Tag: UFC 196

Miesha Tate: I’m More Challenging Than Ronda, I Can Take Punches

UFC women’s bantamweight contender has a warning for her next opponent, the champion Holly Holm is in for an explosive battle according to ‘Cupcake’…. It’s strange how things turned out for UFC & Strikeforce veteran Miesha Tate in the current bantamweight title picture, and she owes a lot of it to Ronda Rousey. Up until

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UFC women’s bantamweight contender has a warning for her next opponent, the champion Holly Holm is in for an explosive battle according to ‘Cupcake’….

It’s strange how things turned out for UFC & Strikeforce veteran Miesha Tate in the current bantamweight title picture, and she owes a lot of it to Ronda Rousey. Up until UFC 194, Tate was being overlooked for a title shot, even though her recent run of form had included impressive wins over Sara McMann, Rin Nakai, Liz Carmouche and Jessica Eye.Then came the infamous ‘plunder down under,’ as Holm captured the title from Rousey with a monstrous head kick knockout.

All of a sudden ‘Cupcake’ was in with a chance at another title fight, having stumbled in her rematch with Rousey at UFC 168. Then ‘Rowdy’ revealed she’d be taking some time off to pursue her acting career, and that was the deciding moment for Tate. It wasn’t long before she was paired with Holm for a UFC 196 collision, in a bout that has many intriguing qualities.

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Tate spoke with FOX Sports lately to describe how she’s a bigger challenge than former champion Ronda Rousey:

“I’m not like Ronda at all in my fighting style. I present different challenges and I have a lot more ring experience and I’ve been battle tested. I’m definitely a battle-tested veteran. I know I can take a punch to give a punch and I don’t fear the clock.”

“I don’t care if it takes me 24 minutes and 59 seconds to win that fight, I will be…

Continue to page 2 for the rest of the interview…

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“I don’t care if it takes me 24 minutes and 59 seconds to win that fight, I will be in it to win it. I will be patient when I need to be patient, I will be explosive when I need to be explosive, I will be calculated and precise and I will do exactly what I need to do to win this fight.”

Tate says she is a clear step up in competition for Holm and her Jackson’s MMA camp, and a choice they’ll live to regret:

“I think they’re going to regret the decision after the fact,” Tate confidently explained. “Like ‘man, we really wanted to step up, we wanted to prove the we’re the best in the world as champion,’ but I’m going to spoil those plans.”

“They know this is a huge step up in competition. They know that stylistically, I think everyone believes that I’m a more challenging style for Holly. I present different problems.”

Ronda Rousey Knocked Out By Holly Holm at UFC 193 | The Big Lead

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Fabricio Werdum Reacts To Conor McGregor’s Rant With Hilarious Photo

As if his upcoming title fight with Rafael dos Anjos wasn’t surrounded by enough trash talk, Conor McGregor is now being slammed by the UFC heavyweight champion… UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will look to make history at UFC 196. The Irish striker goes up against the lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on March 5,

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As if his upcoming title fight with Rafael dos Anjos wasn’t surrounded by enough trash talk, Conor McGregor is now being slammed by the UFC heavyweight champion…

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will look to make history at UFC 196. The Irish striker goes up against the lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on March 5, 2016, and would become the first ever two-weight champion in the promotion’s history, if he’s able to overcome ‘RDA.’ Since the bout was announced in the wake of McGregor’s 13-second KO over Jose Aldo at UFC 194, the trash talk from ‘The Notorious’ has been at an all time high.

At the UFC 196 press conference, the featherweight champion described dos Anjos as a ‘bum version of Aldo,’ and stated he’d behead the Brazilian ‘traitor’ and drag his lifeless body through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. With all the weight of possibly making UFC history, and now the heated rivalry with ‘RDA,’ it seems ‘The Notorious’ is more than happy to pile all the pressure and expectations on to his own shoulders.

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But there’s another beef cooking through all this verbal warfare, and that’s with the UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. ‘Vai Cavalo’ didn’t like what he saw at the UFC 196 presser, and went on record as saying he would slap Conor McGregor for his disrespectful comments. Also a training partner of dos Anjos at Kings MMA, the pride of his home nation and the friendship with the lightweight champion have urged Werdum to trash talk a man nearly half his own weight.

But it’s not just the situation’s just mentioned, McGregor took it to a whole new level this weekend. Speaking during the Fighters Only MMA Awards, where he’d won ‘fighter of the year,’ ‘The Notorious’ blasted Werdum as a ‘p*ssy’ after he pulled out of his heavyweight title fight with Stipe Miocic when Cain Velasquez had also withdrawn.

The heavyweight champion’s response is simply hilarious. Check it out:

Skip to page 2 for the hilarious reaction from Fabricio Werdum…

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UFC 196: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor Early Preview and Predictions

The cancellation of Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez prompted a major shake-up of the UFC’s numbering system and resulted in UFC 197 being renamed UFC 196 (while UFC 196 became Fight Night 82). Regardless, the card remains a must-see affair topped by…

The cancellation of Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez prompted a major shake-up of the UFC’s numbering system and resulted in UFC 197 being renamed UFC 196 (while UFC 196 became Fight Night 82). Regardless, the card remains a must-see affair topped by two huge title fights in Rafael dos Anjos vs. Conor McGregor for the UFC lightweight title and Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate. 

The full lineup of announced fights is as follows:

  • Rafael dos Anjos vs Conor McGregor
  • Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate
  • Corey Anderson vs. Tom Lawlor 
  • Erick Silva vs. Nordine Taleb 
  • Darren Elkins vs. Chas Skelly 
  • Diego Sanchez vs. Jim Miller 
  • Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 
  • Justin Salas vs. Jason Saggo
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Gian Villante
  • Vitor Miranda vs. Marcelo Guimaraes

There are a number of interesting matchups, and with less than a month to go before this event, it’s worth taking a good look at the card. 

What are the stakes entering UFC 196? Who is likely to come out on top during the card? Find out right here!

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White To McGregor On Poster Controversy: You’re Right, Conor

At last month’s UFC 196 (previously UFC 197) press conference, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor made it vividly clear that he wasn’t happy with the promotional posters for the event. McGregor is scheduled to move up in weight and challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title on March 5, 2016 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

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At last month’s UFC 196 (previously UFC 197) press conference, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor made it vividly clear that he wasn’t happy with the promotional posters for the event.

McGregor is scheduled to move up in weight and challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title on March 5, 2016 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

At the press conference, the “Notorious” one was angered that he wasn’t holding his title on the poster, and that his belt wasn’t sitting in front of him at the time. While only dos Anjos’ title is on the line, the fight is indeed a battle between two champions.

UFC president Dana White said at the time that the reasoning was, in reality, because RDA was the defending champion, but it seems as if he has since changed his tune.

With the rescheduling of the events, a new poster was forced to be made, and this time, each man has his title with the bout being billed as champion vs. champion. Recently speaking on the changes with the Grant and Danny show (via MMAFighting), White admitted that McGregor was right:

“Conor made his argument, ‘This is a superfight. I’m a [145]-pound champion. He’s the [155]-pound champion. My belt should be represented even though I’m not defending my belt.’

“And I said, ‘You know what? You’re right, Conor. All right, we’ll do it,” White recalls.

In the end, the UFC boss acknowledged that he had a super fight on his hands, making the switch up a necessity:

“We actually switched the poster and they’ve both got their belts and it’s champion vs. champion,” said White. “It’s a superfight: 45 vs. 55 for the 55-pound title.”

Check out the new and improved poster below courtesy of the UFC:

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Dana White Doesn’t See How McGregor Beats dos Anjos

UFC featherweight kingpin the “Notorious” Conor McGregor is moving up next month for his toughest test to date, as he’s set to take on lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of March 5’s UFC 196 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Looking to become the first man in promotional history to simultaneously hold two

The post Dana White Doesn’t See How McGregor Beats dos Anjos appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC featherweight kingpin the “Notorious” Conor McGregor is moving up next month for his toughest test to date, as he’s set to take on lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of March 5’s UFC 196 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Looking to become the first man in promotional history to simultaneously hold two titles, McGregor has a tough task ahead, and UFC president Dana White seems to have trouble seeing how the Irishman will get the job done:

“I don’t see how he wins this fight,” White told At The Buzzer. “He’s the 145-pound champion. He can stay in his own lane.”

Dos Anjos has indeed been on a tear as of late, winning five straight bouts all in dominant fashion. As White put it, the “Notorious” one is jumping up in weight to take on an “animal”

“This guy is moving up to 155 to take on an animal, who destroyed Cowboy Cerrone, destroyed Anthony Pettis. And this isn’t boxing, where you move up two or three pounds. You move up 15 pounds!”

Check out the full video below:

Although the jump from featherweight to lightweight is only ten pounds, White may have a point as many have deemed dos Anjos a terrible stylistic matchup for McGregor.

Aside from his world class submission skills, the Brazilian has used pressure wrestling, and much improved striking to run a demolition course through the lightweight division.

While the knockout artist in McGregor may very well be one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA), his ground game has always remained a question mark.

That being said, the “Notorious” one feels as if he will continue his UFC unbeaten streak and make history in the process. While White may not be able to see how he gets the win, I’m sure Mystic Mac has a clear vision in his head of what he plans to do.

Do you agree with the UFC boss, or will McGregor topple yet another Brazilian champion?

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BJ Penn “Guarantees” He’s Returning At UFC 196: Nik Lentz Out, New Rumored Opponent

With UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor challenging for a second title against UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos and Holly Holm making the first defense of her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against Miesha Tate, it would seem like…

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With UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor challenging for a second title against UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos and Holly Holm making the first defense of her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against Miesha Tate, it would seem like UFC 196 couldn’t possibly get any bigger — until now.

On Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, MMAFighting.com journalist Ariel Helwani reported that UFC Hall Of Famer BJ Penn “guarantees” he will be making his Octagon return at the event scheduled for March 5th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Coincidentally enough, outside of Randy Couture, Penn is the only fighter to ever become a champion in two different UFC weight classes, something McGregor will be attempting — with his own twist (as he won’t be relinquishing the 145-pound title even if he beats Dos Anjos) — in the main event of the very show that “The Prodigy” will be returning on.

While nothing has been announced at this point, the belief is Penn will not be fighting Nik Lentz in his comeback fight despite their vicious back-and-forth insults and challenges, as Lentz overplayed his hand in negotiations for the fight by compiling an unreasonable list of demands that he said must be met before he would accept what would clearly be the highest-profile fight in his MMA career.

With Lentz seemingly out of the running, the talk right now is that Penn will make his UFC fighting return against Dennis Siver. Once again the coincidences between Penn and McGregor are evident, as “The Notorious” Irishman also fought Siver in what was considered a “tune-up” fight before ultimately challenging Chad Mendes for the interim UFC Featherweight Championship due to then-undisputed champion Jose Aldo pulling out of their scheduled title fight. With names like Nik Lentz and Dennis Siver popping up as potential opponents, one would have to consider Penn’s first trip back to the Octagon as a “tune-up” fight as well.

UFC 196: Dos Anjos vs. McGregor is scheduled to take place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, March 5, 2016. Make sure to visit MMANews.com for the absolute fastest and most-detailed live UFC 196 results coverage on the web!