Breaking – Joe Lauzon Out Of UFC Austin Fight With Donald Cerrone After Suffering Health Issues

Donald Cerrone, Joe LauzonJoe Lauzon is out of his scheduled matchup with Donald Cerrone this Saturday at UFC Austin. The two were initially paired up for UFC 274 last month but the contest was called off after Donald Cerrone suffered food poisoning from eating tacos. It marked the first time Cerrone had to withdraw from a fight and […]

Donald Cerrone, Joe Lauzon

Joe Lauzon is out of his scheduled matchup with Donald Cerrone this Saturday at UFC Austin.

The two were initially paired up for UFC 274 last month but the contest was called off after Donald Cerrone suffered food poisoning from eating tacos. It marked the first time Cerrone had to withdraw from a fight and the pair were moved to another date for their matchup.

Joe Lauzon vs. Donald Cerrone called off for UFC Austin

This time around, Joe Lauzon has pulled out of the bout, again on fight day like Cerrone, due to health issues. Ariel Helwani broke the news of the fight being called off first on Twitter.

“Cerrone-Lauzon is off. Again.”

“Pretty wild. Last month, canceled on fight day because Cerrone got sick. Today, canceled on fight day because of a health issue with Lauzon. He weighed in yesterday but didn’t show up to the ceremonials because he wasn’t feeling well.”

The grizzled veterans Lauzon and Cerrone have been a longstanding fixture of the UFC. Lauzon has remained out of competition for about three years since his last outing against Jonathan Pearce in October 2019, a bout he won via TKO.

Meanwhile, Cerrone has been the more active fighter competing four more times after Lauzon’s latest outing. While Cerrone has contested in more bouts, he has dropped five out of his last six with one no contest. His last win came in 2019, the same year Lauzon last made the walk to the cage.

UFC President Dana White had indicated that the loser would leave town, making it a retirement fight for at least one of the two. However, there has been speculation that it may serve as the final bout for both men regardless of the victor.

It remains to be seen how the UFC decides to proceed ahead, whether they rebook it to a later date or cancel the idea altogether.

Maria Oliveira Got Her Chance To Fight At UFC Austin After Crashing Brazilian Superstar Anitta’s Party

Anitta, Maria OliveiraMaria Oliveira talked about crashing Anitta’s party in Las Vegas. Brazilian superstar Anitta was celebrating her 29th birthday at a private party in Las Vegas this past April. The singer didn’t reveal the location and had a guest list of 220 people that she handpicked herself. Upon hearing of the news, Oliveira was determined to […]

Anitta, Maria Oliveira

Maria Oliveira talked about crashing Anitta’s party in Las Vegas.

Brazilian superstar Anitta was celebrating her 29th birthday at a private party in Las Vegas this past April. The singer didn’t reveal the location and had a guest list of 220 people that she handpicked herself. Upon hearing of the news, Oliveira was determined to join the celebrations.

Maria Oliveira crashes Anitta’s party

Oliveira and a friend managed to discover the host nightclub but only she was able to sneak her way in. Anitta soon realized that Oliveira was not on her list but decided to let her stay because of getting a good vibe from her. They both partied all night long with Anitta posting several videos on Instagram the morning after trying to identify her.

A few moments after Anitta found and posted Oliveira’s Instagram handle, Oliveira had gained more than 100,000 followers.

“It’s all new to me,” Maria Oliveira said in an appearance on MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca. “I have to separate the life of the athlete and the digital influencer. It’s funny for me to even say that [laughs]. I’ve always wanted that, and now I can’t do both. I don’t post as much as people want me to.”

UFC took note of their strawweight’s surge in popularity and finally booked her for a fight after about six months of waiting. She will be taking on Gloria de Paula at UFC Austin this Saturday Night at the Moody Center.

“I had a fight booked and gained some followers, and all that attention is good not only for me, but for the UFC as well,” said Oliveira. “I still keep in touch with her, she came to Vegas and invited me to her show. I went to her hotel and saw her get dressed, and then went to her show and back to the hotel with her.

“The UFC invited [Anitta] to my fight but she’s very busy,” Oliveira said. “She’s also starting a tour now. It would be a dream [to walk out to the octagon with her], but let’s try again next time [laughs].”

Oliveira believes she’s grown since her debut loss

In her first outing inside the cage back in August 2018, Maria Oliveira competed against Marina Rodriguez at Dana White‘s Contender Series. She lost the bout via TKO and confessed she only took the fight to get a chance to travel to Las Vegas.

“When you leave the favela and get a passport and travels, it’s all new for you,” Oliveira said. “I lived in Niterói and my family lived in Sao João de Meriti, and I went to see my family every weekend and drank, but I don’t do that anymore. It’s completely different now.

“[The UFC PI] is the Disneyland for athletes. I’ve lost many nights of sleep in the past. If I has this mindset when I lost my [UFC debut], it would have been completely different. I never worked hard, I always had talent. But a hard-working athlete beats the talented. There’s no point being talented if you don’t train hard, and that’s who I was for a long time.”

Comparing herself to her previous bouts, Oliveira believes she’s a more well-rounded fighter now and has improved her ground game significantly. Working alongside Jessica Andrade and other athletes at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas has also helped her be more professional.

UFC Austin Results & Highlights: Emmett Outworks Kattar

UFC Austin took place tonight from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! The main event saw ranked featherweight contenders Calvin Kattar (#4) and Josh Emmett (#7) do battle. While in the co-main event, fan favorite Kevin Holland and the in-form Tim Means met…

Continue Reading UFC Austin Results & Highlights: Emmett Outworks Kattar at MMA News.

UFC Austin took place tonight from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!

The main event saw ranked featherweight contenders Calvin Kattar (#4) and Josh Emmett (#7) do battle. While in the co-main event, fan favorite Kevin Holland and the in-form Tim Means met in an intriguing welterweight matchup.

UFC veterans Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Joe Lauzon were originally scheduled to meet in the co-main event. However, the bout was cancelled for a second time due to a knee injury sustained by Lauzon. The duo were first slated to meet at UFC 274 last month.

Check out all the UFC Austin highlights and results below!

Preliminary Card Highlights

Roman Dolidze def. Kyle Daukaus

Georgia’s Roman Dolidze opened tonight’s proceedings with a bang, taking just over a minute to KO Kyle Daukaus in their middleweight bout. Catch the finish below.

Phil Hawes def. Deron Winn

Surging middleweight prospect Phil Hawes is back in the win column after earning a standing TKO win against Deron Winn. Catch the end of the fight below.

Cody Stamann def. Eddie Wineland

Cody Stamann made it three knockouts in a row tonight by finishing Eddie Wineland via first-round standing TKO in their bantamweight bout. Catch the end of the fight below.

Ricardo Ramos def. Danny Chavez

In another stunning first-round finish, Brazil’s Ricardo Ramos earned the second spinning back elbow KO of his career in his featherweight clash with Danny Chavez. Catch the finish below.

Jeremiah Wells def. Court McGee

In this welterweight bout, Jeremiah Wells unleashed a left hook from hell to KO Court McGee after just over a minute of action. Catch the finish below.

Main Card Highlights

Adrian Yanez def. Tony Kelley

In this wild bantamweight grudge match, Adrian Yanez came out on top by earning a first-round TKO against Tony Kelley. Catch the highlights below.

Gregory Rodrigues def. Julian Marquez

In this middleweight clash, Gregory Rodrigues unleashed a brutal beatdown on Julian Marquez to earn a first-round KO victory. Catch the finish below.

Damir Ismagulov def. Guram Kutateladze

In this lightweight bout, Damir Ismagulov earned a split decision victory over Guram Kutateladze. Kutateladze had the best of the action in round one, at one point unloading on Ismagulov before briefly taking him down.

In round two, Ismagulov took the advantage on the feet, but Kutateladze also had success. And in round three, the fight was controversially stopped briefly after Kutateladze apparently kneed Ismagulov in the head while he was down. Catch the decision below.

Joaquin Buckley def. Albert Duraev

Joaquin Buckley earned a dominant TKO victory over Albert Duraev in this middleweight bout. Round one saw Buckley push the pace and rock Duraev several times, but the Russian also had success on the feet.

In round two, Buckley dominated on the feet, landing some heavy shots that rocked Duraev and left him unable to see out of one eye. And after the doctor deemed the swelling too great for the Russian to continue, Buckley was awarded the win. Catch the highlights below.

Kevin Holland def. Tim Means

In the co-main event of the evening, Kevin Holland looked sharp as he earned an impressive submission victory against Tim Means in their welterweight bout. In round one, Means dominated in the clinch and landed a few takedowns, however Holland rocked Means several times, landing some effective combinations.

Then in round two, Holland landed a huge right that wobbled Means, who then attempted a takedown that Holland used to his advantage, locking in a D’arce choke. Catch the highlights below.

Josh Emmett def. Calvin Kattar

In the main event of the evening, Josh Emmett extended his win streak to five with a split decision victory over Calvin Kattar. A cagey first round saw neither fighter take a clear advantage, but Emmett landed a heavy shot late in the round. It remained relatively even on the feet in round two, with both fighters having momentary success.

Round three saw more of the same, with Emmett landing the more powerful strikes. In round four, Kattar landed a series of heavy strikes, including an elbow that wobbled Emmett, before both fighters exploded into urgency, trading heavy strikes late in the round. And the fight remained competitive in the final round, with Kattar landing more significant strikes. Catch the highlights below.

UFC AUSTIN MAIN CARD

Main Event – Featherweight Bout: Josh Emmett def. Calvin Kattar via split decision (48-47×2, 47-48)

Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout: Kevin Holland def. Tim Means via submission: R2, 1.28

Middleweight Bout: Joaquin Buckley def. Albert Duraev via TKO: R3, 0.10

Lightweight Bout: Damir Ismagulov def. Guram Kutateladze via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

Middleweight Bout: Gregory Rodrigues def. Julian Marquez via KO: R1, 3.18

Bantamweight Bout: Adrian Yanez def. Tony Kelley via TKO: R1, 3.49

PRELIMINARY CARD

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Natalia Silva def. Jasmine Jasudavicius via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)

Welterweight Bout: Jeremiah Wells def. Court McGee via KO: R1, 1.34

Featherweight Bout: Ricardo Ramos def. Danny Chavez via KO: R1, 1.12

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Maria Oliveira def. Gloria de Paula via split decision: (29-28×2, 28-29)

Bantamweight Bout: Cody Stamann def. Eddie Wineland via TKO: R1, 0.59

Middleweight Bout: Phil Hawes def. Deron Winn via TKO: R2, 4.25

Middleweight Bout: Roman Dolidze def. Kyle Daukaus via KO: R1, 1.13

Continue Reading UFC Austin Results & Highlights: Emmett Outworks Kattar at MMA News.

UFC Austin: Kattar vs. Emmett Weigh-In Results, One Fighter Misses

The weigh-in results for UFC Austin: Kattar vs. Emmett are in, and every fight will proceed as scheduled. Although every bout will move forward, one fighter did miss weight. Bantamweight Tony Kelley came in 1.5 pounds over the division’s limit ahead of his bout against Adrian Yanez. That fight will be the featured preliminary bout,…

Continue Reading UFC Austin: Kattar vs. Emmett Weigh-In Results, One Fighter Misses at MMA News.

The weigh-in results for UFC Austin: Kattar vs. Emmett are in, and every fight will proceed as scheduled.

Although every bout will move forward, one fighter did miss weight. Bantamweight Tony Kelley came in 1.5 pounds over the division’s limit ahead of his bout against Adrian Yanez. That fight will be the featured preliminary bout, with Yanez looking forward to knocking Kelley out on behalf of Brazil.

The night’s main attraction will feature ranked featherweight contenders Calvin Kattar (#4) taking on Josh Emmett (#7). In the co-main event, two UFC staples will compete in what could be each of their final outings when Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on Joe Lauzon.

UFC Austin will also feature a potential showstealer between scrappy and lengthy welterweights Kevin Holland and Tim Means.

The action kicks off at 4:00 PM ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+, with the main card airing at 7:00PM ET on ESPN and ESPN+.

You can view the full weigh-in results and fight lineup below, courtesy of UFC.com. And be sure to keep it locked right here on MMANews.com tomorrow for full coverage of UFC Austin!

UFC AUSTIN MAIN CARD (7:00 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+)

Main Event – Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (146) vs Josh Emmett (145.5)

Co-Main Event – Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone (155) vs Joe Lauzon (154.75)

Welterweight Bout: Tim Means (170.5) vs Kevin Holland (170)

Middleweight Bout: Joaquin Buckley (184) vs Albert Duraev (185.5)

Lightweight Bout: Damir Ismagulov (155) vs Guram Kutateladze (155.5)

Middleweight Bout: Julian Marquez (185.5) vs Gregory Rodrigues (185.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (4:00 PM ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)

Bantamweight Bout: Adrian Yanez (135.5) vs Tony Kelley (137.5)*

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Jasmine Jasudavicius (124.75) vs Natalia Silva (125.5)

Welterweight Bout: Court McGee (170) vs Jeremiah Wells (171)

Featherweight Bout: Ricardo Ramos (146) vs Danny Chavez (145) 

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Maria Oliveira (115) vs Gloria de Paula (115)

Bantamweight Bout: Eddie Wineland (135) vs Cody Stamann (135.5)

Middleweight Bout: Phil Hawes (185) vs Deron Winn (186)

Middleweight Bout: Roman Dolidze (185.5) vs Kyle Daukaus (185.5)

Continue Reading UFC Austin: Kattar vs. Emmett Weigh-In Results, One Fighter Misses at MMA News.

EXCLUSIVE | Adrian Yanez Vows To KO Kelley After Brazil Comments

Adrian Yanez isn’t naive to Brazilian fans wanting him to punish Tony Kelley and he’s embracing the pressure that comes with it. Yanez will face Kelley in the featured preliminary bout of UFC Austin this Saturday. Yanez is looking to further his climb in the bantamweight division and potentially move closer to a spot in…

Continue Reading EXCLUSIVE | Adrian Yanez Vows To KO Kelley After Brazil Comments at MMA News.

Adrian Yanez isn’t naive to Brazilian fans wanting him to punish Tony Kelley and he’s embracing the pressure that comes with it.

Yanez will face Kelley in the featured preliminary bout of UFC Austin this Saturday. Yanez is looking to further his climb in the bantamweight division and potentially move closer to a spot in the rankings.

The atmosphere behind the matchup escalated when Kelley was heard making controversial remarks about Brazilians while cornering his teammate Andrea Lee just weeks ago. He referred to them as “dirty Brazilians” after Viviane Araujo poked Lee in the eye.

Now, Yanez has the support of a nation behind him as he gets ready for his matchup with Kelley. But to him, pressure is nothing new for the up-and-coming 135lber out of Houston, TX.

During an exclusive interview with MMA News, Yanez downplayed whether or not the pressure from Brazilian fans will impact his performance.

“Honestly, it plays into my favor with getting more fans and everything, but the gameplan is never changed,” Yanez said. “I still want to go in there, I still want to knock him out. Everything is still the same, but there’s more people that want to see me do it. I think that’s super cool, it sucks the way it happened, but at the same time if I make other fans a lot more happy for that even happening then 100%, come on board. I’m here for it.

“To me, it doesn’t change anything because I love fighting under pressure. It’s fantastic and it brings something else out of you so it brings me more excitement. Performing under pressure…it doesn’t bring any added pressure that I haven’t already put on myself. Everyone else, friends, and family, are in the back of my mind. Because I put the most pressure on myself.

“The comments he made, pretty shitty. Stupid, his downfall ended up being something that a lot of people are now looking at me to knock him out. So it plays into my favor because I was already planning to knock him out. I’m going to satisfy the fans and also be myself, and hopefully get another $50k.”

Yanez is entering his fight with Kelley riding on an eight-fight winning streak, including four straight in the UFC. He earned a shot after a knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020.

Yanez is no stranger to highlight finishes, with knockouts in four of his last six fights. And now, he’s promising something special ahead of his clash with Kelley.

“Like Derrick Lewis says: ‘Houston throws, we swang and bang’, that’s exactly what I’m gonna go do,” Yanez proclaimed. “I’m gonna go out there and knock him out.

“Tony Kelley went out there and said he’s the Louisiana guy from the swamps, well I’m from Houston where we swang and bang…I’m telling you right now, I’m getting that knockout. I’m not gonna search for it, but I know with my style and what he brings, I’m gonna get a knockout and another $50k for me.”

UFC Austin takes place Saturday, June 18, and will be headlined by a featherweight clash between top contenders Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett.

Continue Reading EXCLUSIVE | Adrian Yanez Vows To KO Kelley After Brazil Comments at MMA News.

Tony Kelley: “Calling Me Racist Is The Stupidest Thing To Say”

UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has further responded to criticism of his ‘dirty Brazilians’ comment while cornering Andrea Lee. Kelley is slated to face Adrian Yanez this weekend at UFC Austin. He’s been heavily criticized after a clip of him making disparaging comments about Brazilians, and flyweight Viviane Araújo went viral. Just days away from his…

Continue Reading Tony Kelley: “Calling Me Racist Is The Stupidest Thing To Say” at MMA News.

UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has further responded to criticism of his ‘dirty Brazilians’ comment while cornering Andrea Lee.

Kelley is slated to face Adrian Yanez this weekend at UFC Austin. He’s been heavily criticized after a clip of him making disparaging comments about Brazilians, and flyweight Viviane Araújo went viral.

Just days away from his fight with Yanez, Kelley has been forced to further address his recent comments and hit back at accusations of racism.

During a recent interview with Cageside Press, Kelley denied any malicious intent with his comments in Lee’s corner.

“Actually, I dislike everyone equally, I’ll put it that way,” Kelley admitted. “So I think pretty much I’ve answered all that, much love to my Brazilian fans and friends. If you don’t like what I said, I don’t know what to tell you on that, sorry. Sorry if you got your feelings hurt.

“I think everyone who knows me, knows the diverse group of friends and the circle I’m in. They obviously know that [calling me] racist is, like, the stupidest thing to say. There’s real racism going on in the world.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

After previously blaming cancel culture for the outrage to his comments, as dispelled by his upcoming opponent Yanez, Kelley claimed that it was a calculated attack from a social media user.

“People feel like I’m blaming cancel culture or whatever. No, ultimately, I’m talking shit about cancel culture because my job is to relay information in the corner, and I’m really not focused on if I offend somebody or not,” Kelley said.

“That’s the last thing on my mind. If you go back and you actually watch the fight, everyone’s like ‘Aww, you’re a dumbass. Why would you say that on international television?’ Well, I didn’t.

“If you watch the fight, you’ll never hear it air. It was not aired. So somebody clipped that out and sent it off into the Twitterverse just to get at me.”

Kelley has won back-to-back fights and three of his last four bouts overall. He most recently finished Randy Costa in the second round at UFC 269 last December.

Yanez has garnered a new fanbase in Brazil since Kelley’s comments, but Kelley will look to silence his haters and put his comments in the rear-view mirror.

What are your thoughts on Tony Kelley and his controversial Brazil comments?

Continue Reading Tony Kelley: “Calling Me Racist Is The Stupidest Thing To Say” at MMA News.