Tag: Tyron Woodley

Stephen Thompson & Jorge Masvidal Campaign For Octagon Meeting

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans would love to see Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Jorge Masvidal battle it out inside the Octagon, and the two top-ranked 170 pounders share those sympathies. Thompson is currently the No. 2-ranked welterweight in the world and is coming off of a majority decision loss to Tyron Woodley for the welterweight […]

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Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans would love to see Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Jorge Masvidal battle it out inside the Octagon, and the two top-ranked 170 pounders share those sympathies.

Thompson is currently the No. 2-ranked welterweight in the world and is coming off of a majority decision loss to Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title at UFC 209. Masvidal currently sits at the No. 4-ranked spot and comes off of a loss of his own, as he was narrowly defeated by Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia at UFC 211 via split decision.

The pair were recently a part of a Q&A session prior to the UFC’s Fight Night event in Singapore. They were asked about the possibility of fighting one another in the near future, to which “Wonderboy” revealed that is the fight he’d like to take next (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“(It’s not official) yet, but we want it,” Thompson said. “We definitely want it, to get together and get out there in the octagon and face off. Obviously, you saw him in his last fight, which I thought he won against Demian Maia. (Masvidal is) a very good striker, and I think it’s going to be fireworks.”

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada USA Today Sports

“Gamebred” also sounded excited about stepping into the cage against a striker the caliber of Thompson, someone Masvidal will have to train especially hard for if their paths cross down the road:

“He does things that nobody really in the division does,” Masvidal said. “The karate that he brings and the high level that he brings, it’s only him that does that. I would have to get in special sparring partners, I’d have to get guys that could mimic that, and I’d have to prepare for it.

“It’s going to happen, man. Hopefully.”

Just after the Q&A UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov took to Twitter to state that he’d love to see Masvidal take on former 155-pound champ Rafael dos Anjos next, as “RDA” had a successful welterweight debut against Tarec Saffiedine that same weekend, but Masvidal instead took a shot at “The Eagle” and stuck to his guns about wanting to take on Thompson:

As for the UFC welterweight title picture, it has been confirmed that champion Tyron Woodley will be defending his title against Demian Maia next, at a time and date to be determined. If Thompson and Masvidal is the fight that the UFC decides to make next, it would certainly be a viable No. 1-contenders match-up to determine who will meet the winner of Woodley and Maia.

With the recent return of former welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre, however, it makes the 170-pound title picture all the more interesting.

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Eight Worst UFC Bookings Of 2017 So Far

No one can dispute that 2017 has been a down year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far. There have been a few bright spots like UFC 211 and the highly anticipated battle between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway at UFC 212, but they largely been overshadowed by mediocre Fight Night cards, some with head […]

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No one can dispute that 2017 has been a down year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far.

There have been a few bright spots like UFC 211 and the highly anticipated battle between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway at UFC 212, but they largely been overshadowed by mediocre Fight Night cards, some with head scratching main events.

Things are finally looking up with the McGregor vs. Mayweather super-fight getting finalized. Next month’s UFC 213 also looks outstanding, with two title fights and a bevy of other exciting scraps.

But before the good times start rolling again, there will be another entry to the crappy event list added this weekend. With that in mind, let’s look back at the eight worst bookings of 2017 so far.

1. UFC Fight Night 103: Penn vs. Rodriguez

No list of cringe-worthy bookings would be complete without the epic mismatch between dynamic rising featherweight star Yair Rodriguez and all-time great BJ Penn. The two were set to do battle at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 15, but it wasn’t much of a fight.

Penn was making his return to fighting after a two-and-a-half-year retirement, taking his second-ever fight at featherweight. Various opponent switches, injuries, and suspensions delayed his return by nearly a year, and left him with “Pantera” as his comeback foe. Rodriguez, meanwhile, was undefeated in the UFC and regarded as one of the most promising prospects in the 145-pound division.

Penn looked better initially than he had in his last fight, an embarrassing and perplexing third loss to Frankie Edgar. But the positives wouldn’t last long. The high-flying “Pantera” hurt Penn with a kick to the body in the first round that seemed to sap the Hawaiian’s resolve. Free to unleash the full breadth of his arsenal, Rodriguez teed off, nearly finishing Penn at the end of the frame.

He would mop up Penn early in the second. Another kick dropped “The Prodigy”, and Rodriguez finished him off with ground and pound. The victory gave the exciting young Mexican the most high-profile scalp of his career but did little to test him. It also served as a humiliating setback for Penn. It was a predictable outcome that nevertheless did little to elevate either fighter, more sad than anything else.

2. UFC 208: Holm vs. De Randamie

The premiere MMA organization’s debut in Brooklyn was supposed to be a watershed moment for New York MMA and the UFC. Instead, it was a roundly mocked debacle.

With Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey on the sidelines for 2017, the UFC needed (and still needs) all of the star power it can acquire or manufacture. One star that had shown promise as a draw, particularly in her native Brazil, was Cris “Cyborg” Justino. The former Strikeforce and Invicta FC featherweight champion had two catchweight bouts in the UFC, winning each by first-round knockout, and the company planned to launch its own women’s 145-pound division to showcase her talents.

But negotiations with the cagey “Cyborg” broke down, with the Brazilian insisting that she would not be ready to fight on the Brooklyn card. Frustrated with Justino, and needing a headliner for the pay-per-view (PPV) UFC 208, the UFC brass decided to move forward with their featherweight plans without her.

Enter former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and fellow kickboxing champ Germaine de Randamie. The UFC hoped to cash in on the notoriety Holm still possessed following her earth-shattering knockout of Rousey, despite the fact that she had lost two straight since. De Randamie had little star power of her own. She simply had the good fortune of being a big bantamweight coming off a win with a striking-oriented style that would (in theory) provide a favorable matchup for Holm.

Fans and pundits jeered the fight and the card in general. A UFC women’s featherweight championship fight that did not involve “Cyborg” was laughable; the winner would never be regarded as the best 145er with Justino still lurking.

The fight and its aftermath only served to intensify the mockery. De Randamie won a controversial decision marred by multiple fouls for striking Holm after the bell, fouls that were not punished by the referee. She has since ducked and then flat out refused to accept “Cyborg” has her first challenger, risking having the belt stripped.

The entire farce has been a PR nightmare for the UFC. Continue reading “Eight Worst UFC Bookings Of 2017 So Far”

Tyron Woodley Shoots Down Rumors, Reveals When Who He’ll Be Fighting Next

There’s no doubt that UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is ready to get back inside the world famous Octagon to make his next title defense. However, there has been confusion regarding who he will be fighting next. There were rumors that surfaced online on Wednesday that Woodley was going to meet teammate Jorge Masvidal later […]

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There’s no doubt that UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is ready to get back inside the world famous Octagon to make his next title defense. However, there has been confusion regarding who he will be fighting next. There were rumors that surfaced online on Wednesday that Woodley was going to meet teammate Jorge Masvidal later this year instead of fighting top-ranked contender Demian Maia. Woodley shot down those rumors during Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight on FOX Sports 1. Woodley vowed that Maia is next in line for a title shot. In fact, Woodley stated that he wants the fight at UFC 214 and now he’s just waiting on Maia’s response.

“If you want a showdown with me, you have to meet me July 29, that’s the date,” Woodley said (transcript courtesy of FOX Sports. “The challenger can’t pick the date. You want my belt. So, therefore, I accept the challenge July 29. If you want to get it on, let’s do it, sign the paperwork. You don’t need a vacation. You just had a three-round grappling match. You didn’t get hardly hit. Let’s get it on.”

Maia last competed at UFC 211 in May, which saw him defeat Masvidal by split decision after three rounds. Keep in mind that nothing is official but it’s clear that Woodley is definitely pushing for the fight at the event, and he’s hopeful that Maia will sign on the dotted line.

“He wanted to fight in 2018 from the looks of it, but I can’t wait that long,” Woodley said. “July 29 is a great date for me with the belt, so if you want it, let’s get it.”

UFC 214 is set to take place on July 29th and will be headlined by light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defending his title against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Although a co-main event for UFC 214 has yet to be announced, Woodley defending his title against Maia would certainly fit the bill.

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Tyron Woodley Confirms His Next UFC Welterweight Title Defense

Lost in the news of Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather becoming official was Tyron Woodley reporting on his own title defense. The reigning UFC welterweight champion will meet Demian Maia at UFC 214 in July – if Maia agrees. “If you want a showdown with me, you have to meet me July 29, that’s the […]

Lost in the news of Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather becoming official was Tyron Woodley reporting on his own title defense. The reigning UFC welterweight champion will meet Demian Maia at UFC 214 in July – if Maia agrees. “If you want a showdown with me, you have to meet me July 29, that’s the […]

Rumor: Tyron Woodley Returns Against Masvidal, Not Maia

UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is rumored to be defending his belt at UFC 215, but not against conensus number one contender Demian Maia. Sources close to Woodley’s camp say that Woodley will be defending his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal, who just recently lost a close decision to Maia at May’s UFC 211 from […]

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UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is rumored to be defending his belt at UFC 215, but not against conensus number one contender Demian Maia.

Sources close to Woodley’s camp say that Woodley will be defending his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal, who just recently lost a close decision to Maia at May’s UFC 211 from Dallas, Texas.

Before the close loss to Maia, Masvidal had rattled off a three-fight win streak culminating in a TKO victory over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC on FOX 23 earlier this year. “Gamebred” is a former American Top Team (ATT) teammate of the champion’s, but obviously Woodley has little problem with booking the fight.

There’s been no official word yet on if Maia wasn’t offered the champ, but the rumor is that Maia is apparently injured. If he were found to be healthy, it’d be incredibly tough to deny him a long-deserved title shot considering the Brazilian is on an incredible seven-fight win streak. Sources say Woodley has been offered Masvidal at UFC 215 instead, but nothing official has been confirmed as of yet.

Woodley won the belt by knocking out former champ Robbie Lawler in the first round back at UFC 201. Since winning the belt, Woodley had a draw against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at last year’s UFC 205 before defeating him by decision in their rematch at March’s UFC 209, and has since called out for so-called “money fights” with Nick Diaz, Georges St-Pierre, and Michael Bisping.

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Wonderboy Is Open To Fighting GSP For UFC Title

Stephen Thompson is down to fight Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title if the opportunity ever arises. It was announced earlier this year that St-Pierre had signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC and would be making his Octagon return against Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. “Rush’s” timeframe for a return was a […]

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Stephen Thompson is down to fight Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title if the opportunity ever arises.

It was announced earlier this year that St-Pierre had signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC and would be making his Octagon return against Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. “Rush’s” timeframe for a return was a little too long, however, and UFC President Dana White called the fight off saying the former Canadian champ would return to his old stomping grounds of 170 pounds instead.

That’s an interesting development for No. 2-ranked Stephen Thompson, a two time welterweight title challenger, who has developed quite the friendship with St-Pierre over the years. “Wonderboy” had nothing to worry about when St-Pierre intended to challenge for the middleweight title, but now that he may be returning to welterweight, Thompson may find himself standing across the cage from his friend in the near future.

Thompson recently made an appearance on Submission Radio to discuss the topic, and admitted that he would indeed throw down with St-Pierre if it meant that the 170-pound strap were on the line (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“You know, I’m 34 years old, and I don’t think I have the time to wait,” Thompson said. “You know, let’s say he does get that title. Question is, is he going to hold onto it? Is he going to move somewhere else? I don’t know. But my goal, and it’s something he knows, it’s always been to have that title, to win that title belt. So he is a very good friend of mine, and if that ever does happen, that’s something that I would have to talk to him about. Call him and say, ‘Listen, this is, you know, this is my goal. This is what’s happening. Do we want to do this or not?’ Blah blah blah. And mainly I think it would just kind of be up to him. I mean, he knows what my goals are. I don’t think he would be like, ‘You know what, to be honest, I don’t know.’

“Before my last Tyron fight he told me, ‘I have no interest fighting you. I’ve known you for a long time. You’re a good friend of mine. I have no interest in fighting you.’ And I was like, ‘All right, sweet.’ But then he was going up to 185 to fight Bisping. Now that I didn’t win, I’m still there and still it could be possible for me to get that title shot and fight for it again. But if he’s the champion, you know, that’s my goal, man. So it may happen.”

Photo by Joe Camporeale for USA TODAY Sports

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