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Video: Daniel Cormier Makes Weight After Concerning Delay

You just knew there was going to be some sort of drama involving UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at today’s UFC 220 early weigh-ins. Almost a year after Cormier’s now-infamous “Towelgate” controversy at the weigh-ins for his UFC 210 rematch with Anthony Johnson, the former heavyweight once again had the mixed martial arts world […]

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You just knew there was going to be some sort of drama involving UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at today’s UFC 220 early weigh-ins.

Almost a year after Cormier’s now-infamous “Towelgate” controversy at the weigh-ins for his UFC 210 rematch with Anthony Johnson, the former heavyweight once again had the mixed martial arts world on pins and needles wondering if he would make the 205-pound championship limit for his latest defense against Volkan Oezdemir in the main event of tomorrow’s (Sat., Jan. 20, 2018) UFC 220 from Boston, Mass.

The uncertainty arose from the fact that Cormier was the final fighter to step on the scales and weigh in for the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, finally showing up at 10:40 a.m EST, 20 minutes before the 11:00 a.m. deadline. Cormier stepped on the scales 24 minutes after the last fighter before him, heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou, did.

Once he did arrive, however, he promptly weighed in at the allowable limit of 205 pounds in front of two commission officials to cheers from his camp, getting rid of any drama prior to his match-up against “No Time,” who also hit 205 without issue.

Although tense for a moment, the scene was ultimately a stark departure from the controversy of UFC 210, where Cormier initially weighed in at 206.2 pounds before returning mere moments later to somehow weigh 205, prompting many to point at his clever use of a towel to hold himself up.

The former Olympic wrestler began his MMA career as a heavyweight, even winning the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix over longtime veteran Josh Barnett, but even though there has been repeated talk about him moving up not only due to weight but also due to the fact he had lost to disgraced former light heavyweight Jon Jones twice (talk that has obviously been quelled after “Bones’” latest drug-related suspension), he stated this week he will remain fighting at 205.

With his immediate future clear and his weight now on point despite a longer wait than some would have hoped for, the stage is set for Cormier’s latest title defense.

Watch him weigh in after the tense wait courtesy of MMA Fighting:

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Jon Jones Takes Polygraph Test To Prove PED Innocence

Here’s a new one we haven’t seen before. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who had his title stripped and was provisionally suspended for testing positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol prior to his UFC 214 win over Daniel Cormier, reportedly took and passed a polygraph test last month according to UFC sources via MMA […]

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Here’s a new one we haven’t seen before.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who had his title stripped and was provisionally suspended for testing positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol prior to his UFC 214 win over Daniel Cormier, reportedly took and passed a polygraph test last month according to UFC sources via MMA Fighting.

Jones presumably took back the throne he technically never lost in the cage with an impressive third-round knockout of archrival Cormier at last July’s UFC 214. His drug-related troubles continued, however, when news arrived that he had tested positive for Turinabol on August 22, 2017, leading to the UFC stripping him of a title an unprecedented third time.

“Bones’” team claimed a tainted supplement similar to how they did with his failed drug test prior to July 2016’s UFC 200, where he tested positive for banned substances clomiphene and Letrozol before claiming it was “dick pills” that had caused the failed test. There, he was not allowed to fight and was stripped of his interim light heavyweight title before being suspended for a year by USADA.

He returned to compete at UFC 214 and won, but his win over Cormier was overturned to a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), and he has yet to receive a current punishment from USADA with a hearing scheduled for next month. Cormier was given the title back after originally winning it at 2015’s UFC 187 after Jones was stripped for the first time following a concerning arrest for a hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque.

Apparently, Jones is taking preemptive steps to clear his name, taking a polygraph test at PGP Polygraph & Interviewing Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on December 7. He passed said test, allegedly proving he had not knowingly taken Turinabol.

There’s little evidence of how the polygraph test could affect any potential punishment, as no fighter has used one to prove or even attempt to prove his innocence in the UFC’s nearly three-year anti-doping partnership with USADA.

Meanwhile, Cormier will defend the title against rising contender Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC 220 from Boston.

Could Jones find himself with yet another chance to fight in the octagon after stirring up arguably the most outside-the-cage trouble in UFC history?

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UFC Exec: Jon Jones May Not Have Intentionally Used Steroids

After going on three full years of drug and alcohol-related trouble limiting him to just two total fights, disgraced former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is currently facing what could be his biggest punishment. In need of a big star to root for, the majority of the MMA world welcomed Jones back with open arms […]

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In need of a big star to root for, the majority of the MMA world welcomed Jones back with open arms in his umpteenth comeback fight against Daniel Cormier in the main event of last July’s UFC 214, a fight “Bones” was returning from a yearlong suspension for testing positive for two banned substances prior to his previously scheduled rematch with Cormier at UFC 200 in July 2016.

Jones said all the right things, behaved himself for the most part, and then, most importantly, he beat his most accomplished and heated rival with a third-round head kick of epic proportions. UFC 214 was one of the UFC’s few scarce box office successes in terms of pay-per-view throughout 2017, but the MMA world was then somehow shocked and not surprised at all when Jones failed an in-competition test for anabolic steroid Turinabol.

Jones’ has since claimed the tainted supplement defense, a go-to response that has actually gotten a few fighters reduced suspensions under USADA’s tenure, but it’s also a kind of fool-me-once type of deal with many fans after Jones’ now-infamous ‘dick pills’ excuse for his UFC 200 failure – an incident for which he received the maximum punishment for a first-time offender under their program. Jones could face up to a four-year suspension, yet somehow, there seem to be some slight cracks opening for the embattled would-be UFC legend to make yet another comeback.

Any possibility of Jones coming back, according to UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky on a recent episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast (via MMA Mania), could rest on the fact that any top athlete who was knowingly tested probably would not intentionally use Turinabol as a means of getting a leg up on their opponent:

“I’ve said this awhile now, it would not make a lot of sense for an individual, a UFC athlete who knew, especially a champion or contender like Jon Jones, who knew ‘Hey, I’m tested quite regularly in the program,’ would not make a lot of sense that (Turinabol) would be your drug of choice if you were intentionally trying to cheat.

“USADA did another test on Jon after his positive test and he was negative. Who knows where it plays out, but certainly on the surface of things, I have said, with that type of information out there, it wouldn’t indicate intentional use.”

Indeed the timing and selection of performance-enhancing drug are both odd, especially considering that Jones was tested the day before the fight at the weigh-ins and would have known that was coming.

With more supplements turning up with banned substances in them based on the strict USADA guidelines, it could be possible that Jones somehow ingested Turinabol this way, yet it’s also tough to believe any excuse he makes after his list of transgressions has grown so long it’s hard to keep track of.

It should seem to be another ‘wait and see’ type of proposition for Jones and his fans; however, if any UFC competitor can buck the odds and come back for another high-profile fight, it would probably be Jones.

If the UFC welcomes him back or not would be another question, but with so few bankable stars on the roster, they just may.

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UFC Exec: Jon Jones May Not Have Intentionally Used Steroids

The post UFC Exec: Jon Jones May Not Have Intentionally Used Steroids appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

“I’ve said this awhile now, it would not make a lot of sense for an individual, a UFC athlete who knew, especially a champion or contender like Jon Jones, who knew ‘Hey, I’m tested quite regularly in the program,’ would not make a lot of sense that (Turinabol) would be your drug of choice if you were intentionally trying to cheat.

“USADA did another test on Jon after his positive test and he was negative. Who knows where it plays out, but certainly on the surface of things, I have said, with that type of information out there, it wouldn’t indicate intentional use.”

If the UFC welcomes him back or not would be another question, but with so few bankable stars on the roster, they just may.

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Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE

When UFC 1 took place on a cold November night back in 1993 from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, it ignited the beginning of the world’s foremost mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, fueled by the concept of the best fighting the best to call themselves champion. It may have been extremely rough around the edges in […]

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It may have been extremely rough around the edges in those ‘dark’ days where the sport having few rules and regulation had it on the precipice of doom, but the opposite is very much true today. After the Fertitta brothers along with Dana White purchased the UFC for a paltry sum and turned it into a legitimately regulated competition watched on pay-per-view the world over, the UFC exploded into a global brand that put shows on nearly every weekend.

When its popularity peaked in 2016 on the heels of the Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rivalry, the Fertitta brothers saw an opportunity to cash in, and cash in they did. Selling the UFC to Hollywood talent giant WME-IMG (now Endeavor) for a then-record $4.2 billion, one of the biggest franchise sales in sports (of any kind) history was complete. But all was not rosy. This year has seen the advent of some truly horrific pay-per-view and television ratings, with UFC 213, UFC 215, and UFC 216 ranking as three of the lowest-watched PPVs ever, while December’s TUF 26 Finale was the least-watched UFC live event of all-time.

So while it was undoubtedly rough around the edges in its infancy, the UFC is dealing with a whole different set of problems heading into 2018, and many would argue that the UFC owners don’t exactly know what they’re doing. A growing sense is that the Hollywood agency is now trying to book the more mainstream, over-the-top spectacle fights rather than those that clearly have a more legitimate meaning based on meritocracy.

It’s lead to a steady stream of criticism that the UFC is becoming more like pro-wrestling and their WWE counterpart, obviously not the most endearing of words from fight fans. The argument, unfortunately, cannot be totally denied. Let’s take a look at the reasons why:

5.) Titles Mean Next To Nothing:

Endeavor has to be commended for finally getting the middleweight division moving in the right direction by booking Robert Whittaker vs. Luke Rockhold for UFC 221, but there is one weight class that is an absolute mess in the UFC.

It’s obviously Conor McGregor’s held-hostage lightweight division, where “The Notorious” fought once and won the belt way back at UFC 205 in November 2016 before leaving to box – and lose – to Floyd Mayweather for the entirety of 2017. McGregor made the record-setting payday he was always looking for and can’t be blamed for doing it, but the fact remains the 155-pound landscape, which is still one of the most talented in MMA, has no clarity whatsoever at the current moment.

An interim belt was given to Tony Ferguson at October’s UFC 216, but without a path to a unification bout with McGregor, he opted to have elbow surgery, leaving not one but two champions on the sidelines with no real news about a return. Take into account the middleweight situation as well, where Michael Bisping was allowed to avoid the top 10 contenders by facing a retiring No. 14 Dan Henderson and an unretiring Georges St-Pierre, who had never even fought in the division. St-Pierre won and vacated the belt hardly a month later.

Interim titles are also created around much more frequently, making them seem more like the WWE titles that are handed over and won back on a never-ending cycle.

Because of these occurrences, UFC titles seem like little more than gold belts to be flaunted after a win rather than symbols of true MMA supremacy to be defended with pride.

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Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

5.) Titles Mean Next To Nothing:

Interim titles are also created around much more frequently, making them seem more like the WWE titles that are handed over and won back on a never-ending cycle.

Because of these occurrences, UFC titles seem like little more than gold belts to be flaunted after a win rather than symbols of true MMA supremacy to be defended with pride.

The post Five Ways The UFC Is Becoming More Like WWE appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.