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Jorge Masvidal opens up on UFC 287 retirement: ‘I’m not there anymore, I’ve lost that step’

Jorge Masvidal opened up about his decision to retire from mixed martial arts following his fourth-straight loss inside the Octagon. After more than a year on the shelf, ‘Gamebred’ returned to the cage on Saturday night for a high-stakes welterweight clash with Brazilian standout Gilbert Burns. It didn’t take long for Masvidal to find himself […]

Jorge Masvidal opened up about his decision to retire from mixed martial arts following his fourth-straight loss inside the Octagon.

After more than a year on the shelf, ‘Gamebred’ returned to the cage on Saturday night for a high-stakes welterweight clash with Brazilian standout Gilbert Burns. It didn’t take long for Masvidal to find himself in over his head as Burns dominated the bout in virtually every aspect. Following a decisive unanimous decision defeat, Masvidal took off his gloves and announced that he would be riding off into the sunset with millions of dollars in the bank.

Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Jorge Masvidal spoke about his decision to retire from the sport and how he was feeling 48 hours later.

“It’s still a big mixed bag of emotions because I still love this sport and on a physical level I can still do very good,” Masvidal admitted. “I was looking at the tape. I have some hand speed and some things are still good, but other things I see is just not quite the same. Like from mind to body, whatever those are called, those neurotransmitters. They’re not firing like they used to.

“I see the punch coming and I don’t think about it. I see the punch and then it’s like, ‘Oh snap, I got hit.’ So I saw the punch and I wasn’t tired. It’s just been happening, that motor function that I had has slowed down and it’s not the same so why continue to fight? I’ve always been somebody with a great defense and I’ve been seeing that come down more and more. I started thinking about it like, ‘I’ve been taking blows and dodging blows since a kid.’ Everybody can ride that rollercoaster they love the most until they for some reason can’t ride it no more.”

Jorge Masvidal Says It’s Time to Pass the Torch

Aside from an eight-fight win streak between 2006 and 2008, Jorge Masvidal never won more than three fights in a row, which he did on multiple occasions. His last three-fight streak inside the Octagon turned out to be a star-making one. In March 2019, ‘Gamebred’ secured a win over Darren Till in London, the same night of the infamous ‘three-piece and a soda‘ incident with Leon Edwards. Four months later Masvidal would deliver a highlight for the ages when he landed an absolutely brutal five-second flying knee knockout against former Bellator and ONE world champion Ben Askren. A third-straight win coming against Nate Diaz secured Masvidal an opportunity to become a UFC champion.

That’s where things began to come apart for Jorge Masvidal. Gamebred’ came up short on back-to-back attempts to dethrone the then-welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman. Adding two more decision losses against bitter rival Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns, Masvidal felt that it was finally time to hang up the gloves and pass the torch.

“To compete at the level I signed up for since a kid, I’m not there no more, and why even push that anymore? There’s guys I feel I can still beat on the roster, but I didn’t sign up to do this just to get money,” Masvidal continued. “I signed up to fight the best of the best in the world and I feel like I’m not there anymore. I’ve lost that step so it’s time to pass on the torch.”

Jorge Masvidal will continue to be part of combat sports, focusing attention on his Gamebred FC and Gamebred Boxing promotions that regularly air events on the UFC’s FightPass streaming service.

Francis Ngannou set to appear on The MMA Hour

Former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou will be a guest on a special Tuesday edition of The MMA Hour. Ngannou is expected to speak with guest Ariel Helwani about his recent exit from the UFC. Last Saturday, a heavyweight title fight graphic between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane was accidentally leaked at T-Mobile Arena in Las […]

Former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou will be a guest on a special Tuesday edition of The MMA Hour. Ngannou is expected to speak with guest Ariel Helwani about his recent exit from the UFC.

Last Saturday, a heavyweight title fight graphic between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane was accidentally leaked at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It led many people to speculate whether Ngannou was simply stripped of the heavyweight title or had left the UFC entirely.

After UFC Fight Night 217, UFC President Dana White confirmed Ngannou’s departure from the company. White explained that both sides couldn’t agree to a new fight contract.

“We offered Francis [Ngannou] a deal that would have made him the highest paid heavyweight in the history of the company. More than [Brock] Lesnar, more than anybody and he turned the deal down,” White said. “I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn’t want to take a lot of risk. He feels like he’s in a good position where he could fight lesser opponents and make more money.”

Francis Ngannou is Expected to Gain Many Offers From Several Organizations

Ngannou had been vocal about wanting better pay during negotiations with the UFC. He will now get a chance to test the free agent market. Several other MMA organizations, including the PFL, Bellator and BKFC have expressed interest in the heavyweight star. It’s also important to note that Ngannou has expressed interest in a move to boxing. Last year, he was challenged by boxing great Tyson Fury to a crossover fight in the squared circle.

Now, the Cameroon native is free to make any decision about his future. He will appear on The MMA Hour at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Ariel Helwani delivers a fiery response to Paddy Pimblett and Dana White on ‘The MMA Hour’

Ariel Helwani went off on UFC President Dana White and Paddy Pimblett after the pair had nothing, but vile things to say about the highly-respected MMA journalist. It’s been public knowledge for some time that Dana White is not a fan of Ariel Helwani. Their fairly one-sided rivalry goes back to 2016 when Helwani had […]

Ariel Helwani went off on UFC President Dana White and Paddy Pimblett after the pair had nothing, but vile things to say about the highly-respected MMA journalist.

It’s been public knowledge for some time that Dana White is not a fan of Ariel Helwani. Their fairly one-sided rivalry goes back to 2016 when Helwani had broken the news that Brock Lesnar would be making his return to the Octagon at UFC 200. Upset that his big surprise was ruined, Dana White immediately banned Helwani from all UFC events as a member of the media. Since then, the two have occasionally taken potshots at one another, but on Wednesday’s episode of ‘The MMA Hour‘ Helwani unloaded on both White and Pimblett who had torn into him during the latter’s Chattin’ Pony podcast.

“When I was in New York for the MSG card last year, he wanted me to do an interview with him and I had a paid interview that day,” explained Pimblett while talking with Dana White. “He wanted me to let go of that paid interview to do an interview with him for BT Sport. What he’s getting paid for and he said, ‘Oh, no, that’s my journalist integrity.’

“You’re not a journalist no more. You’re a content creator. You’re not a journalist. Stop lying You’re very biased in what you do and what you say and he went on his MMA Hour and talked about me and my manager and I ended up messaging him. The first line was, ‘You’re a cheeky c*nt’ and he didn’t like it, but that was just me being honest.”

Paddy Pimblett‘s argument was that he should get paid to take an interview with Helwani who he describes as a “content creator” rather than as a journalist.

Ariel Helwani Unleashes His Wrath on Paddy Pimblett

Ariel Helwani pulled no punches in his response to what Paddy Pimblett and the UFC President said about him just days prior. Discussing the topic, Helwani reveals that he was unaware of the hatred spewed towards him by ‘The Baddy’ until a friend brought it to his attention via text. Responding to the claims, Helwani said:

“You want me to pay for interviews? That’s not journalism and we may have a difference of opinion on what I do as opposed to what you think I do. I ain’t paying for shit. That’s not how this works. You don’t pay for coverage. That’s not how this works. Does Joe Rogan pay his guests? Did Oprah pay her guests? Did Larry King pay his guests? No. That’s not how this works.

“Now if you’re upset about the fact that you come on my show and I’m getting paid to do the show, well then I could in turn say the same thing. I’m upset that I have to go to your fights and you get paid more than me when you fight. It’s stupid. I would never say that because that’s ridiculous.”

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Ariel Helwani responds to Dana & Paddy.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/d0goJorjtB

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 7, 2022

Helwani Busts Out the Receipts on Paddy Pimblett

Addressing Paddy Pimblett’s claim that Helwani asked him to back out of a paid interview last year to interview with him, Ariel Helwani busted out his phone and played a voice note that Pimblett had left for Helwani, specifically letting the ‘MMA Hour’ host know that he would be in New York City in November 2021 and available if they wanted to get together.

“Just thought I’d let you know that if you wanted to say hi or do anything with the man, I’ll be in NYC in November,” said Pimblett in a voice note played by Helwani.” Gonna be there the 5th through the 6th. I’ll be coming back again on the 17th or the 18th and coming back to Liverpool on the 23rd so I’m about in New York on two separate occasions if you want to see your mate.”

According to Helwani, as the date grew closer, he once again reached out to Paddy Pimblett who in turn directed him to his longtime manager Graham Boylan. Helwani was informed that Pimblett had a series of paid appearances and indicated that the only way he would work with Helwani at that time is if Paddy Pimblett was to be paid for his time which is something Helwani is strongly against doing as a journalist.

The day after his text exchange with Boylan, Helwani appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and asked the host nonchalantly if anyone had ever asked to be paid while appearing on his show, clearly references his interaction with Paddy Pimblet and Graham Boylan, but never one mentioned either of them by name. At the same time, Boylan took to Instagram, sending out a message telling professional fighters that they need to start getting paid for their appearances on shows like the one Helwani hosts.

The day after his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Helwani revealed a series of hateful messages he received from Paddy Pimblett that he chose to read out loud.

Things Between Ariel Helwani and Paddy Pimblett Explode

“Lad, you’re a cheeky c*nt chatting shit about me like I asked you for money,” said Pimblett in a message sent to Helwani. “Don’t even ask me for an interview again you piece of shit. Showed me your true colors.”

“Got people chatting about me on Twitter cause of something you said,” messaged Pimblett. “Making me out to be some c*nt.”

Helwani fired back, suggesting ‘The Baddy’ go and listen to the interview he referenced before going on the attack. It was then that Pimblett revealed he had never actually listened to the interview that he was attacking Helwani for.

“I’ll be honest, I haven’t listed,” Pimblett admitted in the message. “I’ve just been tagged in plenty of tweets with people calling me this and that like I asked for money. People was mentioning it to me at the weigh-ins.”

Helwani once again reiterated that he never said Paddy Pimblett’s name in his interview with Pat McAfee, but when Graham Boylan made his comment on Instagram, the MMA community put two-and-two together through no fault of Helwani.

Ariel Helwani spent more than an hour detailing the situation and responding to the comments of what Paddy Pimblet and Dana White said. Fortunately, the entirety of that segment on ‘The MMA Hour’ occurs at the very beginning of the broadcast which is embedded below for your convenience.

Bo Nickal On Fighting Israel Adesanya: “I Feel Confident In That Matchup”

Bo Nickal feels that he stands a good chance against middleweight champ Israel Adesanya if they fought today. Nickal, a former NCAA wrestling national champion, has been hailed as one of the most exciting new MMA prospects in recent years. And so far, …

Continue Reading Bo Nickal On Fighting Israel Adesanya: “I Feel Confident In That Matchup” at MMA News.

Nate Diaz Says He Could Have Taught Conor McGregor ‘To Not Get Choked’ In Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight At UFC 229

Nate Diaz says that if Conor McGregor had accepted a trilogy bout with him, he would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. In 2016, the Stockton native faced McGregor in back-to-back fights. In their first outing at UFC 196, Diaz scored a second-round submission via rear-naked choke over the Irishman. Five months later the […]

Nate Diaz says that if Conor McGregor had accepted a trilogy bout with him, he would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.

In 2016, the Stockton native faced McGregor in back-to-back fights. In their first outing at UFC 196, Diaz scored a second-round submission via rear-naked choke over the Irishman. Five months later the two would run it back at UFC 202. This time McGregor would earn a majority decision to even the series at one apiece.

Six years later and fans are still clamoring for a trilogy bout, but ‘Notorious’ went a different route landing him in the history books. Just months removed from his rematch with Diaz, McGregor would go on to face Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight championship. Already the promotion’s featherweight champion following a spectacular knockout of former champion Jose Aldo, McGregor knocked out ‘The Underground King’ in the second round to become the UFC’s first reigning two-division champion.

Following his win over Alvarez, McGregor stepped out of the Octagon and into the squared circle for a boxing spectacle with Floyd Mayweather. ‘Notorious’ would lose the bout in what would be the first in a string of losses for the Irishman.

During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Nate Diaz discussed McGregor’s run over the last few years, including his loss to the boxing icon.

“Floyd Mayweather went and showed the blueprint to beat him, let him punch himself out and in the 10th round he beat his a**,” said Diaz. “I did that right before him.“

Nate Diaz Believes Conor McGregor Would Have Learned to ‘Not Punch Himself Out’ in Trilogy Bout

McGregor returned to the UFC following his foray into boxing, facing then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in what would become the biggest pay-per-view in the promotion’s history. The Irishman would come up short in his bid to reclaim UFC gold when ‘The Eagle’ submitted him via rear-naked choke in the fourth round.

“Then he went and got choked out by Khabib. If he would’ve finished the trilogy with me, he would’ve learned how to not get choked. If he would have finished the trilogy with me, he would have learned how to not punch himself out.

“He could have got better but he didn’t. He jumped the line and skipped the queue and they helped him by fighting Mayweather. No one has helped me the whole time, I have been relevant in the sport the whole time. I am still relevant in the sport now without even trying, I haven’t even had a fight.”

With McGregor expected to return in late 2022 and Nate Diaz still working to get the final fight of his UFC contract signed, the stars could align allowing for the long-awaited trilogy bout between the Stockton native and the Irish superstar to materialize.

Ian Garry Is Looking Forward To Sharing A UFC Card With Conor McGregor: “That Will Be Massive For The Irish”

Through three appearances in the Octagon, Ian Garry has thus far lived up to his nickname, ‘The Future’. MMA’s latest Irish sensation improved to 10-0 overall with a masterful performance against Gabe Green at UFC 276 on Saturday. Following the win, fellow Irishman and UFC megastar Conor McGregor addressed Garry in a tweet and expressed […]

Through three appearances in the Octagon, Ian Garry has thus far lived up to his nickname, ‘The Future’.

MMA’s latest Irish sensation improved to 10-0 overall with a masterful performance against Gabe Green at UFC 276 on Saturday. Following the win, fellow Irishman and UFC megastar Conor McGregor addressed Garry in a tweet and expressed his enthusiasm for the young striker.

During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Ian Garry discussed McGregor’s comments and how much it means to be recognized by the global icon.

“It’s obviously phenomenal. Like, no matter what he says about me or anything to do with my career it’s always going to be amazing. I mean, I got a f*cking tattoo on my arm because of the guy. That symbolized the whole weekend”

Garry quickly showed the tattoo on his arm of a daisy which is a reference to Conor McGregor calling Garry a ‘little f*cking daisy’ in a November 2021 tweet.

“A little f*cking daisy, yes which basically means your a little star. That just summed up the MSG (Madison Square Garden) moment, week, environment. Everything about it. It was just the perfect way to kind of sum it all up was that ‘little f*cking daisy.’ That’s why I got a tattoo.

“To have the guy who’s done more than anyone for the sport. He has changed MMA. He’s brought more eyes to the sport. He holds all the records in regards to pay-per-views and just making weigh-ins. Having 15,000 people there just to watch a guy stand on a scale is ridiculous.”

Ian Garry Agrees With McGregor’s Assessment That He Will Be a Future Champion

Ian Garry agreed with McGregor’s assessment that he will be a UFC champion, saying that is it “inevitable.”

“To have him say something about that in regards to me is phenomenal. And he’s not wrong. I am going to be a champion and it is inevitable. I know that and the fact that even he seen that now, it’s awesome. It means everybody else is seeing it to. And I know how good I am. I know my potential is and I’m gonna get there. I promise everyone, it’s going to happen.“

Ian Garry also expressed a desire to perform on the same card with McGregor. It would be a dream come true for ‘The Future’ to compete alongside the fighter largely responsible for his own inspiration to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.

“I can’t wait for me and him to get on a card together whenever he’s back. That will be massive for the Irish as well. That would be massive for me. It would be a dream come true to share a card with the guy who inspired me to do this.”