Tag: UFC 175

Dana White on Cyborg Justino: We Offered Her the Same Contract as Ronda Rousey

One of the highlights of any UFC fight week is the media scrum with Dana White after an event. UFC 175 was no exception.
These scrums often provide little nuggets of information that pique fans’ interest. Among the many topics discussed after a Ronda R…

One of the highlights of any UFC fight week is the media scrum with Dana White after an event. UFC 175 was no exception.

These scrums often provide little nuggets of information that pique fans’ interest. Among the many topics discussed after a Ronda Rousey fight is almost always Cris “Cyborg” Justino. However, White offered a bit more information during this particular scrum.

White began by asking the surrounding media who would like him to sign Cyborg. All but one media member raised their hand, per Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports. This launched the UFC President into a short tirade about how if he did sign Cyborg the media would then write scathing articles about signing a fighter who has a storied history with a positive drug test.

He has ripped into Justino plenty in the past. Most famously at a media luncheon at UFC headquarters in Las Vegas earlier this year.

What was new was the revelation that the UFC offered Cyborg a contract once Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company, bought Strikeforce, per writer Andreas Hale.

White said that they offered Cyborg the exact same deal that they offered to Rousey—and Cyborg turned it down.

It is undetermined what that contract was actually for, but Rousey‘s dominance has given her a salary bump leading into UFC 175—a reported $60,000. That does not factor in any pay-per-view revenue or bonuses.

If Cyborg went on a similar run it could be expected that she would have a similar contract as they are the sport’s two biggest female stars.

The most anticipated female fight on the table may have already happened if Cyborg had signed the original offer the UFC submitted to her team, but she chose to reject the contract. White has since only shown a smattering of interest in the No. 1-ranked featherweight.

If the UFC does re-enter negotiations with Cyborg there are still questions about how it would work. She has never made 135 pounds in her career, and she has even missed weight when trying to cut to 145 pounds. Would it be a one-off spectacle against Rousey, or would she try to lose some mass to join the bantamweight division?

Those are large questions that only the UFC knows.

There is still plenty of interest surrounding a potential fight between Rousey and Cyborg, but nothing seems like it is on the horizon.

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UFC 175 Results: Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort Early Head-to-Toe Breakdown

On Saturday night, Chris Weidman stepped in the cage looking to defend his middleweight title against the former light heavyweight champion, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.
After an intense, back-and-forth battle, which won Fight of the Night, Weidman was …

On Saturday night, Chris Weidman stepped in the cage looking to defend his middleweight title against the former light heavyweight champion, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.

After an intense, back-and-forth battle, which won Fight of the Night, Weidman was declared the winner by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-47, 49-46).

At the post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about Weidman‘s next possible fight, and the name that White gave was another former light heavyweight champion, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort.

Belfort is on a three-fight win streak, having won all three fights by knockout with head kicks. Belfort is definitely deserving of a title shot, so let’s take a look at an early head-to-toe breakdown of the possible title fight.

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Chris Weidman: UFC President Interested in Vitor Belfort as Next Challenger

Chris Weidman defended his UFC middleweight title for the second time at UFC 175, winning a unanimous decision over Lyoto Machida.
It was an excellent fight that pushed Weidman further than he had ever gone before. The champion got the nod on all three…

Chris Weidman defended his UFC middleweight title for the second time at UFC 175, winning a unanimous decision over Lyoto Machida.

It was an excellent fight that pushed Weidman further than he had ever gone before. The champion got the nod on all three judges’ scorecards to retain the title. With another contender down, who will be next up for Weidman?

At the UFC post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White brought up the name Vitor Belfort.

Belfort is currently the No. 2-ranked contender in the middleweight division, but 2014 has gotten off to a rocky start for him.

The two elite middleweights were scheduled to face off at UFC 173, but Belfort took himself out of the bout after the Nevada State Athletic Commission changed their policy on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

After Weidman went through minor surgery, he was booked against Machida for UFC 175. Belfort joined the card going opposite Chael Sonnen. However, a random drug test would force Belfort off the card. He had elevated testosterone levels that were well past the normal ranges. The random test was taken in February at an awards show.

White did mention that while he is interested in Belfort, the embattled middleweight has to get his affairs in order before making that decision. Those affairs will be getting a license to fight. Belfort‘s test for elevated testosterone may make it difficult to get a license from the athletic commissions that govern where the UFC will want to hold a potential title fight.

Is the champion interested in the potential matchup?

According to Weidman himself, per the UFC post-fight show on Fox Sports 1, he is interested in the fight.

It is a fight that the champion wants, the fans want and the UFC president wants. Now it is just a matter of Belfort taking care of his licensing to put the fight in play. If not, there are an ample number of contenders waiting in the wings.

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UFC 175 Results: Chris Weidman Proves His Point, Holds Off Game Lyoto Machida

After each of his fights against Anderson Silva during 2013, Chris Weidman was rightfully announced as the undisputed UFC middleweight champion.
Maybe now people will finally stop disputing it.
Weidman answered his many critics Saturday at UFC 175…

After each of his fights against Anderson Silva during 2013, Chris Weidman was rightfully announced as the undisputed UFC middleweight champion.

Maybe now people will finally stop disputing it.

Weidman answered his many critics Saturday at UFC 175, earning his stripes as 185-pound kingpin with a unanimous-decision victory over Lyoto Machida in a bout that will no doubt wind up on many Fight of the Year ballots.

In the process, Weidman proved that his previous two victories over Silva were no flukes, that he deserves his place among the very best fighters at any weight and—perhaps most importantly—that he can take a hard shot and keep his torrid pace over five full rounds.

All of these things were still up for debate for some fans leading up to the event, though Weidman entered carrying both UFC gold and an unblemished 11-0 record. In certain circles, his back-to-back wins over Silva were discounted due to freakish endings in both fights.

People openly questioned whether he deserved to have the hardware:

That line of inquiry is no longer valid. Weidman rendered it moot with a convincing all-around performance against the former light heavyweight champion, earning the nod from all three judges, 49-45, 48-47, 49-46.

He shut down Machida’s elusive, counterstrike-oriented offense with a game plan that looked similar to the ones he used against Silva. Weidman quashed the 36-year-old karate master’s unorthodox style with straight-ahead pressure, beating Machida to the punch more often than not and mixing in the occasional takedowns against the fence.

By the end of the third round, Machida was cut over the right eye and appeared to be fading. He was down 30-27 on most observers’ scorecards and near the end of the stanza had fallen victim to an impressive, high-octane throw from Weidman.

The champion’s corner was jubilant, and it seemed as though Weidman might be heading for a clean sweep on the scorecards.

To his credit, Machida rebounded during the final two rounds. His best offense throughout the fight had been shots to the body, and they may have caught up with Weidman down the stretch. Machida began to land hard counters, and on a couple of occasions hurt the champion, who sported a nasty purple bruise on the right side of his rib cage.

Weidman battled back, though, and snuffed out any hope of a late comeback when he took Machida down with under two minutes to go and worked his way to back mount. Machida regained his feet and ended the fight with a flurry of strikes, but Weidman seemed to get the best of the last five minutes. As the final horn sounded, he was waving Machida forward, having taken his best shots.

“He was as good as I thought,” Weidman told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan in the cage when it was over. “He’s quick. When you think he’s going to do something, he does the opposite, so he’s really tricky in there. He’s a great fighter. Tough as nails.”

The victory might quell many of the doubts about him, but the road ahead doesn’t appear to get any easier for Weidman. The middleweight division is rife with potential challengers, including another former light heavyweight titlist in Vitor Belfort, as well as former Strikeforce champs Jacare Souza and Luke Rockhold.

Belfort—who was slated to fight for the title at UFC 173 before he was forced to pull out—took to social media to reissue his challenge before Weidman even left the cage Saturday. Belfort still has some licensing issues to work out with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, though, and the UFC had previously said it won’t give him a fight until he takes care of it.

For Machida, the loss at least temporarily short-circuits his career reboot at middleweight. After cutting from 205 pounds last year, he’d been impressive in consecutive victories over Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi. On this night, he was not quite good enough to jump-start his second UFC title reign, though he probably still has some legs at 185 pounds.

Machida had been complimentary of Weidman throughout the lead-up to the fight and, in the end, summed up what many spectators were thinking during his in-cage interview.

“He’s the true champion,” Machida told Rogan. “He deserves the title.”

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Watch Dana White’s Reaction to the “Biggest F Up Ever” at UFC 175 [GIF]


(Dana White establishing a neural link with the production truck. / Photo via Getty)

We’d say Ronda Rousey was the hammer and Alexis Davis was the nail at UFC 175, but that doesn’t even come close to how badly Rousey destroyed her Canadian opponent. Instead, we’ll put it this way: Ronda Rousey was a 500 kilaton hydrogen bomb and Alexis Davis the arid desert or frigid Siberian tundra it was tested on.

The fight wasn’t a fight. Calling it a squash match doesn’t even convey how one-sided it was–that’s how one-sided it was.

Since Rousey, at least as far as the world knew at the time, suffered no damage in her 16-second trouncing of Davis, people thought she might be able to save the day at UFC 176, a card desperately in need of a main event.

One of the people who thought this was a UFC production truck employee. During Rousey’s post-fight interview, Rogan claimed the truck asked him to inquire as to whether Rousey would want to fight at UFC 176. She was friendly but gave a diplomatic non-answer, stating she needed knee surgery and it depended on what her coaches said.

Dana White, however, was not so friendly about it…


(Dana White establishing a neural link with the production truck. / Photo via Getty)

We’d say Ronda Rousey was the hammer and Alexis Davis was the nail at UFC 175, but that doesn’t even come close to how badly Rousey destroyed her Canadian opponent. Instead, we’ll put it this way: Ronda Rousey was a 500 kilaton hydrogen bomb and Alexis Davis the arid desert or frigid Siberian tundra it was tested on.

The fight wasn’t a fight. Calling it a squash match doesn’t even convey how one-sided it was–that’s how one-sided it was.

Since Rousey, at least as far as the world knew at the time, suffered no damage in her 16-second trouncing of Davis, people thought she might be able to save the day at UFC 176, a card desperately in need of a main event.

One of the people who thought this was a UFC production truck employee. During Rousey’s post-fight interview, Rogan claimed the truck asked him to inquire as to whether Rousey would want to fight at UFC 176. She was friendly but gave a diplomatic non-answer, stating she needed knee surgery and it depended on what her coaches said.

Dana White, however, was not so friendly about it…


(via r/MMA)

He’d later tell ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that Rousey being asked that question was the “biggest F up ever.”

Damn. We know White has a flair for the dramatic, but this is a bit over the top. Biggest F up EVER?

What ever you say, Uncle Dana!

UFC 175: Recapping the Fight Night Bonuses

On Saturday night, UFC 175 took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, a women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Alexis Davis and more.
The whole card had solid fights…

On Saturday night, UFC 175 took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, a women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Alexis Davis and more.

The whole card had solid fights from top to bottom, with both title fights being especially memorable even though they had wildly different outcomes.

Check out a recap of who won Fight Night bonuses and pocketed a little extra cash.

 

Performance of the Night—No. 1: Ronda Rousey

When you win in 16 seconds, you can be pretty sure you’re going to get some bonus money.

Rousey scored a 16-second knockout over Alexis Davis in the co-main event to defend her bantamweight title. Rousey easily had the best performance of the night, and now she has the extra money to prove it.

 

Performance of the Night—No. 2: Rob Font

The second Performance of the Night award went to Rob Font, who was making his UFC debut in a bantamweight fight against George Roop.

Font scored a knockout of Roop in just over two minutes when he landed a huge right hand while moving in, which he followed up with a shoulder strike as Roop was already falling.

Not bad for his first UFC fight. He is now 11-1 with four knockouts.

 

Fight of the Night—Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida

Fight of the Night, unsurprisingly, went to the main event between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida. The middleweight title was on the line, and Lyoto was looking to become only the third UFC fighter to win a title in two divisions.

The first three rounds went to Weidman, where he outstruck Lyoto and took him down a few times. The fourth round saw Lyoto gain some momentum, and even rock Weidman at one point for him to win the fourth. The fifth round was a back-and-forth war, which the judges could have scored either way. Lyoto even looked like he might finish Weidman in the last 15 seconds.

Weidman would win the unanimous decision, and now the two of them have won Fight of the Night.

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