Tag: Strikeforce

Ex-UFC, Bellator Veteran Josh Thomson Announces Retirement

Josh Thomson has officially announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Thomson hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Patricky Freire back in February 2017. And appearing on the “Weighing In” podcast (transcript via MMA Fighting) that he hosts alongside former MMA referee John McCarthy, Thomson revealed he no longer has […]

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Josh Thomson has officially announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).

Thomson hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Patricky Freire back in February 2017. And appearing on the “Weighing In” podcast (transcript via MMA Fighting) that he hosts alongside former MMA referee John McCarthy, Thomson revealed he no longer has the desire to compete anymore:

“I can say that I’m officially retired,” Thomson said. “I can finally say it. And the thing is that you have to say it sometimes just to say what you just said, because I realized I was taking more shots than I should have been taking. And I don’t want to live that lifestyle, I didn’t want to be in there as a punching bag to anybody. I was taking more in training – that’s the thing, people only see the ones you take in the fight. They don’t realize that you’re taking more in training too, because there’s young, talented studs in my gym. And those guys are whooping your a** too; it’s not just the one guy in the cage that you’re fighting. It’s the lead-up to it. It’s all the other shots you take in there.

“That’s the hardest part, and so when you’re telling me all the things that [Donald Cerrone] went through [in his recent fights], that’s exactly what happened, and I could see myself getting hit more often than I wanted to.”

Thomson is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion while he also had stints in the UFC and most recently, Bellator.

But it wasn’t just Cerrone’s recent three-fight losing streak that played a role for Thomson as he mentioned, but also the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday morning that made the 41-year-old appreciate the need to spend time with his family.

“I see what Donald Cerrone’s going through right now, and there’s a whole other life after fighting,” Thomson told MMA Fighting. “You have another 20, 30, maybe even 40 years if you’re lucky, god willing, to live, and you have your kids and you have your life. I guess because of what happened on Sunday with Kobe Bryant, losing him and his daughter and everything, reality sets in that there’s a whole life after [playing] that he was just getting to enjoy, and you never know when it’s going to come to an end, (or) how it’s going to come to an end.

“I have family that I haven’t seen in years; my dad passed when I was younger, and I was trying to live the dream as a fighter at the time, and I missed opportunities and chances to spend with him. There’s a lot of things in life.”

It’s not going to be a case of Thomson missing the urge to compete in the cage, either. After all, he hasn’t competed in nearly three years.

Added with the fact that he has financial opportunities outside the cage, “The Punk” has no reason to return — even for a one-time payday:

“I’ve really made the decision,” Thomson added. “I walk past the cage now, and I hear their bodies getting hit, I hear their head getting hit, I hear the clash of their bodies together, the slams – it doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t have the desire anymore to do it. I was motivated for this one fight to come about, and when it didn’t come about and time’s ticking, time’s not on my side, then I’m not really willing to continue to wait, and the longer I wait, the harder it is for me, and the less it benefits me to jump back in.

“So I have no desire. The other thing is that I’m really good friends with [Bellator president] [Scott] Coker outside of the business, and we’ve had several conversations about what’s best for myself and what’s best for Bellator, and how I can better help Bellator in any capacity possible. We’ve come to agree on a lot of things on how I’ll be used and how I can help better the organization. And I would rather do that than come back for one money-grab fight. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

What do you make of Thomson retiring?

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Six Reasons Why Dana White Dislikes Tyron Woodley

Six reasons why Dana White dislikes Tyron Woodley.

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Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley successfully defended his title against Darren Till at UFC 228. The “Chosen One” submitted the hyped younger fighter in the second round, in so doing becoming the current longest-reigning UFC champion.

Woodley first captured the welterweight strap at UFC 201 when he bum-rushed then-champion Robbie Lawler with his patented and thunderous right hand. Since winning the title, the “Chosen One” has defended it four times.

However, not all is good with the UFC’s longest-reigning current champ. Woodley has drawn much criticism from UFC President Dana White. As a result, MMA fans have developed a mostly derogatory relationship with Woodley due to White’s attitude. For the most part, MMA fans go as Dana goes.

That being said, the UFC has a champion in Woodley who is active and doesn’t run from fights. So why does it seem that White flat-out dislikes Woodley? Only White knows the truth behind the beef, but we here at LowkickMMA are pragmatic, so we have compiled a list:

Check out our six reasons why Dana White dislikes Woodley.

He Knows His Worth

Perhaps the reason why UFC President Dana White doesn’t seem to like Woodley is that the “Chosen One” knows his worth.

It’s no secret Dana gets along better with the fighters he can rein in and bully to a certain degree. Although very much a company man, Woodley isn’t that guy that White can manipulate. Quite the opposite is true, as a matter of fact.

Woodley is an active champion, defending his title whenever he is healthy and against all comers. That being said, Woodley has passion projects he has been working on these last couple years, and he won’t let anything get in the way of.

Woodley is 36 years old, however, so his fighting career is most likely winding down. Perhaps he will find success as a rapper or more likely as an actor. Either way, Woodley knows his worth, whatever it is.

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Gilbert Melendez Wants to Drop Down to Featherweight and Fight For The Belt

Former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hasn’t had the most successful run in the UFC ever since he joined the promotion in 2013. Losing four out of his past five fights “El Nino” has struggled to replicate the success that made him Strikeforce Lightweight champion. Melendez who is now 34 years old is considered by many

The post Gilbert Melendez Wants to Drop Down to Featherweight and Fight For The Belt appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hasn’t had the most successful run in the UFC ever since he joined the promotion in 2013. Losing four out of his past five fights “El Nino” has struggled to replicate the success that made him Strikeforce Lightweight champion. Melendez who is now 34 years old is considered by many to be on the back nine of his 15-year fighting career, after his loss to Edson Barboza in July of last year it was uncertain if we would ever see the former “scrap pack” member step foot into the octagon again.

 

 

In an interview with MMAjunkie Radio  Melendez revealed that he plans on moving down to featherweight and making “one last (title) run.” Melendez has fought at 155 pounds for the majority of his career and hasn’t competed at 145 pounds or below since 2005, but with his career currently at a stand still he believes it is time for a change.

“Until I book a fight at 145, I can’t really confirm that (I’m dropping), but yeah, that’s my goal right now, I’m trying to slim up. I’m really trying to diet and lose this fat around the belly a little bit more and really maximise my body’s potential. Once I get to that point, which should be in the next few weeks, I’ll really be able to make that jump and make that big decision. That’s my goal, is to make 145. That’s what I’m working on right now at this point.”

Melendez hasn’t reached out to the UFC to discuss it with them yet but says he is “trying to get ready mentally, physically” first and believes that he is nearing that point.

“I haven’t really reached out to them to tell them exactly, ‘This is what I want and what I’m going with,’” Melendez said. “I haven’t got to that point yet. I’m trying to get ready mentally, physically. I’m trying to get to that point where I’m just about there, and I’ll be reaching that soon and be able to pull the trigger on this.”

“I’d like to prove I’m one of the toughest in the division with a solid opponent who is willing to fight me and not stick and move, If I can get that, it would be great. I’m looking for one last (title) run.”

Melendez believes that moving down a weight class can rejuvenate his once illustrious career and that he can genuinely compete with the killers at 145 pounds. It is easier said and done to drop down a weight class, we have seen it with Anthony Pettis when he dropped down to 145 pounds to fight Max Holloway at UFC 206. Pettis missed weight and then went on to lose the fight by TKO in the third round, hopefully we won’t see it play out the same for Melendez.

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Gilbert Melendez Wants to Drop Down to Featherweight and Fight For The Belt

Former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hasn’t had the most successful run in the UFC ever since he joined the promotion in 2013. Losing four out of his past five fights “El Nino” has struggled to replicate the success that made him Strikeforce Lightweight champion. Melendez who is now 34 years old is considered by many

The post Gilbert Melendez Wants to Drop Down to Featherweight and Fight For The Belt appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Former Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hasn’t had the most successful run in the UFC ever since he joined the promotion in 2013. Losing four out of his past five fights “El Nino” has struggled to replicate the success that made him Strikeforce Lightweight champion. Melendez who is now 34 years old is considered by many to be on the back nine of his 15-year fighting career, after his loss to Edson Barboza in July of last year it was uncertain if we would ever see the former “scrap pack” member step foot into the octagon again.

 

 

In an interview with MMAjunkie Radio  Melendez revealed that he plans on moving down to featherweight and making “one last (title) run.” Melendez has fought at 155 pounds for the majority of his career and hasn’t competed at 145 pounds or below since 2005, but with his career currently at a stand still he believes it is time for a change.

“Until I book a fight at 145, I can’t really confirm that (I’m dropping), but yeah, that’s my goal right now, I’m trying to slim up. I’m really trying to diet and lose this fat around the belly a little bit more and really maximise my body’s potential. Once I get to that point, which should be in the next few weeks, I’ll really be able to make that jump and make that big decision. That’s my goal, is to make 145. That’s what I’m working on right now at this point.”

Melendez hasn’t reached out to the UFC to discuss it with them yet but says he is “trying to get ready mentally, physically” first and believes that he is nearing that point.

“I haven’t really reached out to them to tell them exactly, ‘This is what I want and what I’m going with,’” Melendez said. “I haven’t got to that point yet. I’m trying to get ready mentally, physically. I’m trying to get to that point where I’m just about there, and I’ll be reaching that soon and be able to pull the trigger on this.”

“I’d like to prove I’m one of the toughest in the division with a solid opponent who is willing to fight me and not stick and move, If I can get that, it would be great. I’m looking for one last (title) run.”

Melendez believes that moving down a weight class can rejuvenate his once illustrious career and that he can genuinely compete with the killers at 145 pounds. It is easier said and done to drop down a weight class, we have seen it with Anthony Pettis when he dropped down to 145 pounds to fight Max Holloway at UFC 206. Pettis missed weight and then went on to lose the fight by TKO in the third round, hopefully we won’t see it play out the same for Melendez.

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Cyborg’s Six Most Overmatched Opponents

Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino is perhaps the best women’s MMA fighter of all time. She has also cultivated a reputation as one of the most ferocious and intimidating fighters in the sport, regardless of gender. But Justino has the misfortune of fighting in a division – 145 pounds – that is thin in the women’s ranks.

The post Cyborg’s Six Most Overmatched Opponents appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino is perhaps the best women’s MMA fighter of all time. She has also cultivated a reputation as one of the most ferocious and intimidating fighters in the sport, regardless of gender. But Justino has the misfortune of fighting in a division – 145 pounds – that is thin in the women’s ranks. As such, the Chute Boxe representative has had a difficult time finding suitable opposition for much of her career. Her imposing physicality and ever-improving skill set mean that few women in her weight class can withstand her.

Contrary to her profile as a savage finisher, the woman known as ‘Cyborg’ has not always been as dangerous as her current iteration. That is reason there are not more victims on this list.

She lost her MMA debut via kneebar, and has gradually shored up her grappling skills throughout her career. Justino has always been physically imposing, but her striking and wrestling have come a long way from when she won her first major title in Strikeforce in 2009. In that fight against Gina Carano, ‘Cyborg’ repeatedly found herself in compromising positions. She relied on brute strength and her clinch game to carry her through large portions of the contest.

Since then, as she has developed her boxing and jiu jitsu to match her her physicality and vicious clinch game, she has dominated her foes more and more. As her second fight in the UFC approaches, a 140-pound catchweight against Lina Lansberg, let us take a look back at the opponents Cristiane Justino has crushed most mercilessly.

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10 Times Dan Henderson Rocked The MMA World

It goes without saying that Dan Henderson has had one of the most storied careers in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. He added yet another chapter to his astonishing track record with a stunning knockout of Hector Lombard 10 days ago (June 4, 2016) at UFC 199. In his post-fight interview, “Hendo” mentioned that he may

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It goes without saying that Dan Henderson has had one of the most storied careers in mixed martial arts (MMA) history.

He added yet another chapter to his astonishing track record with a stunning knockout of Hector Lombard 10 days ago (June 4, 2016) at UFC 199. In his post-fight interview, “Hendo” mentioned that he may have just been in his last battle.

If we have indeed seen the last of Henderson, he will leave behind an unassailable legacy. Over the course of a career that began back in 1997, he fought probably the most difficult slate of opponents in the history of the sport. Across three weight classes, from middleweight to heavyweight, Henderson consistently fought the best of the best. He squared off with the likes of both Nogueiras, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Fedor Emelianenko, Daniel Cormier, Lyoto Machida, and Mauricio Rua.

This list will look back at the accomplishments of a true all-time great and consensus first ballot hall of famer.

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