Tag: UFC News

UFC Vegas 50: Alex Caceres Reveals Plan For 20 Years In The UFC

This Saturday marks Alex Caceres’s 26th fight in his 11 years with the UFC, adding to his aspiration to become the longest-running active fighter in the promotion. Though Caceres’s professional MMA career began in 2008, in 2010 he appeared on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. Since then, “Bruce Leeroy” has racked up 14 wins…

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 50: Alex Caceres Reveals Plan For 20 Years In The UFC at MMA News.

This Saturday marks Alex Caceres’s 26th fight in his 11 years with the UFC, adding to his aspiration to become the longest-running active fighter in the promotion.

Though Caceres’s professional MMA career began in 2008, in 2010 he appeared on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. Since then, “Bruce Leeroy” has racked up 14 wins in the UFC. Caceres won his last match in brutal fashion by submitting his opponent Seung Woo Choi by rear-naked choke in the second round.

Submission! Watch Alex Caceres choke out Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 41 - MMAmania.com
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And on March 12, he has the chance to continue his five-fight win streak when he faces the #12 featherweight Sodiq Yusuff. Of course, he wants to win the fight, but Caceres’s main goal is to become the UFC’s longest-running active fighter.

“If I set up one lofty goal, it was just to be the fighter with the longest-running active career,” Caceres told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Vegas 50 media day. “I know I’m closing in on the top guy right now who has 11 years. I beat him out of the running. If I make it to 42 (years old), that’ll be 20 years (in the UFC). So let’s see who tops that.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

At just 33 years old, Caceres has already reached his 11-year mark with the UFC. He has a promising career that he hopes to maintain for the next nine years. Win or lose at UFC Vegas 50, Caceres hopes to continue his 20-year journey in the UFC.

What are your thoughts on Alex Caceres wanting to fight in the UFC for 20 years?

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 50: Alex Caceres Reveals Plan For 20 Years In The UFC at MMA News.

EXCLUSIVE | Michael Bisping Defends Doctor In RDA-Moicano Non-Stoppage

Michael BispingFormer UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping has defended the Octagon-side doctor’s decision to allow Renato Moicano to continue despite a nasty cut surrounding his eye at UFC 272 last weekend against Rafael dos Anjos, but maintains the former’s corner should have saved the lightweight contender from further punishment. Replacing a COVID-19 stricken Rafael Fiziev on […]

Michael Bisping

Former UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping has defended the Octagon-side doctor’s decision to allow Renato Moicano to continue despite a nasty cut surrounding his eye at UFC 272 last weekend against Rafael dos Anjos, but maintains the former’s corner should have saved the lightweight contender from further punishment.

Replacing a COVID-19 stricken Rafael Fiziev on just four days notice last week, Moicano travelled from his native Brazil to tackle former undisputed lightweight champion, dos Anjos in a five round, 160lb catchweight bout – co-headlining UFC 272. 

From the second round onward, however, Moicano’s pace began to falter as dos Anjos imposed a wrestling and grappling-heavy gameplan, as well as scoring a notable left high kick in the third round, wobbling and eventually dropping his compatriot. 

Michael Bisping suffered a well-documented eye injury in his 2013 clash with Vitor Belfort

Allowed to continue until the final buzzer despite multiple warnings from referee, Marc Goddard – Moicano was also assessed by an Octagon-side physician, who elected that the lightweight was fit to continue, despite notable cuts surrounding his eye.

In the aftermath, the on-duty doctor received some notable criticizm for his decision to allow Moicano to continue into the fifth round despite the visible damage to his face, however, the aforenoted, Bisping defended the physician – and echoed his disappointment with Moicano’s corner for allowing him to continue rather than throwing in the towel.

“Neither you nor I am medically trained, you know what I mean,” Michael Bisping told LowKick MMA reporter, Jordan Ellis, during a recent interview to promote his documentary, This Is Michael Bisping. “So while the fighters – well, while (Renato) Moicano, specifically – it looks bad on the outside, you know what I mean. But it always does. They’re covered in blood, you clean it up and there’s a little nick there. Our heart rate is going up so it’s all pumping – and yes, that (Moicano’s eye) was swollen shut, and it certainly looked nasty.”

“I called for his (Moicano’s) corner to stop the fight, but he’s (the doctor) a medically trained professional, that has been around the fight game for a long time. He’s under no pressure from the UFC for the fights to continue. He knows, whether or not – he’s done it many times. Many, many times has he said, ‘Nah, I’ve gotta stop this fight’. You hear about it. On that occasion, he allowed the fight to continue. It’s not his fight to say, is he gonna win this fight, or is he gonna lose this fight? That’s his cornermen or the fighter in question. That’s their job to say, you’re never going to win this fight, so we might as well stop this now. …” 

EXCLUSIVE | Curtis Blaydes Expects Cain Velasquez To Serve Some Jail Time: ‘He Was In The Right But We Have Laws’

Curtis BlaydesCurtis Blaydes has reacted to Cain Velasquez’s recent legal troubles. The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently facing more than 20 years in prison after being charged with attempted murder and nine other offences following an incident in San Jose. Velasquez was hit with those charges after allegedly firing a handgun into a truck occupied […]

Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Blaydes has reacted to Cain Velasquez’s recent legal troubles.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is currently facing more than 20 years in prison after being charged with attempted murder and nine other offences following an incident in San Jose.

Velasquez was hit with those charges after allegedly firing a handgun into a truck occupied by Harry Goularte Jr along with two other people one of those being Goularte’s stepfather.

Goularte Jr was recently charged with molesting a close relative of Velasquez. The bullet struck Goularte’s stepfather however he is expected to survive the incident.

Velasquez is also accused of ramming his truck into the vehicle the suspected pedophile was occupying after chasing it down for 11 miles in what has been described as a high-speed car chase.

The 39-year-old former fighter was denied bail on Monday and he will remain in custody ahead of his next hearing on April 12. Judge, Shelyna Brown said the risk is “too great” after reviewing Velasquez’s “reckless” alleged actions.

Curtis Blaydes Reacts To Cain Velasquez’s Plight  

In a recent interview with James Lynch of LowKickMMA, Blaydes reacted to everything that has been going on with Velasquez, he said.

“I get it. I have a daughter, I get it,” Blaydes said. “I would spaz but I wish he hadn’t done it because I know everyone is like ‘Free Cain’, he shouldn’t go to jail and I believe that morally he was in the right but we have laws in America.

“He has to get some type of time. You can’t just be like, ‘OK, you’re free.’ I wouldn’t be angry if they did that I just don’t think that’s going to happen,” Blaydes added.

“I wish he had better people around him, who would be like, ‘Yo, I get it but you can’t’. He needs someone to hold him down. I know he’s a big guy. I know he’s an ex-UFC heavyweight champion, but someone has to get into a fist fight with him in order to stop him from doing this. If that’s your homie, you’ve got to do it,” Blaydes concluded.

Do you agree with Curtis Blaydes? Must Cain Velasquez serve some time in jail despite the circumstances surrounding his recent legal issues?

Jorge Masvidal Shares Photo Of Eye Injury, Blames ‘Cheating F*ck’ Colby Covington

Jorge MasvidalUFC welterweight, Jorge Masvidal shares a picture of his bruised eye, accusing ‘cheating f*ck’ Colby Covington following their UFC 272 battle. Following his loss against arch-rival Colby Covington, ‘Gamebred’ expressed his frustration with referee Herb Dean for not calling the eye pokes. Masvidal, who is as tough as they come even expressed how much pain […]

Jorge Masvidal

UFC welterweight, Jorge Masvidal shares a picture of his bruised eye, accusing ‘cheating f*ck’ Colby Covington following their UFC 272 battle.

Following his loss against arch-rival Colby Covington, ‘Gamebred’ expressed his frustration with referee Herb Dean for not calling the eye pokes. Masvidal, who is as tough as they come even expressed how much pain the eye pokes had caused him

“The eye poke was pretty bad, man.” Masvidal said at the UFC 272 post-fight preconference, “The only thing that’s hurting right now is the fucking eye, my eye’s still throbbing right now. I’ve had a couple of mishaps at Herb Dean, I just don’t get it why he didn’t fix the action. He [Covington] threw a punch, missed, and immediately just jabbed me in the fucking eyeball.

“I’m not gonna take nothing away from him winning the fight, cause that was just one sequence but it would’ve been cool if he [Dean] stopped it there and I would’ve gotten my breathing to restart, because he [Covington] poked the shit out of my eye.”

A near week on from the bout, the effects of the eye pokes are visible, the BMF champion shared a photo of his badly bruised eye; slamming Covington for his dirty tactics.

‘Almost took eyes out but all good u cheating fuck see u soon,” Masvidal wrote on social media.

When Will the Jorge Masvidal Vs. Colby Covington Beef End?

The majority of the time, when we see fighters enter the octagon with some kind of animosity with each other, usually afterward they find some way to ‘hug it out’, and some mutual respect is formed. This is not the case with Masvidal and Covington, the former roommates turned rivals, even just seconds after the fight were jawing back and forth; almost certainly the fight would have continued without the presence of security.

In the days following, the insults have not stopped, particularly from the victor Covington, who has posted daily to his Instagram of the boat, usually an action shot of him hitting Masvidal. Captions like ’50-44′, ‘not even a scratch from that backstabbing bum Street Judas. Easy money and ‘Street Judas’ career in critical condition, might not make it.’ have all been used by Covington.

Masvidal has also promised to attack Covington every time he sees him from now on, it seems as this feud is not going away any time soon and has gone beyond just MMA.

What do you think about Colby Covington’s eye pokes on Jorge Masvidal?

Sodiq Yusuff Thought Career Could Be Over During COVID Battle

UFC featherweight Sodiq Yusuff has described the fear he had for the future of his fighting career during a tough battle with COVID-19. Yusuff has long been considered one of the top prospects in the UFC at 145 pounds. Entering 2021, the 28-year-old was unbeaten in the promotion and boasted an 11-1 record that included…

Continue Reading Sodiq Yusuff Thought Career Could Be Over During COVID Battle at MMA News.

UFC featherweight Sodiq Yusuff has described the fear he had for the future of his fighting career during a tough battle with COVID-19.

Yusuff has long been considered one of the top prospects in the UFC at 145 pounds. Entering 2021, the 28-year-old was unbeaten in the promotion and boasted an 11-1 record that included wins against Gabriel Benitez and Andre Fili.

However, the year was his first in the UFC that didn’t bring success and progression up the featherweight ladder. In his sole appearance, he was matched up with Arnold Allen in a real battle of future stars. The Englishman secured a tight decision victory in their UFC Vegas 23 clash.

Instead of having a quick chance to rebound, Yusuff found himself suffering from the virus that has caused havoc across the world over the past two years.

Now finally set for his return to the Octagon this weekend after a near one-year layoff, Yusuff has looked back on his battle with the illness.

While his long layoff in 2020, owing to passport-related issues that caused the cancelation of his bout with Edson Barboza, was frustrating, Yusuff says his 2021 spell on the sidelines was ‘scary’.

During UFC Vegas 50 media day one Wednesday, the Nigerian-American admitted he was frightened about the future of his career after suffering from the long-term symptoms of COVID-19.

“It’s super depressing. The year before this one (2020) was frustrating. But last year (was) not frustrating because now I’m dealing with my health,” said Yusuff. “It’s different about being frustrated about fighting and thinking you’re gonna be jacked up for the rest of your life. I was really, really scared. I actually called my coach. I was telling him, ‘Man, I think I might be done with fighting.’

“I didn’t know anything about (long-term) COVID symptoms. A lot of this stuff people were figuring out on the go,” added Yusuff. “So I didn’t know that, oh, your body’s still acting like you’re sick. So it was very, very depressing. But hey, we’re on the other side now.”

One notable other instance of a fighter suffering from long COVID was rising welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev. Like Yusuff, “Borz” even considered retirement when feeling the effects the virus had on his body.

Having seen the Chechen-born Swede return in style last October by choking Li Jingliang unconscious, “Super” will be looking to make a similar comeback this Saturday.

Yusuff Has Opportunity To Rebound At UFC Vegas 50

In the way of Yusuff making a successful return to the win column and re-railing his train towards the top 10 will be Alex Caceres. The pair will share the Octagon on the main card of this weekend’s UFC Vegas 50 card.

“Bruce Leeroy” has been a part of the UFC roster since 2011 but has only recently hit his best form. Across an active five-fight win streak dating back to 2019, Caceres has bested names like Steven Petersen and Chase Hooper.

Most recently, the 33-year-old secured the final spot in the rankings by recovering from an early knockdown and illegal knee to submit Seung Woo Choi.

While he’ll hope to continue his previously unlikely climb towards the elite at 145 pounds, Yusuff will be hoping to avoid a skid and re-establish himself as the prospect to watch in the featherweight division.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC Vegas 50, Sodiq Yusuff or Alex Caceres?

Continue Reading Sodiq Yusuff Thought Career Could Be Over During COVID Battle at MMA News.

Paulo Costa Shares His Support For Vladimir Putin: ‘Putin Is Not A Weak Leader Like Biden Or Macron’

Paulo CostaThe former Middleweight contender, Paulo Costa (15-2 MMA) has recently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin – amid his current invasion of Ukraine – in a since-deleted post on his social media.  Throughout the last few weeks now, social media has been made witness to the many remarks and opinions being made about the ongoing Russian […]

Paulo Costa

The former Middleweight contender, Paulo Costa (15-2 MMA) has recently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin – amid his current invasion of Ukraine – in a since-deleted post on his social media. 

Throughout the last few weeks now, social media has been made witness to the many remarks and opinions being made about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine – especially within the MMA community.

Despite the many forms and varying opinions, as days pass it only seems like the situation will continue to intensify. 

On the most part, there has been more unity shown, alongside a great deal of denunciation toward President Putin for his actions towards his neighboring country. However, there have been a few who have chosen to take the side of Putin in his venture.

The latest to do so is UFC fighter, Paulo Costa. Costa has been caught in the limelight for the wrong reasons after recent tweet that has now been taken off his page after causing a mass of controversy.

“Vladimir Putin Putin is not a weak leader like Biden or Macron,” Costa wrote. “He’s a former military man who has already been stabbed in the belly and survived. He is another level of world leader. Do you know another Leader who has the same characteristics past?”

The man alongside Putin in the picture is controversial Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who Costa has voiced his support for in the past.

Paulo Costa continued to post his thoughts about more controversial political matters

With the delicate condition of the current events unfolding within Ukraine, Paulo Costa has done himself no favours under the public eye as the world watches Vladimir Putin declaring war on democracy.

Although he may believe what he is saying, as he continues to post his views on his social media, taking aim at our ‘fragile led world’, he might be subject to change if tensions escalate.  

What are your thoughts regarding Paulo Costa’s recent comments?