According to a report by MMA NYTT, heavyweights Stefan Struve and Francis Ngannou are tentatively being looked at for the upcoming Stockholm, Sweden “Fight Night” card. The two would join the May 28 event from the Ericsson Globe that features Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira. Struve (28-8) was set for a headline fight with former […]
According to a report by MMA NYTT, heavyweights Stefan Struve and Francis Ngannou are tentatively being looked at for the upcoming Stockholm, Sweden “Fight Night” card. The two would join the May 28 event from the Ericsson Globe that features Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira. Struve (28-8) was set for a headline fight with former […]
Building on a previous report of widespread dissent and drama from former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, several top fighters from South Florida’s famed Blackzilians gym are leaving the team. According to a source obtained by BloodyElbow.com, high-profile Blackzilians Anthony Johnson, Evans, Stefan Struve, Michael Johnson, Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, and Danny Roberts have all
Building on a previous report of widespread dissent and drama from former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, several top fighters from South Florida’s famed Blackzilians gym are leaving the team.
According to a source obtained by BloodyElbow.com, high-profile Blackzilians Anthony Johnson, Evans, Stefan Struve, Michael Johnson, Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, and Danny Roberts have all begun training at former Blackzilians striking coach Henri Hooft’s Combat Club gym in Boynton Beach, Fla. The report also detailed now-head coach Hooft’s coaching staff, which includes wrestling coach Greg Jones, head performance coach Dr. Corey Peacock, and strength and conditioning coach Jake Bonacci.
The source, who chose to remain unnamed, went into detail about the dramatic split that was focused on Blackzilians owner Glenn Robinson and his management company, Authentic Sports Management:
“A lot of problems trickled down from management. I believe Glenn [Robinson] probably had a lot of issues at the time that were going on and I think it was just for everybody’s best interest to start looking at other options and other opportunities.
“If management could have just managed and stayed out of the gym, and if coaches were allowed to just coach to the best of their ability, without being influenced or told how to do it or what was expected of them, and just allowed fighters to keep doing what they did and let their coaches tell them how to do it, this could have been avoided.”
Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay for USA TODAY Sports
This reported micro-management, coupled with a lack of a proper chain of command in place, clearly made both the staff and fighters uneasy, leading to the seeds of discord being sowed amongst former teammates.
The source tabbed this breach of communication as the main cause for the split, describing an environment where half of the athletes were on the coaches’ side and half were on management’s:
“That stuff starts at the top, and when lack of communication starts trickling down, miscommunication starts trickling down, behind closed doors, people start to become, maybe a little suspicious, maybe a little insecure, or always feeling like they are fighting for a job, looking over their shoulder, and that kind of thing created a relatively hostile environment.”
“The coaches and the fighters always tried to stay on the same page as much as possible. But there are certain alliances, certain fighters who rely more on management and some who rely more on coaches. Certain coaches would rely more on management, certain coaches would rely more on their relationship with fighters. I think that’s where the drama came into play.”
Ultimately, however, it was Robinson’s well-known financial issues that put an end to one of MMA’s most famous gyms. Things never improved after Robinson reportedly lost their once-prominent Jaco Hybrid Training Center base, and now the remaining Blackzilians not training with Hooft, called ‘up-and-comers’ who are not yet UFC level, have abandoned the name while training at a temporary facility.
That’s something the unnamed fighter said he was happy wouldn’t be going on at Hooft’s Combat Club, where the focus is reportedly more fighter-centric:
“Those maybe spilled over to the team a little bit. Everything needed to change from where it was at. It looks like Combat Club will really not be focusing on this team mentality, but rather a facility that has the best services for any fighter who wants to use them.”
A heavyweight tilt at next month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada between Stefan Struve and Junior dos Santos will not be happening. News broke that Struve went down with a shoulder injury. Not much else was known other than a replacement search for “Cigano” was underway.
The “Skyscraper” recently took to his Instagram account to reveal the details surrounding his pullout:
“Bad news folks. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fight in Halifax (on) February 19. I’ll be undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder (Friday) afternoon.”
Struve’s planned Feb. 19 bout inside the Scotiabank Centre would’ve given him an opportunity to avenge a 2009 loss to the former UFC heavyweight champion. In their first encounter, dos Santos pounced on Struve for a 54-second TKO victory.
As far as a timetable on Struve’s return, “Skyscraper” shed light on what he was told.
“Doctor said I will be on the sideline about four months, and of course I’m gonna be doing my best to make it back asap.”
While injuries do occur and Struve isn’t known for pulling out of fights, the heavyweight was still apologetic to fans who were looking forward to the match-up.
“I apologize to the fans, especially the people who bought tix for the fight in Halifax, and of course the person I was scheduled to fight, Junior dos Santos. It’s the very first time I have to pull out of a fight because of an injury and it hurts my heart to do it.”
The UFC has yet to announce a replacement for “Cigano.” UFC Fight Night in Halifax will feature the former and inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza take on Randa Markos. Middleweights Elias Theodorou and Cezar Ferreira are also set to go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A6yOTfagbs
A heavyweight tilt at next month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada between Stefan Struve and Junior dos Santos will not be happening. News broke that Struve went down with a shoulder injury. Not much else was known other than a replacement search for “Cigano” was underway.
The “Skyscraper” recently took to his Instagram account to reveal the details surrounding his pullout:
“Bad news folks. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fight in Halifax (on) February 19. I’ll be undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder (Friday) afternoon.”
Struve’s planned Feb. 19 bout inside the Scotiabank Centre would’ve given him an opportunity to avenge a 2009 loss to the former UFC heavyweight champion. In their first encounter, dos Santos pounced on Struve for a 54-second TKO victory.
As far as a timetable on Struve’s return, “Skyscraper” shed light on what he was told.
“Doctor said I will be on the sideline about four months, and of course I’m gonna be doing my best to make it back asap.”
While injuries do occur and Struve isn’t known for pulling out of fights, the heavyweight was still apologetic to fans who were looking forward to the match-up.
“I apologize to the fans, especially the people who bought tix for the fight in Halifax, and of course the person I was scheduled to fight, Junior dos Santos. It’s the very first time I have to pull out of a fight because of an injury and it hurts my heart to do it.”
The UFC has yet to announce a replacement for “Cigano.” UFC Fight Night in Halifax will feature the former and inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza take on Randa Markos. Middleweights Elias Theodorou and Cezar Ferreira are also set to go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.
A heavyweight tilt at next month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada between Stefan Struve and Junior dos Santos will not be happening. News broke that Struve went down with a shoulder injury. Not much else was known other than a replacement search for “Cigano” was underway.
The “Skyscraper” recently took to his Instagram account to reveal the details surrounding his pullout:
“Bad news folks. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fight in Halifax (on) February 19. I’ll be undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder (Friday) afternoon.”
Struve’s planned Feb. 19 bout inside the Scotiabank Centre would’ve given him an opportunity to avenge a 2009 loss to the former UFC heavyweight champion. In their first encounter, dos Santos pounced on Struve for a 54-second TKO victory.
As far as a timetable on Struve’s return, “Skyscraper” shed light on what he was told.
“Doctor said I will be on the sideline about four months, and of course I’m gonna be doing my best to make it back asap.”
While injuries do occur and Struve isn’t known for pulling out of fights, the heavyweight was still apologetic to fans who were looking forward to the match-up.
“I apologize to the fans, especially the people who bought tix for the fight in Halifax, and of course the person I was scheduled to fight, Junior dos Santos. It’s the very first time I have to pull out of a fight because of an injury and it hurts my heart to do it.”
The UFC has yet to announce a replacement for “Cigano.” UFC Fight Night in Halifax will feature the former and inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza take on Randa Markos. Middleweights Elias Theodorou and Cezar Ferreira are also set to go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A6yOTfagbs
A heavyweight tilt at next month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada between Stefan Struve and Junior dos Santos will not be happening. News broke that Struve went down with a shoulder injury. Not much else was known other than a replacement search for “Cigano” was underway.
The “Skyscraper” recently took to his Instagram account to reveal the details surrounding his pullout:
“Bad news folks. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fight in Halifax (on) February 19. I’ll be undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum in my left shoulder (Friday) afternoon.”
Struve’s planned Feb. 19 bout inside the Scotiabank Centre would’ve given him an opportunity to avenge a 2009 loss to the former UFC heavyweight champion. In their first encounter, dos Santos pounced on Struve for a 54-second TKO victory.
As far as a timetable on Struve’s return, “Skyscraper” shed light on what he was told.
“Doctor said I will be on the sideline about four months, and of course I’m gonna be doing my best to make it back asap.”
While injuries do occur and Struve isn’t known for pulling out of fights, the heavyweight was still apologetic to fans who were looking forward to the match-up.
“I apologize to the fans, especially the people who bought tix for the fight in Halifax, and of course the person I was scheduled to fight, Junior dos Santos. It’s the very first time I have to pull out of a fight because of an injury and it hurts my heart to do it.”
The UFC has yet to announce a replacement for “Cigano.” UFC Fight Night in Halifax will feature the former and inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza take on Randa Markos. Middleweights Elias Theodorou and Cezar Ferreira are also set to go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.
Junior dos Santos is firing shots at everyone right now… Having sat absent from the heavyweight division for the majority of the last three years, former champ Junior dos Santos has averaged one fight per year. Keeping him from action have been a number of injuries, but his current physical condition appears to be fantastic.
Junior dos Santos is firing shots at everyone right now…
Having sat absent from the heavyweight division for the majority of the last three years, former champ Junior dos Santos has averaged one fight per year. Keeping him from action have been a number of injuries, but his current physical condition appears to be fantastic. Keeping fans updated to his progress, ‘Cigano’ has posted photos of his near-prime physique on social media. Finally a heavyweight clash with Stefan Struve was announced for February 19, but it soon fell apart. Dropping off the card injured, ‘The Skyscraper’ left ‘JDS’ without an opponent at Fight Night 105.
Since holding the title, ‘Cigano’ has seen the belt change hands three times. During that period dos Santos went 3-2, but arguably looked the best we’ve seen in years against Ben Rothwell last April. When Cain Velasquez fell off the UFC 208 card with Fabricio Werdum, ‘JDS’ threw his name in the hat. ‘Vai Cavalo’ reportedly refused the fight, and a war of words ensued. Now that he’s in search of a replacement, dos Santos appears frustrated during his interview with ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto.
Someone Let JDS Bang, Bro
Owning a win over Werdum from way back in 2008, ‘Cigano’ says his Brazilian rival doesn’t want the chance for revenge:
“The right thing now would be for me to fight Werdum. Everybody knows there is a rivalry between us. That would be a great moment for everybody, but he doesn’t want the fight.”
“He knows he can’t have a good performance against me. I imagine he wants to keep his high rank, because then people will give him attention he really doesn’t deserve.”
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Miocic/USADA
Also having defeated Stipe Miocic, dos Santos says if he can’t get another opponent in February, it’s title fight time.
“I hope the UFC finds me an opponent for Feb. 19, but if they don’t, I think the right thing would be me fighting Miocic for the title. Let’s get this division going.”
“I’m just really upset about everything happening in this division right now,” dos Santos said. “It’s completely stopped. I’m in shape. I’m doing very well. I’m actually in one of the best times of my life. I’m looking forward to fighting again, but the UFC is allowing these guys to do whatever they want to do.
“I don’t know why. [USADA] changed everything, too. With USADA here, things are different in this division. Weird things are happening. I’m just sad. Very sad. I’m ready to go, and I just need an opportunity. That’s the UFC’s job. They need to work on getting me an opportunity.”
Refusals
According to the report, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski and Mark Hunt were all unavailable to fight. ‘JDS’ mentioning USADA probably pertains to Barnett’s recent suspension, and Hunt’s reported insistence on a steroid clause. Evidently, ‘The Super Samoan’ and Overeem were eventually paired for UFC 209.
A heavyweight rematch between “Cigano” and Stefan Struve was set for a UFC Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Combate is now reporting that the bout has been scrapped. “Skyscraper” is out with a shoulder injury.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is looking for a replacement. In their first encounter back in Feb. 2009, dos Santos earned a TKO win over Struve in 54 seconds.
Struve’s injury will prevent him from going for his third straight victory for now. After getting knocked out in back-to-back bouts with Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem, many wondered how the “Skyscraper” would respond to the finishes. He bested Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but he fell short against Jared Rosholt. Two straight finishes over Antonio Silva and Daniel Omielanczuk put Struve back on track.
After two devastating and brutal losses to Cain Velasquez and a knockout loss at the hands of Overeem, many fans called for “Cigano” to call it a career. He answered those concerns by beating Ben Rothwell from pillar to post for five rounds. It was his first win since Dec. 2014. That victory was a controversial unanimous decision against current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
The UFC Fight Night event in Halifax will take place on Feb. 19 inside the Scotiabank Centre. Former women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza will try to earn her second straight victory. Her opponent will be Randa Markos, who will look to rebound from her Aug. 2016 loss at UFC 202. The card will also feature a middleweight bout between Cezar Ferreira and Elias Theodorou.
Another 185-pound clash will see Jack Marshman do battle with Thiago Santos. Welterweights will also trade leather inside the Octagon. The two 170-pound bruisers will be Santiago Ponzinibbio and Nordine Taleb. Ponzinibbio is riding a three-fight winning streak, while Taleb is vying for his second win in a row.
A heavyweight rematch between “Cigano” and Stefan Struve was set for a UFC Fight Night event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Combate is now reporting that the bout has been scrapped. “Skyscraper” is out with a shoulder injury.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is looking for a replacement. In their first encounter back in Feb. 2009, dos Santos earned a TKO win over Struve in 54 seconds.
Struve’s injury will prevent him from going for his third straight victory for now. After getting knocked out in back-to-back bouts with Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem, many wondered how the “Skyscraper” would respond to the finishes. He bested Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but he fell short against Jared Rosholt. Two straight finishes over Antonio Silva and Daniel Omielanczuk put Struve back on track.
After two devastating and brutal losses to Cain Velasquez and a knockout loss at the hands of Overeem, many fans called for “Cigano” to call it a career. He answered those concerns by beating Ben Rothwell from pillar to post for five rounds. It was his first win since Dec. 2014. That victory was a controversial unanimous decision against current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
The UFC Fight Night event in Halifax will take place on Feb. 19 inside the Scotiabank Centre. Former women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza will try to earn her second straight victory. Her opponent will be Randa Markos, who will look to rebound from her Aug. 2016 loss at UFC 202. The card will also feature a middleweight bout between Cezar Ferreira and Elias Theodorou.
Another 185-pound clash will see Jack Marshman do battle with Thiago Santos. Welterweights will also trade leather inside the Octagon. The two 170-pound bruisers will be Santiago Ponzinibbio and Nordine Taleb. Ponzinibbio is riding a three-fight winning streak, while Taleb is vying for his second win in a row.
