It looks like plans for CM Punk’s Octagon debut are once again in the works.
Mickey Gall, who was originally scheduled to be Punk’s debut opponent in the UFC after earning the spot with a first-round finish of Mike Jackson on a UFC preliminary card,…
It looks like plans for CM Punk’s Octagon debut are once again in the works.
Mickey Gall, who was originally scheduled to be Punk’s debut opponent in the UFC after earning the spot with a first-round finish of Mike Jackson on a UFC preliminary card, alluded to the fight being back on for “late summer” in a recent social media post.
“Some more light sparring,” Gall wrote in the caption on the video clip he posted on his official Instagram page (see below). “Gonna be more active on social media. Let me know what you guys wanna see. Love hearing from ya. [By the way] I hear I’m fighting [CM] Punk late summer. No official date yet. I’ll let u know when I know.”
Gall first hit the CM Punk-radar by challenging the former WWE Superstar in front of UFC President Dana White after his professional MMA debut victory, which was filmed for White’s “Lookin’ For A Fight” reality show.
The attention from the episode of White’s reality show led to the aforementioned preliminary fight with Jackson, with the stipulation being a win for Gall would guarantee him the spot as Punk’s debut opponent inside the Octagon.
As Gall mentioned, no date has been specified as of yet, however it’s worth noting that UFC is scheduled to head to Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois for their UFC On FOX 20 event, which emanates from the United Center and airs live on “big FOX,” on Saturday, July 23rd.
When Michael Bisping received the call from UFC management offering him the title fight against Luke Rockhold in the UFC 199 main event on short-notice, “The Count” was the guy to count-on for the company, however he wasn’t their first choice.
As noted, UFC initially contacted Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who was coming off a dominant performance in stopping MMA legend Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil earlier this month. Jacare, however, turned down the bout.
When Bisping found out about the fact that Souza had declined the title fight with Rockhold, which would have also been a rematch for the UFC 185-pound champion, he took the Brazilian contender to task, openly criticizing him for turning down such a big opportunity.
Upon hearing about Bisping’s comments, Souza spoke with MMAFighting.com, where he offered his retort.
“Honestly, I didn’t know I’d get hurt so bad,” Souza told MMA Fighting about the reason why he had to turn down the short-notice offer to fight Rockhold in the UFC 199 main event on June 4. “I felt the pain before UFC 198, but was well trained and strong, so I didn’t train for a week. I felt the knee again during the fight. I was devastated because I did the MRI on May 16 and on May 17 I got the news that Weidman was injured. If I knew about it, I wouldn’t even do the MRI [laughs]. I had to open the black box to see what was going on with my knee.”
Souza continued, “It was a clean surgery, and I’m walking normally now. I had to do this surgery. I had a meniscus injury, and it would definitely get worse if I didn’t do this now. I was physically well in the fight, could move normally. Everybody has injuries going into a fight, it’s impossible to be 100 percent, but thank God I had the best strategy and won.”
As he would go on to explain, Jacare is scheduled to start rehab with his doctor and physical therapist and is expected to be cleared to train in approximately 20 days.
“I was going to say yes (and fight at UFC 199), but the MRI was done. I couldn’t just ignore the results,” he said. “Healthy first. I’m a Christian man, so I prayed. Whatever was in the MRI results would determine my future, if I would take the fight or not. The doctor told me ‘you fought Belfort for five minutes and can’t walk now. Imagine yourself fighting Rockhold for 25 minutes. You’ll lose your leg’. I decided not to fight because of my health.”
Jacare was scheduled to be ringside for the originally scheduled Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman title fight at UFC 199, however he still plans to be in attendance when Bisping challenges Rockhold for the title in Inglewood, California.
“I am the next challenger,” said the Brazilian. “Weidman won’t be back in a while, (Yoel) Romero was caught in a doping test, and I’ve earned a shot. I already asked the UFC for my flight ticket.”
In the end, Jacare made it clear that he’s next in line for a shot at the 185-pound title, and despite Bisping’s harsh criticism of his decision to turn down the short-notice opportunity at UFC 199, he wished the Englishman good luck in his upcoming title fight.
“(Bisping) is in the UFC for a long time, but that means nothing,” Souza responded. “I fought the guy that knocked him out, so no way he’s in front of me. The guys I beat are tougher than the ones he defeated. Time means nothing, what really means is what you’ve done to earn it. I earned it. They called me on short notice and I couldn’t take it, but I’m next. No need to say anything else. My loss to Romero was a robbery and then he got caught. Weidman won’t return until November. And I beat Vitor up, so I’m next.”
“But I wish him good luck, a good fight,” he continued. “He can say whatever he wants, and I’ll say what I want. I hope he does a good fight. He’s in the UFC for 10 years and does a good job, so I hope he fights well.”
UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping II is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 4, 2016 from The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Make sure to visit MMANews.com on 6/4 for the best UFC 199 live results coverage on the web!
When Michael Bisping received the call from UFC management offering him the title fight against Luke Rockhold in the UFC 199 main event on short-notice, “The Count” was the guy to count-on for the company, however he wasn’t their first choice.
As noted, UFC initially contacted Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who was coming off a dominant performance in stopping MMA legend Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil earlier this month. Jacare, however, turned down the bout.
When Bisping found out about the fact that Souza had declined the title fight with Rockhold, which would have also been a rematch for the UFC 185-pound champion, he took the Brazilian contender to task, openly criticizing him for turning down such a big opportunity.
Upon hearing about Bisping’s comments, Souza spoke with MMAFighting.com, where he offered his retort.
“Honestly, I didn’t know I’d get hurt so bad,” Souza told MMA Fighting about the reason why he had to turn down the short-notice offer to fight Rockhold in the UFC 199 main event on June 4. “I felt the pain before UFC 198, but was well trained and strong, so I didn’t train for a week. I felt the knee again during the fight. I was devastated because I did the MRI on May 16 and on May 17 I got the news that Weidman was injured. If I knew about it, I wouldn’t even do the MRI [laughs]. I had to open the black box to see what was going on with my knee.”
Souza continued, “It was a clean surgery, and I’m walking normally now. I had to do this surgery. I had a meniscus injury, and it would definitely get worse if I didn’t do this now. I was physically well in the fight, could move normally. Everybody has injuries going into a fight, it’s impossible to be 100 percent, but thank God I had the best strategy and won.”
As he would go on to explain, Jacare is scheduled to start rehab with his doctor and physical therapist and is expected to be cleared to train in approximately 20 days.
“I was going to say yes (and fight at UFC 199), but the MRI was done. I couldn’t just ignore the results,” he said. “Healthy first. I’m a Christian man, so I prayed. Whatever was in the MRI results would determine my future, if I would take the fight or not. The doctor told me ‘you fought Belfort for five minutes and can’t walk now. Imagine yourself fighting Rockhold for 25 minutes. You’ll lose your leg’. I decided not to fight because of my health.”
Jacare was scheduled to be ringside for the originally scheduled Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman title fight at UFC 199, however he still plans to be in attendance when Bisping challenges Rockhold for the title in Inglewood, California.
“I am the next challenger,” said the Brazilian. “Weidman won’t be back in a while, (Yoel) Romero was caught in a doping test, and I’ve earned a shot. I already asked the UFC for my flight ticket.”
In the end, Jacare made it clear that he’s next in line for a shot at the 185-pound title, and despite Bisping’s harsh criticism of his decision to turn down the short-notice opportunity at UFC 199, he wished the Englishman good luck in his upcoming title fight.
“(Bisping) is in the UFC for a long time, but that means nothing,” Souza responded. “I fought the guy that knocked him out, so no way he’s in front of me. The guys I beat are tougher than the ones he defeated. Time means nothing, what really means is what you’ve done to earn it. I earned it. They called me on short notice and I couldn’t take it, but I’m next. No need to say anything else. My loss to Romero was a robbery and then he got caught. Weidman won’t return until November. And I beat Vitor up, so I’m next.”
“But I wish him good luck, a good fight,” he continued. “He can say whatever he wants, and I’ll say what I want. I hope he does a good fight. He’s in the UFC for 10 years and does a good job, so I hope he fights well.”
UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping II is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 4, 2016 from The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Make sure to visit MMANews.com on 6/4 for the best UFC 199 live results coverage on the web!
An intriguing bantamweight bout has been added to UFC 201, according to new reports that surfaced on the web on Tuesday.
Indiscutido initially reported, and MMAFighting.com later confirmed a 135-pound bout between Erik Perez (15-6) and Francisco Riv…
An intriguing bantamweight bout has been added to UFC 201, according to new reports that surfaced on the web on Tuesday.
Indiscutido initially reported, and MMAFighting.com later confirmed a 135-pound bout between Erik Perez (15-6) and Francisco Rivera (11-6-1 NC) for the July pay-per-view event.
Headlined by Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley for the UFC Welterweight Championship, UFC 201 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 3, 2016 from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
According to Colin Cowherd, there is an actual date being worked on for the potential boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and reigning UFC Featherweight Champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
Cowherd spoke about the subject during the latest edition of his podcast, “The Herd.”
“[The] news I believe is gonna break here in about two weeks,” said Cowherd. “I have already booked two rooms, September 17th and 18th in Las Vegas. My intel is Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather is going to happen. It changed late last week. I got a call then somebody else sent me something [Sunday] and Saturday. We’ve booked rooms in Vegas. [It’s happening] this September.”
Cowherd would elaborate, explaining some of the details he has heard regarding the back story behind the fight.
“Mayweather did have a very bad last pay per view gate – 550,000 people, he tries to get 2 to 3 million. So I think this is the most profitable fight for CBS and Mayweather. CBS has been working with Mayweather for years. That’s why his fights are on Showtime, because CBS owns Showtime.
“So Les Moonves [President and CEO of CBS] and the CBS peeps have decided, ‘let’s talk to the Fox – UFC peeps’ and you’ve got Fox and CBS, you’ve got UFC, you’ve got boxing, you’ve got Floyd, you’ve got Conor. It’s gonna make a lot of money for people.”
Cowherd concluded, “I don’t think it’s going to be a good fight but it’s an event. Nik Wallenda, in Chicago, did a tightrope walk between condos and a parking garage. I watched. I don’t care about balance I don’t care about – that part of Chicago doesn’t interest me. It’s not Lake Shore Drive, it’s not one of my favorite lounges. I watched a guy walk across a tightrope on a windy night in Chicago. And I’m like, ‘this is fascinating.’ This is being sold simply as an interesting one-off event.”
H/T to MMAFighting.com for transcribing the above Colin Cowherd quotes.
https://youtu.be/rBl6-WGjDkM
Boy, this story just won’t go away, will it?
According to Colin Cowherd, there is an actual date being worked on for the potential boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and reigning UFC Featherweight Champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
Cowherd spoke about the subject during the latest edition of his podcast, “The Herd.”
“[The] news I believe is gonna break here in about two weeks,” said Cowherd. “I have already booked two rooms, September 17th and 18th in Las Vegas. My intel is Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather is going to happen. It changed late last week. I got a call then somebody else sent me something [Sunday] and Saturday. We’ve booked rooms in Vegas. [It’s happening] this September.”
Cowherd would elaborate, explaining some of the details he has heard regarding the back story behind the fight.
“Mayweather did have a very bad last pay per view gate – 550,000 people, he tries to get 2 to 3 million. So I think this is the most profitable fight for CBS and Mayweather. CBS has been working with Mayweather for years. That’s why his fights are on Showtime, because CBS owns Showtime.
“So Les Moonves [President and CEO of CBS] and the CBS peeps have decided, ‘let’s talk to the Fox – UFC peeps’ and you’ve got Fox and CBS, you’ve got UFC, you’ve got boxing, you’ve got Floyd, you’ve got Conor. It’s gonna make a lot of money for people.”
Cowherd concluded, “I don’t think it’s going to be a good fight but it’s an event. Nik Wallenda, in Chicago, did a tightrope walk between condos and a parking garage. I watched. I don’t care about balance I don’t care about – that part of Chicago doesn’t interest me. It’s not Lake Shore Drive, it’s not one of my favorite lounges. I watched a guy walk across a tightrope on a windy night in Chicago. And I’m like, ‘this is fascinating.’ This is being sold simply as an interesting one-off event.”
H/T to MMAFighting.com for transcribing the above Colin Cowherd quotes.
MMA legend BJ Penn’s Octagon comeback is no longer scheduled for next month’s UFC 199 pay-per-view.
After initially being booked to fight Dennis Siver, only to have Siver pull out and Cole Miller fill-in on short-notice, Penn will no longer be fighting at all at the June 4th event.
BJ Penn has been flagged by USADA and provisionally suspended for a “potential Anti-Doping Policy violation.”
UFC issued the following statement on the matter (via UFC.com):
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed BJ Penn of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Penn disclosed the usage of a prohibited method – the use of an IV in excess of 50 ML in a six-hour period – during a March 25, 2016, out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Penn has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Cole Miller on June 4 in Los Angeles.
“UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Miller shortly, and additional information will be provided by USADA and UFC at the appropriate time as the process involving Penn moves forward.”
Penn issued the following statement on his official website, BJPenn.com:
“I voluntarily disclosed to USADA that during a non-fight period that I had an IV administered under the care of a doctor.
“The rule for IV usage had changed since my last fight in the UFC and was unaware of the change and voluntarily disclosed the information to USADA. I had no idea that IV use was banned 365 days a year.
“At no time in my career in martial arts have I ever doped and anticipate all test results from USADA will come back clean and will be working with the UFC to get the matter cleared up and return to fight as soon as possible.”
MMA legend BJ Penn’s Octagon comeback is no longer scheduled for next month’s UFC 199 pay-per-view.
After initially being booked to fight Dennis Siver, only to have Siver pull out and Cole Miller fill-in on short-notice, Penn will no longer be fighting at all at the June 4th event.
BJ Penn has been flagged by USADA and provisionally suspended for a “potential Anti-Doping Policy violation.”
UFC issued the following statement on the matter (via UFC.com):
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed BJ Penn of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Penn disclosed the usage of a prohibited method – the use of an IV in excess of 50 ML in a six-hour period – during a March 25, 2016, out-of-competition sample collection. In accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, Penn has received a provisional suspension, and has been removed from his scheduled bout against Cole Miller on June 4 in Los Angeles.
“UFC will announce a replacement opponent for Miller shortly, and additional information will be provided by USADA and UFC at the appropriate time as the process involving Penn moves forward.”
Penn issued the following statement on his official website, BJPenn.com:
“I voluntarily disclosed to USADA that during a non-fight period that I had an IV administered under the care of a doctor.
“The rule for IV usage had changed since my last fight in the UFC and was unaware of the change and voluntarily disclosed the information to USADA. I had no idea that IV use was banned 365 days a year.
“At no time in my career in martial arts have I ever doped and anticipate all test results from USADA will come back clean and will be working with the UFC to get the matter cleared up and return to fight as soon as possible.”
