Tag: UFC 210

DC: Conor McGregor Will Get Slept

After last night’s revelation that Dana White had worked out Conor McGregor’s side of the deal and the follow-up news that McGregor had applied for a boxing license in Nevada, the mixed martial arts (MMA) universe is awash in the distinct possibility that the the infamous “Notorious” could actually be boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr. If

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After last night’s revelation that Dana White had worked out Conor McGregor’s side of the deal and the follow-up news that McGregor had applied for a boxing license in Nevada, the mixed martial arts (MMA) universe is awash in the distinct possibility that the the infamous “Notorious” could actually be boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If it actually does – and it’s far from being anything closely resembling a done deal – the majority of those familiar with combat sports still believe that Mayweather, a boxer whom many consider one of if not the best to ever compete, is going to wipe the floor with the UFC’s biggest star, who has no professional boxing experience.

One high-profile subscriber of the theory is UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who pulled no “Bones” about McGregor’s chances against the legendary pugilist in addition to any of the other rumored UFC vs. boxing bouts during today’s episode of UFC Tonight:

“He can actually go and fight Mayweather. He will lose. But the rest of these guys, they will get no money, and they will get slept.

“Look, James Toney fought in the UFC, and we had no problem showing the footage over and over again of James Toney getting beat by Randy Couture. These boxing promoters will constantly video of the heavyweight champion of the world getting slept by Anthony Joshua, or Jimi Manuwa, c’mon Jimi! Getting slept by David Haye.

These dudes will get slept, it’s going to be embarrassing, so no, it is not good for the UFC. Conor, hat’s off to you, make your money, but don’t get slept! Which might happen to ’em”

Cormier is currently set for his oft-scheduled (and oft-canceled) grudge match with former champion Jon Jones at July 29’s UFC 214, and as we’ve seen in the past, that fight is anything but a certainty to happen despite its high-profile nature. The current champion seems to be the heel in the eye of the fans, and perhaps that’s because he tells the facts how they are in a blunt manner, as he has with his recent back-and-forth with the embattled all-time legend.

And while he may be a public persona for the UFC as a co-host of UFC Tonight, Cormier told it like it is here with the cold truth that most if not all professional MMA fighters would stand little chance in the boxing ring against the sport’s top athletes, just like the top boxers would have no chance in the cage.

McGregor most likely isn’t concerned with that, however, as the possibility of an absolutely unparalleled payday is much more than enough to get past the probability that he may lose. That’s the current mindset of MMA’s biggest star, and he could be headed for a bout that does anything but make the UFC look good in any way.

But with big-money bouts few and far between in 2017, the promotion is looking for the biggest payday it can get. Is this one worth it?

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Anthony Johnson Reveals Industry He Left MMA For – And It May Surprise You

After being submitted in the second round of his rematch with light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York last month, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson shockingly announced his retirement from active competition. At age 33, “Rumble” is still in the athletic prime of his career, but he cited a new opportunity outside

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After being submitted in the second round of his rematch with light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York last month, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson shockingly announced his retirement from active competition. At age 33, “Rumble” is still in the athletic prime of his career, but he cited a new opportunity outside of fighting as the reason for his retirement.

Little has been said regarding his future since, but Johnson recently revealed the industry he’s heading into and it may surprise you:

“My friend Paul, he’s in cannabis,” Johnson told former WWE star Booker T on his “Heated Conversations” show. “We’re opening up a facility, if you know what I mean,” “It’s for medical uses. … We got some good things going on. It’s already big. We’re just waiting for that law to pass and whenever it passes, we’re golden. We’re playing our cards right, we’re playing by the book, so that way there’s no issue.”

This may indeed be the new opportunity Johnson discussed in the immediate aftermath of his bout with Cormier, but he also says health concerns played a factor in deciding to hang up his gloves:

“My health, man,” Johnson said. “You hear about CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and all this other stuff. Head injuries. You’re harming your body playing football and stuff like that, but this stuff can happen just as fast in mixed martial arts as any other sport, because we’re constantly beating on each other. I love myself, you know what I’m saying? A lot of guys don’t think about that.”

“If those guys want to go in there and do that to themselves, go ahead, that’s your life, that’s your body, that’s your future,” he said. “But for me, I’m destined to do something greater.”

“I just couldn’t do it anymore. You gotta go in there and do your thing. You’ve gotta make your money and get out. That’s why Conor McGregor is killing it. He’s straight killing it.”

At the end of the day, Johnson is young enough to make a return to MMA, but he confirmed that he’s ‘not about that life’ anymore:

“That’s not me,” Johnson said. “When I say I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it. I’m finished, man. … I’m not about that life anymore.”

What do you make of “Rumble’s” comments?

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Jon Jones’ UFC Return Is Official Again

Jon Jones is officially back in the UFC. Again. Well, at least hopefully. It was announced at today’s UFC Summer Kickoff press conference from UFC 211, that longtime former light heavyweight champion “Bones” will meet his bitter rival, current champion Daniel Cormier, at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California. Cormier vs. Jones is one of

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Jon Jones is officially back in the UFC. Again. Well, at least hopefully.

It was announced at today’s UFC Summer Kickoff press conference from UFC 211, that longtime former light heavyweight champion “Bones” will meet his bitter rival, current champion Daniel Cormier, at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California.

Cormier vs. Jones is one of the most infamous rivalries in UFC history, but outside of Jones’ victory in their first fight at UFC 182, it’s fallen apart far more times due to a variety of circumstances than it’s actually transpired. Jones first pulled out of their initial meeting with an innocent enough knee injury, beat Cormier, and was thought to be moving on to an awaited title fight against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson until his notorious New Mexico hit-and-run briefly made him a fugitive and ultimately resulted in him being stripped of his long-held title.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports

Cormier filled in against “Rumble” at UFC 187 and submitted the hulking power puncher in the third round, defending his belt against Alexander Gustafsson in a five-round war at October 2015’s UFC 192 to earn the rematch with Jones at April 2016’s UFC 197. But this time, Cormier pulled out with a groin injury, leaving Jones to fight late replacement Ovince Saint Preux for an interim title.

He won in a somewhat plain unanimous decision, and his rematch with Cormier was re-booked for the main event of July 2016’s massively anticipated UFC 200. But then the fight was called off yet again, when only three days prior to the bout news arrived that Jones had failed a USADA drug test for two banned estrogen blocking substances and was off the card. Cormier fought Anderson Silva, using his wrestling to smother the all-time great, while Jones was suspended for one year after an arbitration hearing where he supposedly claimed the substance was due to a sexual performance enhancement pill.

Cormier was supposed to defend his belt against Johnson at last December’s UFC 210 but pulled out with another injury. The fight was scheduled for a third time and Cormier submitted “Rumble” by rear-naked choke again, sending the fearsome knockout specialist into retirement and once again opening up the path for him to finally settle the score with Jones.

White has repeatedly stated that Jones would not headline an event he returned at because of trust issues he had created over the past two years of scandals. It’s an expected response from the company whom Jones was once arguably the biggest star of, yet they most likely know they need any big name they can get – even one as uncertain as Jones – in the octagon for a high-profile fight before this year begins being labeled a total bust.

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Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones II Reportedly Confirmed For UFC 214

The long-awaited Daniel Cormier vs. Jones rematch is reportedly finally set once again, and this time it’s scheduled for late in the summer. According to a report from BJ PENN.com’s Chris Taylor, multiple sources have confirmed that Cormier will rematch Jones at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California. The rumored return of Cris Cyborg

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The long-awaited Daniel Cormier vs. Jones rematch is reportedly finally set once again, and this time it’s scheduled for late in the summer.

According to a report from BJ PENN.com’s Chris Taylor, multiple sources have confirmed that Cormier will rematch Jones at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California. The rumored return of Cris Cyborg is also still slated to take place on the card, with the dominant female star allegedly fighting for an interim or vacate featherweight belt with her opponent “still in the works”:

Cormier and Jones’ highly-publicized beef goes back nearly three full years to their now-historic presser brawl before their original scheduled rematch at 2014’s UFC 178 from Las Vegas. That fight would go on to fall apart due to a Jones injury, but the two would eventually settle their score – or so we thought – when Jones finally outlasted Cormier with a five-round unanimous decision win over Cormier in the main event of 2015’s UFC 182, the only loss of Cormier’s illustrious career.

Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports

“Bones” was set to move on to the next challenge of his own legendary MMA career when he matched up with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at May 2015’s UFC 187, but when Jones was forced out of the fight after a bizarre and shocking hit-and-run accident where he left a 25-year-old pregnant girl with a broken arm, the all-time great was stripped of his belt and Cormier was granted na opportunity few ever get after losing a title fight in their previous bout.

He capitalized majorly, submitted Johnson in the third round of their main event bout after getting rocked by a missile of a right hand in the first round, opening up the path for his title reign that has been filled with ups and downs. He defended the belt against Alexander Gustafsson in a classic battle at UFC 192, and was set to rematch Jones at April 2016’s UFC 197 before a leg injury forced him out. Jones ultimately fought and beat Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 in a one-sided replacement fight for the interim title.

The rematch was scheduled yet again for last July’s massive UFC 200, but once again Jones made a boneheaded mistake that put his fighting future in jeopardy when he failed pre-fight drug tests for banned estrogen blockers. Cormier fought and beat replacement Anderson Silva in an uninspired, safe decision before defending the belt for a second time with another rear-naked choke win over Johnson at April 8’s UFC 210, a bout after which ‘Rumble’ announced his retirement from the fight game.

UFC President Dana White has stated that Jones will not return to a main event because of the trust issues his track record of the past few years have understandably fostered, so it would seem like the company will have to get an absolutely huge match-up to feature over Cormier vs. Jones, one of the most anticipated  – and rescheduled – rematches in UFC history.

Cyborg fighting Megan Anderson may fit that bill, but it’s safe to say that most eyes will be on the potential return of ‘Bones’ and whether or not he can defeat the more by-the-book champion that most fans seem to hate for one reason or another.

Either way, UFC 214 is looking like it will be stacked.

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Best UFC Fight, Knockout, Submission From Month of April

While we sit back and wait for the spectacle that will be UFC 211, let us take a look back at what went down in the month of April inside the Octagon. Three events were completed, with several worthy contenders for “Fight, Knockout and Submission of the Month” being up for consideration. After going back […]

While we sit back and wait for the spectacle that will be UFC 211, let us take a look back at what went down in the month of April inside the Octagon. Three events were completed, with several worthy contenders for “Fight, Knockout and Submission of the Month” being up for consideration. After going back […]

Chris Weidman Says He’ll Win Both Middleweight & Light Heavyweight Titles

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman may be on a three-fight losing streak inside the octagon, but he isn’t letting it get in the way of some lofty goals still to accomplish in MMA. The 32-year-old Upstate New York native appeared on this week’s edition of The MMA Hour to discuss his future, which at one time looked

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Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman may be on a three-fight losing streak inside the octagon, but he isn’t letting it get in the way of some lofty goals still to accomplish in MMA.

The 32-year-old Upstate New York native appeared on this week’s edition of The MMA Hour to discuss his future, which at one time looked like it would see Weidman as one of the all-time greats but has now been cast into doubt following consecutive defeats to Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, and Gegard Mousasi.

That hasn’t wavered the brash middleweight’s confidence, however, as he made an extremely bold claim about where his career will end when asked if he had any doubts about himself:

“Definitely not. No. I’m a hundred percent on track to do everything I said I was going to do. So I’m going to win the belt at middleweight and then I’ll go up to 205 and win the belt there after I dominate middleweight for a little bit, so that will happen.”

Weidman was last seen losing an incredibly controversial second-round TKO to Mousasi at April 8’s UFC 210 from Buffalo, New York, a bout where Weidman was given five minutes to recover from what referee Dan Miragliotta deemed was an illegal knee. Instant replay, which is apparently legal for MMA in the still-acclimating state of New York, showed he actually had his hands off the mat at the time, making Mousasi’s knee legal and resulting in a TKO win for “The Dreamcatcher” when Weidman was deemed unfit to continue by cageside doctors.

So despite his championship aspirations, Weidman knows he has to start back at square one, and he hopes that Mousasi will grant him the rematch he first said he would but soon changed his tune about after UFC 210. Weidman views it as a proving ground for both fighters to prove they are the truly better man without a confusion or controversy interfering with the outcome:

“But one step at a time, first we have to fight whoever pretty soon, hopefully Mousasi, get that done. Hopefully he steps up, realizes he doesn’t want to win that way because it’s bullshit, he was getting beat up. He knows it, so hopefully we can run that one back and he can prove that he won the fight. If he could do that, he has the opportunity to do that, and I have the opportunity to prove my side, that I’m a better fighter than him. So hopefully we get to run that back.”

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