Tag: UFC 169

Khabib Nurmagomedov Wants Gilbert Melendez on Epic Super Bowl Weekend Card


(When ‘Thriller’ starts playing, Gil starts dancing. No exceptions. Photo via Getty.)

Begin praying to the benevolent Gods of good health and fortune, Potato Nation, because the UFC’s already stacked Super Bowl weekend card (UFC 169) is about to get even more stacked-er.

Prior to his unanimous decision victory over Diego “Sherm Sticks” Sanchez in a Fight of the Year-nominee at UFC 166, final Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was asked by FOX LA who he’d like to fight next were he to get by Sanchez. Barring another title shot, Melendez more or less called out fellow top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Seemingly in response to Melendez, Nurmagomedov posted the following to his Instagram account (which is the most intimidating form of social media communication, if you ask me) yesterday:


(When ‘Thriller’ starts playing, Gil starts dancing. No exceptions. Photo via Getty.)

Begin praying to the benevolent Gods of good health and fortune, Potato Nation, because the UFC’s already stacked Super Bowl weekend card (UFC 169) is about to get even more stacked-er.

Prior to his unanimous decision victory over Diego “Sherm Sticks” Sanchez in a Fight of the Year-nominee at UFC 166, final Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was asked by FOX LA who he’d like to fight next were he to get by Sanchez. Barring another title shot, Melendez more or less called out fellow top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Seemingly in response to Melendez, Nurmagomedov posted the following to his Instagram account (which is the most intimidating form of social media communication, if you ask me) yesterday:

Given both fighters penchants for putting on technical, thrilling brawls, one would think the UFC would be more than willing to book this matchup for UFC 169, but what do you think, Nation? Does Melendez vs. The Nurm makes sense or should Gil just accept that he should fight Diego Sanchez and only Diego Sanchez until the end of time?

–J. Jones

The Land of Giants: 5 Fights the UFC’s Heavyweight Title Picture Needs

At UFC 166 at the Toyota Center in Houston, the world’s two best heavyweights entered the Octagon and after nearly five rounds of pure, unadulterated one-sided brutality, a true colossus of MMA was born.
Cain Velasquez, drenched in his adversary&…

At UFC 166 at the Toyota Center in Houston, the world’s two best heavyweights entered the Octagon and after nearly five rounds of pure, unadulterated one-sided brutality, a true colossus of MMA was born.

Cain Velasquez, drenched in his adversary’s blood, rose from the fire and ash that is a title fight of such magnitude and now sits atop the UFC’s heavyweight division. The runner-up in this violent marathon was Junior dos Santos and having all but cleaned out the weight class himself over the last five or six years, sequesters himself distinctly as the world’s No. 2 heavyweight.

And this would be perfectly acceptable in maybe every other weight class but not heavyweight. Because this was the second time in one calendar year Velasquez has pulverized dos Santos beyond recognition.

The problem is that no heavyweight outside of Velasquez stands even a chance of defeating dos Santos. So after yet another display of mastery over “Cigano,” Velasquez turned what was already a two-man race into an out of control runaway.

The division belongs to Velasquez. And the matchups the UFC makes in the near future could have dire consequences if not drawn up properly.

As great as dos Santos is, it would be terrible for the sport to see anything remotely similar to the division’s dark age that pitted Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski against one another in what seemed to be an endless series, owing to the sheer lack of viable contenders.

The division may technically be more talented than it’s ever been, but the discrepancy between Velasquez and dos Santos and every other heavyweight could very well force something alike the Sylvia-Arlovski conundrum just alluded to.

In hopes of preventing that, here are five fights the UFC’s heavyweight title picture needs to see happen.

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UFC Super Bowl Weekend 2014 Card Headlined by Jose Aldo vs. Ricardo Lamas, Dominick Cruz vs. Renan Barao


(“Let’s keep it goin’ for Paula Sack, folks. She’s beautiful, talented, *and* she can burp the alphabet in two languages.” / Photo via Getty)

The UFC confirmed last night that UFC 169 — the promotion’s Super Bowl Weekend card that’s scheduled for February 1st, 2014, in Newark — will be headlined by a pair of title fights in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.

In the main event, 145-pound champ Jose Aldo will attempt to make his sixth UFC title defense against top contender Ricardo Lamas, who’s 4-0 in the UFC including stoppage wins against Cub Swanson and Erik Koch. Aldo is coming off his four-round shredding of Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163, which gave the Brazilian his 16th consecutive victory overall, as well as a broken foot.

In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will emerge from a 28-month hibernation to face Renan Barao, the interim champ (and Aldo’s Nova Uniao homeboy) who’s been steady wrecking fools in Cruz’s absence. UFC president Dana White has “made it pretty clear” that if Cruz has to pull out of this title unification bout with another injury, he’ll finally be stripped of his belt and Barao will be named the official champion.

Got any predictions, Potato Nation? And are two competitive title fights in the lighter weight classes just as interesting as one Jon Jones squash match?


(“Let’s keep it goin’ for Paula Sack, folks. She’s beautiful, talented, *and* she can burp the alphabet in two languages.” / Photo via Getty)

The UFC confirmed last night that UFC 169 — the promotion’s Super Bowl Weekend card that’s scheduled for February 1st, 2014, in Newark — will be headlined by a pair of title fights in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.

In the main event, 145-pound champ Jose Aldo will attempt to make his sixth UFC title defense against top contender Ricardo Lamas, who’s 4-0 in the UFC including stoppage wins against Cub Swanson and Erik Koch. Aldo is coming off his four-round shredding of Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163, which gave the Brazilian his 16th consecutive victory overall, as well as a broken foot.

In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will emerge from a 28-month hibernation to face Renan Barao, the interim champ (and Aldo’s Nova Uniao homeboy) who’s been steady wrecking fools in Cruz’s absence. UFC president Dana White has “made it pretty clear” that if Cruz has to pull out of this title unification bout with another injury, he’ll finally be stripped of his belt and Barao will be named the official champion.

Got any predictions, Potato Nation? And are two competitive title fights in the lighter weight classes just as interesting as one Jon Jones squash match?

Scratch That: Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira Is Not Happening on Super Bowl Weekend


(That’s Jon’s surprised face. It is usually followed by his angry face, which shifts directly into his “punching and kicking you” face. / Photo courtesy of Martin McNeil)

The UFC’s next Super Bowl weekend card just got a lot less Super. UFC president Dana White revealed today that contrary to earlier reports, UFC 169 (February 1st, Newark) won’t be headlined by the light-heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira. White was quick to throw his PR flacks under the bus, saying:

“That was never, ever a done deal. That’s going to be later. That was never a done deal. Our (public relations) people put it out, and they shouldn’t have.”

Though a new date for Jones/Teixeira is still TBA, White said the bout was likely to happen in March. In addition, Alexander Gustafsson is expected to fight around the same time in either Sweden or London, and if Jones and Gustafsson both win their next fights, “they 100 percent will fight next,” White said.

Anyway, our condolences go out to the people of Newark. We’ll update you when a real main event is finalized for UFC 169.


(That’s Jon’s surprised face. It is usually followed by his angry face, which shifts directly into his “punching and kicking you” face. / Photo courtesy of Martin McNeil)

The UFC’s next Super Bowl weekend card just got a lot less Super. UFC president Dana White revealed today that contrary to earlier reports, UFC 169 (February 1st, Newark) won’t be headlined by the light-heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira. White was quick to throw his PR flacks under the bus, saying:

“That was never, ever a done deal. That’s going to be later. That was never a done deal. Our (public relations) people put it out, and they shouldn’t have.”

Though a new date for Jones/Teixeira is still TBA, White said the bout was likely to happen in March. In addition, Alexander Gustafsson is expected to fight around the same time in either Sweden or London, and if Jones and Gustafsson both win their next fights, “they 100 percent will fight next,” White said.

Anyway, our condolences go out to the people of Newark. We’ll update you when a real main event is finalized for UFC 169.

Dana White: Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira Not Headlining UFC 169

Dana White bears disappointing news, fight fans. 
After a Newsday report indicated that Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira would top the UFC’s annual Super Bowl card Feb. 1—with Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem co-headlining—fans buzzed with …

Dana White bears disappointing news, fight fans. 

After a Newsday report indicated that Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira would top the UFC’s annual Super Bowl card Feb. 1—with Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem co-headlining—fans buzzed with anticipation of this star-studded event. 

However, UFC President White shot down this report Monday on a media call when saying that the UFC 169 main event is not official and that it never was. 

As BloodyElbow’s Mookie Alexander reported, White said “Jones-Teixeira is not happening on the Super Bowl; that was never a done deal. It’s later in the year.” 

White went on to say that Jones-Teixeira will still happen, probably in March. 

Until then, fans’ craving for high-profile title fights will be satiated by a ridiculous run of six title fights between now and the end of the year. 

One of the sport’s biggest stars, Georges St-Pierre, puts his welterweight title on the line against Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, while Cain Velasquez, Demetrious Johnson, Ronda Rousey, Chris Weidman and newly minted lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will also defend their honor as the top dogs of their respective divisions before Jan. 1. 

With this slate of high-profile fights on deck, it is hard to get too worked up about the disappointing UFC 169 news relayed by White. 

Jones, fresh off a five-round war against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, could undoubtedly use the extra time to rest and recover both mentally and physically. The postponement of this bout will afford him ample time to do so. 

For now, the aforementioned Mir vs. Overeem tangle remains the only confirmed bout for the UFC’s Super Bowl card. 

 

Like MMA, heavy metal or life’s absurdities?  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jones vs. Teixeira Confirmed, Mir vs. Overeem Rescheduled for UFC 169, Feb. 1 in Newark


(All physiques subject to change. / Photo via Esther Lin, MMAFighting)

As suspected, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones will attempt to make his seventh title defense against Glover Teixeira on February 1st at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as the main event of UFC 169. Newsday confirmed the story, adding the following details:

The UFC typically holds its Super Bowl weekend show in Las Vegas, but since broadcast partner Fox will air the NFL’s premier showcase event, executives wanted both events in the same area. MetLife Stadium hosts Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, the first time the NFL has held the game outdoors in a cold-weather city. Tickets for UFC 169 will go on sale to the public on Oct. 25.

The UFC’s 2014 Super Bowl weekend event will also feature the heavyweight do-or-die fight between Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem. That matchup was originally slated for next month’s UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks event, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission took pity on Mir and recommended that it be pushed back. From UFC.com:


(All physiques subject to change. / Photo via Esther Lin, MMAFighting)

As suspected, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones will attempt to make his seventh title defense against Glover Teixeira on February 1st at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as the main event of UFC 169. Newsday confirmed the story, adding the following details:

The UFC typically holds its Super Bowl weekend show in Las Vegas, but since broadcast partner Fox will air the NFL’s premier showcase event, executives wanted both events in the same area. MetLife Stadium hosts Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, the first time the NFL has held the game outdoors in a cold-weather city. Tickets for UFC 169 will go on sale to the public on Oct. 25.

The UFC’s 2014 Super Bowl weekend event will also feature the heavyweight do-or-die fight between Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem. That matchup was originally slated for next month’s UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks event, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission took pity on Mir and recommended that it be pushed back. From UFC.com:

UFC officials announced today that the heavyweight showdown between Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem has been rescheduled to UFC 169 on February 1, 2014.

The move was determined in conjunction with the Nevada State Athletic Commission representatives to provide more time following Frank Mir’s recent August 31st competition.

While there was no indication whatsoever that Mir wouldn’t be fully, medically cleared in time to compete on November 16th, UFC officials and Nevada Commission representatives believed that a short postponement would allow both athletes more time to train for the bout.

Now, if I was a cynic, I’d say something about Mir and/or Reem needing more time to get his/their testosterone levels back into the normal range, but no, I’m not even going to bring that up.

With UFC 167 losing a big main card fight, Ariel Helwani has confirmed that the welterweight bout between Josh Koscheck and Tyron Woodley has been bumped up from the prelims.