Tag: quick quote

Jorge Rivera Retiring After Tonight’s UFC on FX 1 Bout

Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Jorge ‘El Conquistador’ Rivera (18-9) is starting to feel his age with just over a month before his fortieth birthday. Rivera started his mma career back in 2001, losing his first fight via corner stoppage. He would then go on to win five straight and earn his way into the Octagon, […]

Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Jorge ‘El Conquistador’ Rivera (18-9) is starting to feel his age with just over a month before his fortieth birthday.

Rivera started his mma career back in 2001, losing his first fight via corner stoppage. He would then go on to win five straight and earn his way into the Octagon, debuting at UFC 44 in September 2003. At the Las Vegas event, Rivera would earn a unanimous decision win over opponent David Loiseau beginning ‘El Conquestador’s’ first of four runs with the worlds top promotion.

In his most recent stint with the UFC, Rivera has fought nine times and will face Eric Schafer tonight in Nashville, Tennessee as part of the UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller event.

Speaking to MMAjunkie.com Radio, Rivera promised that win or lose he is done after tonight’s bout.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time,” Rivera said. “If I would have won my last fight, I would have walked away. But that’s not how it worked out, and I just told myself I would leave no matter what happens.

“It’s time to go. I’m starting to feel like that old man in the club trying to pick up chicks. It gets a little creepy after a while.”

“I’ve had a great time,” he said. “I absolutely love the fans. I love everything about this job. It’s going to be hard to be away from it. And I hope to be back cornering somebody else, but this will be the last time I fight.”

Rivera is currently on a two fight losing skid having lost a split decision to Constantinos Philippou lat August at UFC 133 and a second round TKO defeat at the hands of Michael Bisping at UFC 127. Overall in the Octagon he’s managed to put together a career record of 7-7.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker Releases Statement Regarding ‘King Mo’ Lawal

In less than a months time, the Strikeforce promotion has had two high profile fighters test positive for a banned steroid. The first was former women’s featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos, who tested positive following her December bout versus Hiroki Yamanaka and just yesterday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced that light heavyweight Muhammed ‘King […]

In less than a months time, the Strikeforce promotion has had two high profile fighters test positive for a banned steroid. The first was former women’s featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos, who tested positive following her December bout versus Hiroki Yamanaka and just yesterday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced that light heavyweight Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal had tested positive for Drostanolone.

Lawal had his recent win over Lawrence Larkins changed to a “No Contest” and faces further disciplinary action from the Commission.

On Wednesday, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker released this statement regarding the announcement from the NSAC.

“STRIKEFORCE has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any performance-enhancing drugs, including the requirement that all incoming athletes be tested and cleared for PEDs. Therefore, we fully support the drug testing efforts of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and we will fully cooperate with the Commission regarding the matter pertaining to Mr. Lawal’s test. We also recognize that Mr. Lawal has administrative process rights under Nevada law, and we hope that he is not prejudged before exercising such rights.”

We’ll have to wait and see what goes down as Lawal and his manager Mike Kogan have already stated they were “surprised” by the result.

Where there’s smoke there is fire.

UFC 142 Disqualification To Erick Silva Stands

A disqualification loss to Brazilian welterweight Erick Silva at this past weekends UFC 142 event will stand according to promotion officials who released a statement on Thursday night. Silva appeared to have stopped opponent Carlo Prater with hammerfists in just 29-seconds of the first round, but referee Mario Yamasaki was quick to announce that he […]

Carlo Prater – (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

A disqualification loss to Brazilian welterweight Erick Silva at this past weekends UFC 142 event will stand according to promotion officials who released a statement on Thursday night.

Silva appeared to have stopped opponent Carlo Prater with hammerfists in just 29-seconds of the first round, but referee Mario Yamasaki was quick to announce that he in fact had stopped the fight over illegal blows to the back of the head.

Replays showed that most of Silva’s strikes were to the side of the head and not the back.

UFC officials had promised to look into the the matter and has now rendered their decision.

UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner released this statement Thursday night.

“Based on the referee’s verbal warnings and his determination that the blows were intentional and a disqualifying foul, this is not the type of decision that can be reviewed. Therefore, the decision stands. Recently, Zuffa has decided to implement the use of instant replay at all international events that are self-regulated, and to encourage all regulators to consider the feasibility and effectiveness of instant replay in the sport of MMA. While instant replay would not have reversed the call in the Silva-Prater bout, we believe that it could be valuable to referees and the sport in the future.”

Zuffa also noted that Silva was awarded his potential Win Bonus following the contest.

‘King Mo’ Lawal And Manager Mike Kogan “Surprised” By Positive Drug Test

With Tuesday’s finding positive drug test, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal faces some tough penalties from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, his win over Lorenz Larkin overturned to a “No Contest”, a likely fine as well as a suspension that could range anywhere from six months to a year. On Wednesday, […]

With Tuesday’s finding positive drug test, former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal faces some tough penalties from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, his win over Lorenz Larkin overturned to a “No Contest”, a likely fine as well as a suspension that could range anywhere from six months to a year.

On Wednesday, Lawal’s manager Mike Kogan talked to Sergio Non of USA Today saying that he and his fighter were “surprised” by the finding.

All fighters provide “A” and “B” urine samples during the screening process for bouts in the United States. Lawal will ask that his “B” sample be tested by another lab, said his manager, Mike Kogan.

“Both of us are very surprised by these results,” Kogan told USA TODAY. “Neither of us has ever heard of this drug. … We honestly have no clue where this came from.”

Other than food and drink, the only substances that Lawal takes on a regular basis are iron supplements, Kogan said. When Lawal had fluid drained from his knee a few weeks before the bout, he did receive an injection of a non-anabolic steroid, Kogan said.

Lawal’s positive drug test follows on the heals of another Strikeforce fighter who tested positive for steroids, former women’s featherweight champ Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos. The Brazilian failed was busted following her bout versus Hiroki Yamanaka on December 17, 2012 in San Diego and has since denied the use, blaming the result on a supplement for weight cutting.

It was felt that ‘King Mo’ would rematch Gegard Mousasi for the vacant Strikeforce 205-lbs title, but with this latest revelation fans are free to speculate who might battle for the belt.

“If I Don’t Beat (Chael Sonnen), I Didn’t Deserve A Title Shot Against Anderson Silva,” Michael Bisping

British fighter Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping didn’t hesitate to say yes when UFC president Dana White offered him a No. 1 contender bout versus Chael Sonnen, after Sonnen’s first opponent Mark Munoz pulled out due to injury. Bisping posted his comments in a UFC on FOX 2 blog at FoxSports.com late Tuesday night discussing his […]

British fighter Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping didn’t hesitate to say yes when UFC president Dana White offered him a No. 1 contender bout versus Chael Sonnen, after Sonnen’s first opponent Mark Munoz pulled out due to injury.

Bisping posted his comments in a UFC on FOX 2 blog at FoxSports.com late Tuesday night discussing his original opponent Demian Maia and then receiving the call from Dana White to fight Sonnen.

Dana hadn’t even finished saying Munoz was out before I was planning how to beat Sonnen in my head. I’ve accepted fights on short notice for the UFC throughout my career, but this one is a massive, massive chance for me, and I am very grateful to Dana, (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva and the UFC. I was already hugely grateful to be asked to fight on FOX, but to fight Chael on FOX … well, there are hundreds of fighters who would kill for this opportunity, and I would have had to be a fool to turn it down.

I’m sure I’ll get blasted for this on the forums, but I feel I could have been the one fighting Chael anyway. We were due to be “The Ultimate Fighter” coaches against each other, but because of things outside our control it didn’t happen, and I’ve won a fight since. I don’t understand how Mark Munoz, as great as he’s been doing lately, was getting Chael instead of me. I feel bad for Mark, but I know he’ll come again and no doubt he will be right back in the mix in this very interesting 185-pound weight class…

Next week, I’m ready to go all guns blazing. A fight is a fight, and at this level anything can happen, but all things being equal, Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can’t submit me, either. The worst that is going to happen is that he will outpoint me and, if I don’t beat him, I didn’t deserve a title shot against Anderson Silva anyway.

Sonnen and Bisping will meet in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 2 on January 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

With Eleven Days To Go Before UFC on FOX 2, Chael Sonnen & Michael Bisping Get The Trash Talking Started

With today’s announcement that due to an injury to UFC middleweight Mark Munoz, that his opponent Chael Sonnen would be take on Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, the MMA world was a-buzz with anticipation of the trash talking these two fighters would be spewing out at one another. Both fighters, in fact were targeted for the […]

With today’s announcement that due to an injury to UFC middleweight Mark Munoz, that his opponent Chael Sonnen would be take on Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, the MMA world was a-buzz with anticipation of the trash talking these two fighters would be spewing out at one another.

Both fighters, in fact were targeted for the coaching positions for “The Ultimate Fighter” season 14, but Sonnen was unable to acquire his Nevada license in time.

If Sonnen had gotten his license, “TUF” fans would have been treated to months of great trash talk, not that Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller didn’t do a good job, but Sonnen is just so much better at it.

UFC officials gave us a taste of what these two middleweights have to say to one another via Twitter (@ufc) on Tuesday evening.

– Bisping: “Chael Sonnen’s best weapon is his mouth, and that’s something that’s going to be absolutely useless in this fight…”

– Bisping cont…. “I see a very bright future for Chael Sonnen as a used car salesman very soon.” See, that didn’t take long at all!!

– Chael: “I am going to knock the teeth out of this snot nosed Brit who calls himself royalty, who calls himself a Count….”

– Chael cont…. “I am MMA royalty and America will tune into the Chael Sonnen show next Saturday on FOX.”

– Bisping: “He’s been kicked out of politics, kicked out of real estate, and I am going to kick him out of the middleweight division.”

The two fighters are set to meet in a No. 1 contenders bout on January 28, 2012 in the co-main event of UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.