Tag: UFC News

Jake Paul Donates $5,000 To UFC Flyweight Sarah Alpar’s Go Fund Me Page

Alpar3-0 professional boxer, Jake Paul has donated a sum of $5,000 to the Go Fund Me page of UFC flyweight, Sarah ‘Too Sweet’ Alpar — who recently set up the page in a bid to cover expenses for her next fight camp ahead of a September 25. return against promotional newcomer, Erin Blanchfield at UFC 266. Earlier […]

Alpar

3-0 professional boxer, Jake Paul has donated a sum of $5,000 to the Go Fund Me page of UFC flyweight, Sarah ‘Too Sweet’ Alpar — who recently set up the page in a bid to cover expenses for her next fight camp ahead of a September 25. return against promotional newcomer, Erin Blanchfield at UFC 266.

Earlier this week, the 9-5 professional, Alpar shared a link to a Go Fund Me page across her social media, as she attempted to help cover expenses for her upcoming fight camp ahead of her pairing with former Invicta FC standout, Blanchfield in three months time. 

“What this (Go Fund Me page) does, is it helps me travel, take care of gym fees, to be able to afford food, anything,” Alpar said. “You guys, I’m ready. I’m working, I’m going to school, I’m training, I’m putting in at least 65 hours a week in these things, and I want to make this happen. I want to go so far in the UFC and I cannot do it without you and my ‘Too Sweet Tribe.’“

“If you want to donate even $5, $10, anything is so helpful in order for me to be able to focus on training and to be able to win my next fight,” Alpar explained. “I want to thank you everybody again for the donations that have already been put in. I would like to make a goal of $1,000 by July 1. Let’s make this happen, you guys. I need your help, I need your help.“

Alpar, who make her promotional debut in a loss to Jessica-Rose Clark — earned a UFC contract via Dana White‘s Contender Series. The 30-year-old is currently working as a barista as well as preparing for her upcoming pay-per-view fight with Blanchfield.

YouTuber and professional boxer, Paul took to his official Twitter account this evening, noting his dismay regarding Alpar’s situation, asking people to imagine a rookie in the NBA finding themselves in the same position as the UFC flyweight — before donating a sum of $5,000 to Alpar. (H/T Nick Baldwin)

“SMH… Imagine a rookie in the NBA had to start a GoFundMe to play.. I let Sarah @TOOSWEET_Alpar know she has my support and contribution. It’s my honor and privilege to help fellow fighters in anyway (sic) I can.“

Paul has been critical in regards to fighter pay in the UFC in the past, encouraging UFC president, Dana White to pay fighters on the roster substantially and fairly following his appearance at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida in April of this year. 

“Dana (White) you claimed you would bet $1M on me losing,” Paul tweeted. “Set up (Ben) Askren to train with Freddie Roach… gave him full access to (the) UFC PI (Performance Institute)… and he still got his ass handed to him. Seems like you are the real douche… not Ariel (Helwani). In my 3rd. fight I made more more (sic) in total pay than any fighter in UFC history.“

“Maybe it’s time to pay your fighters their fair share? No wonder they all want to get into boxing. Dana you say you make fights fans want to see… so hurry up and make (Jon) Jones vs. (Francis) N’gannou (sic). Pay them their fair share… $10M purse for each guy, plus PPV (points). Why are (the) UFC fighters so underpaid vs. boxers? Why did I make more in my 3rd. fight than all but (Khabib (Nurmagomedov) and Conor (McGregor) UFC fighters have in history? I know why…“

The Ohio native is currently slated to appear in a Showtime promoted professional boxing match against former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley on August 28. 

KO Wednesday “Never Mess With The Immortal’s Tobacco”

KO Wednesday is a look back on some of the best KO’s from years past of MMA. The Year: 2008 The PPV: N/A (Fight was taped for The Ultimate Fighter Season 7) The Fight: Matt “The Immortal” Brown vs Jeremy “It’s gonna be” May (not his actual nickname) Back in the early days of TUF […]

KO Wednesday is a look back on some of the best KO’s from years past of MMA.

The Year: 2008

The PPV: N/A (Fight was taped for The Ultimate Fighter Season 7)

The Fight: Matt “The Immortal” Brown vs Jeremy “It’s gonna be” May (not his actual nickname)

Back in the early days of TUF pranks were all the rage each season. Pranks across the first 8 seasons ranged from calling Chris Leben a “fatherless bastard” to  jerking off onto some sushi. You know just regular things bro’s do.

But during season 7 of TUF a prank occurred that by today’s standards would be considered “out of pocket”. Team Jackson’s Jeremy May decided to put lime juice in Team Griffin fighter Matt Brown’s chewing tobacco. *gasps while typing*

I won’t act like I’ve never been one to pull a practical joke on my friends. But I don’t think I would ever pull one on someone who had up until a few months ago had been a complete stranger, and has the opportunity to make me pay for that prank in the form of scrambling my brains like eggs. But for whatever reason Jeremy pulls this off and to the surprise of nobody Matt is (rightfully) pissed off about this. May however seemed happy to push Brown’s buttons continuously, like a drunk guy at the running of the bulls (and we’ve seen how those videos end).

Thankfully this season of TUF saw coach Forrest Griffin let the fighters on his team pick who they wanted to fight and just one week after the “Chewbacle” we would get to see Judge Matt Brown possibly sentence Defendant Jeremy May to 3-4 minutes in the shadowrealm.

So, some 10,080 minutes later we were finally ready to see Jeremy May vs Matt Brown. The fight is just about to starts (but not before UFC President Dana White announces the winner will get 00 courtesy of Burger King). Herb Dean signals the start of the fight and May comes out swining like a wild man. If you hadn’t tuned in last week you would’ve thought Brown was the prankster and May was the prankee.

Brown weathers the early storm and gets May to the ground seemingly in control of the fight. A few moments later May reverses position and ends up on top, but Brown still threatens with submissions off his back. After a few moments Brown is able to gain top control once again and is in control. Coach Forrest Griffin is screaming for Matt to “LET THE ANIMAL LOOSE!” which we can only assume is because he’s not a fan of tobacco tampering. Eventually Brown lets a tired May up and lets the animal loose in the form of a head kick and that’s all she wrote! Herb Dean waives off the fight and Team Forrest is going nuts.

Dana White calls the KO one of the coolest KO’s in TUF history and the Immortal One collects another soul like he’s Shang Tsung.

After the fight Brown approaches May to squash the beef and all is well in the TUF house.

Brown would go onto lose by submission in the quarterfinals to eventual winner Amir Sadollah. While May would never get another fight under the UFC banner.

We all know how Matt Brown’s career went/is going in the UFC, but Jeremy May’s career may surprise some. May is now fighting at Heavyweight and has fought notable names such as Chase Sherman, Ninja Rua, David Branch, and another TUF alum in Darrill Schoonover.

And now for your viewing pleasure…Matt Brown vs Jeremy May. Happy KO Wednesday!

  • Chavy

Paige VanZant: Leaving The UFC Was The Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

Paige VanZantFormer UFC fighter Paige VanZant has come out and said that she is better off financially since leaving the promotion. After going 5-4 in her UFC career and losing her last fight via armbar to Amanda Ribas in July of 2020, she decided to test free agency. After weighing her options, she signed a four […]

Paige VanZant

Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant has come out and said that she is better off financially since leaving the promotion.

After going 5-4 in her UFC career and losing her last fight via armbar to Amanda Ribas in July of 2020, she decided to test free agency. After weighing her options, she signed a four fight deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships that gave her a major pay raise. As a result, she also started a fan site that people can pay for to get exclusive content.

Needless to say, Paige VanZant is in a much better place with her money after leaving the UFC and becoming independent. She revealed more details in an interview with her and her husband, Bellator fighter Austin Vanderford. (H/T mmafighting.com)

“I had my whole career was built off the UFC,” VanZant said. “I was in the UFC for like six years. It was very nerve-wracking. There weren’t a lot of people who left the UFC in the prime of their career.

“For me, I was a free agent at 26 years old. I was really young. It was nerve-wracking to know you’re leaving the powerhouse of combat sports. But now I know it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Since I’ve left, I’ve seen multiple fighters leave the UFC — and it’s not a diss at the UFC necessarily, but I think it’s more an awakening in fighters knowing there’s money out there and we’re going to be compensated for what we’re doing.”

After a tough run in the UFC, Vanzant was looking for new management to help her with free agency. According to Vanderford, it was the catalyst to securing her financial success in the future.

“Meeting Malki [Kawa] and signing with First Round [Management] was truly … I can’t say it enough how much of a life changer it’s been for us,” Vanderford said. “Before we signed with them, he said, ‘I need you guys to agree that you’re going to follow my lead and you’re going to do what I say and you’re going to trust me,’ and so far it’s hard to even imagine. They’ve just done such a good job.

Her out of the cage career has been booming as well with the launch of her new website. Fans can pay a fixed rate every month to access exclusive photos and videos that VanZant posts their. VanZant talks about how difficult the decision was to open herself up like that.

“There was always this back and forth,” VanZant said about her decision. “There’s two sides of it. I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I would lose business opportunities based on having an exclusive content site, but I feel like I’m already seen as a sex symbol in the sports world. I wanted to do it on my own terms. So I actually joined Fan Time, it’s a separate company. I’m not with OnlyFans. It’s PaigeFanZant.com and it’s my own website and I have a lot of control over what goes on there. I’m proud to say I’m part of it.

“I work hard for my body. I work hard for who I am, and there’s a side of me that’s extremely girly and feminine, and I get to share that on my fan site. Now I think it’s becoming a lot more acceptable. It was a little bit more X-rated, just the view from the public. Not saying that’s actually what people have on there, but I wanted to do it my own way. I wanted to do it professionally and have my own website and that’s what I’ve done.”

After being in financial turmoil while fighting in the UFC, VanZant and Vanderford can both now say that they are in a good place for the future.

“I’m not planning for when I retire to go to college or try to figure out what’s next in my life. I’m able to just fight and save money and plan when I want to retire, I can just retire.”

Paige VanZant will return to combat sports against Rachael Ostovich at BKFC 19 on July 23rd.

What do you think of Paige Vanzant’s new financial success?

Ciryl Gane Wants To Fight Jon Jones Because He’s “The GOAT”

Last year, Ciryl Gane explained why he would love a fight against Jon Jones. If Jones makes his heavyweight debut on schedule and Gane is victorious tonight at UFC 270, then there is nothing theoretically preventing that fight from happening.

The f…

Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones

Last year, Ciryl Gane explained why he would love a fight against Jon Jones. If Jones makes his heavyweight debut on schedule and Gane is victorious tonight at UFC 270, then there is nothing theoretically preventing that fight from happening.

The following article is brought to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 30, 2021, 11:00 AM]

Headline: Ciryl Gane Wants To Fight Jon Jones Because He’s “The GOAT”

Author: Cole Shelton

Ciryl Gane says Jon Jones is the best MMA fighter of all time and wants to fight him down the line.

Jones, the former longtime UFC light heavyweight champ, has been bulking up for a move to heavyweight. The plan was to face Francis Ngannou, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. Nevertheless, he still plans to move up to heavyweight, and Gane says he would love for the chance to fight him down the line.

“Yes of course, of course. A lot of people talk about this fight because I am a technical fighter and he is, too, a technical fighter, so the people like to say, ‘Yeah, this is a good matchup.’ So yes, I’m really excited about that because Jon Jones is the GOAT and everybody knows that. So wow,” Gane said to TMZ Sports (h/t BJPENN.com).

“I think it’s a good move for him (going to heavyweight), of course. He can make a lot of money with it,” Gane continued. “He did a lot at light heavyweight, so I understand his move to the heavyweight division, he wants to prove something. But yes, of course, there are a lot of people in this division waiting for the title shot, so every time people say ‘Jon Jones, Jon Jones,’ but we are here, too.”

Ciryl Gane
Image Credit: UFC’s YouTube

Although Gane says he wants to face Jones down the line, he will make a quick turnaround and face Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 265 for the interim heavyweight title. The 9-0 fighter is coming off a decision win over Alexander Volkov and just three years into his career gets to fight for UFC gold.

Should Gane beat Lewis, he will get a title shot against Ngannou, and if he wins that, a scrap against Jones does make a ton of sense. Whether or not that will happen is to be seen.

Would you like to see Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones?

Continue Reading Ciryl Gane Wants To Fight Jon Jones Because He’s “The GOAT” at MMA News.

Georges St-Pierre Predicts Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor III

Georges St-PierreGeorges St-Pierre expects Conor McGregor to knockout Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The Irishman will fight Poirier for a third time when they square off live on pay-per-view on July 10. Through two fights McGregor and ‘The Diamond’ are tied with one win apiece. ‘Notorious’ famously knocked out Poirier in double quick time when they […]

Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre expects Conor McGregor to knockout Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

The Irishman will fight Poirier for a third time when they square off live on pay-per-view on July 10.

Through two fights McGregor and ‘The Diamond’ are tied with one win apiece. ‘Notorious’ famously knocked out Poirier in double quick time when they first fought at featherweight back in 2014. Earlier this year, Poirier avenged that defeat with a second round KO win at UFC 257. Rather than pursue a lightweight title shot the former interim champ decided to settle his rivalry with McGregor.

Speaking on the Tristar Gym YouTube channel, St-Pierre expressed his belief that we will see a better version of McGregor at UFC 264 and he’ll most likely finish Poirier inside two rounds next month.

“I think McGregor is very good in rematches, and I think he’s going to have the victory,” St-Pierre said. “I think he’s probably going to win in the second round. A knockout.”

GSP’s long-time trainer Firas Zahabi doesn’t agree with his star pupil. The famed Canadian MMA coach was initially on the fence about the UFC 264 main event before ultimately stumping for another Poirier win.

“My official pick was 50-50 odds,” Zahabi said. “I think it could go either way, but because GSP picked McGregor, I’ve got to pick Poirier. I’m gonna make a case for Poirier right now. At 155, McGregor’s power is maybe not exactly what it used to be, and he’s got to do five rounds. I think Poirier showed in fight No. 2 (that) he’s smart enough to take McGregor in the later rounds. In Round 1, he took a big left, and he took it well.

“I think psychologically Poirier’s a bit more ready to take that left hand. He’s more aware about it. I think this is an incredibly difficult fight. Fifty-fifty, but if Georges picked McGregor, I gotta pick Poirier. I think Poirier’s going to take him into Round 3, and he’s going to do the same thing he did before. He’s gonna kick the leg, he’s gonna injure McGregor a little bit in the leg, and then he’s gonna put the hands on him. It’s going to be a trench war, and Poirier’s gonna put him away.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)

Do you agree with Georges St-Pierre? Will Conor McGregor KO Dustin Poirier at UFC 264?

Ronda Rousey Showcases Pokemon-Themed Gender Reveal

Ronda RouseyRonda Rousey isn’t afraid to express her nerdy side as she gets ready for the next stage of her life; being a mother with former UFC heavyweight Travis Browne. Rousey uploaded a video on Tuesday showing off a Pokemon-themed gender reveal as the couple moves closer to the expected due date of their first child. […]

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey isn’t afraid to express her nerdy side as she gets ready for the next stage of her life; being a mother with former UFC heavyweight Travis Browne.

Rousey uploaded a video on Tuesday showing off a Pokemon-themed gender reveal as the couple moves closer to the expected due date of their first child. Many couples around the world have been notoriously involved one some edgier gender reveals as of late, but Rousey and Browne wanted to keep things light-hearted and true to themselves.

“Our gender reveal is finally here,” Rousey said. “We didn’t want to do anything that would set hundreds of acres ablaze or thousands even. Some people are idiots. We didn’t want to do that. So we’re keeping it simple, we’re keeping it safe, we’re keeping it Browsey Acres-style.”

Rousey announced earlier this year on Instagram that she and Browne were expecting their first child. The former MMA standout and now WWE star took a leave of absence from professional wrestling following her last appearance at Wrestlemania 35.

Rousey and Browne have been together since 2015 and were engaged and married in 2017.

Rousey transitioned from her long, accomplished tenure in the UFC to professional wrestling following her devastating loss to Amanda Nunes back at UFC 207. As of right now, it appears that Rousey will return to professional wrestling sometime in 2022, but there’s no clear timetable presented as of right now.

Rousey’s first UFC title defense against Liz Carmouche is considered to be one of the most important fights in UFC history. She is a legend of the sport of MMA and appears to be enjoying life away from the spotlight with Browne by her side, and a baby girl on the way. The couple is expecting their first child to arrive on September 22nd.

What are your thoughts on Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne’s unique gender reveal?