Tag: UFC

Dana White & Jon Jones Share Contradictory Answers On If Aspinall Fight Will Happen After UFC 309

Dana White and Jon Jones recently offered starkly different opinions on whether the much-anticipated fight with Tom Aspinall will come to fruition following UFC 309. Jones is set to make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two were originally […]

Continue Reading Dana White & Jon Jones Share Contradictory Answers On If Aspinall Fight Will Happen After UFC 309 at MMA News.

Dana White and Jon Jones recently offered starkly different opinions on whether the much-anticipated fight with Tom Aspinall will come to fruition following UFC 309.

Jones is set to make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The two were originally scheduled to face off at UFC 295 in November 2023, but the fight was scrapped at the last minute after “Bones” suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

As a result, Aspinall stepped in to claim the interim heavyweight title with a stunning knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. Since then, the Brit has been outspoken about his desire to face Jones in a title unification bout. However, the former light heavyweight champion has repeatedly brushed off the idea, with the UFC CEO also firmly asserting that Jones’ next challenge will remain Miocic.

Both Jones and Miocic have repeatedly suggested that their upcoming bout could mark the end of their careers. Despite that, in a recent interview with TNT Sports, White expressed his belief that the winner of UFC 309 would likely face Aspinall next.

But during an interview with MMA reporter Kevin Iole, “Bones” outright rejected the notion of facing Aspinall next should he emerge victorious against Miocic next weekend.

Jones argued that the interim heavyweight champion has yet to prove himself worthy of facing him in the Octagon.

“I feel like Tom Aspinall is — I don’t want to say nobody, but he just hasn’t proven anything; he hasn’t done anything. And I understand that, I mean, he won his belt against Sergei, but Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else. So it’s just like, I’m not here to gamble with someone else making a name off of me.”

Jones went on to say that he’s primarily focused on competing against high-profile opponents, those capable of elevating his already storied career. At the moment, reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira is the opponent who piques his interest the most.

“If there were to be a fight with a guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be not only financially worth it but legacy-worthy, it would be Alex Pereira. Alex Pereira and I are both 37 years old right now. I weigh about 235 [pounds]; I’m an incredibly light heavyweight. I think Pereira walks around at 240, and I think that fight would add much more to my legacy than a young man who’s cool today and maybe gone tomorrow.”

Continue Reading Dana White & Jon Jones Share Contradictory Answers On If Aspinall Fight Will Happen After UFC 309 at MMA News.

Colby Covington Explains Why He’s Rooting For Miocic Over Jones At UFC 309: ‘A Real American With Morals & Values’

Colby Covington is throwing his support behind Stipe Miocic to beat Jon Jones in their upcoming title fight. Jones is set to defend his heavyweight belt against Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, slated for Nov. 16 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. “Bones” enters the fight as a heavy favorite, […]

Continue Reading Colby Covington Explains Why He’s Rooting For Miocic Over Jones At UFC 309: ‘A Real American With Morals & Values’ at MMA News.

Colby Covington is throwing his support behind Stipe Miocic to beat Jon Jones in their upcoming title fight.

Jones is set to defend his heavyweight belt against Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, slated for Nov. 16 at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

“Bones” enters the fight as a heavy favorite, with many MMA analysts predicting he’ll dominate the former champion with ease. However, Covington has offered a contrasting view, believing that Miocic is poised to deliver a stunning upset.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, “Chaos” was asked to predict the UFC 309 headliner. The former interim welterweight champion commended Miocic’s relentless work ethic while casting aspersions on Jones, pointing to his turbulent past as a reason he believes “Bones” is unworthy of the victory.

“Stipe is a great American; he’s a patriot,” Covington said. “He’s a first responder, and the guy’s a hard worker. He’s managed being a firefighter while being a UFC champion. I mean, to have a double life like that is just so impressive, and I can only imagine his work ethic. So I’m really rooting for a real American, a guy that has morals and values — something that Jon lacks.

“He [Jones] has no morals and values; he’s a terrible person. He’s beaten his wife, he’s had multiple drug challenges, terrible steroid charges, so he’s not a good person. He doesn’t deserve to win, so I’m rooting for Stipe, and I hope he gets it done.”

Jones and Miocic were originally scheduled to clash at UFC 295 in November 2023. The fight was unexpectedly called off when the reigning champion sustained a torn pectoral muscle just weeks before the event.

The New Yorker claimed the heavyweight title with a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023. Meanwhile, Miocic has been out of action for over three years. His last appearance came at UFC 260 in March 2021, where he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou, costing him the championship.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Explains Why He’s Rooting For Miocic Over Jones At UFC 309: ‘A Real American With Morals & Values’ at MMA News.

CSAC Director Supports Overturning Jon Jones’ Controversial Loss

Jon Jones might finally see the sole blemish on his otherwise flawless record erased, with California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster voicing his backing for this change. “Bones” one loss in his 29-fight MMA career came against Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale in December 2009. Despite overwhelming Hamill throughout […]

Continue Reading CSAC Director Supports Overturning Jon Jones’ Controversial Loss at MMA News.

Jon Jones might finally see the sole blemish on his otherwise flawless record erased, with California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster voicing his backing for this change.

“Bones” one loss in his 29-fight MMA career came against Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale in December 2009. Despite overwhelming Hamill throughout the first round, Jones was disqualified for delivering a then-illegal 12-6 elbow.

Jones, with longstanding support from UFC CEO Dana White, has made numerous attempts over the years to overturn his disputed loss, though each effort has fallen short. Recently, however, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports lifted the ban on 12-6 elbow strikes, with the revised rules taking effect last weekend at UFC Fight Night in Edmonton.

A faint ray of hope appears to be emerging for the UFC heavyweight champion as Foster, one of the key advocates behind the legalization of the once-banned strike, has now stepped forward to support Jones in his quest to have the loss overturned.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the Athletic Commission director expressed his dissatisfaction with how the ruling was handled at the time, suggesting that the outcome could have been changed to a no contest rather than a DQ.

“The rule is what it was then; it’s different now. It would be hard to go back…I’d be actually supportive of getting rid of [his loss], but it’s not my decision. … I didn’t like the way it was enforced back then, but that was 14 years ago,” Foster said. “I think there were — look, we’re talking about 14 years later. At the time, I thought there were other ways you could handle that situation rather than flat giving the guy a loss.”

Although Foster is a staunch supporter of “Bones” having his loss overturned, the final decision rests with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. However, they have consistently declined to make any changes since 2009.

After a hiatus of over a year, Jones is preparing for his return to the Octagon, where he will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the headliner of UFC 309. The eagerly anticipated clash is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 16.

Continue Reading CSAC Director Supports Overturning Jon Jones’ Controversial Loss at MMA News.

Colby Covington Includes Paddy Pimblett On List Of Opponents He’d Welcome For His UFC Return

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is eyeing a return to action next year, and he has a couple of potential foes in mind. Covington hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since his third failed attempt at capturing undisputed gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last December. Having previously had his ambitions stalled by […]

Continue Reading Colby Covington Includes Paddy Pimblett On List Of Opponents He’d Welcome For His UFC Return at MMA News.

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is eyeing a return to action next year, and he has a couple of potential foes in mind.

Covington hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since his third failed attempt at capturing undisputed gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last December.

Having previously had his ambitions stalled by Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards continued the trend against Covington at UFC 296 to record his second — and ultimately last — successful defense of the 170-pound belt.

“Chaos” put that result down to a broken foot sustained in the very first round. And although he targeted a return once healing from that this past summer, he most recently pointed to his work on the campaign trail for Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election as the reason behind his ongoing absence.

With that, the controversial UFC veteran now has his sights on an early 2025 return to active competition.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington claimed that talks are ongoing over a potential showdown with Jack Della Maddalena in the first quarter of 2025.

While “Chaos” was surprisingly respectful when discussing the Australian, the same can’t be said when his attention turned to an option from outside his division…

“A fight that’s being talked about, this guy’s running his mouth a little bit, which is weird because every time I see this guy, he puts his eyes down and he walks past me like a little b*tch,” Covington said. “Now he wants to throw stones in the media. I don’t know if you’ve seen, Paddy Pimblett, he’s been throwing some stones.

“He’s been running his mouth in the media, saying, ‘I’ll go up to welterweight, I’ll fight Colby.’ Of course he wants to come up to welterweight and fight me or Conor (McGregor), the two biggest names in the UFC right now,” Covington continued. “He’d be honored and be lucky to get this fight. But I think we need to get it going. I don’t like when people talk big to the media and don’t back up their talk. … We need to hold him accountable for his words…stupid, dumb bowl cut.”

Pimblett has long expressed a firm dislike toward Covington, calling him out for the supposed persona he’s employed for much of his UFC career.

“The Baddy” was notably among the vocal critics of the American’s conduct at the pre-fight press conference for UFC 296 last December, during which he made unsavory comments about Edwards’ deceased father.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Includes Paddy Pimblett On List Of Opponents He’d Welcome For His UFC Return at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman Discusses Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov On Short Notice At UFC 310: ‘The UFC Knows Who To Call’

Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact. The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to […]

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Discusses Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov On Short Notice At UFC 310: ‘The UFC Knows Who To Call’ at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact.

The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to a bone infection in his foot.

Since then, “Nomad” has voiced his desire to remain on the card, even campaigning for an interim title showdown, ideally against former longtime champion Usman. Rakhmonov’s manager, Sayat Abdrakhmanov, confirmed that the UFC is currently in talks and has proposed “The Nigerian Nightmare” as a possible opponent for the matchup.

During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman discussed the possibility of stepping in on just a month’s notice to face Rakhmonov at UFC 310. He stated that the UFC would reach out to a fighter primed to challenge the undefeated Kazakhstani, and should the promotion come calling, he would unquestionably accept.

“I’m still in that gym, you know,” Usman said. “If the UFC is going to call who they think is going to be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there on this crazy enough to step in there on short notice and go out there and possibly shock the world, definitely the UFC knows who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I’m going to answer the call. We get a couple of things straight, and if we have to do it, I don’t shy away from any of that.”

“The Nigerian Nightmare” is no stranger to stepping in on short notice to face undefeated fighters. Usman took on the challenge of fighting Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023 with less than two weeks’ notice, ultimately suffering a majority decision loss.

Usman is currently enduring the most challenging phase of his career, having lost his 170-pound title to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since then, he has gone 0-2 in his last two Octagon appearances.

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Discusses Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov On Short Notice At UFC 310: ‘The UFC Knows Who To Call’ at MMA News.

UFC’s Dana White Picked as Donald Trump’s Press Secretary for White House Role

Donald Trump Dana White Press SecretaryWill Dana White be Donald Trump’s pick for White House Press Secretary? After Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S….

Donald Trump Dana White Press Secretary

Will Dana White be Donald Trump’s pick for White House Press Secretary? After Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Dana White, the president of UFC and a longtime friend of Trump, gave an emotional speech celebrating Trump’s victory.

White praised Donald Trump as “the most resilient, hardworking man” he’s ever met, calling the win “karma” after years of media attacks. White’s speech was full of support for Trump and his family, and it caught the attention of many people who believe that White could play a role in Trump’s second administration.

Dana White as Donald Trump’s Press Secretary

There has been speculation from various people online that Dana White could be given a high-profile position in Trump’s cabinet, with some even suggesting he should become the new White House press secretary. White has said in the past that he’s not involved in politics, but he’s made an exception for Trump, given their close friendship. Trump’s sons, Eric and Don Jr., are reportedly helping with the process of selecting people for key roles in the new administration.

Along with White, other prominent figures like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are also expected to play significant roles in Trump’s second term. Musk could be put in charge of a new government efficiency commission to audit federal agencies, while Kennedy, despite being a political rival, is expected to oversee the nation’s health agencies. Trump’s new cabinet is shaping up to be filled with influential figures, many of whom are close allies or supporters, reflecting his strong ties to the billionaire class and his movement.

“Couldn’t stop him, he keeps moving forward. He doesn’t quit, he’s the most resilient and hardworking man I’ve ever met in my life, his family are incredible people, this is karma ladies and gentlemen he deserves this. They deserve it as a family.”

Dana White has long been the president of the UFC and was able to bring the largely banned sport to the mainstream. When MMA was banned by most US states, Donald Trump gave the UFC a platform with his casinos. Since then, White has long been a supporter of Trump and his presidential bid. He can often be seen speaking at rallies and publicly on TV. Additionally, White has allowed Trump to campaign at state-side UFC events and often sits cageside.

Dana White Speech Donald Trump Election