Tag: UFC 178

Tim Kennedy Requests Random Drug Testing for Fight with Yoel Romero at UFC 178

First, it was Vitor Belfort’s elevated levels of testosterone in February. Next came Wanderlei Silva’s refusal to be tested in May. It all came to a climax only Shakespeare could pen when Chael Sonnen tested positive for human growth hormone, among a f…

First, it was Vitor Belfort‘s elevated levels of testosterone in February. Next came Wanderlei Silva’s refusal to be tested in May. It all came to a climax only Shakespeare could pen when Chael Sonnen tested positive for human growth hormone, among a few other banned substances, in June—UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy had seen enough.

“They randomly test three dudes and all three fail,” Kennedy first told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “All in my weight class. All dudes I could potentially be fighting. I went from just being vocal about drug use, to saying to myself, ‘I have to make a stand about this.'”

Kennedy’s set to duke it out with former Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero at UFC 178 in Las Vegas. He won’t be taking any chances this time around—he wants random testing leading up to his middleweight clash. 

Though Kennedy isn’t necessarily accusing Romero of cheating the sport, the recipient of the Army’s Bronze Star Medal with the “V” device isn’t so sure about any of the other fighters currently competing under the Zuffa banner. 

“The first time [the NSAC] randomly tested people, everybody failed,” Kennedy told Okamoto. “Imagine what that looks like across 450 athletes. Are we talking about 60 or 70 percent? I really believe it’s somewhere in that range of fighters that are using.”

Kennedy went to Twitter to reiterate what his request was truly all about

This isn’t the first time that a high-profile UFC fighter has publicly requested extensive drug testing before a fight. Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre first requested testing by VADA—the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association—leading up to his bout with current UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Jon Jones also went ahead and requested random testing prior to his championship fight with Glover Teixeira at UFC 172. 

Though the UFC has already agreed to open up the checkbook to fund the testing—which comes out to a whopping $45,000 per fight—Kennedy originally offered to pay for his half of the bill. 

“Whatever it takes to ensure we are moving forward toward having a clean sport, which we are nowhere near right now,” Kennedy told Okamoto. “Something has to change.”

Currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s middleweight division, a decisive victory over an up-and-coming fighter in No. 11 Yoel Romero could put Kennedy a few inches closer to a highly coveted opportunity at UFC gold. A decisive victory against performance-enhancing drugs at UFC 178, and all future events, could inch Kennedy and the UFC a bit closer to a highly coveted opportunity to wield credibility and transparency. 

 

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA. 

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Cat Zingano Returns Against Amanda Nunes at UFC 178

The former No. 1 contender for Ronda Rousey’s UFC women’s bantamweight title will make her return to the cage at UFC 178 in Las Vegas on September 27. 
Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who has been out of action since defeating Miesha T…

The former No. 1 contender for Ronda Rousey’s UFC women’s bantamweight title will make her return to the cage at UFC 178 in Las Vegas on September 27. 

Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who has been out of action since defeating Miesha Tate at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in April 2013, will take on Amanda Nunes (9-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the Octagon when the UFC returns to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Kevin Iole from Yahoo Sports first reported the news.  

After earning a coaching spot opposite Ronda Rousey on the 18th season of TUF, Zingano was forced off the show with a knee injury and was replaced by Tate, who also filled in for Zingano against Rousey at UFC 168 in December, losing by third-round armbar. 

The injury wasn’t the only thing that kept Zingano sidelined, as she has also had to deal with the suicide of her husband, Mauricio Zingano, earlier this year. The 32-year-old returned to training back in May and has been anxious to step back inside the Octagon. 

Despite Zingano’s No. 1 contender status, it makes sense that she gets another fight under her belt before mixing it up with the ultra-dominant Rousey, who just made quick work of highly touted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexis Davis at UFC 175.  She isn’t exactly getting a tune-up fight in the Brazilian Amanda Nunes, who has finished both of her UFC fights with first-round TKOs.

Should Alpha Cat get past Nunes, she would most likely be the next challenger for the women’s bantamweight title, as there are no clear-cut standouts in the division, and the UFC has yet to sign either Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino or Gina Carano to vie for Rousey’s title. 

UFC 178 is headlined by Jones vs. Gustafsson II and also features the return of former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who is returning after a three-year layoff from the sport. 

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Let’s All Just Calm Down About This “Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178? News


(“What’s your name, kid-ACK! Is this photo made from shards of broken glass or something! So much blood! SO MUCH BLOOD!!” Photo via Getty.)

I know what you’re thinking. Just like me, you woke up this morning, immediately opened up r/MMA, and saw the “Dominick Cruz has a fight booked!” thread. This lead you to a tweet from “The Dominator” himself, which read:

NOTHING has made me more excited in a long time than hearing a fight date from @seanshelby. Ask him tho-cuz I cnt release it.
#comingsoon

Upon reading this, you started scouring the internet and/or harassing Sean Shelby to learn the details of Cruz’s fight, which eventually led you to this ESPN article claiming that Cruz had been booked against Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178.

This news likely filled you with joy, the kind of sweet, overwhelming joy that all but disabled your ability to think logically. Which is why I’m here to rain on your parade, to piss in your oatmeal. To tell you that Mr. Cruz is setting you up, is setting us all up, for an inevitable downfall. Our hopes of a Dominick Cruz comeback are about to be dashed, so please, let’s all just calm the f*ck down and treat this fight booking with as much trepidation as humanly possible.


(“What’s your name, kid-ACK! Is this photo made from shards of broken glass or something! So much blood! SO MUCH BLOOD!!” Photo via Getty)

I know what you’re thinking. Just like me, you woke up this morning, immediately opened up r/MMA, and saw the “Dominick Cruz has a fight booked!” thread. This lead you to a tweet from “The Dominator” himself, which read:

NOTHING has made me more excited in a long time than hearing a fight date from @seanshelby. Ask him tho-cuz I cnt release it.
#comingsoon

Upon reading this, you started scouring the internet and/or harassing Sean Shelby to learn the details of Cruz’s fight, which eventually led you to this ESPN article claiming that Cruz had been booked against Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178.

This news likely filled you with joy, the kind of sweet, overwhelming joy that all but disabled your ability to think logically. Which is why I’m here to rain on your parade, to piss in your oatmeal. To tell you that Mr. Cruz is setting you up, is setting us all up, for an inevitable downfall. Our hopes of a Dominick Cruz comeback are about to be dashed, so please, let’s all just calm the f*ck down and treat this fight booking with as much trepidation as humanly possible.

It has been three years since we last saw Cruz compete in the octagon. Three years. Over that period of time, Cruz has been subjected to countless knee surgeries, reinjuries, failed cadaver ligament transplants, and more days spent laid up watching Bar Rescue marathons than he’d probably care to admit (#buttfunnel). Yet not even the world-renowned motivation skills of Jon Taffer have been able to whip Cruz into his old fighting form.

Let us not forget that we’ve been fooled before. Cruz was set to finally defend his title against interim champ Renan Barao at UFC 169 back in February. Remember that? “His knee is fine” we were told. “He’s in the best shape of his life.” And to be fair, Cruz’s knee did hold up. But where the knee is strong, the groin often falters. I believe that’s Plato.

Despite having some of the best footwork in all of MMA, Dominick Cruz was apparently cursed with the legs of an 80 year-old coma patient by the man upstairs, which is why we simply must resist the temptation to start losing our sh*t about his possible return. Because if he isn’t taken out by some freak injury prior to the Mizugaki fight, he surely will be before we’re ever treated to Cruz vs. Faber III, or Cruz vs. Barao, or Cruz vs. Dillashaw. And don’t get me wrong, I’d like nothing more than to see Cruz return to form. But I’ve been burned before, Nation. We all have.

Resist the temptation to hope, Tater Nation. Because hope can drive a MMA fan insane. It’s got no use in our sport, and you all better get used to that idea. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope is a dangerous thing…

–J. Jones

Dominick Cruz Will Make Return vs. Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178

Welcome back, Dominick Cruz.
The former UFC bantamweight champion Cruz has been out of action since the fall of 2011, but he will make his return to the Octagon nearly three years later at UFC 178.
Cruz teased his fight earlier in the day prior to the …

Welcome back, Dominick Cruz.

The former UFC bantamweight champion Cruz has been out of action since the fall of 2011, but he will make his return to the Octagon nearly three years later at UFC 178.

Cruz teased his fight earlier in the day prior to the revelation of who his opponent would be.

Cruz confirmed his return bout to ESPN on Tuesday evening, and he will go opposite No. 5-ranked Takeya Mizugaki.

Mizugaki has been on a roll in recent fights. The former WEC title contender has reeled off five straight wins inside the Octagon, and a win over Cruz would put him in line for a title shot. All five of his recent wins have gone to the scorecards.

The American is 19-1 in his career. The lone loss on his resume was to Urijah Faber in a WEC featherweight title tilt. Cruz would then drop to 135 pounds and become the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division until injuries sidelined his career.

He injured his knee training for a title defense against Urijah Faber and has had two surgeries on the knee since. Now he is recovered and cleared to fight.

Cruz has remained active in the official UFC rankings. He currently sits as the No. 12-ranked contender.

This was the fight that Cruz wanted for his return bout. He made mention of the Mizugaki fight on the UFC Tonight broadcast on Fox Sports 1 in recent weeks, and the matchmakers heard him loud and clear. Huge title implications will come along with this prime-time fight.

UFC 178 is scheduled for September 27 in Las Vegas. In the main event, Jon Jones defends the UFC light heavyweight belt against Alexander Gustafsson for the second time.

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Tim Kennedy vs. Yoel Romero Booked for UFC 178 Co-Main Event


(Still not as scary as this photo. via Kennedy’s Instagram.)

A battle between top middleweights Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero has just been added to UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson II in the co-main event slot, which must mean that it is only a matter of time before an injury moves it into the *main* event slot. Regardless, the active duty Army Ranger and the Cuban powerhouse have been booked for a fight that could earn the winner a shot at middleweight champion Chris Weidman. “Middleweight champion Chris Weidman.” Still feels kind of weird to write that.

Kennedy is on the heels of a dominant, if less-than-thrilling victory over Michael Bisping at the TUF Nations Finale, which saw him completely neutralize the Brit with his takedown-oriented offense and ground-n-pound. Methinks Kennedy will have a tougher time doing the same against Romero, a hulking middleweight and Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling who, like Kennedy, will be riding a four fight win streak into their matchup at UFC 178.

Following vicious KO wins over Clifford Starks, Ronny Markes, and Derek Brunson in his first three UFC appearances, Romero most recently bested TUF 11 alum Brad Tavares via unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 11 back in April.

Predictions, please.

–J. Jones


(Still not as scary as this photo. via Kennedy’s Instagram.)

A battle between top middleweights Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero has just been added to UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson II in the co-main event slot, which must mean that it is only a matter of time before an injury moves it into the *main* event slot. Regardless, the active duty Army Ranger and the Cuban powerhouse have been booked for a fight that could earn the winner a shot at middleweight champion Chris Weidman. “Middleweight champion Chris Weidman.” Still feels kind of weird to write that.

Kennedy is on the heels of a dominant, if less-than-thrilling victory over Michael Bisping at the TUF Nations Finale, which saw him completely neutralize the Brit with his takedown-oriented offense and ground-n-pound. Methinks Kennedy will have a tougher time doing the same against Romero, a hulking middleweight and Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling who, like Kennedy, will be riding a four fight win streak into their matchup at UFC 178.

Following vicious KO wins over Clifford Starks, Ronny Markes, and Derek Brunson in his first three UFC appearances, Romero most recently bested TUF 11 alum Brad Tavares via unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 11 back in April.

Predictions, please.

–J. Jones

Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy Set for UFC 178

UFC 178 will be the setting of an important middleweight fight, as Strikeforce veteran Tim Kennedy takes on Cuban Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero. This was reported by Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday.
The important midd…

UFC 178 will be the setting of an important middleweight fight, as Strikeforce veteran Tim Kennedy takes on Cuban Olympic wrestler Yoel Romero. This was reported by Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday.

The important middleweight tilt will likely be on the main card, seeing as Romero and Kennedy are arguably top-10 fighters in the weight class. The event takes place September 27 in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.

Kennedy (18-4) is undefeated in the UFC at 3-0. The outspoken former Green Beret owns UFC decision victories over jiu-jitsu ace Roger Gracie and title challenger Michael Bisping. He also possesses a massive knockout victory over Rafael Natal.

Kennedy is known for his powerful wrestling and brute strength. His most recent outing saw him outhustle and outmuscle Bisping, utilizing wrestling and heavy top pressure to defeat the brash Brit.

Romero (8-1) is undefeated in the UFC at 4-0. All four of those wins also coincide with Romero’s drop to the middleweight division, as he competed as a light heavyweight in Strikeforce and other regional organizations.

Romero is also known for his powerful wrestling and brute strength, though it has been incredibly violent striking that has been cashing his checks lately.

Until his last fight against Brad Tavares, which went to a decision and saw him use his wrestling more, Romero had three straight vicious knockouts. After a flying knee that downed Clifford Starks, Romero destroyed Ronny Markes and Derek Brunson with his concrete hands.

This fight sees two very different styles collide. Both are wrestlers by trade, though Romero has wrestled at a very high level as an amateur. He was a silver medalist for Cuba in Olympic wrestling during the 2000 Sydney Games.

On the feet, one has to believe Romero has his biggest advantage. He has been downing guys left and right with his jaw-rattling strikes and consciousness-stealing power.

All things considered, this bout should be very interesting. It could also push the winner extremely close to a title shot.

Stay tuned with Bleacher Report as more information comes in on UFC 178.

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