Former UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy woke up on Wednesday and decided to break out a can of 10-year-old beef. Kennedy, who was once a prominent name in the division after making a name for himself under the Strikeforce banner is still a little salty about a decade-old fight between himself and Yoel Romero. After […]
Former UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy woke up on Wednesday and decided to break out a can of 10-year-old beef.
Kennedy, who was once a prominent name in the division after making a name for himself under the Strikeforce banner is still a little salty about a decade-old fight between himself and Yoel Romero.
After an impressive four-year stint in Strikeforce, Kennedy made his UFC debut in 2013 and promptly rattled off three-straight wins over Roger Gracie, Rafael Natal, and Michael Bisping. That streak led him to a big divisional matchup with Romero at UFC 178. Kennedy clearly lost the opening round, but he stormed back in the second, lighting up the ‘Soldier of God’ with a flurry of strikes.
In between the second and third rounds, there was some confusion that ultimately led to Romero being allowed to sit on his stool for longer than the traditional 60 seconds of allotted time between each round. With more time to recover, Romero came surging back in the third and finished Kennedy less than a minute into the final round.
Tim Kennedy was left fuming and apparently, a decade later, he’s still not over it.
“Robbery anniversary and the end of my fight career,” Kennedy wrote on X. “Dear Nevada Athletic Commission. NAC 467.728 If a combatant fails or refuses to resume competing when the bell sounds … the referee shall award a decision of TKO.”
Robbery anniversary and the end of my fight career.
Dear Nevada Athletic Commission. NAC 467.728 If a combatant fails or refuses to resume competing when the bell sounds…the referee shall award a decision of TKO.
Former UFC Ref John McCarthy Offers Explanation to Tim Kennedy
Kennedy’s comments didn’t go unnoticed by legendary UFC referee, and the man who just happened to be overseeing Kennedy’s fight with Romero that night, ‘Big’ John McCarthy.
Responding to Kennedy’s comments on social media, McCarthy offered a lengthy explanation for what happened that evening and why Romero was allowed to continue after taking longer than the allowed time.
“Tim you are an amazing person and I truly wish the very best life has to offer both you and your family,” McCarthy wrote. “Perhaps I could of done something differently during your fight. I wish I had the forethought to envision this exact situation before it ever occurred and that way I may have handled it differently.
“But you are not stating facts about what occurred. Yoel was told to stay seated by the NSAC Inspector. The truth is the Cutman hired and paid for by the UFC did not re-enter the cage when summoned to do so and that is what held up the start of the 3rd round. It is not Yoel’s fault that this occurred and the Cutman is not part of Yoel’s official corner. Language barriers did not help as well.
It’s egregious to penalize a person when they are not at fault and that is why there were no point deductions nor DQ. Was it completely fair to you? No I don’t believe it was, but there are times when there is no perfect solution in the moment. I hope the very best for you in all that you do.”
Most UFC fans were quick to suggest that Yoel Romero had intentionally milked the clock to allow himself more time to recover, but with McCarthy offering up his explanation, do you see it differently now?
No. 6 UFC women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano is finally set for her UFC return. A report confirmed by MMA Fighting and initially reported by MMA Brasil revealed the former title challenger, who has been out of action since a decision loss to Julianna Pena at 2016’s UFC 200, will meet undefeated up-and-coming contender Ketlen […]
No. 6 UFC women’s bantamweight contender Cat Zingano is finally set for her UFC return.
A report confirmed by MMA Fighting and initially reported by MMA Brasil revealed the former title challenger, who has been out of action since a decision loss to Julianna Pena at 2016’s UFC 200, will meet undefeated up-and-coming contender Ketlen Vieira at March 3’s UFC 222 pay-per-view from Las Vegas.
Zingano has had an incredibly unique, mercurial, and taxing UFC run that began with her scoring an emphatic third-round finish of former champion Miesha Tate in her Octagon debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 Finale in 2013, which earned her a title shot at dominant then-champion Ronda Rousey. A torn ACL suffered in training delayed that fight for almost two years, however, as Zingano instead returned to face and defeat current champion Amanda Nunes at September 2014’s UFC 178, her last win in MMA.
She faced Rousey for the belt at UFC 184 in February 2015, but lost to a strikingly quick armbar in 14 seconds. Varied injuries gave kept the otherwise decorated ‘Alpha’ out of consistent action.
Zingano will have no easy return match-up in the 9-0, No. 8-ranked Vieira. The surging Brazilian has won her three bouts in the UFC, with by far her biggest win coming in her latest fight, a shocking arm-triangle submission over former title challenger Sara McMann at September’s UFC 215.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has recently ramped up his trash talk heading into his title fight with TJ Dillashaw, but he just won’t be able to match Conor’s McGregor’s unattainable level… Billed as one of the most pivotal and resonating bantamweight title bouts in UFC history, former champion Dominick Cruz is finally set
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has recently ramped up his trash talk heading into his title fight with TJ Dillashaw, but he just won’t be able to match Conor’s McGregor’s unattainable level…
Billed as one of the most pivotal and resonating bantamweight title bouts in UFC history, former champion Dominick Cruz is finally set to return from a 16-month absence against current champion TJ Dillashaw in the headlining bout of this Sunday night’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cruz will seek to regain the belt that he never lost, as a seemingly never-ending slew of serious knee and groin injuries held ‘The Dominator’ to only a single fight since his decision victory over pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson in October 2011.
The former titleholder has since spent his time off becoming one of the most well known and respected analysts in the fight game, breaking down cards on FOX Sports with a technical expertise that few, if any, have ever demonstrated in the broadcast booth. That has resulted in a refined wit for the already sharp Cruz, and it’s clear that he’s certainly stepped up his smack talking outside the cage in his recent spots with a badly outclassed Dillashaw.
Its no doubt a cue that all fighters can take from Cruz, who’s apparently emulated featherweight champion Conor McGregor in a sense to create more buzz for his fights by berating his opponent outside of the Octagon. While that’s certainly nothing new in the fight game, Cruz has taken it to a new level for the bantamweight division.
Yet no fighters can match McGregor’s silver-tongued comebacks and his thunderous knockout power in the cage, and despite deserving recognition for his efforts, Cruz is one of these competitors. Let’s examine why.
(We tried to give the Potato Awards a classier vibe this year. We failed.)
By the CagePotato Staff
Look, you already know how we feel about MMA awards ceremonies: They’re meaningless exercises tainted by personal bias and stupidity, in equal measures. The only thing that makes the Potato Awards different is that we’re completely honest about the fact that our awards are biased and stupid. But it’s the end of the year, and we have to acknowledge that somehow, right?
Putting together this year’s Potato Awards list was a harrowing experience. Honestly, 2014 was an awful year for mixed martial arts. It was the year that the UFC’s pay-per-view business tanked due to injured stars and general disinterest among fans — what else is new, amirite? — while competing promotions stooped to terrifying depths in order to get your attention. (Not that the UFC didn’t do some of that, too.) 2014 answered the question “Could the UFC survive an entire year without Anderson Silva and GSP?”, and that answer was “yes, but just barely.” It was also a year in which domestic violence incidents involving MMA fighters became a tragic recurring theme (see: War Machine, Thiago Silva, Josh Grispi, Anthony Johnson, Michael Johnson).
But years from now, we may look back at 2014 as an important turning point, thanks to some major developments that took place near the end of the year. Notably, the UFC’s Reebok uniform deal is poised to transform the sponsorship landscape, while the Le/Quarry/Fitch class-action lawsuit and the related suits thatcame out in its wake could drag out some long-hidden truths about the UFC’s finances. We don’t yet know if these developments will turn out to be good or bad overall, but MMA could be a lot more interesting in 2015.
As we enter a new year, let’s look back at the past 12 months that got us here — the highs, the lows, and the moments that were so “WTF?!” that they defy all judgment. Use the page links below to peruse our mostly-chronological list of 38 award categories, and thanks so much for sticking with CagePotato for another year.
(We tried to give the Potato Awards a classier vibe this year. We failed.)
By the CagePotato Staff
Look, you already know how we feel about MMA awards ceremonies: They’re meaningless exercises tainted by personal bias and stupidity, in equal measures. The only thing that makes the Potato Awards different is that we’re completely honest about the fact that our awards are biased and stupid. But it’s the end of the year, and we have to acknowledge that somehow, right?
Putting together this year’s Potato Awards list was a harrowing experience. Honestly, 2014 was an awful year for mixed martial arts. It was the year that the UFC’s pay-per-view business tanked due to injured stars and general disinterest among fans — what else is new, amirite? — while competing promotions stooped to terrifying depths in order to get your attention. (Not that the UFC didn’t do some of that, too.) 2014 answered the question “Can the UFC survive an entire year without Anderson Silva and GSP?”, and that answer was “yes, but just barely.” It was also a year in which domestic violence incidents involving MMA fighters became a tragic recurring theme (see: War Machine, Thiago Silva, Josh Grispi, Anthony Johnson, Michael Johnson).
But years from now, we may look back at 2014 as an important turning point, thanks to some major developments that took place near the end of the year. Notably, the UFC’s Reebok uniform deal is poised to transform the sponsorship landscape, while the Le/Quarry/Fitch class-action lawsuit and the related suits thatcame out in its wake could drag out some long-hidden truths about the UFC’s finances. We don’t yet know if these developments will turn out to be positive or negative overall, but MMA could be a lot more interesting in 2015.
As we enter a new year, let’s look back at the past 12 months that got us here — the highs, the lows, and the moments that were so “WTF?!” that they defy all judgment. Use the page links below to peruse our mostly-chronological list of 38 award categories, and thanks so much for sticking with CagePotato for another year.
Despite the fact that their first encounter resulted in one of the greatest fights in UFC, nay, MMA history, there weren’t many of us who were chomping at the bit for a Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua rematch when it was announced for Fight Night 38. Like Dumb and DumberTo, the bar had simply been set too high by the original for a sequel to ever live up to it, so fans approached the matchup with an overwhelming “meh.”
And through the first two rounds of the fight, our apathy seemed rightfully placed. Henderson looked every bit the 44 year-old fading legend that he was, getting flash KO’d by the 33 year-old Rua (who himself is approximately 85 in fight years) on no less than three separate occasions. We were watching a man’s career come to an end in real time, or so we thought, and the best thing that Henderson could do would be to just stay the f*ck down already and go out with some dignity.
But there’s a reason Dan Henderson is, well, Dan Henderson, and the rest of us are Lewis Skolnick in comparison. It’s called the H-Bomb — a fabled right hand that was bestowed upon Hendo by Thor himself according to the ancient texts — and it essentially acts as a failsafe should Henderson ever find his back against a wall. It is the great equalizer, and roughly one and a half minutes into the third round, Henderson used it to equalize Shogun’s nose into a million pieces.
It was an absolutely insane comeback for Henderson, a lightning strike TKO that snapped an unprecedented three-fight skid and earned him unanimous praise from fans, fighters, and critics alike.
“Dan Henderson has just surpassed John Wayne, Chuck Norris, and Tom Selleck as the most American man in history.” – Tim Kennedy
“What a fight! Tune into UFC on FOX for my objective analysis!” – Ariel Helwani
“A punch so powerful that it made my jaw hurt. My jaw.” – Roger Ebert from beyond the grave
I would say that watching Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Roy Nelson was like spotting a car accident moments before it was about to happen, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. Because even if you happen to…er…happen upon the scenario I just mentioned, chances are that you only get a few second buffer before everything gets all-
Really, Nog vs. Nelson was more like watching a Paranormal Activity movie. You walked into it with a stomach-turning sense of trepidation, and knew from the moment that the opening credits rolled rolling that something terrible was going to happen to at least of the people on screen. From there, it was just an endurance test — an agonizing, dread-filled slog toward death where everything is silent and time seems to stand still.
Roy Nelson is called “Big Country” for a multitude of reasons, the least of which being that he has never been considered the fastest man at 265 lbs. But compared to Nogueira — who appeared to have dipped his gloves and legs in concrete before stepping into the Octagon that night — Nelson was nothing short of Usain Bolt with a beer gut. For three and a half excruciating minutes, we were forced to watch a PRIDE legend and former interim champion serve as target practice to an IFL champion and TUF winner, until it inevitably happened.
Us Nogueira fans have witnessed some heartbreaking moments in recent years — the Velasquez fight, the Mir fights, the Werdum fight — but nothing quite compares to the night our hero was mummified by Rubeus Hagrid. And while it’s true that Big Nog may not have actually died that night, I sure as hell did. On the inside.
Jesus Christ, take that thing back to Baltimore. By the time this surreal moment aired on TUF Brazil 3, BJJ champion Gabi Garcia had already failed a drug test for Clomiphene, confirming our suspicions that her 24-inch pythons were earned with a little hormonal help. A month later, Wanderlei Silva was surprised with a random drug test of his own and responded by fleeing out of the side door of his gym; as a result, he caught a lifetime ban from the NSAC. But here they are on the set of a reality show, having a conversation about drive, determination, and being a role model to women. And meanwhile, Gabi looks like she could crush an apple in either one of her hands. So yeah, it was a little ironic in retrospect.
“Just Bleed” MMA Superfan of the Year Award: Chuck Liddell Costume Guy (5/10/14)
It’s easy to be cynical about MMA. And it would be easy to be cynical about a guy who dresses up in a Chuck Liddell costume in an attempt to get on TV and meet Dana White and a bunch of fighters.
But look at that thing. It’s marvelous. And he times his Chuck Liddell victory pose perfectly with the crane camera that’s flying through.
(Pretending that Mighty Mouse wasn’t headlining the card may have been a brilliant marketing strategy — but it wasn’t enough to make UFC 178 a success.)
Reddit user thisisdanitis passes along the latest UFC pay-per-view buyrate estimates from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer newsletter, which provide more proof that the UFC’s PPV business just ain’t what it used to be. Here we go…
UFC 181 (Hendricks vs. Lawler, Pettis vs. Melendez): 380,000 (This is an early number and may change somewhat based on late reporting cable systems.)
The UFC 178 estimate is the most surprising to me, because the event was so highly anticipated among hardcore MMA fans as a “stacked” card with Event of the Year potential, and it still barely broke 200k. Of course, casual fans only look at the main event, and Demetrious Johnson is basically the worst PPV draw on the roster.
It’s almost as surprising that UFC 180 performed as well as it did, considering that the card had no stars outside of the main event. And 380,000 buys for UFC 181 is very good, relatively speaking. That’s like the equivalent of 650,000 buys in 2009.
(Pretending that Mighty Mouse wasn’t headlining the card may have been a brilliant marketing strategy — but it wasn’t enough to make UFC 178 a success.)
Reddit user thisisdanitis passes along the latest UFC pay-per-view buyrate estimates from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer newsletter, which provide more proof that the UFC’s PPV business just ain’t what it used to be. Here we go…
UFC 181 (Hendricks vs. Lawler, Pettis vs. Melendez): 380,000 (This is an early number and may change somewhat based on late reporting cable systems.)
The UFC 178 estimate is the most surprising to me, because the event was so highly anticipated among hardcore MMA fans as a “stacked” card with Event of the Year potential, and it still barely broke 200k. Of course, casual fans only look at the main event, and Demetrious Johnson is basically the worst PPV draw on the roster.
It’s almost as surprising that UFC 180 performed as well as it did, considering that the card had no stars outside of the main event. And 380,000 buys for UFC 181 is very good, relatively speaking. That’s like the equivalent of 650,000 buys in 2009.
The UFC’s next three PPVs should pull the promotion’s buyrates out of the garbage, at least. UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier and UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz have massive main events (but thin supporting cards), and UFC 184 features the double title-fight punch of Weidman vs. Belfort and Rousey vs. Zingano. So where will the buyrates for those cards end up? And if more than one of them falls below 500k, will the UFC just give up and focus its business on novelty barbecue equipment?
