Current No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza has been lobbying for a chance to compete for the 185-pound title, but has instead been handed an opponent ranked outside of the top ten. It has been confirmed that ‘Jacare’ will take on No. 14-ranked Tim Boetsch at UFC 208 on February 11 from the Barclays Center
Current No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza has been lobbying for a chance to compete for the 185-pound title, but has instead been handed an opponent ranked outside of the top ten.
It has been confirmed that ‘Jacare’ will take on No. 14-ranked Tim Boetsch at UFC 208 on February 11 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The match-up doesn’t do much for Souza in terms of his title hunt, but could mean everything for Boetsch if he is able to upset the former Brazilian champ.
Souza has lost only one bout in almost four years, and that came in a close split decision loss to Yoel Romero, as he comes off of a grizzly first round knockout win over former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort at UFC 198 this past May. The Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt is a 14-year veteran of the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), holding wins over names such as Tim Kennedy, Robbie Lawler, Derek Brunson, Gegard Mousasi, and many more.
Boetsch is currently on a two-fight win streak in which he finished both of those contest rather early, beating both Josh Samman and Rafael Natal via knockout in the second and first rounds. A potential win over Souza would certainly be the biggest one of the former NCAA Division I competitor’s MMA career.
UFC 208 will go down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on February 11, 2017.
It had been rumored that a possible featherweight unification match between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway would secure the February headline billing, but Holloway is injured and unable to train.
Holm is coming off back-to-back losses to Miesha Tate and Valentina Shevchenko. The loss to Tate was for the bantamweight title and her first defense of the belt.
UFC 208 takes place February 11 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Along with Holm vs. de Randamie, Travis Browne faces Derrick Lewis, Glover Teixeira battles Jared Cannonier and Dustin Poirier squares off against Jim Miller.
TMZ Sports recently caught up with Dana White, where the celebrity-gossip website got the UFC President’s unfiltered reaction to the recent Cris Cyborg/USADA reports.
When d…
https://youtu.be/EcqO3GVVWrs
He’s never been one to hold back, folks!
TMZ Sports recently caught up with Dana White, where the celebrity-gossip website got the UFC President’s unfiltered reaction to the recent Cris Cyborg/USADA reports.
When discussing the fact that USADA notified the Invicta FC Featherweight (145-pound) Champion of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation on Thursday, the longtime UFC boss brought up her recent surprising call to turn down offers from the UFC to fight in the first-ever UFC Women’s Featherweight (145-pound) Championship bouts.
“First fight she had eight weeks to get ready,” White told TMZ Sports in the interview (see video above). “Second fight she had 11 weeks to get ready and the third fight she just turned down.”
“I thought it was just strange that she was turning down all these fights … not so strange now,” concluded White.
Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie to determine UFC’s first-ever Women’s Featherweight Champion headlines UFC 208 on February 11th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Earlier today the MMA world was thrown into a virtual upheaval when news arrived that Invicta FC champion and rising UFC competitor Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino had been flagged by USADA for a banned substance stemming from an out-of-competition test on December 5. Cyborg had been involved in one of MMA’s hottest stories in recent weeks when
Earlier today the MMA world was thrown into a virtual upheaval when news arrived that Invicta FC champion and rising UFC competitor Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino had been flagged by USADA for a banned substance stemming from an out-of-competition test on December 5.
Cyborg had been involved in one of MMA’s hottest stories in recent weeks when news came she had turned down two title fights for the women’s UFC 145-pound belt, and while it’s unknown if the UFC knew about the test failure before they booked Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie at February 11’s UFC 208, it certainly could have played into the decision.
Many were quick to jump on her back after her previous failure during her days in Strikeforce, but Cyborg and her representatives affirmed their stance that the substance was due to a medical treatment she had been receiving after her draining cuts to 140 pounds for her two fights in the Octagon this year. According to Ariel Helwani, she’s facing a potential maximum punishment of a one-year suspension. However, Justino claims to know what the substance was and says it was not an anabolic agent in a statement released on Facebook.
Read her entire statement right here:
I have been notified today by USADA of a potential violation stemming from an Out of Competition Sample collected Dec. 5 2016.
USADA is an independent administrator of the UFC Anti Doping policy and will be responsible for the review and any sanctioning if imposed.
It has been brought to my attention that my recent sample contained a banned substance known as Spironolactone. The substance is part of a therapeutic treatment being administered to me by doctor that started the 26th of September and is suppose to last for a period of no less than 90 days, requiring blood exams at the completion. In addition to the treatment administered to me by Dr Ulyssea M Da C O Pinto (CRM-PR19062/CRM-RJ 30150-9/CRM SC 2740/ CRM -RO 2630) I was given a medical suspension by her not to enter into competition style training or weight cutting practices during the period of recovery. It is for those reasons why I declined the UFC fight Feb. 11th 2016 for the first 145lbs belt.
I am proud to be a member of USADA, and was the first fighter to complete 1 year of testing under USADA programs before competing in UFC competition.
I have been tested 14 times since entering the program, twice in Q4 in 2016 and have never had a flagged sample.
My Dr. is experienced with USADA testing and informed me there were no additional steps needed for approval with the associated treatments given to me following my UFC Brasilia fight.
we are being fully cooperating with USADA at this time and have already started the process of applying for a retroactive therapeutic use exemption.
For my fans who are disappointed in the news, I am sorry.
You can feel confident that the substance they are inquiring about is not for performance enhancing use, and is needed for my specific treatments. (International Medical Codes CID E 87.6, CID 87.8, CID E 44.0, CID N 83.2, CID 115.9, CID Z73.3 CID E 06.3) Sept. 24. Feel confident that I am a clean athlete.
It is my hope that my experiences will continue to bring awareness to the dangers of extreme weight cutting. I cut weight 3 times in 8 months during 2016 competing twice at 140lbs. It is because of the measures needed to make the required 140lbs weight limit Sept 24 that my body is needing the on-going medical treatment.
I am glad the UFC has created the 145lbs division and look forward to fighting for the belt once my body is recovered and ready to compete. Additional information or statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
According to Jose Aldo, a featherweight title unification bout between him and interim titleholder Max Holloway was set for Feb. 11’s UFC 208 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, although that fight is no longer taking place at that event. “Scarface” has accused Holloway of ducking him, but it appears as if “Blessed”
According to Jose Aldo, a featherweight title unification bout between him and interim titleholder Max Holloway was set for Feb. 11’s UFC 208 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, although that fight is no longer taking place at that event. “Scarface” has accused Holloway of ducking him, but it appears as if “Blessed” is too injured to fight at UFC 208.
Holloway’s manager recently took to Instagram to explain why the Hawaiian won’t be fighting in Brooklyn, also posting a picture of Holloway’s injured ankle. Check it out below:
A photo posted by Brian Butler-Au (@suckerpunchent) on
“Blessed” is riding a division best 10 fight win streak and he most recently dominated and stopped former lightweight boss Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 earlier this month to secure the interim strap.
Aldo, on the other hand, is coming off of a decision victory over Frankie Edgar last July. He has also said that he has been offered an interim lightweight title bout given Holloway’s injury.
Would you like to see Holloway and Aldo meet next, or would you be more interested in seeing the Brazilian move up to 155-pounds?
Aldo makes a somewhat surprising revelation regarding his next fight, and plots a rematch with McGregor.
UFC 194 in December 2015 saw the dethroning of the first and only featherweight champion in the promotion’s history. After months of mental warfare, a world tour [initially for UFC189] and a rescheduled fight, it took “The Notorious” a meagre 13 seconds to topple “Scarface” to claim the 145 pound strap. Now lightweight champion of the world, McGregor has since become an MMA global phenomenon. Aldo, on the other hand, has had to rebuild, and he is doing a good job so far.
The ex-WEC Featherweight Champion did not get his gold back as he wanted to (in the octagon). The UFC rather unceremoniously announced that the SBG Ireland man had relinquished his title, effectively handing it to him [Aldo] without a single punch being thrown. There is no denying that we have seen an ignoble side of Nova União’s greatest fighter. 12 months of bickering, insults and diatribe (plus a half-hearted retirement) have all but banished the once calm and collected reputation of the 30 year old. Revenge against McGregor has been a consistent theme in his frustrations, however.
The Brooklyn fight [against Holloway in February] is not happening. I now expect and believe I will be fighting in early March. Either March 3 or March 4, I can’t remember. I believe they will soon announce an interim lightweight title fight with me. They’ve been trying to find me an opponent, and — surprise, surprise — at least one has already turned down the fight against me. I’m waiting to see who they will find.
When asked about who turned the fight down, Aldo said:
They’ve asked me not to say anything. I won’t say who it is because it’s a surprise. A guy we never thought would turn it down turned it down, because his father didn’t think it was good. I’m tired of people turning down fights. I want to put some pressure so they’ll take the fight.
There is only speculation as to who the fighter alleged to have turned down the fight is. One premier lightweight, who has a distinct father/son relationship in MMA, does comes to mind. #1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0-0) surely has done enough to earn a shot at the 155 pound strap, and has been vocal in why he deserves the next shot . Tony Ferguson (23-3-0) is currently ranked #2 in the lightweight division, and would be another potential opponent for the Manaus native (if what he says is true).
2017 promises to be another interesting year for MMA. With so many UFC grudges, twists and subplots expected to unravel, how much interest would McGregor v Aldo 2 generate?
Aldo makes a somewhat surprising revelation regarding his next fight, and plots a rematch with McGregor.
UFC 194 in December 2015 saw the dethroning of the first and only featherweight champion in the promotion’s history. After months of mental warfare, a world tour [initially for UFC189] and a rescheduled fight, it took “The Notorious” a meagre 13 seconds to topple “Scarface” to claim the 145 pound strap. Now lightweight champion of the world, McGregor has since become an MMA global phenomenon. Aldo, on the other hand, has had to rebuild, and he is doing a good job so far.
The ex-WEC Featherweight Champion did not get his gold back as he wanted to (in the octagon). The UFC rather unceremoniously announced that the SBG Ireland man had relinquished his title, effectively handing it to him [Aldo] without a single punch being thrown. There is no denying that we have seen an ignoble side of Nova União’s greatest fighter. 12 months of bickering, insults and diatribe (plus a half-hearted retirement) have all but banished the once calm and collected reputation of the 30 year old. Revenge against McGregor has been a consistent theme in his frustrations, however.
The Brooklyn fight [against Holloway in February] is not happening. I now expect and believe I will be fighting in early March. Either March 3 or March 4, I can’t remember. I believe they will soon announce an interim lightweight title fight with me. They’ve been trying to find me an opponent, and — surprise, surprise — at least one has already turned down the fight against me. I’m waiting to see who they will find.
When asked about who turned the fight down, Aldo said:
They’ve asked me not to say anything. I won’t say who it is because it’s a surprise. A guy we never thought would turn it down turned it down, because his father didn’t think it was good. I’m tired of people turning down fights. I want to put some pressure so they’ll take the fight.
There is only speculation as to who the fighter alleged to have turned down the fight is. One premier lightweight, who has a distinct father/son relationship in MMA, does comes to mind. #1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0-0) surely has done enough to earn a shot at the 155 pound strap, and has been vocal in why he deserves the next shot . Tony Ferguson (23-3-0) is currently ranked #2 in the lightweight division, and would be another potential opponent for the Manaus native (if what he says is true).
2017 promises to be another interesting year for MMA. With so many UFC grudges, twists and subplots expected to unravel, how much interest would McGregor v Aldo 2 generate?
