Tag: Tyron Woodley

Stephen Thompson: UFC Looking At February For Championship Rematch With Woodley

stephen-thompson-presser

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQiqowbCsQY[/embed]

Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley were both left feeling unsatisfied after UFC 205.

Woodley left Madison Square Garden with the UFC welterweight title still intact, but the end result was a majority draw for both fighters.

Now, “Wonderboy” is targeting early in 2017 for a rematch with Woodley.

“The final judgement was that it was a draw, which means we are gonna be able to fight again,” said Thompson, during a recent interview with Submission Radio. “And I think the fans enjoyed the fight. I think the loved it, it was very exciting. So dude, I am so down to do it again. We’re looking at February, hopefully, to get this next title shot going.”

Thompson, who bested Rory MacDonald and Johny Hendricks to earn his shot at the belt, doesn’t believe the UFC would let Conor McGregor jump him in line. McGregor is currently the UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.

“We haven’t heard anything yet from the UFC. That’s just kind of what we’re thinking about healing up time, getting these lacerations on my nose fixed. I don’t have a broken nose, there’s just some little lacerations that we need to get healed up and get back in the swing of things. And to be honest with you, it’s a short turn around, but UFC haven’t said anything to us yet,” he said. “I think they’re just waiting for me to heal up, for both of us. I know Tyron is shooting for a shorter date. I know he’s calling out Conor McGregor, but I think you know I deserve it, man. You know, us going out there and it being a draw is like we never fought at all. It’s a tie, basically. So we gotta go out there and we gotta settle this and we’re gonna settle it hopefully here pretty soon.

“To be honest with you, I think the UFC knows that I deserve that title shot, that I deserve that rematch. And you know what, I think that Conor McGregor’s gotta defend the 145 and the 155 title and I just think he’s too small for the 170 division. I mean, he’s walking around right at 170, maybe a little bit less. I don’t think it would be a good division for him to step up to.”

stephen-thompson-presser

Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley were both left feeling unsatisfied after UFC 205.

Woodley left Madison Square Garden with the UFC welterweight title still intact, but the end result was a majority draw for both fighters.

Now, “Wonderboy” is targeting early in 2017 for a rematch with Woodley.

“The final judgement was that it was a draw, which means we are gonna be able to fight again,” said Thompson, during a recent interview with Submission Radio. “And I think the fans enjoyed the fight. I think the loved it, it was very exciting. So dude, I am so down to do it again. We’re looking at February, hopefully, to get this next title shot going.”

Thompson, who bested Rory MacDonald and Johny Hendricks to earn his shot at the belt, doesn’t believe the UFC would let Conor McGregor jump him in line. McGregor is currently the UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.

“We haven’t heard anything yet from the UFC. That’s just kind of what we’re thinking about healing up time, getting these lacerations on my nose fixed. I don’t have a broken nose, there’s just some little lacerations that we need to get healed up and get back in the swing of things. And to be honest with you, it’s a short turn around, but UFC haven’t said anything to us yet,” he said. “I think they’re just waiting for me to heal up, for both of us. I know Tyron is shooting for a shorter date. I know he’s calling out Conor McGregor, but I think you know I deserve it, man. You know, us going out there and it being a draw is like we never fought at all. It’s a tie, basically. So we gotta go out there and we gotta settle this and we’re gonna settle it hopefully here pretty soon.

“To be honest with you, I think the UFC knows that I deserve that title shot, that I deserve that rematch. And you know what, I think that Conor McGregor’s gotta defend the 145 and the 155 title and I just think he’s too small for the 170 division. I mean, he’s walking around right at 170, maybe a little bit less. I don’t think it would be a good division for him to step up to.”

Demian Maia Reveals UFC Offered Him Huge Fight

After their amazing title clash in the co-main event of UFC 205 last week (Saturday November 12, 2016), UFC welterweight champion ‘The Chosen One’ Tyron Woodley and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson may be meeting inside the Octagon for the 170-pound title once again, as their Madison Square Garden brawl ended in a draw. One man who

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After their amazing title clash in the co-main event of UFC 205 last week (Saturday November 12, 2016), UFC welterweight champion ‘The Chosen One’ Tyron Woodley and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson may be meeting inside the Octagon for the 170-pound title once again, as their Madison Square Garden brawl ended in a draw.

One man who will be forced to wait for a shot at welterweight gold of his own is jiu-jitsu whiz Demian Maia, who is currently riding a highly impressive six-fight win streak against the elite of the UFC’s 170-pound weight class. Maia recently spoke to MMA Fighting in Brazil, however, to reveal that the UFC has actually offered him a fight with former champ ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler to pass some time while he waits for the situation with Woodley and Thompson to sort out:

“They offered me Robbie Lawler, actually they offered not me but Eduardo my manager, yesterday. I don’t understand what is happening because Dana said right after the fight that I could — that I was next, I could wait if they do the rematch with Woodley and ‘Wonderboy’ — sit and wait or get another fight. I don’t understand what’s happening. I believe in Dana’s words, also ‘Cowboy’ says he needs to fight me. So first they need to do the rematch.

“Let’s see if they do the rematch or not. If they really want to do the rematch, okay we can think about another fight, but if we need to fight again it would be great to fight on the same card as ‘Wonderboy’ and Woodley, because maybe somebody got hurt and I can jump in or even if nobody gets hurt we are in the same cycle.”

Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare HighlightsOne fight that does interest Maia is a rematch from over six years ago, where the Brazilian suffered a unanimous decision loss to the great Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Maia would want the bout to be at a catchweight, however, as he does not want a potential loss to ‘The Spider’ to affect what he has going on at welterweight:

“Anderson at a catchweight would be interesting because I think it is a fight people would like to see. That is the most fight that i remember most in my life, after that fight I changed as a fighter and a catchweight would be good because even if I lose I don’t think it would interfere too much in my welterweight division. And ‘Cowboy’ also, Cerrone, he asked to fight me so if he think he can beat me let’s do it. Let’s do it, not now, let’s do it if they don’t book my fight for the title.”

If Maia does indeed decide to wait for his title shot, he may be waiting for a while as UFC featherweight and lightweight champ Conor McGregor has found his way into the conversation for possible welterweight title challengers who are next up for Woodley. With Thompson also in the mix alongside Maia, the UFC’s 170-pound title picture is beginning to shape up rather interestingly.

Who do you think is next in line for a shot at welterweight gold?

You can check out Maia’s full interview with MMA Fighting here:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov Won’t Fight In The UFC If Not Granted Title Shot

No. 2-ranked undefeated UFC lightweight contender Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov furthered his case for a lightweight title shot with a dominant submission victory over No. 6-ranked Michael Johnson at this past weekend’s (Nov. 12, 2016) UFC 205. Conor McGregor, who won the 155-pound title in the main event, doesn’t feel as if “The Eagle” deserves

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No. 2-ranked undefeated UFC lightweight contender Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov furthered his case for a lightweight title shot with a dominant submission victory over No. 6-ranked Michael Johnson at this past weekend’s (Nov. 12, 2016) UFC 205. Conor McGregor, who won the 155-pound title in the main event, doesn’t feel as if “The Eagle” deserves the next shot at the title.

Nurmagomedov took his official Twitter account early tonight to make it clear that he was willing to take extreme action if not given a title shot:


Prior to the UFC booking Eddie Alvarez vs. McGregor for the title, Nurmagomedov claimed that he had been sent two bout agreements for a title fight with “The Underground King”, but it seemed as if the UFC temporarily used him as a ‘pawn’.

As far as who may realistically receive the next shot at McGregor, the situation remains a bit cloudy especially given the fact that he now holds titles in two different weight divisions. A featherweight title defense could be next for the Irishman, as well as lightweight title fights with No. 1-ranked Tony Ferguson or No. 4-ranked Nate Diaz, who McGregor has already fought twice. On top of that, the outspoken Irishman has touched on the possibility of fighting welterweight titleholder Tyron Woodley.

Does Nurmagomedov have a reason to be angry here?

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Stephen Thompson ‘Definitely’ Wants Tyron Woodley Rematch Next

UFC 205 produced some of the most entertaining fights that combat sports fans have had the pleasure of witnessing in quite some time, as three title fights rounded out the historic card form Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the co-main event of the evening the UFC’s welterweight title would be on the

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UFC 205 produced some of the most entertaining fights that combat sports fans have had the pleasure of witnessing in quite some time, as three title fights rounded out the historic card form Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In the co-main event of the evening the UFC’s welterweight title would be on the line as champion Tyron ‘The Chosen One’ Woodley would look to make his first career title defense against elite striker Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The 170-pound title contest proved to be one of the most entertaining bouts of the year, where Woodley nearly ended the fight on multiple occasions, however, Thompson’s heart and will would prevail to see the contest go the distance.

After much confusion from the judges and their score card readings, the contest was declared a draw and ‘The Chose One’ would remain the division’s champion for the time being. During the post-fight press conference following the event’s conclusion, ‘Wonderboy’ stated that although the result was disappointing he is still looking forward to sharing the Octagon with Woodley once again:

“It was better than what it was in the beginning. Having him win the title and then they came back and said it was a draw. I take it,” Thompson said (courtesy of FOX Sports). “It’s not a win, obviously, so it’s definitely disappointing but hopefully we can do it again.

“Hopefully we can get this fight happening again. Getting up, getting ‘Fight of the Night’ that was exciting, I know the fans loved it.”

In the fourth round of the contest Woodley landed a vicious overhand right that put Thompson on the mat, to which ‘The Chosen One’ would eventually lock in a deep guillotine choke that seemed to spell the end for ‘Wonderboy’. Thompson would instead fight his way out of the hold, closing out the round in top position while reigning down a few shots before the closing horn.

Adam Hunger for USA TODAY Sports
Adam Hunger for USA TODAY Sports

Despite almost being finished in the fourth round by Woodley, Thompson believes he still took home the second, third, and fifth rounds to win the contest:

“Ended up getting my head out and threw a few shots right after that and the bell rung. In the beginning, (the choke) was very close, yes.”

“I thought I pulled it out in the last round just by out pointing him,” Thompson said. “He definitely took the first round. He took the first round that was it. Busted me up with a few good elbows, few good shots, I was a little hesitant during this fight.

“I knew he liked to explode in and throw that big right hand. Hit him with a few jabs. I knew how strong he was in the clinch position, which led me to be a little more hesitant closing the gap and I shouldn’t have done that. I should have let it all out.”

Now that the dust has settled on the controversial majority draw decision, Thompson is ready to jump back inside the Octagon for round six with Woodley in effort to capture his first career UFC title:

“I think the fans and everybody were really excited. I think they were entertained,” Thompson said. “Definitely want to do that again.”

While Thompson may want to get his rematch at the welterweight title next, recent circumstances have now landed UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor as a possible opponent for Woodley next. With Demian Maia also waiting in the wings for his title opportunity, will ‘Wonderboy’ get his wish and get the immediate rematch with ‘The Chosen One’?

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Conor McGregor And Stephen Thompson Show That Traditional Martial Arts Are The Future

UFC 205 is in the record books and it was an event for the ages. We saw Conor McGregor become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts in two different weight classes at the same time. It’s quite the accomplishment to say the least and though the Irishman may talk a whole lot of trash, he’s able to back it up with an excellent overall game. Stephen Thompson also acquitted himself well in the co-main event against champ Tyron Woodley. What do all three of these men have in common?

The post Conor McGregor And Stephen Thompson Show That Traditional Martial Arts Are The Future appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 205 is in the record books and it was an event for the ages. We saw Conor McGregor become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts in two different weight classes at the same time. It’s quite the accomplishment to say the least and though the Irishman may talk a whole lot of trash, he’s able to back it up with an excellent overall game. Stephen Thompson also acquitted himself well in the co-main event against champ Tyron Woodley. What do all three of these men have in common? Their fighting styles all have influences from traditional martial arts.

McGregor’s decimation of Eddie Alvarez wasn’t simply captured by swinging his left hand and hoping for the best. It took timing, distance, anticipation, all traits of traditional martial arts like karate and taekwondo. McGregor’s style and movement can be directly linked to boxing and karate or taekwondo and you can see that in his movement. Conor McGregor is unique in his striking style because his footwork allows him to get in and out like karate, but his boxing skills allows him to strike in the pocket with comfort and ease. McGregor’s movement allows him to appear like he’s there to be hit, but a quick transition to his traditional movement sees him shooting out of range and returning with blistering fast combinations ala karate. But Conor McGregor isn’t the only man to infuse traditional arts into their style.

Stephen Thompson’s entire game is based on point karate. The bouncing, the in and out movement, all of it stems from karate. But where Conor McGregor was originally a boxing who mixed in karate into his striking style, Thompson is a karate stylist who learned how to box and box well. Karate can be very in and out on a linear plain. What Thompson has done is utilize that blitzing skill and learn to exit on another angle in order to counter his opponent. When he’s in the pocket, uppercuts, hooks and crosses are all in his arsenal making him as much a threat at short range as he is at long range. But Tyron Woodley also showcased that he has a bit of karate skills himself. His ability to close the distance with his own blitz showcases his own skills that can be traced back to traditional martial arts.

Karate is all about hitting and not getting hit and while that may not be the case at all times, the men involved in the main and co-main event of UFC 205 have been able to demonstrate just how effective that blitzing style can be. Muay Thai kickboxing still has its place in the sport and always will. But I’m a sport where constant movement and footwork could be the difference of being taken down or staying on your feet, traditional martial arts movement and skills is going to play a major factor going forward and could be the remedy for success in the future of MMA competition.

What’s your thoughts on karate and other traditional martial arts?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

 

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10 Biggest Fights For Conor McGregor After UFC 205

Conor McGregor has now solidified himself in UFC history as the first fighter in the promotion’s history to hold two titles in different weight classes simultaneously when the featherweight champion captured the 155-pound title from Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205 last Saturday (November 12, 2016) with a scintillating second-round knockout. Now McGregor must

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Conor McGregor has now solidified himself in UFC history as the first fighter in the promotion’s history to hold two titles in different weight classes simultaneously when the featherweight champion captured the 155-pound title from Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205 last Saturday (November 12, 2016) with a scintillating second-round knockout.

Now McGregor must take on the tall task of defending two titles in different weight classes, with perennial contenders already lined up for ‘The Notorious’ to take on next. With no shortage of contenders in the UFC’s featherweight, or talent-stacked lightweight divisions, the challenges in the two-weight world champion’s young career are only getting started.

With so many contenders to choose from, we have compiled a list of ten men who are next in line for the big money fight against McGregor in the near future. So without further ado fight fans, here are the top 10 fighters that Conor McGregor should step into the Octagon with next…….
Donald-Cerrone-[1]10. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone

One of the most game fighters the UFC has ever seen is former UFC lightweight title challenger Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, who will step in to save an injury riddled card on the drop of a dime.

Cerrone and McGregor have exchanged words back-and-forth at one another in multiple press conferences, especially the Go Big press event last year in which ‘Cowboy’ threatened to ‘knock the lucky charms’ out of the featherweight champ if he decided to move up to 155 pounds.

Cerrone possesses some of the most dynamic muay thai striking that the UFC has today, not to mention a ground game that is world-class and has been the downfall of many who have found their way onto the mat with the Jackson Wink product. ‘Cowboy’s’ rough style of play clashing with McGregor’s patient, accurate, and quick style of striking could make for quite the interesting match-up.

Not only could this fight take place at McGregor’s championship weight of 155 pounds, but both men could also decide to throw down in the UFC’s welterweight division of 170 pounds. Cerrone has been performing masterfully since making the jump up to welterweight, steadily rising as a threat to the 170-pound throne, while McGregor has competed in the division twice in his feud with Nate Diaz earlier this year.

If a match-up between the two fan favorites is the fight the UFC decides to go with next, it would certainly be an entertaining contest for mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to enjoy.

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