Tag: sean shelby

Split draw between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko left UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby dumbfounded

Alexa GrassoUFC matchmaker Sean Shelby was left just as confused as everyone else by the controversial split draw that allowed Alexa Grasso to keep ahold of the flyweight world title on Saturday night. Headling Noche UFC inside a packed T-Mobile Arena, Alexa Grasso put her 125-pound title on the line for the very first time against […]

Alexa Grasso

UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby was left just as confused as everyone else by the controversial split draw that allowed Alexa Grasso to keep ahold of the flyweight world title on Saturday night.

Headling Noche UFC inside a packed T-Mobile Arena, Alexa Grasso put her 125-pound title on the line for the very first time against the same woman she took the gold from, Valentina Shevchenko. Throughout the 25-minute affair, both women put on an instant classic that could have gone either way. Unfortunately, fight fans were treated to yet another controversial decision as Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer revealed that the bout was ruled a split draw, allowing Grasso to retain her title.

In a clip making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter), UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby can be seen brandishing a look of pure confusion after being informed of the decision by Buffer seconds before he addressed the live crowd.

Is Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko Trilogy Bout the Next Move to Make?

The split draw ruling came as a result of MMA judge Mike Bell awarding Alexa Grasso a 10-8 in the fifth round of the bout. Everybody on hand, including commentators Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, and Daniel Cormier, was left completely confused by the decision and the 10-8 score. Had Bell scored the round a much more understandable 10-9 in favor of Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko would have found herself favored on two of the three scorecards, making her a two-time flyweight world champion.

Instead, Alexa Grasso will retain the title and the flyweight division could potentially find itself held up even further as the UFC decides whether or not they are going to complete the trilogy.

Do you want to see Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3 or is it time for the flyweight division to move on and give another fighter in the division a shot at UFC gold?

Archives: Johnson Speaks On ‘Despicable’ Treatment From UFC (2017)

In this installment of the MMA Archives, we revisit Demetrious Johnson sharing his side of the story for why he didn’t agree to fight T.J. Dillashaw in 2017. One of the big “what if” fights in UFC history is that between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and T.J. Dillashaw. Johnson and Dillashaw are two of the…

Continue Reading Archives: Johnson Speaks On ‘Despicable’ Treatment From UFC (2017) at MMA News.

In this installment of the MMA Archives, we revisit Demetrious Johnson sharing his side of the story for why he didn’t agree to fight T.J. Dillashaw in 2017.

One of the big “what if” fights in UFC history is that between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and T.J. Dillashaw. Johnson and Dillashaw are two of the best ever in their respective divisions, and fans were clamoring to see Johnson face a new challenge at flyweight after being overwhelmingly dominant for so long.

However, the fight never came together, much to the disappointment of Dillashaw, the UFC, and MMA fans around the world. After losing his flyweight title to Henry Cejudo, Johnson was traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren, thus effectively killing off any hopes of the two greats clashing in the UFC, at least for the time being.

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After Dillashaw tested positive for EPO in 2019, Johnson gave his reaction to the news. The former flyweight king was unsurprised, not because he suspected Dillashaw of foul play but because the failed test was not unusual MMA news in his humble opinion.

And last October, we ran a story of Johnson providing an updated, more thorough explanation for why he and Dillashaw never fought one another.

Johnson is currently scheduled to compete against ONE Flyweight Champion Adriano Moraes in a rematch this August. As for Dillashaw, the latest news around his return has him as the most likely next contender to face UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling.

In the below article published on this day five years ago, Johnson opened up on why his fight with Dillashaw didn’t happen in 2017 while also accusing UFC President Dana White of “despicable” treatment.

On This Day Five Years Ago…

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 5, 2017, 8:37 AM]

Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

Headline: Demetrious Johnson Speaks Out On Dana White’s ‘Despicable’ Treatment of Him (2017)

Demetrious Johnson has grown tired of how the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) treats him.

“Mighty Mouse” is the reigning UFC flyweight champion. He is on the verge of breaking Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive successful title defenses in the UFC. He’s also the pound-for-pound best fighter in all of mixed martial arts (MMA).

Despite the accolades, Johnson isn’t feeling the love from the promotion that he’s fought under for years. In a statement released to MMAFighting.com, Johnson said he had no other choice but to fight Ray Borg at first:

“UFC Matchmaker Mick Maynard called and offered the fight vs. Ray Borg. I thought [Sergio] Pettis was a more marketable name and on a longer winning streak. Mick went back to Dana, then came back and told us that I had no choice, it was going to be Ray Borg, not Pettis, and there were no other options. That was the command from Dana and company. This would mean that my only chance at PPV points at flyweight was vs. Ray Borg. I said OK, but it’s not fair to make that my only chance at PPV points, when Cody Garbrandt is saying he wants to come down and fight me at flyweight, which was the fight I wanted.”

Johnson said he had no problem taking the Borg fight, but he wanted PPV points going forward. Instead, he had those points revoked.

“We told Mick that to be fair we would take the fight, but [we] want PPV points for future fights at flyweight. Mick agreed and said it was fair and didn’t see any problem with that situation. Mick spoke to Dana and [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby, who then told him to deny giving me any future PPV points for all of my future flyweight fights. Further, I still had to fight Ray Borg and they were giving me no other choice. I accepted the fight with Ray and decided to deal with the unfair situation and despicable treatment by Dana and Sean after I succeed in breaking the consecutive title fight defense record in my next fight vs. Borg. Mick thanked me for accepting the fight, knowing that I was being screwed over and mistreated by Dana and Sean.”

The madness doesn’t stop there. After agreeing to the Borg fight with no PPV points, “Mighty Mouse” said the UFC then tried forcing him to fight T.J. Dillashaw.

“Completely unrelated and after the accepted fight vs. Ray Borg, Cody Garbrandt injured his back and TJ Dillashaw said he wanted to fight me. Dana told me he wanted me to fight TJ, which I disagreed with for multiple reasons. First, TJ has never fought at flyweight and is unlikely to make the weight, which would then eliminate the possibility of breaking the title defense record. Second, they have already told me that a fight between Cody and I wouldn’t be sellable, so fighting TJ would have no monetary upside. Third, TJ is not a flyweight or a current champion in another weight class and was KO’ed by the flyweight whom I beat twice already. Last, Ray Borg and I already agreed to the fight, which UFC tyrannically demanded, while denying me any future PPV points.”

Johnson then went on to say White tried to bully him into taking the fight with Dillashaw, going as far as to threaten removing the entire flyweight division.

“After telling Dana my reasons, Dana angrily told me that I am fighting TJ, once again, with no other option or say in my career, and against the plans we had previously laid out. He went on further to say that if I didn’t take the fight against TJ, and drop Borg as the opponent, he would get rid of the entire flyweight division. He said, This is for TJ and I’m taking away TJ’s opportunity. That fact that he feels that what I should do in my career is for TJ, tells where his priority lies.”

Continue Reading Archives: Johnson Speaks On ‘Despicable’ Treatment From UFC (2017) at MMA News.

Henry Cejudo Meets UFC Brass, Targets “B*tch” Aljamain Sterling For Return Fight

Henry CejudoFormer UFC two-division champ Henry Cejudo appears to be a step closer to his return to fighting after meeting with two of the most influential men of the company. Henry Cejudo ruled the lighter weight classes during his time in the promotion to become the champion at both flyweight and bantamweight. After winning his last […]

Henry Cejudo

Former UFC two-division champ Henry Cejudo appears to be a step closer to his return to fighting after meeting with two of the most influential men of the company.

Henry Cejudo ruled the lighter weight classes during his time in the promotion to become the champion at both flyweight and bantamweight. After winning his last outing against Dominick Cruz in 2020, Cejudo made a surprise announcement about his retirement from the sport. Many speculated about his seriousness over the decision while UFC president Dana White opted to take him on his word.

Hoping to gain more leverage in negotiations, Cejudo hung up his gloves being at the very top of his game as a double champion. This means that he will likely command more money as the promotion would have to convince him to come out of retirement with more cash. He has been teasing a comeback to fighting ever since retiring.

Earlier this month, Cejudo re-entered the USADA drug-testing pool after a two-year hiatus. Ali Abdelaziz, his manager, reported the news to ESPN after which “Triple C” took to social media to post a screenshot of the confirmation.

Abdelaziz took to Twitter to share the meeting between Henry Cejudo and two of the most powerful men in the UFC. The double champ met with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby and Hunter Campbell, the Chief Business Officer for the promotion. Both men have garnered a notorious reputation in the community and largely dictate the careers of their fighters deciding who they will face next.

Henry Cejudo calls out “b*tch” Aljamain Sterling

Having never lost either of his belts inside the octagon, Henry Cejudo vacated them shortly after his last fight at UFC 249. ‘The Messenger’ is aiming for the current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling for his return bout as he addressed him as “the number one contender”.

“I’m coming back for these tomato cans and I’m going to right the wrong! Aljolame you the number one contender Bitch @funkmasterMMA@danawhite“

Sterling unified his UFC title with a split decision win over former interim titleholder Petr Yan at UFC 273 this month. Aljo wasted no time in responding to Cejudo with brevity.

A third fight with Yan could be on the cards but not in the near future. For his next opponent, Aljo may face T.J. Dillashaw who has remained in the mix of title contention to challenge the champion.

With Cejudo inching his way closer to being back in the UFC, it’s unclear if he could get a shot at the title or will have to start with a top contender eliminator bout as expressed by Dana White in the past.

Do you think Henry Cejudo will get a shot at Aljamain Sterling in his return?

Sean O’Malley At Odds With A UFC Matchmaker After Fight Rejection

Sean O’Malley has taken issue with how a UFC matchmaker reacted to turning down a fight. O’Malley has been regarded as a rising star in the UFC. He has garnered a substantial social media following. While many may believe that everything is…

Sean O’Malley has taken issue with how a UFC matchmaker reacted to turning down a fight. O’Malley has been regarded as a rising star in the UFC. He has garnered a substantial social media following. While many may believe that everything is rosy between O’Malley and the UFC brass behind the scenes, that isn’t the […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley At Odds With A UFC Matchmaker After Fight Rejection at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley At Odds With A UFC Matchmaker After Fight Rejection

Sean O’Malley has taken issue with how a UFC matchmaker reacted to turning down a fight. O’Malley has been regarded as a rising star in the UFC. He has garnered a substantial social media following. While many may believe that everything is…

Sean O’Malley has taken issue with how a UFC matchmaker reacted to turning down a fight. O’Malley has been regarded as a rising star in the UFC. He has garnered a substantial social media following. While many may believe that everything is rosy between O’Malley and the UFC brass behind the scenes, that isn’t the […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley At Odds With A UFC Matchmaker After Fight Rejection at MMA News.

Dana White Calls Out Sean Shelby For Letting Stephens Push Klose

Jeremy StephensDana White is none too pleased with matchmaker Sean Shelby at the moment. Last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 24 event saw Robert Whittaker cruise to a victory over Kelvin Gastelum. However, the event didn’t go off without a hitch. The planned co-main event was to see Jeremy Stephens take on Drakkar Klose in an exciting lightweight […]

Jeremy Stephens

Dana White is none too pleased with matchmaker Sean Shelby at the moment.

Last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 24 event saw Robert Whittaker cruise to a victory over Kelvin Gastelum. However, the event didn’t go off without a hitch. The planned co-main event was to see Jeremy Stephens take on Drakkar Klose in an exciting lightweight match-up. But an incident at the weigh-ins the night before prevented that from happening.

When Stephens and Klose came face-to-face on Friday, ‘Lil’ Heathen’ gave his opponent a shove. It was hard enough that the unsuspecting Klose was diagnosed with a concussion and cervical sprain. Despite his best efforts to go though with the fight, Klose was pulled from the card just minutes before the first fight took place.

With White away for a family event, Shelby was overseeing the weigh-ins. In an interview with TSN, White said he believes Shelby should have seen the altercation coming (H/T MMA Junkie).

“He was coming in hot, and it’s Jeremy Stephens. He’s a savage,” White said on Monday. “I mean, yeah, we’re not standing there to look good and take pictures. We are there to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Sean Shelby missed that one. Sean Shelby, you know, Sean and I see the thing differently,” White said. “I saw it on social media and called him immediately. I was at my daughter’s … I was in Orlando at the ESPN cheerleading competition. I saw the thing happen on social media and I called Sean and was like, ‘Dude, where was your head on that one?’”

While it remains unclear Klose is going to be forced to the sidelines for, here’s hoping he’s able to make a quick recovery and the UFC can rebook the bout ASAP. The stylistic matchup between the two was already near guaranteed to produce fireworks, so who knows what could happen between the two now that there’s legitimate beef involved.

Do you agree with Dana White that Sean Shelby dropped the ball?