Tag: UFC 209

Jorge Masvidal Would Fight Teammate Tyron Woodley: I’ve Got Kids To Feed

With a lengthy resume dating back to early 2000s era of MMA, UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal may finally be fighting for a title shot in the world’s biggest MMA outfit when he meets surging No. 3 competitor Demian Maia on the main card of May 13’s massive UFC 211 event from Dallas, Texas. If ‘Gambred’

The post Jorge Masvidal Would Fight Teammate Tyron Woodley: I’ve Got Kids To Feed appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

With a lengthy resume dating back to early 2000s era of MMA, UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal may finally be fighting for a title shot in the world’s biggest MMA outfit when he meets surging No. 3 competitor Demian Maia on the main card of May 13’s massive UFC 211 event from Dallas, Texas.

If ‘Gambred’ can shock the MMA world and hand Maia his first loss since February of 2014, he could potentially find himself in a welterweight title bout against champion and American Top Team (ATT) stablemate Tyron Woodley, whom he used to train with in Coconut Creek, Florida. However, none of that is even close to guaranteed with Conor McGregor lurking in the shadows of an uncertain fighting future.

Regardless, if and when Masvidal does get lucky enough to face “The Chosen One” for the belt, he’s willing to battle his ATT teammate. “Gamebred” told Submission Radio (courtesy of Bloody Elbow) that he’s known Woodley since his days as a lightweight, where the champ helped him refine his wrestling skills:

“I’ve known Woodley for nine-plus years, ten-plus years. We’ve worked out together plenty. He’s one of the guys who used to slam me all around the place. I was at 155, he was at 170 pounds and he was just the wrestler that is a superpower. So that was one of the dudes that got my wrestling a little better from going with guys like that. He knows where my strengths are, I know where his strengths are.”

But with Woodley now training almost exclusively with Milwaukee’s Roufusport (even though he does own an ATT affiliate gym in his native St. Louis), Masvidal revealed n a recent interview on ‘UFC Tonight’ that neither he nor the champ had any problem fighting each other, likening their potential eventual meeting to that of a famous basketball analogy:

“No (issues fighting). Not on my end, or at Tyron Woodley’s end.We’re both good friends. I get along just fine with Woodley. He’s actually showed me a lot things in the past, and I’ve worked with him in the past training to help him get ready to fight. There’s no hard feelings if me and him had to scrap.

“I’m LeBron and he’s Dwyane Wade. We split up teams, we meet in the Finals,” he said. “We’re going sit out because we were teammates at one point? Hell no. I’m here to get this money. I’ve got kids to feed.”

It’s a fair point from the suddenly surging ‘Gamebred,’ who suddenly emerged as a legitimate threat in the 170-pound division by shocking demolishing Donald Cerrone at UFC on FOX 22 in Denver this year.

If he can buck the odds again and send arguably the most talented submission specialist in MMA to a defeat, he’ll no doubt deserve a bout with his old teammate Woodley.

And that’s just fine with one of the game’s old-school prizefighters.

The post Jorge Masvidal Would Fight Teammate Tyron Woodley: I’ve Got Kids To Feed appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Khabib: Doctors Said I Almost Died During UFC 209 Weight Cut

Khabib Nurmagomedov almost died. The Russian underwent a rigorous weight cut in attempt to reach the 155-pound weight limit for his scheduled interim lightweight title bout against Tony Ferguson at last month’s UFC 209 pay-per-view (PPV). Nurmagomedov failed to make weight as he was hospitalized and forced off one of the most anticipated cards of

The post Khabib: Doctors Said I Almost Died During UFC 209 Weight Cut appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Khabib Nurmagomedov almost died.

The Russian underwent a rigorous weight cut in attempt to reach the 155-pound weight limit for his scheduled interim lightweight title bout against Tony Ferguson at last month’s UFC 209 pay-per-view (PPV). Nurmagomedov failed to make weight as he was hospitalized and forced off one of the most anticipated cards of the year.

Remaining relatively silent since the whole ordeal, ‘The Eagle’ joined Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour earlier today (Mon. April 3, 2017) to discuss what went down that morning. Nurmagomedov stated that he can’t even remember some of his weight cutting process (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“In the evening, I feel badly. I feel different. I never feel like this,” Nurmagomedov said. “One day before weigh-in, of course I don’t feel good all the time, but I think this is like something different. And when I go home the night before weigh-ins, I feel crazy. I’m cutting weight with my team, and I don’t remember how I cut weight. I don’t remember a lot of things, something going wrong.

“I feel so bad. I never feel like this.”

After the doctor said he almost died attempting to make the weight, Nurmagomedov and his team made the decision not to continue forward with the bout. The Russian said the history of mixed martial arts (MMA) competitors who have died in the past cutting weight played a factor in his decision:

“The doctor say, ‘you cannot fight. You almost die. How you fight? How you can fight if you almost die? … No way. We say no fight, 100 percent. No make weight. No fight. No nothing. You need to stay in the hospital for seven hours, we have to make sure your body is good.’ But I feel I almost died,” Nurmagomedov said.

“We know a lot of times when you’re cutting weight, you can die. I know one month ago somebody died in Brazil. Before, somebody died in Japan. We know sometimes this happens. But this can happen with me too. If we still cutting weight, and we still force my body, maybe I can die too?

“But it’s okay,” Nurmagomedov added. “Sometimes when I have injury or when I have bad situation, I all the time come back strong. Now, I know a lot of people asked about this, a lot of fans asked about this because this is a very big fight. The UFC promote this fight very good. We promote this fight. A lot of people are waiting for this fight. I know a lot of fans are upset about this, and I understand this, but I want to say sorry about everything. And I come back. I’m going to come back.”

For those who now say that Nurmagomedov would do better to move up to 170 pounds, the Russian does not share the same sentiments. He will instead wait three to five months before attempting to return around the end of September:

“I don’t think I’m cutting too much weight,” Nurmagomedov said. “I make weight, 155.5 pounds, when I fight with Michael Johnson (at UFC 205) and I feel very good. I feel perfect. I make weight no problem.

“I’m just coming from Germany. I need like three or five months to make my body the same, three or five months of rehab. And obviously I’m going to Germany, I’m going to fix everything. This problem, this is not about cutting weight. This is about my health, and I have to [fix] my health in three or five months, and I’m going to come back. I think I can fight end of September.

“In Germany I’m going to check my body, what happened, everything,” Nurmagomedov added. “And I have a little bit of a problem with something, but I don’t want to talk about this. But I need a couple months to fix everything.”

Nurmagomedov continued to reiterate that he has been making 155 pounds his entire fighting career, and has no plans at moving up to welterweight anytime soon:

“I never fight 170, because I can make [155]. I make 155 all of my career,” Nurmagomedov said. “I make all my amateur career at 155. All the time, I can make and I will make 155. Of course, before, I think about ‘maybe I fight at 170, superfight,’ something like this. But I want to say that I never fight 170. Never. I know this. This is not changing. I am going to fight only 155, and now I have difference motivations. I want [figure out] how I can make 155 and how I can become UFC lightweight champion. This is my different and new motivation.”

In the end ‘The Eagle’ takes full responsibility for what happened, and offered his apologies to Tony Ferguson and UFC fans. He vows to come back strong once his body is full healed:

“I want to say thank you to him,” Nurmagomedov said. “I know sometimes he goes crazy when somebody pulls out, but I understand. I understand everything. I am professional fighter and I have to make weight and this is my job, but sometimes you cannot control your body, and you do everything. This is my fault. I know, 100 percent, this my fault. But we will see what happens next time. I’m going to come back. This is not finished. This is not finished, my career. I’m going to fix my body and come back.”

You can check out Nurmagomedov’s full interview on The MMA Hour here:

The post Khabib: Doctors Said I Almost Died During UFC 209 Weight Cut appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Deserve A Title Shot?

Yesterday (Fri., March 31, 2017) top-ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov made what many felt was a bit of a lofty request when his manager said he was looking to return to a title shot in August or September. The undefeated mat technician has long been touted as the clear future of the storied UFC 155-pound division,

The post Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Deserve A Title Shot? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Yesterday (Fri., March 31, 2017) top-ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov made what many felt was a bit of a lofty request when his manager said he was looking to return to a title shot in August or September.

The undefeated mat technician has long been touted as the clear future of the storied UFC 155-pound division, but that status became incredibly murky when he was forced to withdraw from is awaited interim title bout with Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 due to health issues from cutting weight. And with injuries limiting him to only two bouts since April 2014, ‘The Eagle’ is one of the most unpredictable fighters in MMA, even if he is may also be one of the most dangerous athletes.

Set to take his traditional holy month of Ramadan off to fast, Nurmagomedov is in a tricky spot in terms of his career. He’s long called for a fight with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, yet many, including octagon commentator Joe Rogan, think it doesn’t seem like that fight will become a reality anytime soon.

There is always the issue of his health and if he can actually make 155 pounds any longer, and that’s not even taking into a ccount the fact that McGregor could be out of MMA for an unforeseen period of time to finalize his negotiations with boxer Floyd Mayweather on their seemingly pproaching super fight. So that means Khabib’s most likely path to a title shot in his return fight would be against Ferguson, who’s expressed interest in signing it again even though it has fallen apart thrice.

What do you think? Does Khabib deserve to return right into an immediate title shot, or has he become too unreliable?

The post Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Deserve A Title Shot? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Wants Title Shot For UFC Return

Undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov sent a shockwave of disappointment throughout the MMA world when he was unceremoniously forced out his highly anticipated interim title fight against Tony Ferguson at March’s UFC 209 in Las Vegas because of complications from a failed weight cut. However, that doesn’t mean the Dagestani fan favorite is looking for any lesser of

The post Khabib Nurmagomedov Wants Title Shot For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov sent a shockwave of disappointment throughout the MMA world when he was unceremoniously forced out his highly anticipated interim title fight against Tony Ferguson at March’s UFC 209 in Las Vegas because of complications from a failed weight cut.

However, that doesn’t mean the Dagestani fan favorite is looking for any lesser of a match when he returns. News arrived from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto today that Khabib has visited a doctor and has a good bill of health heading into his normal hiatus for the holy month of Ramadan. When he does come back, he’s looking for a title shot to close the summer on a high note:

That could be somewhat of a tall task, as while he’s been an absolute bulldozer inside the cage, Nurmagomedov is also well-known for pulling out of more high-profile bouts than he participates in, with match-ups against Donald Cerrone and Ferguson all falling apart in recent years due to multiple injuries.

His desire for a title shot may be more difficult to obtain considering current UFC 155-pound champ Conor McGregor is on the sidelines awaiting a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. that appears to be an almost certain eventuality at this point. “The Eagle’s” saving grace could be the fact that there aren’t too many other legitimate opponents for the surging Ferguson, who said he would still fight his often-scheduled foe during this week’s ‘UFC Tonight’ even though every previous booking of the two had been called off.

The match still remains one of the most anticipated in the 155-pound division’s history, however, and none of know when McGregor will return to MMA, if he ever does. Should the UFC book the match yet again?

The post Khabib Nurmagomedov Wants Title Shot For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Khabib Set To Make Public Return At Moscow Open Workout

No. 1-ranked UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready to resume athletic activity following his disastrous attempted weight cut for UFC 209. ‘The Eagle’ was expected to challenge No. 2-ranked Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) for the interim 155-pound title, however, Nurmagomedov was taken to the hospital hours before weigh-ins after

The post Khabib Set To Make Public Return At Moscow Open Workout appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

No. 1-ranked UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready to resume athletic activity following his disastrous attempted weight cut for UFC 209.

‘The Eagle’ was expected to challenge No. 2-ranked Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) for the interim 155-pound title, however, Nurmagomedov was taken to the hospital hours before weigh-ins after experiencing severe liver pain and was deemed unfit to compete, thus resulting in the bout’s cancellation.

He’s since been out of the public eye other than issuing an apology to his fans, but today we’ve learned when he will make a public return.

According to a report from Tass.ru, the Dagestani will take part in an open workout held in Moscow as a member of the new Eagles MMA team founded by local oligarch Ziyavudin Magomedov:

“The coaching session with the Eagles team members will be held on 1 April in Moscow. It will be attended by Habib Nurmagomedov,” an unnamed source told Tass.ru. (via Bloody Elbow)

Nurmagomedov is set to be medically examined in Germany, per reports, before resuming his regular training regimen. If all is well after the examination, however, we may have to wait until after the Summer to see ‘The Eagle’ back inside the Octagon, as the holy month of Ramadan takes place from May 26th to June 24th.

He would most likely be unable to begin a training camp until after June 24th.

The post Khabib Set To Make Public Return At Moscow Open Workout appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Stephen Thompson’s Knee Surgery Was A Success

Stephen Thompson’s knee surgery was a success. The No. 1-ranked welterweight’s last Octagon appearance saw him take a majority decision loss to 170-pound champ Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC 209. ‘Wonderboy’ suffered a torn meniscus in the 25-minute outing, and underwent ‘super successful’ knee surgery in South Carolina to repair the tear. Thompson

The post Stephen Thompson’s Knee Surgery Was A Success appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Stephen Thompson’s knee surgery was a success.

The No. 1-ranked welterweight’s last Octagon appearance saw him take a majority decision loss to 170-pound champ Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC 209. ‘Wonderboy’ suffered a torn meniscus in the 25-minute outing, and underwent ‘super successful’ knee surgery in South Carolina to repair the tear.

Thompson took to Instagram to update fans on his status following the operation, but was still clearly feeling the affects of the anesthesia he was administered:

FOX Sports reports that Thompson won’t be out-of-action very long after the surgery, and can resume his regular training regimes after several weeks rest and recovery. Thompson was recently called out by Gunnar Nelson’s head-coach John Kavanagh who said a match-up against the former kickboxing star interests him for his pupil.

Who would you like to see ‘Wonderboy’ take on next in his attempt to get back into the welterweight title picture?

The post Stephen Thompson’s Knee Surgery Was A Success appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.