Cormier: Conor McGregor Could ‘Go Off The Deep End’ At Any Time

Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor committed what was by far the most ‘Notorious’ act of his MMA career when he stormed into the Barclays Center on April 5 and threw a metal dolly through a bus containing current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The fallout of the all-out chaos saw McGregor booked […]

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Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor committed what was by far the most ‘Notorious’ act of his MMA career when he stormed into the Barclays Center on April 5 and threw a metal dolly through a bus containing current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The fallout of the all-out chaos saw McGregor booked and jailed on a felony charge and multiple misdemeanors, and also left two fighters riding that bus unable to compete at April 7’s UFC 223 from Brooklyn.

It’s left the future of the UFC’s biggest star in extreme uncertainty – if not outright jeopardy – and it’s also left him drawing comparisons to troubled all-time UFC great Jon Jones, who has seen his otherwise historic career go careening down a path of disappointing drug-related issues.

The man perhaps most connected to the sad saga of ‘Bones,’ his longtime rival and current UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, recently weighed in on the parallels between McGregor and Jones during a recent media appearance (via Yahoo!) to promote tomorrow’s debut of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 27, which he’ll coach alongside heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

To Cormier, his unpredictable nature won’t prevent fans from accepting him because he’s seen the same scene unfold with Jones:

“His behavior has been a tad bit erratic, and the one thing people don’t like is erratic behavior where they really don’t know what you’re doing next,” Cormier said. “But as we saw with Jones, it did not lead to people completely turning their backs on him. I think because of his ability to fight, and he’s such a special talent, people will accept him when he comes back.”

Cormier stopped short of declaring that the public would accept McGregor back fully, however, because he thinks people will still be somewhat tentative considering that he’s now showed he could do anything at any time:

“But they’ll be a little more leery of him because of that erratic behavior, he could go off the deep end at any time, as we saw in Brooklyn.”

It’s a good point from Cormier, who will face Miocic for the heavyweight title in the main event of July 7’s UFC 226 in an attempt to become one of the more decorated champions in UFC history.

The fight just as easily could have gone to Jones if he had not been suspended for using the anabolic steroid Turinabol prior to his UFC 214 knockout win over his longtime rival, but he did, and now it’s “DC” who stands on the edge of making history. It’s far from Jones’ only outside-the-cage transgression while scheduled to fight Cormier, so he’s all too familiar with how going off the edge in public can derail an otherwise supremely talented fighter.

McGregor’s the biggest star in UFC history on the other hand, and he’s yet to receive any kind of punishment from the UFC and accounting for how much they need him to return, he may not.

But the legal system he’s now caught up in is another matter altogether, and even though he may get off easy the first time, another such outburst may not produce the same result.

Will McGregor eventually go off the deep end as Cormier suggests he could?

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Kickboxing Legend Gokhan Saki Booked For UFC 226

Gokhan Saki dazzled MMA fans with a stunning first-round knockout against Henrique da Silva in his UFC debut back in September. Saki’s incredible kickboxing background demonstrates a level of striking not commonly seen in the UFC, and thankfully his next opponent will oblige him in a stand-up scrap. Saki has been rebooked to fight Khalil […]

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Gokhan Saki dazzled MMA fans with a stunning first-round knockout against Henrique da Silva in his UFC debut back in September.

Saki’s incredible kickboxing background demonstrates a level of striking not commonly seen in the UFC, and thankfully his next opponent will oblige him in a stand-up scrap.

Saki has been rebooked to fight Khalil Rountree at UFC 226 after an injury forced Saki out of their original match-up at December 30’s UFC 219:

Saki obliterated da Silva in his promotional debut, but before that, he hadn’t fought in MMA since a 2004 loss. That makes it 13 years in between MMA bouts, yet Saki kept busy in kickboxing, winning the Glory light heavyweight title and tournament, as well as a runner-up in several K-1 tournaments.

Meanwhile, Rountree shook off a rough 0-2 start to his UFC career by scoring two brutal knockouts in a row. Rountree competed at UFC 219 and lost to Micha? Oleksiejczuk in Saki’s absence, however that loss was overturned to a no contest after Oleksiejczuk tested positive for a banned substance.

Rountree’s stand-up, striking-based style is exactly what Saki is looking for in an opponent, but will Saki’s kickboxing experience prove to be too much for Rountree?

UFC 226 takes place on July 7th in Las Vegas.

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Dana White Says Tyron Woodley Brought Him ‘Doctor’s Note’

The MMA world got some exciting news – in many different forms – this week, and part of that was the interim welterweight title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at May’s UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Apparently still recovering from shoulder surgery, current 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley questioned the need […]

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The MMA world got some exciting news – in many different forms – this week, and part of that was the interim welterweight title fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at May’s UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Apparently still recovering from shoulder surgery, current 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley questioned the need for another interim belt, but it was reportedly due to him turning down an opportunity.

Although he did fight in four title fights in just under a year from July 2016 – July 2017, Woodley has been out since undergoing a procedure for a torn labrum suffered in his incredibly boring decision win over Demian Maia at last July’s UFC 214.

And according to UFC President Dana White, “The Chosen One” likely won’t make his return to the Octagon until August 2018 at the earliest:

“Tyron Woodley, we were trying to get him to fight,” White told UFC Tonight. “He came back with a doctor’s note that says he is injured and cannot fight until August.”

Prior to his victory over Maia, Woodley had successfully defended his title twice against Stephen Thompson, fighting “Wonderboy” to a majority draw at UFC 205 and winning a decision in their rematch at UFC 209.

Upon his return, it’s likely that Woodley would take on the winner of the bout between dos Anjos and Covington, but the welterweight division is moving forward as a whole as well.

For example, Kamaru Usman will face off against Sanitago Ponizinibbio in the main event of UFC Fight Night 129 on May 29, 2018 in Chile.

Then, Thompson and rising contender Darren Till will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 130 on May 27, 2018 in Liverpool.

Which fight are you most looking forward to and who would you like to see Woodley square off with upon his return?

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Daniel Cormier Still “Doesn’t Know” What Jon Jones Was Doing

Ranked as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is headed for one of the biggest contests of his decorated fighting career when he meets heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of July’s UFC 226 from Las Vegas, Nevada. If he is able to defeat the […]

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Ranked as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is headed for one of the biggest contests of his decorated fighting career when he meets heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of July’s UFC 226 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

If he is able to defeat the surging Ohio-born firefighter, Cormier will join Georges St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Randy Couture, and Conor McGregor on the short list of UFC combatants who have won gold in two weight classes, a feat that would absolutely put Cormier amongst the greatest MMA fighters in the sport’s history.

Yet it’s his two losses to the man that many still feel is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time in troubled former champion Jon Jones that he just can’t shake. Regardless of his accomplishments inside the octagon, most will remember ‘Bones’ knocking out Cormier at UFC 214 and outlasting him by decision at UFC 182 – both fights after which he was quickly embroiled in serious drug-related trouble – before they bring up ‘DC’s’ dominant second-round stoppage of formerly surging contender Volkan Oezdemir at January’s UFC 220.

It’s even lead to some so-called ‘fans’ labeling Cormier a ‘paper champion,’ something that’s a beyond laughable proposition considering he is also among the best competitors in UFC history. Jones’ continued and concerning inability to compete consistently is on him, and there’s little doubt that if he were able to stay clean and sober rather than failing multiple drug tests for a litany of both recreational and performance-enhancing drugs, he’d be the one fighting Miocic in the massive super fight this summer.

He’s not, and Cormier has the fight because of Jones’ ineptitude outside the cage, regardless of the fingers he’s pointing elsewhere. But because of that dynamic in play, Cormier will have to answer endless questions about Jones leading up to UFC 226, and those could be questions he doesn’t exactly have the answer for.

Speaking up on his hated rival with whom he’s forever linked in time in a recent interview with Bloody Elbow’s Stephie Haynes, Cormier said he still doesn’t know what Jones was thinking by allegedly taking steroids before their UFC 214 showdown last year because he doesn’t believe the transcendent talent needs them:

“I don’t know. I don’t know what he was doing. The only thing I can base an opinion on is from what came out publicly. I don’t think for a second that Jon Jones needed any type of enhancements to compete. I think he’s ultra-talented, he’s a fantastic fighter, he’s very smart in there, and I think he can do whatever he wants, but he chose to do it the wrong way.

“I can’t change that. All I can really worry about is what I can take care of.”

Regardless of the vagueness surrounding Jones’ questionable test failure the day of the UFC 214 weigh-ins after he had passed every previous test leading up to the event, Cormier understandably would like to avenge his only two MMA defeats.

So even though he’s competing for the heavyweight title this summer, he admits he’d still love to run it back with “Bones” and finally defeat his only comparable opponent at light heavyweight:

“If a chance to compete against him arises, then I’ll take it and hopefully, finally vindicate those losses. That’s the only guy that’s ever beat me, and if I can get those back, I’ll be in business.”

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Tyron Woodley Reacts To Interim Title Bout Rumors

Some surprising news surfaced in mixed martial arts (MMA) yesterday (Thurs., March 22, 2018) when a report arrived the UFC was targeting an interim welterweight title bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at May’s UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro. Upon second glance, it may not be all that surprising considering the UFC’s […]

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Some surprising news surfaced in mixed martial arts (MMA) yesterday (Thurs., March 22, 2018) when a report arrived the UFC was targeting an interim welterweight title bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at May’s UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro.

Upon second glance, it may not be all that surprising considering the UFC’s extreme focus on interim title fights over the past year-and-a-half or so, but the timing was a bit odd because divisional champ Tyron Woodley, although on the sidelines since last July with a shoulder injury, was planning to return this summer.

So the outspoken 170-pound champ not surprisingly spoke up on the situation on this week’s episode of UFC Tonight (via MMA Weekly), detailing his recovery and projecting a July return:

“I feel really good. I had surgery in December. I had two series of PRP, as well as stem cell injections to my shoulder. I have one more series in April. After that, I’ll be in training camp.

“I fought four world title fights in 12 months, if anybody deserves to heal and be back at 100 percent (it’s me). I will be back when it’s time for Tyron Woodley to be back.

“My projection is July. The doctors are telling me that. I’m feeling good about it. I’m healing up very well. I’m back to training again. After I do that third series of PRP and stem cells, I’m gonna be 100 percent. Somebody is getting hurt.”

With Woodley predicting he’d be back in three months, he predictably scoffed at the prospect of an interim title being made after he had fought so often the year prior:

Woodley is on the mend, but his next fight is unknown in terms of date and opponent. He urged everyone to be a little patient with him, insisting that the top-ranked combatants in the deeply talented welterweight division would all get sent packing one by one.

He believes it’s an exciting time for the weight class, with surging names like dos Anjos and Convington joining rising contenders like Darren Till and Kamaru Usman stirring things up on social media, even if Woodley believes they ultimately don’t really want to face his jaw-dropping power:

“Everybody is gonna get it. It doesn’t matter. It’s just a matter of when. At the end of the day, every welterweight that wants to be at the top is gonna have to see me at some point,” Woodley said when asked about who is next for him.

“I could fight (Rafael Dos Anjos), I could fight Colby (Covington), I could fight (Kamaru) Usman, I could fight Darren Till. It’s a good time for the sport because I’ve got the red dot on me, but to be honest, I don’t think any of these guys want to see me. I’ve already beat the toughest guys in the division. I’m the champion for a reason. I got here the old school way,” he continued.

“They are doing what they are supposed to. They’re supposed to want to fight me. They’re supposed to want to be the UFC champion, but it’s not gonna happen.”

‘The Chosen One’ is correct in his suggestion that the welterweight division is buzzing with top contenders and talent at the present moment, but the issue is all of them are just talking about fighting each other instead of actually sorting out the mess at the top.

With dos Anjos rumored to face Covington in Brazil and Till supposedly headlining UFC Liverpool against former title challenger Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, the division should get some much-needed direction in the somewhat near future.

If and when it does, the returning ruler will hopefully have his next rival.

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Rumor: Interim Welterweight Title Bout Targeted For UFC 224

With welterweight champion Tyron Woodley on the sidelines, the 170-pound division could move on with an interim title match very soon. And it may contain two very high-profile contenders. A report surfaced earlier today from BJ Penn’s Chris Taylor detailing that multiple sources have confirmed to him a Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington interim […]

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With welterweight champion Tyron Woodley on the sidelines, the 170-pound division could move on with an interim title match very soon.

And it may contain two very high-profile contenders.

A report surfaced earlier today from BJ Penn’s Chris Taylor detailing that multiple sources have confirmed to him a Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington interim title fight is in the works for May 12’s UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Although not finalized, it is reportedly expected to be soon:

Dos Anjos has appeared reinvented at welterweight after ditching the draining weight cut at his former home of 155 pounds, a division where he became the UFC champion but ultimately decided to move up following two consecutive losses to Eddie Alvarez and Tony Ferguson.

He’s been on a tear ever since, most recently taking out former 170-pound champion Robbie Lawler after wins against Neil Magny and Tarec Saffiedine.

Covington, on the other hand, has become MMA’s public enemy number one after calling out a large portion of the UFC roster whether they fight at 170 or not.

The brash, Brazil-blasting contender has won five straight fights in a row with his most recent a unanimous decision over Brazilian fan favorite Demian Maia last October, a fight after which he called the Sao Paulo crowd “filthy animals” and had to be escorted out of the stadium by security.

Another trip to the hostile territory is apparently in the works for Covington, and you can’t deny his gall for going back to Brazil.

UFC 224 is currently headlined by a women’s bantamweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington.

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