Tag: UFC News

Dana White Denies ESPN Deal Being Reason For Brock Lesnar, Conor McGregor Not Fighting

UFC president Dana White shut down speculation that the new ESPN deal was the reason why Brock Lesnar and Conor McGregor were not fighting. Lesnar was expected to challenge heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, while McGregor was expected to face Donald Cerrone earlier this year. Both never came to fruition, with the speculation being that the […]

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UFC president Dana White shut down speculation that the new ESPN deal was the reason why Brock Lesnar and Conor McGregor were not fighting.

Lesnar was expected to challenge heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, while McGregor was expected to face Donald Cerrone earlier this year. Both never came to fruition, with the speculation being that the new ESPN deal was the main reason why. As per the new deal, UFC pay-per-views are now available exclusively on ESPN+ which means buys will go down significantly while the promotion isn’t under any real pressure to deliver big numbers.

For cash cows like Lesnar and McGregor, that was a big problem, with the former reportedly wanting a flat fee to fight Cormier. However, White explained why that was not the case:

“Completely not true, that’s absolutely false,” White said in a recent interview with ESPN. “And if you really look at when we were on pay-per-view, everybody was talking about how the pay-per-view business is dying. Nobody could pull numbers anymore. Really? We were still pulling five to seven million pay-per-view buys a year. You can’t listen to any of this noise. That’s not why Brock Lesnar didn’t fight. Brock Lesnar got a better deal [at WWE] is basically what happened.

“Conor McGregor. What did I say leading up to the Mayweather-McGregor fight? How many times has he fought since then? Once. Conor is in a very unique position as a fighter. He has tons of money, his whiskey business is off the charts. Conor now has the ability to be very calculated, sit back and play the game how he wants to. There’s so much more to this than people speculate.“

As for whether the new model hurts the rest of the UFC roster? That is also not the case as White claims every fighter will make their money:

“Pay-per-views for the fighters? Not an issue,” White added. “All these guys are going to make their money. Believe me, we’re much smarter than that.“

The full interview can be watched below:

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Dana White Explains Why Tony Ferguson Is Mentally Cleared To Compete

UFC President Dana White explains why ex-interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is mentally cleared to compete this weekend at UFC 238.

The post Dana White Explains Why Tony Ferguson Is Mentally Cleared To Compete appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Despite his recent personal issues, former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson will be fighting this weekend (Sat. June 8, 2019).

He’ll be taking on longtime lightweight and welterweight veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The pair will be competing on the main card of the UFC 238 pay-per-view (PPV). However, they will not be competing in the main event, neither will they be competing in the co-featured bout.

Two title fights sit above the pivotal lightweight clash on the card. One of the biggest stories surrounding fight night is Ferguson’s battle back to full mental health. There were some disturbing reports regarding Ferguson’s behavior earlier this year. However, it seems “El Cucuy” has put all that behind him for the time being.

Prior to booking Ferguson vs. Cerrone, UFC President Dana White wanted to make sure Ferguson was in the right frame of mind to compete. Speaking to TMZ Sports, White explained why the time is right for the No. 2-ranked 155-pounder to return:

“So, you know, obviously we know he went through a lot of doctors and – he’s done all the right things it takes to make us feel comfortable that he’s good to go,” White said.

“And, you know, we got together in Vegas, we sat down, talked for a while – I’m in a really good place with Tony Ferguson fighting, and like I say, “If your personal life isn’t in order, there’s no way your professional life can be in order.” Got his stuff together, and, it’s all good.”

While Ferguson might not appreciate White’s concern, he’ll make his return this Saturday nonetheless. When White was asked about there face-to-face meeting and if he himself felt Ferguson was ready to return, the UFC boss divulged that the doctor’s opinion is what really matters to him. Luckily, they gave the former Ultimate Fighter winner the green light to compete:

“Absolutely,” White admitted. “Listen, first and foremost, as long as the doctors say he’s okay, you know, then I sit down and talk to him, and, looks good to me.”

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Henry Cejudo Says He Sent A Message With UFC 238 Media Day Antics

Henry Cejudo is taking his “cringe” gimmick to new heights. This Saturday night (June 8), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight champion Cejudo will get a chance to become a “champ-champ.” To do so, he must defeat Marlo…

Henry Cejudo is taking his “cringe” gimmick to new heights. This Saturday night (June 8), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight champion Cejudo will get a chance to become a “champ-champ.” To do so, he must defeat Marlon Moraes. The two will do battle for the vacant UFC bantamweight gold. Henry Cejudo Explains UFC 238 Media […]

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Tuivasa to Willis: You’ll Be Remembered As “Big Titty”

Tai Tuivasa has some parting words for former UFC heavyweight Justin Willis. Tai Tuivasa will be competing this Saturday at UFC 238 against Blagoy Ivanov inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, but Justin Willis has also been mentioned in opposi…

Tai Tuivasa has some parting words for former UFC heavyweight Justin Willis. Tai Tuivasa will be competing this Saturday at UFC 238 against Blagoy Ivanov inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, but Justin Willis has also been mentioned in opposition to Tuivasa for some time now. Tuivasa, in particular, has held animosity against Willis […]

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Quote: Khabib Could Be In For A ‘Long Night’ Against Dustin Poirier

One former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim title contender believes Khabib Nurmagomedov may struggle against Dustin Poirier. On Sept. 7, Nurmagomedov will take on Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242. This will be a title unificatio…

One former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim title contender believes Khabib Nurmagomedov may struggle against Dustin Poirier. On Sept. 7, Nurmagomedov will take on Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242. This will be a title unification bout as Nurmagomedov is the lightweight champion, while Poirier is the interim title holder. UFC 242 […]

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Tony Ferguson Recommends Mental Evaluation for Dana White

Much to Tony Ferguson’s chagrin, the former UFC interim lightweight champion’s private life became very public when reports of a restraining order against him filed by his wife was disseminated throughout the MMA news media.  The details disclosed…

Much to Tony Ferguson’s chagrin, the former UFC interim lightweight champion’s private life became very public when reports of a restraining order against him filed by his wife was disseminated throughout the MMA news media.  The details disclosed from the file caused alarm for Ferguson’s mental state, but he is just thankful to have been […]

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