Tag: UFC 203

Mickey Gall On CM Punk: I’m Going In There To Kill Him

We are just days out from former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star CM Punk’s highly-anticipated mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at UFC 203 in Cleveland this Saturday (September 10, 2016), and young welterweight prospect Mickey Gall has received the honor of welcoming the former professional wrestling star to the Octagon. Following open workouts at the

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We are just days out from former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star CM Punk’s highly-anticipated mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at UFC 203 in Cleveland this Saturday (September 10, 2016), and young welterweight prospect Mickey Gall has received the honor of welcoming the former professional wrestling star to the Octagon.

Following open workouts at the Gateway Plaza in Cleveland Gall spoke to the media, courtesy of MMA Fighting, and was in awe of the fact that he was on the poster of his second bout under the UFC’s promotional banner:

“I’m on the damn poster in my second UFC fight, it’s crazy,” Gall said.

“He’s a superstar, I get that,” he said. “I don’t know, It’s weird seeing myself on the poster. I don’t think I should be on the poster yet. I know I shouldn’t be.

“But I’m happy that I am, and I’m going to make the most of it. I’m fighting after Jimmie Rivera and Urijah Faber. It’s crazy, you know what I mean? Let’s call a spade a spade.

“But yeah, I’m very happy with the opportunity, and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Gall taking the chance to call out Punk on the mic is what got him into this fortunate situation in the first place, and when asked if he would call out another name with a win over Punk, Gall had this to say:

“Yeah, I’ll probably have a name in my mouth,” he said. “I’m not going to say yet. But, it got me to the dance, I’ll keep dancing with that. I think when you’re on the mic you should make the most of that.

They ask who you want, I’m not going to say whoever the UFC will give me. I’m going to have a person that I want to fight. I think that will be fun.”

Gall’s anticipation for the contest has gotten so high that he claims he has been up in the middle of the night trying to imagine how he will finish Punk:

“I wake up in the middle of the night, and I keep picturing different ways I’m dominating him,” he said. “I can’t wait to see which way that’s going to be in the cage.”

“It’s funny, they filmed with me, and they cut out a lot of sh*t, they said it made me look too nice,” he said. “So yeah, it was cool man, whatever. Him and his girl seem nice. It was fun. The show was fun.”

When asked if the documentary on Punk made Gall sympathetic towards his counterpart leading up to the fight, he dismissed that and stated that he will attempt to end Punk’s life within the rules of the Octagon:

“No, no,” he said. “Within the rules, I’m going in there to kill him.”

Punk and Gall will meet on the main card of UFC 203 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio this Saturday (September 10, 2016).

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Fabricio Werdum’s Big Goal Is To Wear UFC Gold Once More

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN10cGNKsTU[/embed]

Fabricio Werdum experienced the ultimate high when he finished Cain Velasquez and became UFC heavyweight champion.

But Werdum also went through the ultimate low, dropping the belt to Stipe Miocic in his first title defense earlier this year in Brazil.

Now, he looks to get back on track and pointed towards another crack at the champion when he meets Travis Browne for a second time Saturday night at UFC 203.

“I want to fight for the title again,” Werdum said. “I told UFC I wanted to fight soon. Stipe got a nice punch (to win the championship at UFC 198). I don’t have excuses.”

Originally, Werdum was to meet Ben Rothwell, but a training injury sidelined Rothwell and opened the door for Browne. Back in 2014, the Brazilian scored a decision victory over “Hapa” on his way to facing Velasquez.

“I’m very excited for this next fight,” he said. “I want to beat Travis Browne again; this time I want to finish him. After I beat Travis I will sit next to the Octagon and watch my next opponent.”

That match Werdum referenced is the headline bout, as Miocic makes his first title defense in his hometown against Alistair Overeem. Werdum and Overeem have faced off twice before, splitting their encounters.

“Whether it’s Stipe or Alistair, I don’t know. I asked UFC to fight on the same card as Stipe. This is my plan,” he said. “Our fights are on the same date. I can then get a rematch with him or Alistair Overeem. I finished Alistair in 2006 with a very nice kimura.

“I’ve fought with Overeem two times. We’re 1-1. My big goal is the belt. It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just want my belt again.”

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Fabricio Werdum experienced the ultimate high when he finished Cain Velasquez and became UFC heavyweight champion.

But Werdum also went through the ultimate low, dropping the belt to Stipe Miocic in his first title defense earlier this year in Brazil.

Now, he looks to get back on track and pointed towards another crack at the champion when he meets Travis Browne for a second time Saturday night at UFC 203.

“I want to fight for the title again,” Werdum said. “I told UFC I wanted to fight soon. Stipe got a nice punch (to win the championship at UFC 198). I don’t have excuses.”

Originally, Werdum was to meet Ben Rothwell, but a training injury sidelined Rothwell and opened the door for Browne. Back in 2014, the Brazilian scored a decision victory over “Hapa” on his way to facing Velasquez.

“I’m very excited for this next fight,” he said. “I want to beat Travis Browne again; this time I want to finish him. After I beat Travis I will sit next to the Octagon and watch my next opponent.”

That match Werdum referenced is the headline bout, as Miocic makes his first title defense in his hometown against Alistair Overeem. Werdum and Overeem have faced off twice before, splitting their encounters.

“Whether it’s Stipe or Alistair, I don’t know. I asked UFC to fight on the same card as Stipe. This is my plan,” he said. “Our fights are on the same date. I can then get a rematch with him or Alistair Overeem. I finished Alistair in 2006 with a very nice kimura.

“I’ve fought with Overeem two times. We’re 1-1. My big goal is the belt. It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just want my belt again.”

Urijah Faber Understands The Fight Game Isn’t All About “Title Fights, Super-Fights”

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ymj5vt2jpM[/embed]

Even if he fails to ever achieve UFC gold, Urijah Faber will go down as one of the all-time greats in MMA.

Faber takes on Jimmie Rivera this Saturday night at UFC 203 looking to bounce back after falling to UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in June.

For “The California Kid,” this represents yet another young challenger thrown in front of him as he tries to keep his spot on the ladder. Until a 2015 loss to Frankie Edgar, Faber (33-9) had never been defeated in non-title fights.

“I’ve had a lot of fights where the guy is virtually unknown, but very tough,” Faber said. “The ones that stand out are obviously the big fights — title fights and super-fights — but this is part of the game. Part of the reason people love to watch me is because I fight. I’m not here to protect a legacy or anything. I’m excited for this fight.”

He claimed WEC gold before that promotion was absorbed by the UFC and has since faced the likes of Cruz and Renan Barao for the bantamweight title. Each time, though, Faber came up empty.

In Rivera, he’ll get a 27-year-old who has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon and is 19-1 overall in his career. He hasn’t lost since his second pro fight in 2008.

“I like this kid’s attitude. I like what he represents,” Faber said of Rivera. “He’s a hard-working guy and a respectful guy. He’s put in his time and it sounds like guys are dodging him, because he’s tough and not many people know him. There are a bunch of wussies out there. This is not a sport to be a baby.”

urijah-faber-full-blast

Even if he fails to ever achieve UFC gold, Urijah Faber will go down as one of the all-time greats in MMA.

Faber takes on Jimmie Rivera this Saturday night at UFC 203 looking to bounce back after falling to UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in June.

For “The California Kid,” this represents yet another young challenger thrown in front of him as he tries to keep his spot on the ladder. Until a 2015 loss to Frankie Edgar, Faber (33-9) had never been defeated in non-title fights.

“I’ve had a lot of fights where the guy is virtually unknown, but very tough,” Faber said. “The ones that stand out are obviously the big fights — title fights and super-fights — but this is part of the game. Part of the reason people love to watch me is because I fight. I’m not here to protect a legacy or anything. I’m excited for this fight.”

He claimed WEC gold before that promotion was absorbed by the UFC and has since faced the likes of Cruz and Renan Barao for the bantamweight title. Each time, though, Faber came up empty.

In Rivera, he’ll get a 27-year-old who has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon and is 19-1 overall in his career. He hasn’t lost since his second pro fight in 2008.

“I like this kid’s attitude. I like what he represents,” Faber said of Rivera. “He’s a hard-working guy and a respectful guy. He’s put in his time and it sounds like guys are dodging him, because he’s tough and not many people know him. There are a bunch of wussies out there. This is not a sport to be a baby.”

Jessica Eye Calls UFC 203 “Do-Or-Die” For Herself, Opponent Bethe Correia

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U537uIY6i8c[/embed]

Jessica Eye knows the importance of headlining the prelims for a pay-per-view.

Eye and Bethe Correia will be given a stage Saturday night to perform on at UFC 203, completing the early prelims on FOX Sports 1.

For Eye, the bout could be described as the most important of her career to date. The 30-year-old Ohio native currently calls Cleveland home and will be competing in front of friends and family.

Add in the fact that she is just 1-4 over her last five and hasn’t won since 2014, and it is easy to see why Eye (11-5) is focused solely on topping Correia, a former title contender.

“This is an important time in my career. This is do-or-die for both Bethe and me,” she said earlier this week. “I’ve not been told I’m getting cut, but I’m looking at it that way. Up until now I’ve been underestimating myself, but now it’s time to turn it on.”

Eye has tested herself against the best of the bantamweight division, falling to former champion Miesha Tate via decision, top contender Julianna Pena via decision and former title challengers Sara McMann and Alexis Davis via decision. The loss to Davis was a split that went against her that night.

“I believe there’s a reason I’m here under these circumstances,” she said. “Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself, or thinking I’d made it this far so I should be happy, but how can I just settle? I’ve always told people I’m the kind of woman who doesn’t just settle. I keep going.

“It’s going to be a knockout Saturday night. I’m not settling for anything less.”

jessica-eye

Jessica Eye knows the importance of headlining the prelims for a pay-per-view.

Eye and Bethe Correia will be given a stage Saturday night to perform on at UFC 203, completing the early prelims on FOX Sports 1.

For Eye, the bout could be described as the most important of her career to date. The 30-year-old Ohio native currently calls Cleveland home and will be competing in front of friends and family.

Add in the fact that she is just 1-4 over her last five and hasn’t won since 2014, and it is easy to see why Eye (11-5) is focused solely on topping Correia, a former title contender.

“This is an important time in my career. This is do-or-die for both Bethe and me,” she said earlier this week. “I’ve not been told I’m getting cut, but I’m looking at it that way. Up until now I’ve been underestimating myself, but now it’s time to turn it on.”

Eye has tested herself against the best of the bantamweight division, falling to former champion Miesha Tate via decision, top contender Julianna Pena via decision and former title challengers Sara McMann and Alexis Davis via decision. The loss to Davis was a split that went against her that night.

“I believe there’s a reason I’m here under these circumstances,” she said. “Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself, or thinking I’d made it this far so I should be happy, but how can I just settle? I’ve always told people I’m the kind of woman who doesn’t just settle. I keep going.

“It’s going to be a knockout Saturday night. I’m not settling for anything less.”

Ronda Rousey Finally Gets Tested By USADA

We haven’t seen former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the Octagon in 2016, and it appears the star’s pattern of random testing from USADA reflects that, for one reason or another. According to a report from Champions.co’s Amy Kaplan, Rousey was just tested by USADA twice last week, something that could signify that

The post Ronda Rousey Finally Gets Tested By USADA appeared first on LowKick MMA.

We haven’t seen former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the Octagon in 2016, and it appears the star’s pattern of random testing from USADA reflects that, for one reason or another.

According to a report from Champions.co’s Amy Kaplan, Rousey was just tested by USADA twice last week, something that could signify that she’s finally ready to return to action sometime in the somewhat near future. However, it also calls into qustion the pattern in which they’ve been testing her, as those two tests were the first she had been administered in at least six months.

Anti-doping advocate Dave/Dim had the numbers on Twitter:

USADA lists Rousey as having been tested a total of only four times throughout 2016, a number that should arguably be larger considering that although she may have been on hiatus, she was technically still an active member of the UFC roster, and therefore under the full scrutiny of the UFC’s new and more stringent random testing program in conjunction with USADA.

Rousey recently teased a return in a Reebok commercial, and her boyfriend, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, has gone on record as saying he “feels bad for whoever’s next.” But “Rowdy’s” awaited return is still very much an unknown, as it’s been confirmed she won’t return at November 12’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

USADA testing her twice last week may mean she will be back sometime soon, but nearly 10 months after her shocking knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, that’s just not something fight fans can view as a foregone conclusion.

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Video: Werdum Tells Browne During Face-Off: “I Will Break Your Face, Bastard”

https://youtu.be/Ob3WPvyRsfQ

At the final UFC 203 pre-fight press conference in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, one of the main topics discussed after the presser was the intense face-off between Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne, which included the fo…

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https://youtu.be/Ob3WPvyRsfQ

At the final UFC 203 pre-fight press conference in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, one of the main topics discussed after the presser was the intense face-off between Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne, which included the former UFC Heavyweight Champion saying something to “Hapa” Browne in Portuguese.

Werdum, who will fight Browne in the co-main event this Saturday in a rematch of their first Octagon meeting, which saw the Brazilian soundly defeating the highly-regarded heavyweight contender, made it clear that he intends to “break” Browne this time around.

After telling his own teammates in Portuguese, “let’s break this motherf*cker,” Werdum moved closer to Browne for their formal face-off in front of the MMA media in attendance. It was at that point that the Brazilian reiterated that same point a couple of times to “Hapa” Browne’s face in Portuguese.

“I will break your face, bastard,” Werdum told Browne during their intense face-off (view above). “I’ll break your rib, clown. You know I will break you. You know I will break you. You know that.”

Werdum-Browne II takes place as the co-main event of UFC 203 this Saturday. With a win, particularly if he does “break” Browne this time around, Werdum would likely find himself positioned as the next challenger to the UFC Heavyweight Championship against the winner of the UFC 203 main event between Stipe Miocic, the man he lost the title to in his last Octagon appearance, and another former rival of his, Alistair Overeem.

UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem is scheduled to go down live from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio this Saturday, September 10, 2016, exclusively on pay-per-view. If you aren’t ordering the event on PPV, join us here at MMANews.com for live round-by-round results coverage of the show.

H/T to Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com for translating the above Fabricio Werdum quotes from Portuguese to English.