Tag: ufc fight night 88

Rising UFC Star: Boxing Beats Muay Thai Every Time

Heading into the biggest fight of his MMA career when he takes on fellow rising prospect Thomas Almeida in the main event of this Sunday night’s (May 29, 2016) UFC Fight Night 88 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, bantamweight knockout artist Cody Garbrandt has had a surprisingly distraction-free training camp. In

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Heading into the biggest fight of his MMA career when he takes on fellow rising prospect Thomas Almeida in the main event of this Sunday night’s (May 29, 2016) UFC Fight Night 88 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, bantamweight knockout artist Cody Garbrandt has had a surprisingly distraction-free training camp.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Garbrandt said that while the drama of the departures of former UFC champ TJ Dillashaw and longtime team mainstay Joseph Benavidez had previously thrown a wrench into his preparation, that hasn’t been the case for his pivotal showdown with Almeida this weekend:

“I wish there was more drama. I always felt like when I’m invested in ways or put in situations where I have to overcome a lot of adversity going into fights. This is the first time where I’m just training and that’s it. Nothing really gets in my mind, and nothing blocks my focus from what I have to do when the fight comes on that day when I step in the octagon.

“It doesn’t really bother me if there’s drama with the team or if people believe in something or talk (expletive) about the team. I don’t let it enter my training or my thought process. When I leave the gym, I don’t think about fighting. I think about being with my family and other things from just fighting. That’s why I can stay in my own lane with stuff like that. I think about what I cherish the most. That drama is a small percentage of my life.”

UrijahTJCody

With the beef between Dillashaw and Team Alpha Male founder Urijah Faber obviously the biggest story from the Sacramento-based camp over the past year, it would seem that Garbrandt has been able to rise above (despite some measured outbursts at Dillashaw in the media) and focus on the fight ahead.

That’s probably a good thing, as the 20-0 Almeida is rightfully regarded as the future of the suddenly burgeoning 135-pound landscape, something that will be all but confirmed if he can hand the 8-0 Garbrandt his first-ever professional loss on Sunday.

But Garbrandt obviously doesn’t see that happening, and he has a very specific reason why. Read on to the next page to find out why Garbrandt said his style beats Almeida’s everyday…

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Abel Trujillo Gets New Opponent For UFC Fight Night 88 Event On 5/29

Abel Trujillo finally has a new official opponent for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 88 event in Nevada.

Originally scheduled to fight Diego Ferreira at the UFN 88 event, Trujillo will now fight Jordan Rinaldi. Rinaldi accepted the fight on short noti…

abel-trujillo

Abel Trujillo finally has a new official opponent for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 88 event in Nevada.

Originally scheduled to fight Diego Ferreira at the UFN 88 event, Trujillo will now fight Jordan Rinaldi. Rinaldi accepted the fight on short notice when Ferreira was forced out of the event after being flagged by USADA for a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation.

Headlined by Thomas Almeida vs. Cody Garbrandt, UFC Fight Night 88 is scheduled for next Sunday evening, May 29, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stephen Thompson Wants To Win The Belt & Fight Conor McGregor

Top welterweight Stephen Thompson is heading into by far the most pivotal fight of his UFC career when he meets former title contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald

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Top welterweight Stephen Thompson is heading into by far the most pivotal fight of his UFC career when he meets former title contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald facing the No. 2-ranked “Wonderboy,” who shocked the MMA world earlier this year when he knocked out former champion Johny Hendricks in one round to score his sixth straight win in a row.

Win streak or not, “Wonderboy” has his hands full against the gritty “Red King,” but in a recent interview with Submission Radio, he could already be looking ahead three fights to when he expects to have the belt. At that point, he wants to take on Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor:

“When I become the welterweight champion, I would love to step in the octagon with Conor McGregor. He’s a phenomenal martial artist, right? And I honor him for doing what he’s doing with the sport. But like you said, it would be a big payday. It really would. And it would be a great payday for anybody who steps in the octagon with Conor McGregor. And you would be stupid if you thought otherwise. And I think all the fighters would know that. You know, if somebody would say, “Hey, you wanna fight Conor McGregor?”. Heck yeah. They’d all be jumping at it (laughs).”

robbie lawler

However, even though he wants the great payday that McGregor provides, Thompson went on to say that “The Notorious” fighting at welterweight, which he did in his loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, isn’t a great idea for his personal well-being based on the current champ:

“You’ve got Robbie Lawler who’s a monster. Probably walks around at 200, maybe over 200 pounds. And just somebody like that, that much bigger than you, it’s crazy. I wouldn’t see him – it wouldn’t be smart if I was his coach, for him to go up to 170. Yeah, the people probably will want to see it, but you know, you’re thinking about your fighter, you’re thinking about your sparring partner, the guy you’ve been training for years. And that’s a good way to really get somebody hurt.”

Whether or not it’s a good idea for McGregor to fight welterweights, there is no question that fans everywhere would love to see him square off against a striker of “Wonderboy’s” caliber. That is, if he’s not fighting Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring instead.

Will it ever happen?

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Stephen Thompson Wants To Win The Belt & Fight Conor McGregor

Top welterweight Stephen Thompson is heading into by far the most pivotal fight of his UFC career when he meets former title contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald

The post Stephen Thompson Wants To Win The Belt & Fight Conor McGregor appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Top welterweight Stephen Thompson is heading into by far the most pivotal fight of his UFC career when he meets former title contender Rory MacDonald in the main event of June 18’s UFC Fight Night 89 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

It’s a perceived title eliminator that couldn’t be much else with the No. 1 MacDonald facing the No. 2-ranked “Wonderboy,” who shocked the MMA world earlier this year when he knocked out former champion Johny Hendricks in one round to score his sixth straight win in a row.

Win streak or not, “Wonderboy” has his hands full against the gritty “Red King,” but in a recent interview with Submission Radio, he could already be looking ahead three fights to when he expects to have the belt. At that point, he wants to take on Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor:

“When I become the welterweight champion, I would love to step in the octagon with Conor McGregor. He’s a phenomenal martial artist, right? And I honor him for doing what he’s doing with the sport. But like you said, it would be a big payday. It really would. And it would be a great payday for anybody who steps in the octagon with Conor McGregor. And you would be stupid if you thought otherwise. And I think all the fighters would know that. You know, if somebody would say, “Hey, you wanna fight Conor McGregor?”. Heck yeah. They’d all be jumping at it (laughs).”

robbie lawler

However, even though he wants the great payday that McGregor provides, Thompson went on to say that “The Notorious” fighting at welterweight, which he did in his loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, isn’t a great idea for his personal well-being based on the current champ:

“You’ve got Robbie Lawler who’s a monster. Probably walks around at 200, maybe over 200 pounds. And just somebody like that, that much bigger than you, it’s crazy. I wouldn’t see him – it wouldn’t be smart if I was his coach, for him to go up to 170. Yeah, the people probably will want to see it, but you know, you’re thinking about your fighter, you’re thinking about your sparring partner, the guy you’ve been training for years. And that’s a good way to really get somebody hurt.”

Whether or not it’s a good idea for McGregor to fight welterweights, there is no question that fans everywhere would love to see him square off against a striker of “Wonderboy’s” caliber. That is, if he’s not fighting Floyd Mayweather in a boxing ring instead.

Will it ever happen?

The post Stephen Thompson Wants To Win The Belt & Fight Conor McGregor appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Yet Another UFC Fighter Flagged For ‘Potential’ USADA Violation

It was expected that several fighters would be flagged for anti-doping violations when the UFC partnered with USADA to implement new and increased random drug testing fighters this year, and indeed that obvious prediction has come true. Another fighter was added to the growing list of competitors flagged for ‘potential’ USADA violations today when Carlos

The post Yet Another UFC Fighter Flagged For ‘Potential’ USADA Violation appeared first on LowKick MMA.

It was expected that several fighters would be flagged for anti-doping violations when the UFC partnered with USADA to implement new and increased random drug testing fighters this year, and indeed that obvious prediction has come true.

Another fighter was added to the growing list of competitors flagged for ‘potential’ USADA violations today when Carlos Diego Ferreira was provisionally suspended and removed from his bout against Abel Trujillo at May 29’s UFC Fight Night 88 for a potential violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample.

The UFC released a statement on Diego Ferreira on their official website:

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Carlos Diego Ferreira of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation, stemming from a recent out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Ferreira has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Abel Trujillo on May 29 in Las Vegas.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.

UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Trujillo shortly, while additional violation information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”

Diego Ferreira was last seen defeating Olivier Aubin-Mercier at January’s UFC on FOX 18 from New Jersey, which snapped a two-fight losing streak to top contenders Dustin Poirier and Beneil Dariush.

Prior to the losses, Diego Ferreira had stormed into the UFC with bonus-winning finishes of Colton Smith and Ramsey Nijem in 2014. He currently sits with a 3-2 record in the UFC, although it could be quite a while before we see him fight in the octagon again.

The exact substance or substances that prompted his potential violation were not released as of right now.

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Carlos Diego Ferreira Flagged By USADA, Pulled From UFC Fight Night 88

UFC issued a statement on Friday to announce Carlos Diego Ferreira has been flagged by USADA for a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation, and as a result, has been pulled from his scheduled fight with Abel Trujillo at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 88 e…

carlos-diego-ferriera

UFC issued a statement on Friday to announce Carlos Diego Ferreira has been flagged by USADA for a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation, and as a result, has been pulled from his scheduled fight with Abel Trujillo at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 88 event.

You can read UFC’s official statement on the matter below.

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Carlos Diego Ferreira of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation, stemming from a recent out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Ferreira has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Abel Trujillo on May 29 in Las Vegas.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.

UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Trujillo shortly, while additional violation information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”