”
Although Nate Diaz soundly defeated reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor in their first 170-pound meeting in March via submission after hurting him standing with punches, MMA odds makers are still making “The Notorious” one the betting fa…
Although Nate Diaz soundly defeated reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor in their first 170-pound meeting in March via submission after hurting him standing with punches, MMA odds makers are still making “The Notorious” one the betting favorite heading into their officially announced rematch in August.
Nick Kalikas of MMAOddsBreaker.com has McGregor opening as a slight betting favorite at -130 against Diaz, who comes into the fight as a +100 underdog.
McGregor-Diaz 2 in an immediate 170-pound rematch is scheduled to headline UFC 202 on Saturday, August 20, 2016. Make sure to join us here at MMANews.com on 8/20 for the best UFC 202 live results coverage on the web!
Lesnar was then asked on his personal thoughts on the Irish champion and his trash-talking ways:![nate-diaz-conor-mcgregor-mma-ufc-196-mcgregor-vs-diaz-4[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/nate-diaz-conor-mcgregor-mma-ufc-196-mcgregor-vs-diaz-41.jpg)
Lesnar is set to throw down with Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200, live on PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 9, 2016.
With the lucrative TV deal on the table, Helwani called up White to get some advice on whether or not he should accept the offer:
