Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is willing to give the UFC’s anemic light heavyweight division a much-needed boost…but not for free. The former light heavyweight contender spoke with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on Monday to discuss life after retirement an…
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is willing to give the UFC’s anemic light heavyweight division a much-needed boost…but not for free. The former light heavyweight contender spoke with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on Monday to discuss life after retirement and named his terms for ending it.
“I’m kind of on the fence,” Johnson said of The MMA Hour podcast on the idea of a comeback (h/t MMA Fighting‘s Peter Carroll). “It would have to be worth it for me financially because I have so much going on already. If I did come back, it would just be to fight the legend Jon Jones.”
Rumble announced his sudden retirement from the sport immediately after his loss to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April. While the move made sense on some levels—it was Johnson’s second loss to the champion—it left a huge void in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. The successful return of Jon Jones at UFC 214 Saturday, however, could allow Johnson to return to a title shot in early 2018.
Jones vs. Johnson has been an intriguing fight for years now. The two were set to face off at UFC 187 in 2015, but Jones’ infamous hit-and-run incident saw him pulled from the card and replaced with Cormier. Still, the matchup remains an intriguing one and would be a fun way to start Jones’ second reign as champion.
That said, the novelty of holding a UFC title isn’t enough to lure Johnson back. “Just be real with me and give me what I’m worth,” he said later in the interview. “I know that we are going to pull in crazy numbers if we do this, so pay us what we’re worth.”
At this time, it seems like the UFC and Jones are both angling for a superfight with former UFC heavyweight champion (and current WWE Universal champion) Brock Lesnar. There are many hurdles standing in the way of that contest, however, and if it falls through? We may finally see Jones vs. Rumble.
Daniel Cormier has taken to social media to congratulate Jon Jones on his knockout victory at UFC 214 on Saturday and apologize to referee John McCarthy.
Cormier wrote on Instagram:
“First off, thank you all for the kind words. I have felt the support….
Daniel Cormier has taken to social media to congratulate Jon Jones on his knockout victory at UFC 214 on Saturday and apologize to referee John McCarthy.
“First off, thank you all for the kind words. I have felt the support. Congratulations to Jon Jones and his team. They did a phenomenal job and got the victory. Also, to Big John McCarthy, I would like to apologize for acting up with you. I am thankful for the time you gave me to try and defend myself and stay in the fight. You are the best in the business for a reason.
“I also wanna thank my team and my coaches. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. Your time and energy is greatly appreciated. You guys did a wonderful job, I was ready. It’s a fist fight and things happen. Dana White and the @ufc, thank you for being the premiere organization in all of MMA. Again, congrats to Team Jones and JacksonWink. Love you all. I’ll see you soon.”
Jones won via a head kick and punches in the third round, prompting McCarthy to stop the fight, which Cormier contested in the aftermath.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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Cyborg Justino has challenged WWE Superstar Becky Lynch to a match at Summerslam 2017.
Justino issued the challenge after winning the women’s featherweight title at UFC 214 in California.
The fighter took to social media to speak her mind:
&nbs…
Cyborg Justino has challenged WWE Superstar Becky Lynch to a match at Summerslam 2017.
Justino issued the challenge after winning the women’s featherweight title at UFC 214 in California.
The fighter took to social media to speak her mind:
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.
At long last, Cris “Cyborg” Justino is UFC champion.
Justino bolstered her longstanding reputation as the most violent woman in MMA on Saturday at UFC 214, dismantling Tonya Evinger en route to a third-round TKO to win the organization’s vacant feather…
At long last, Cris “Cyborg” Justino is UFC champion.
Justino bolstered her longstanding reputation as the most violent woman in MMA on Saturday at UFC 214, dismantling Tonya Evinger en route to a third-round TKO to win the organization’s vacant featherweight title.
The victory caps Justino’s two-year search for UFC gold after signing with the company in March 2015. That delay seems outrageously long considering she’s been near peerless throughout her 12-year, 20-fight career.
The UFC belt now becomes the crown jewel in a collection that also includes a Strikeforce championship and Invicta FC title. Justino has now captured every premiere featherweight championship available in women’s MMA—and she’s done it all without facing a serious challenge to her dominance.
“I am very happy and proud to own this belt, and it will be really hard to take it away from me,” Justino said after the fight. “For the Cyborg Nation fans who were expecting the third belt, here it is.”
If there was any drawback to her lopsided win over Evinger in Anaheim, California, it was that the fight contained precious few highlight moments. That’s because Evinger lived up to her own billing as Justino’s most formidable opponent in years, despite moving up from bantamweight and taking the fight as a late replacement.
Justino dropped Evinger to the canvas with a counter left hook seconds into the first round, but the exchange proved that, while Cyborg had a clear edge in strength, Evinger wasn’t going to be easy to put away.
The smaller fighter remained game throughout the two-plus rounds she spent in the cage with Justino. Cyborg routinely punished Evinger’s legs with low kicks, snapped her head back with punches and swatted her face with high kicks, but Evinger refused to yield.
Evinger had put her own Invicta FC bantamweight title on ice to step in here after Invicta featherweight champion Megan Anderson pulled out June 27, citing “personal reasons.” She came in riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak and fulfilled her reputation as a wily and tough veteran.
Despite giving up significant size and power, Evinger succeeded in forcing Justino into the longest fight of her UFC career and the longest overall since 2013. Justino had no trouble finding a home for her venomous strikes, but every time she tried to finish Evinger with a flurry against the fence, the challenger would suck her into a clinch and slow her progress.
Without the stature necessary to consistently take Cyborg to the ground, however, it was a strategy that couldn’t go on forever.
The end came early in the third round after Justino struck Envinger against the fence with a superman punch. This time as Evinger tried to clinch, Justino opened up with a series of knees to the head. Those shots sent Evinger crumpling to the canvas and prompted referee Mike Beltran to halt the action.
The stoppage itself was anticlimactic, but at least the unanimous pick for the best women’s featherweight in the world finally had her title.
“I was very calm this time, calculating the right time to throw the right punches and kicks,” Justino said. “I respect Tonya a lot. She is a hard fighter, and I hope she has a chance [at bantamweight].”
The road to the title wasn’t always linear, nor was it easy for Justino. The UFC had no 145-pound female division when she inked her initial deal with the company, and so her first two fights in the Octagon were contested at 140-pound catchweights.
Along the way, she publicly beefed with UFC superstar Ronda Rousey and at times with company president Dana White. The relationship between Cyborg and the UFC softened a bit in the weeks leading up to UFC 214, and one of the most interesting storylines of her budding title tenure will be how long that honeymoon period lasts.
Her UFC deal is set to lapse in October, raising questions about what the fight company can or should do with her next:
She has already established herself as a ruthless finisher and a decent drawing card but now helms a division that has been nothing but trouble since the UFC announced it in December 2016.
The company couldn’t come to terms with Justino in time to include her in the inaugural featherweight title fight at UFC 208. It ended up wrapping the title around the waist of Germaine de Randamie after she defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision.
Soon after that matchup was announced, news also broke that Justino faced a possible suspension after popping positive for a banned diuretic during an out-of-competition test. Two months later, Justino was retroactively granted a therapeutic-use exemption, and her suspension was waived.
Still, that mess postponed Justino’s official featherweight debut, and in the meantime de Randamie’s title reign went up in flames. After she refused to fight Justino, the UFC stripped her in June and finally set Cyborg up for her long-awaited title shot this weekend.
With the gold now in hand, Justino could well face an upcoming fight against Holm. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native got back in the win column after three consecutive losses with a head-kick KO of Bethe Correia in June. With a dearth of featherweight contenders, she might well make the most lucrative and sensible opponent for Justino’s first title defense.
The UFC could also still make the Anderson fight if the 27-year-old Australian is available to return to active duty. For now, though, the organization finally has the featherweight champion it set out to crown when it created this division.
And Justino finally owns the top prize in a sport she has dominated for years.
The steadiness of the UFC fight schedule tends to make everything feel routine. Knockouts become indistinguishable, names become interchangeable, and even the extraordinary struggles to stand out.
There are exceptions to that, of course, and one …
The steadiness of the UFC fight schedule tends to make everything feel routine. Knockouts become indistinguishable, names become interchangeable, and even the extraordinary struggles to stand out.
There are exceptions to that, of course, and one of them walked into a UFC arena last night for the first time in over a year. Jon Jones, the 30-year-old former wunderkind, was back from a suspension, the latest in a series of problems that have plagued his remarkable professional career.
When Jones competes, a buzz carries through the mixed martial arts world. For all of the criticism of his personal problems, it’s impossible to ignore his brilliance at his chosen profession. And in case anyone forgot, he reminded them Saturday night, defeating Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 214 to regain the undisputed UFC light heavyweight championship that was stripped from him over two years ago. He did it with style points, too, becoming the first man ever to finish Cormier, with a third-round knockout via head kick and punches.
“I made it back,” he told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “Such a beautiful moment. I did a lot of right things to get back in this position. I tell you what, for anyone at home who let yourself down, let your family down, let your peers down, your coworkers down—it’s never over. As long as you never quit, it’s never over. I’m back here.”
And just like that, the world opens up to him again. Just like that, he’s back in the driver’s seat. After politely praising Cormier’s professionalism and class, Jones quickly turned the page to his next professional challenge.
“Brock Lesnar,” he said, letting the crowd rise to the moment, “if you want to know what it’s like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the Octagon.”
Jones dropped the mic and walked off, and really, what else did he need to say?
His performance was enough of a statement, a finish that reminded us he is the greatest talent the young sport has ever seen. Fighting for the first time in 463 days, Jones was incredibly sharp, outlanding Cormier 95-60 according to FightMetric. And at this point, he has nothing left to prove at light heavyweight. He’s never legitimately lost a fight at the weight, his only blemish a disqualification for illegal elbows in a fight he was dominating. He’s defeated the biggest names in the top 10, leaving a move up to heavyweight as the most compelling move he can make.
“I’m up for it,” he said on the FS1 post-fight show. “I think it’s about time for me to be involved in a superfight. I think it’s what the fans want to see, me challenge myself against a heavyweight. Why not do it against one of the biggest and most scary heavyweights? He brings a huge following, so why not?”
The prospective matchup brings with it a potential roadblock, in that Lesnar still has more than six months to serve on a suspension stemming from a positive drug test in 2016.
If it happened, it would be one of the biggest non-Conor McGregor matches the UFC could produce, a guaranteed home run of an event that could also continue to raise Jones’ profile.
His legacy, though, is nearly sealed as he continues this legendary streak.
The pressure was ratcheted up for this in a way that he wouldn’t feel even against Lesnar. Because in this fight, he had to regain everything he once held so dear.
On the night Jones won his first UFC championship, his future appeared limitless. At 23, he featured a thrilling yet growing arsenal, he possessed a poise in the cage that seemed unbreakable, and he was the youngest titleholder in UFC history.
There were boundaries that tempted him though, restrictions that are often ignored or flouted by the risk-takers among us. The same audacity that made him great in the cage sunk him outside of it.
His career self-torpedoed. He could only sit on the sidelines and watch the ascent of his rival Cormier, a two-time Olympic wrestler who captured the belt in his absence.
By the time they got to the cage Saturday night, Jones and Cormier had you believing what you were watching was a battle of frauds, which is exactly what each fighter used to hurt the other the most.
For Jones, affixing the label to Cormier was the biggest professional slight he could offer. After all, the way he saw it, Cormier didn’t earn the UFC light heavyweight championship belt he carried around so proudly. At least not against Jones. When the youngest-ever champ in UFC history was active, Cormier could not defeat him. He could only capture the mantle of No. 1 when Jones was on the bench for his own string of transgressions.
For Cormier, the slight against Jones was personal. From the beginning, Jones had talked about his religion and family and positivity, only to see the squeaky clean persona he’d been building quickly tarnish in a series of legal and moral blunders.
In reality, they are two of the greatest light heavyweights ever to do it. What we learned Saturday—or perhaps what was reaffirmed—is that Jones is just a level above Cormier. Jones is the GOAT.
What we didn’t learn is just how high he can go. Can Jones move up to heavyweight and dominate the same way? A win over Lesnar—or heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic—would be quite the feather in his cap.
At this point, could anyone confidently say that’s impossible? The answer is no. Anyone who has been watching with an objective eye must acknowledge that when it comes to Jones, the limits of his talent might not yet have been seen. They can simply celebrate that the greatest is back, and that he’s brought his ambitions with him.
The bitter rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier came to an epic conclusion to close out the show at UFC 214 on Saturday in Anaheim, California. With one hellacious left high kick, Bones reclaimed the division he once ruled over so forcefully.&n…
The bitter rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier came to an epic conclusion to close out the show at UFC 214 on Saturday in Anaheim, California. With one hellacious left high kick, Bones reclaimed the division he once ruled over so forcefully.
The new champion dethroned Cormier with a third-round TKO, but it wasn’t the easiest of his long list of victories.
Cormier had his moments. The former Olympian looked much more prepared for the second fight against Jones. In the first two rounds, he gave Jones problems with his aggressive pressure on the inside, even knocking out Jones’ mouthpiece with uppercuts in the early going, as UFC Canada showed:
A much more confident, relaxed DC had it looking like this fight was headed toward another five-round brawl. Josh Gross of The Guardian had the score in favor of Cormier in both of the first two rounds:
However, Jones showed he can change the complexion of a fight in just one strike. Though one-strike power is rare from him, the left high kick he landed as Cormier ducked his head was showcased in the UFC’s congratulatory tweet:
The kick stymied Cormier and sent him across the cage searching for consciousness. Jones, who was ready to take his division back, met him instead.
After the fight, Jones was complimentary of his longtime rival, potentially closing the door on this series for good while calling out another potential opponent in Brock Lesnar:
Overall, it was an excellent ending to a great night of fights. The stacked card lived up to the potential in many ways, including the coronation of Cris Cyborg and a great welterweight collision between Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone.
Here’s a look at all the results, along with a closer look at each of the main card bouts.
UFC 214 Quick Results
Main Card on pay-per-view
Jon Jones def. Daniel Cormier, TKO (Round 3, 3:01)
Brian Ortega def. Renato Moicano, submission (Round 3, 2:59)
Calvin Kattar def. Andre Fili, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Alexandra Albu def. Kailin Curran, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jarred Brooks def. Eric Shelton, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Drew Dober def. Josh Burkman, knockout (Round 1, 3:04)
Tyron Woodley vs. Demian Maia
If Tyron Woodley was hoping this would be the title defense that would turn him into a fan favorite, he has to be disappointed. The champion successfully defended his title in an oddly lopsided decision, though.
Maia’s attempt to take the title looked a lot like his bizarre performance against Anderson Silva seven years ago. The dangerous jiu-jitsu practitioner looked for takedown after takedown, but forcing the matter was Plan A, B, C and D for the 39-year-old.
The problem was the Brazilian didn’t land a single one.
Essentially, the fight looked a lot like this highlight posted by the UFC—for five rounds:
Woodley did land an overhand right that floored the challenger in the second round, but that excitement was short-lived.
Overall, Woodley was put in a bad position. Maia is such a dangerous opponent on the ground that Woodley had to go to great lengths not to let the fight go there, yet Maia refused to engage in the striking department.
It wasn’t his most impressive performance, but Woodley did what he had to do in winning the bout on points. After the fight, the champion was ready to move on to a date with Georges St-Pierre later this year, per Mike Dyce of Sports Illustrated:
Cris Cyborg vs. Tonya Evinger
The Cyborg era has officially started in the UFC. The longtime Strikeforce and Invicta star became a UFC champion with her third-round TKO of Tonya Evinger.
The fight played out just about like any other Cyborg fight, with the exception of the timetable. Where most mortals get put away by Cyborg’s overwhelming speed and power in the first round, Evinger was able to move, clinch and tough her way through two frames before meeting her demise.
The UFC provided a good example of the average Cyborg offensive in this fight:
Evinger gets credit for extending this matchup with her toughness and movement. It does nothing to damage the stock of Cyborg, though, as she’s been the most dominant force in women’s MMA for years.
This result just opens the door to many more intriguing matchups for the new champion in the relatively new division. Damon Martin of UFC.com said what had to be on a lot of fans’ minds:
Whether it’s Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie or Ronda Rousey, Cyborg established that she’s the kind of fighter fans will want to tune in to see because there’s going to be action.
This was just the beginning of what’s sure to be an interesting championship campaign.
Donald Cerrone vs. Robbie Lawler
This fight promised violence, and it delivered. Lawler and Cerrone might not be as sharp as they once were, but they’re still two of their division’s best action fighters, and they didn’t disappoint here.
Lawler appeared ready to put the fight away early. He swarmed Cerrone in Round 1 and looked like he was going to be able to hand Cowboy a quick loss. The UFC provided the highlight:
Taking damage early and coming back to win isn’t a foreign concept to Cerrone. He’s been there before, and he proved he can still go there when necessary. By the end of the first frame he was firing back at Lawler:
The second round was clearly a five-minute stretch in Cerrone’s favor. The Cowboy put together impressive kickboxing combinations, while Lawler’s output was significantly slowed.
That set up a third round before which each fighter clearly had one frame. Both worked hard to take the fight, but Lawler landed the cleaner, more powerful shots, while Cerrone went for volume. The effective striking was why Patrick Wyman of The Washington Post scored the round for Ruthless:
This was a fun bout that proved both fighters are still capable of putting on entertaining shows for the fans. Lawler might not be ready to jump back in the title picture, but he can still put together awesome scraps.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Jimi Manuwa was put on this card as insurance if anything were to happen with Jones or Cormier. That’s as close as anyone can be to a title shot without actually having one.
It’s safe to say UFC 214 significantly hurt his stock. Volkan Oezdemir quickly put an end to any thoughts of Manuwa’s being the next contender in the light heavyweight division. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, it’s becoming a bit of a trend:
The fight only lasted 42 seconds, so there isn’t much to analyze other than the fact that the beating started with Oezdemir backed up by Manuwa against the fence. The fact that the Swiss fighter can turn that position into a knockout win speaks volumes about the 27-year-old’s potential.
No Time came into this bout ranked fifth in the division. He’s only three fights into his UFC career, but a win like this could put him on the fast track to the title. He even called out the winner of the Jones-Cormier main event, per MMA Fighting:
That’s probably wishful thinking at this point. He needs at least one more fight to both build more name recognition and gain some fight experience before getting the opportunity to win a belt.
But he should be the favorite for the first time in his UFC career next time he puts the gloves on.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is willing to give the UFC’s anemic light heavyweight division a much-needed boost…but not for free. The former light heavyweight contender spoke with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on Monday to discuss life after retirement and named his terms for ending it.