Tag: Wrestling

Video: Go Inside Khabib’s UFC 229 Training Camp

We shared a video going inside Conor McGregor’s UFC 229 training camp this week. Now it’s time to do the same for Khabib’s UFC 229 training camp. The undefeated UFC lightweight champion is the most dominant force in mixed martial arts right now. Khabib has laid waste to most of his opposition, and the odds […]

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We shared a video going inside Conor McGregor’s UFC 229 training camp this week. Now it’s time to do the same for Khabib’s UFC 229 training camp.

The undefeated UFC lightweight champion is the most dominant force in mixed martial arts right now. Khabib has laid waste to most of his opposition, and the odds state he’ll do the same to McGregor when they finally do battle.

He could face his most dangerous test when he meets McGregor in the main event of next Saturday night’s (October 6, 2018) UFC 229 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, nonetheless.

It’s definitely the biggest and most lucrative of his burgeoning fight career. There’s been little mainstream promotion for a fight of this magnitude it seems. But Khabib is focused on doing what he does best inside the cage no matter what.

Because of the hype involved, Khabib recently released a video with an inside look at his training camp at California’s American Kickboxing Academy. There, he continues to sharpen his peerless MMA wrestling skills with decorated UFC fighters like Luke Rockhold. Watch the first episode of his UFC 229 training camp focus right here:

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Georges St-Pierre Updates Health Status, Fighting Future

The former welterweight and middleweight champ offers an update on his health status.

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Georges St-Pierre is still on the mend following his UFC middleweight title win last year.

The Canadian UFC legend defeated Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC 217 on pay-per-view (PPV). With the victory, “GSP” became one of few men to win a title in two different weight classes in the UFC. Following the victory, however, St-Pierre was forced to vacate his title after contracting colitis.

St-Pierre believes this occurred as a result of the weight he gained to make middleweight. He offered an update on his health status to MMA Fighting recently. St-Pierre noted almost all his symptoms are gone and he’s slowly dosing down his anti-inflammatory medication:

“Definitely the worst has passed,” St-Pierre said. “I’m dosing down the medication that I have. The medication is anti-inflammatory, so you have to dose it down. Not in one shot, you can’t stop in one shot, but I’m dosing it down every month and soon it will be past, a story of the past. As it goes right now, pretty much all of the symptoms are almost gone.”

Upcoming MMA Return?

While he’s inching closer to an Octagon return, “GSP” isn’t going to rush anything. His fight against Bisping was his first after a four-year hiatus from the sport. Now fans will likely have to wait over a year before seeing him back in the Octagon again.

St-Pierre is reluctant to sign a contract to fight anyone right now. He said once the contract is signed, the mental warfare begins. The former two-division titleholder doesn’t want to put that stress on his body while he’s not fully recovered from his illness:

“I don’t want any contract to fight somebody right now,” St-Pierre said. “Because the minute you sign a contract, the mental warfare starts, and stress is something that amplifies everything. So I want to make sure I deal with it, I take care of it, and when everything will be finished, I will be able to look forward.

“My health is the most important thing for me. [But I’m] absolutely not [closing the door on fighting again]. I’m keeping the door open. When I close it, then people will know. But right now it’s held open.”

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Recent WWE Signee Matt Riddle Admits He Misses MMA

The newly signed WWE star Matt Riddle admits he misses fighting in MMA, where he once competed under the UFC banner.

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Former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Matt Riddle has signed with WWE.

Riddle, a former competitor on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), fought all but one of his professional MMA fights in the UFC’s Octagon. Riddle would’ve had a four-fight win streak with the UFC at one point. Unfortunately, two of his victories were reversed to No Contests due to a pair of failed tests for *********.

Following his second failed test for *********, Riddle was released from the promotion. He fought once more in Titan FC, winning via second-round submission, before making the transition into professional wrestling.

Riddle had a tremendous amount of success on the independent scene before catching the attention of WWE. The professional wrestling juggernaut scooped Riddle up and inked him to a developmental contract. Riddle tells MMA Junkie that, despite his success in professional wrestling, he does miss fighting in MMA:

“I do miss it,” Riddle said. “I watch the fights. I watched Tyron Woodley dominate this week. I feel bad for the fighters and I know exactly – things are a little different now – but I know my world when I was in MMA, everything was tough.

“Life was just so tough. Everything was a struggle. Bills were a struggle. Even when you’re on top in the UFC, you only get paid a couple times a year. I’m just really glad to have that all behind me and focus on my craft.”

Riddle is one of several mixed martial artists who have made the switch over to professional wrestling. Most recently; Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke, Tom Lawlor, Shayna Baszler, and many more have moved over. Riddle said that it takes more than just the ability to do moves and be athletic to be a wrestler – you need charisma:

“There’s a lot of people making the transition and doing it well,” Riddle said. “There are other guys that are doing great – and women – you’ve got Ronda and Shayna (Baszler), Jessamyn Duke. You’ve got Tom Lawlor, you’ve got me.

“There’s a lot of guys like ‘King Mo,’ for example, who is a big fan of professional wrestling, world-class fighter, world-class athlete, but I don’t think he’s the greatest pro wrestler. It’s more than moves and athleticism. It’s that charisma.”

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Justin Gaethje Finally Plans On Switching Up Style In Next Fight

Justin Gaethje’s fighting style has endeared him to fans worldwide. His aggressive, non-stop, power-punching action with zero regards for defense has made him a UFC star and headliner in just three fights in the promotion. However, after his last loss to Dustin Poirier, who defeated Gaethje by TKO in a thrilling affair at April 14’s […]

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Justin Gaethje’s fighting style has endeared him to fans worldwide.

His aggressive, non-stop, power-punching action with zero regards for defense has made him a UFC star and headliner in just three fights in the promotion.

However, after his last loss to Dustin Poirier, who defeated Gaethje by TKO in a thrilling affair at April 14’s UFC on FOX 29, many fighters and fans began questioning the longevity and safety of a fighter like him. And what’s more is that he’s an NCAA All-American wrestler despite rarely if ever using his supposedly elite mat skills in mixed martial arts.

Finally, Gaethje appears to have listened to those sentiments, and plans on implementing more wrestling into his game plans moving forward (via MMA Fighting):

“I’ve been wrestling my whole life. I should’ve and could’ve took him down a couple of times, especially when I had him rocked just to steal a round or two. For some reason, my mind will not let me do it,”

“I think I sold myself so hard on the fact that this is not wrestling. I don’t know, I honestly don’t know the answer to that question,” he replied when asked why wrestling didn’t prominently feature in his fighting arsenal.

“It gets you tired. If I’m going to get tired, I’d rather it be from fighting and not from wrestling. That’s the reason why I never wanted to wrestle. But I did so much cardio this camp that it would not have been a problem for me to turn it into a wrestling match, but I just can’t do it, it would not be fun for me.”

Gaethje blasted onto the UFC scene with an amazing back-and-forth war against Michael “The Menace” Johnson at last year’s TUF 26 Finale, which Gaethje won by TKO. Trouble began to emerge in his next outing, however, when he faced former divisional champion Eddie Alvarez, who put Gaethje’s lights out with a knee.

It was the first time Gaethje had ever lost a professional MMA fight, and it perhaps offered the blueprint on how to defeat the bulldozing slugger.

Then the Poirier fight didn’t help his case for such a reckless style, so maybe we will see Gaethje going for a double leg in the octagon soon of instead of blocking punches with his face.

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Ronda Rousey Opens Up on MMA Career, Talks Conor McGregor in Lengthy Interview

Ronda Rousey has been one of the hottest topics in combat sports over the last few days…but not for her upcoming match at WrestleMania 34…

Ronda Rousey has been one of the hottest topics in combat sports over the last few days…but not for her upcoming match at WrestleMania 34…

Found Footage: Chris Weidman vs Ben Askren

We all know that wrestling is essential to having a complete MMA game. You can be the best striker on this planet, but if you don’t know how to fend off a double leg takedown then you’re likely not going to go too far in high level mixed martial arts. Wrestling is perhaps the most important skill to have in MMA and because of that very reason stars like Matt Hughes, Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and much more were able to dominate the competition. Another two well decorated wrestlers who have made the transition to MMA are former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and ONE FC welterweight champion Ben Askren.

The post Found Footage: Chris Weidman vs Ben Askren appeared first on Cagepotato.

We all know that wrestling is essential to having a complete MMA game. You can be the best striker on this planet, but if you don’t know how to fend off a double leg takedown then you’re likely not going to go too far in high level mixed martial arts. Wrestling is perhaps the most important skill to have in MMA and because of that very reason stars like Matt Hughes, Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and much more were able to dominate the competition. Another two well decorated wrestlers who have made the transition to MMA are former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and ONE FC welterweight champion Ben Askren.

Ben Askren is true monster when it comes to wrestling. Granted that’s made a ton of his fights boring because no one can get up from under him, it does show that Askren has a ground game that should be feared and respected. Chris Weidman is no slouch on the mat himself winning numerous championships of his own before eventually becoming an All American in wrestling. Both men have utilized their skill sets to become champions, demonstrating just how essential a freestyle wrestling game is for high level MMA.

Now, likely you’re not blind and you’ve already read the title of this article so you know something that has to do with Chris Weidman facing off against Ben Askren is coming. But perhaps not in the way that you may be thinking. Before either of these decorated wrestlers entered a cage and exchanged leather with other combatants, they met on the mat in a high school wrestling meet. Check out the video below to get a glimpse of Chris Weidman and Ben Askren battling on a wrestling mat.

What’s your thoughts on these two wrestling monsters?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post Found Footage: Chris Weidman vs Ben Askren appeared first on Cagepotato.