Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva found something in common after Weidman’s horrific leg break at UFC 261 last year. Silva suffered the same fate in his rematch against Weidman years prior. One thing that they don’t have in common is failed drug tests, as Weidman made clear in this article published four years ago.
The following article was published on this day four years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2018, 1:59 PM]
Headline: Weidman on Silva’s Second Failed Drug Test: It Tarnishes His Legacy
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Chris Weidman believes Anderson Silva’s legacy has taken a massive hit after two failed drug tests.
Silva’s career may be coming to an end as he’s facing a four-year suspension. “The Spider’s” team has said their fighter will never compete again if he’s hit with a two-year suspension.
Weidman, who has defeated Silva twice, told MMAFighting.com that “The Spider’s” legacy has taken a hit:
“Yeah, it definitely tarnishes his legacy. You fail a drug test, your whole career is in question, in my opinion. And he failed them now twice. So definitely it tarnishes his legacy. I don’t know what else to say about that. It’s just another one bites the dust. It’s one after another. Literally, almost every guy I ever fought at this point has failed a drug test.”
He went on to say he isn’t surprised at the increase in drug violations.
“I’m not really that surprised. After the first one and now this one. He’s older now. I don’t know. I’m not super surprised. In Brazil, I know the steroids are very easy to get. A lot of guys were probably on them a long time. I’m not super surprised. The reality is that it definitely tarnishes his legacy.”
One month before Francis Ngannou’s heavyweight championship win at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic was confident that the rematch would yield the same results as their bout two years prior at UFC 220. The following article published on this day last year captures that confidence.
The following article was published on this day last year. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2021, 11:16 AM]
Title: Miocic: It’s Unfortunate For Ngannou That He Has To Fight Me Again
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic believes that the “new” version of Francis Ngannou will get the same old outcome on March 27 when the two top heavyweights meet again.
Becoming a UFC champion is a life-changer. It’s impressive enough to make it to the biggest MMA promotion in the world from humble beginnings, but to then capture a title enhances not only the money and fame but the legacy. Francis Ngannou seems to be in this position once again after coming up short in his first bid for the world title in 2018.
The bad news for Ngannou is that this story will not have a different ending than it did on January 20, 2018, says world champion Stipe Miocic.
“Francis is a super tough guy,” Miocic said, speaking on the “Oral Sessions” podcast. “He’s been knocking everyone out again and he’s on a tear, and unfortunately he’s going to have to fight me again. That’s the bad part. He’s definitely gotten better, but so have I.
Stipe Miocic & Francis Ngannou Battle At UFC 220
“I know I’m getting old, but I’ve gotten wiser and I’ve got a few new tricks up my sleeve. (They say) you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, which is a lie. I’ve learned a lot since the last couple years ago. It’s the same outcome. I’m going to walk out with the belt around my waist: and still.”
Miocic Identifies The Difference-Maker In Upcoming Rematch
Francis Ngannou continues to add more knockouts to his total that is on pace to break records. He surely already has the fastest knockouts-per-minute ratio in the history of the promotion, a stat that was solidified after KOing Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik in under three minutes of total fight time.
Some may argue that Ngannou has not really changed. He is doing the same thing he’s always done: throw dumbells at his opponents’ faces, rendering them unconscious upon impact. But Ngannou does seem to be faster than he was before. Even still, the champion believes that Ngannou isn’t the only one who has gotten faster and that there is still a significant differential between the two.
“Timing and speed,” Miocic said. “Really just speed. It’s all about speed. Speed kills, and that’s something we’ve really worked on the last couple camps fighting ‘DC.’”
UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 takes place March 27, 2021 live on pay per view.
Do you think the rematch between Miocic and Ngannou will have the same outcome as their first encounter?
Amanda Nunes wants to prove her backers right when she gets a second chance against Julianna Peña after the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Earlier today, MMA News broke the news that Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes will be coaching the next season of TUF opposite one another. We now know that the new season will kick off on May 3 after news became public following an appearance from Peña on Ellen. You can peep the official poster down below.
Shortly after this news and the team rosters were released, Peña and Nunes sat down for a virtual face-to-face interview moderated by ESPN’s Michael Eaves. Here were some of the main talking points from the joint interview.
Peña reiterated her enthusiasm to give back to the next generation of fighters after getting her start on TUF almost a full decade ago.
Nunes touched briefly on her decision to leave American Top Team, stating that she has always wanted to be a coach and that she expects this process to help her in the rematch.
When asked what life has been like since pulling off one of MMA’s biggest upsets of all time, Peña stated that she is not resting on her laurels and is looking forward to putting the Nunes chapter of her career behind her so that she can see what’s next.
“Honestly, of course, the belt is something that all of us chase. At this point in my life, I just want to show up 100% how I want to be. So with the belt, without the belt, I just want to really, really prove I’m better than her.” – Amanda Nunes
From Amanda Nunes’ Twitter
In what was perhaps the most noteworthy tidbit from this interview, Nunes claims that she was not 100% in her UFC 269 bout against Peña and that her primary objective going into the rematch is not about winning, losing, or championships, but just showing up at full strength, which she claims was not the case last December.
Nunes did not specify what precisely was ailing her, however, it is common knowledge that she reportedly came down with COVID-19 last year, which is what caused the postponement of this fight, which was originally scheduled for UFC 265.
You can view the full virtual face-to-face interview below.
Are you looking forward to the next season of The Ultimate Fighter hosted by Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes?
MMA fighter Marney Maxx executed a picture-perfect head-kick knockout during a Brazilian MMA event last Sunday.
At Demo Fight 11, Marney Maxx took on the winless Deived Costa, who entered the bout with a record of 0-2. Maxx competes with an amputated arm, but as you are about to behold, this does not limit his ability to compete or render his opposition unconscious.
Two minutes into the first round, Maxx landed a flush head kick to Costa for the KO victory. Peep it out below (h/t @Barrelelapierna)
A pesar de faltarle una mano Marney Maxx se las arreglo para meter un lindo KO ayer en Demo Fight 11 pic.twitter.com/OUDvvGLtlw
With the win, Maxx moves to 4-4 in his MMA career, which began in 2013. You can view the full fight between Maxx and Costa right here.
Another One-Armed MMA Fighter Who Has Defied The Odds
Nick Newell
Many fans viewing the above KO will no doubt think of Nick Newell, who has also competed in MMA with an amputated arm since 2009. It’s possible that Newell served as an inspiration for Maxx, who would debut four years later.
During his MMA run, Newell has tallied a professional record of 16-4, including two wins by knockout and 11 by submission, with a highly impressive 81% finish rate. Newell has competed in Bellator MMA and the World Series of Fighting (now PFL), including sharing the cage with current UFC top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje.
Newell tried to enter the UFC in 2018 by way of Dana White’s Contender Series but was not awarded a contract after losing to Alex Munoz via unanimous decision. Most recently, Newell lost to Bobby King via a split decision at Bellator 260.
What is your reaction to this beautiful knockout by Marney Maxx?
The weigh-in results for UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hermansson (UFC Vegas 47) have wrapped up, and we’ve got the scoop for you below.
The second UFC Fight Night event of 2022 takes place tomorrow night in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada, inside the UFC APEX. All fights on the card will proceed as follows, although Steven Peterson missed weight by three pounds ahead of his featherweight bout against “Juicy” Julian Erosa. As a result, Peterson will be fined 30% of his fight purse.
The main event will see Sean Strickland try to inch closer to title contention when he takes on Jack Hermansson. Strickland has continued to make headlines during fight week, such as taking a stab at clarifying previous remarks about homosexuals and offering to do “the man dance” with Kevin Holland. But the bulk of his attention is no doubt placed on the Joker right in front of him.
Strickland and Hermansson have contrasting game plans heading into tomorrow night’s bout. Hermansson simply looks to hit and make it quick. Meanwhile, Stickland is intending to enjoy every moment of taking Hermansson’s soul while making him bleed. Both things cannot take place, but we’ll see what happens when these warriors and their visions meet in the middle tomorrow night.
Aside from sharing his graphic prediction for tomorrow night, Strickland has also predicted that he will continue his outspokenness if he is to be booked against Israel Adesanya in a world title fight. Should he reach this point, he claims he will talk about Adesanya’s “titty” during the pre-fight buildup.
Jack Hermansson doesn’t expect for it to come to that, however, as he will look to do what he claims many have asked him to do: put this wildman down when they meet tomorrow night.
Below, you can check out the faceoff between tomorrow night’s headliners.
You can check out the UFC’s fight-by-fight preview for tomorrow night’s UFC Vegas 47 card right here and get caught up on all the stats and storylines! Below, you can peep the full weigh-in results and viewing information, courtesy of UFC.com.
Main Card (7 PM ET, ESPN+)
Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Jack Hermansson (185.5) vs Sean Strickland (185.5)
Co-Main Event – Middleweight Bout: Punahele Soriano (185) vs Nick Maximov (185)
Welterweight Bout: Shavkat Rakhmonov (170.5) vs Carlston Harris (169.0)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Sam Alvey (205) vs Brendan Allen (205)
Middleweight Bout: Tresean Gore (186) vs Bryan Battle (185.5)
Featherweight Bout: Julian Erosa (145.5) vs Steven Peterson (*149)
Preliminary Card (4 PM ET, ESPN+)
Bantamweight Bout: Miles Johns (135.5) vs John Castaneda (136)
Featherweight Bout: Hakeem Dawodu (146) vs Michael Trizano (145.5)
Middleweight Bout: Chidi Njokuani (185) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (184.5)
Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Alexis Davis (135) vs Julija Stoliarenko (135.5)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Almeida (203) vs Danilo Marques (205.5)
Welterweight Bout: Jason Witt (171.5) vs Phil Rowe (170.5)
Flyweight Bout: Malcolm Gordon (126) Denys Bondar (125)
Be sure to visit MMANews.com tomorrow night for live coverage, results, and highlights of UFC Vegas 47!
Jon Jones says he’s “down” to face the heavyweight GOAT.
Jon Jones has long established that he intends on making his heavyweight debut at some point this year. The question now is: who will it be against?
Following the outcome of the UFC 270 main event, the answer to that question would be the same around most circles as its been for the past 13 months: Francis Ngannou. With Ngannou retaining the undisputed heavyweight championship last month, many believe there’s no question that a Jones/Ngnanou pairing is the fight to make.
Things took a turn, however, when it was revealed that Ngannou would be needing to go under the knife to repair damage to his injured right knee. The champion is expected to be sidelined for approximately nine months following surgery, which leaves Jones without an ideal target for his long-anticipated heavyweight debut—or does it?
Jon Jones Asks Fans Who Wants To See Him vs. The HW GOAT
According to Jones himself, he is already prepared for his next fight and has just the opponent in mind.
The greatest heavyweight of all time versus the greatest light heavyweight, who wants to see it? I’m game
“The greatest heavyweight of all-time versus the greatest light heavyweight, who wants to see it? I’m game”
While Jones did not mention Miocic by name, the former heavyweight king has been considered to be the consensus GOAT of the division for years now, especially among UFC pundits.
Also, as someone who has demonstrated how closely he is following current happenings in the division, Jones must be aware that Ngannou is sidelined. Some, including Jones’ former foe Daniel Cormier, have proposed an interim title fight between Jones and Miocic while Ngannou is out.
A dream fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic has been teased for years, including by Jones himself. Two years ago, Jones sent out a very similar tweet asking about fan interest for a potential fight between him and Miocic. He would later admit to just goofing around without any real intentions of making that fight happen at that point in time.
Last August, UFC President Dana White had the idea of pitting Jones and Miocic against one another, but Jones shut that down in a hurry. Later that year, his former coach Mike Winkeljohn expanded on this disinterest, stating that Jones wanted a bigger challenge and that a bout against Miocic, who had just been knocked out by Ngannou, was not exciting for “Bones.”
Jones sounds plenty excited now, though, and the fan interest in the matchup is a no-brainer. That leaves the cards in the hands of Stipe Miocic and the UFC.
Miocic has been more than welcoming of the idea of fighting Jones in the past and, as mentioned, the UFC has been open to the booking as well. Plus, Miocic is rumored to be holding out for a title shot, so if this bout were made for the interim heavyweight title, that would make the matchup even more appetizing for both fighters.
All things considered, 2022 may just be the year that fight fans finally witness the dream match between the consensus light heavyweight and heavyweight GOATs.
Are you down for a Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic showdown this year?
UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev has concluded that Dustin Poirier has given up on a championship legacy and is now solely pursuing cash.
Dustin Poirier’s 11-year WEC/UFC journey culminated at the year-ending pay-per-view of 2021 when “The Diamond” made his reach for some precious gold. Instead of having the lightweight belt in his residence to polish, Poirier is possibly looking for a new division to call home after losing his bid for the lightweight championship at UFC 269.
Charles Oliveira defeated Poirier by rear-naked-choke, the same method of defeat the Louisianan succumbed to in his first title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov two years prior.
Image Credit: Per Haljestam
Following the loss to Oliveira, some have questioned if Poirier is the same fighter who had always wanted to become world champion. Among them was former opponent Justin Gaethje, who wondered if the payouts from the McGregor fights impacted Poirier’s competitive hunger.
Meanwhile, heading into year 12 of his WEC/UFC tenure, Poirier has handled the loss by openly contemplating and subtly hinting at making a move up to the welterweight division, beginning with a desired fight against Nate Diaz in the weight class.
Makhachev Believes Poirier’s Potential Division Change Inspired By Money
Islam Makhachev, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
If Poirier decides to make that plunge into the welterweight division, it could be viewed as a fresh start for the former interim lightweight champion. There are fresh opponents and opportunities that could await him at 170.
However, surging lightweight contender Islam Makhachev seems to think that this potential move would have nothing to do with any pursuit of gold, greatness, or glory—just green (h/t Sportskeeda).
“I think he just wanna make money,” Makhachev said of Poirier in an interview with Red Corner MMA. “He knows he’s not gonna be champion no more. That’s why he’s thinking about money now. He just wanna choose weight in where he can make more money. This is my opinion.”
After losing to Khabib at UFC 242, Poirier was able to pull himself back up by the bootstraps as he has become accustomed to doing, and he defeated Dan Hooker via unanimous decision in June 2020. Then, after defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Poirier could have fought against Oliveira for the vacant lightweight championship in his next fight.
Instead, Poirier opted to fight McGregor again in a trilogy bout at UFC 264. Oliveira would go on to defeat Chandler via TKO last May while Poirier made his trilogy scorecard with McGregor 2-1 in his favor.
There were some fans who criticized Poirier’s decision to fight McGregor again instead of first challenging for the title. Even McGregor himself took a jab at his rival for choosing the money fight over a title shot, implying that Poirier is beholden to him. And after Poirier fell to Oliveira at UFC 269, Khabib Nurmagomedov, like his protégé Mkahachev, suggested that deep down, Poirier’s hunger to be the champion has been watered down by his recent cash flow.
If Dustin Poirier does decide to move up to welterweight, do you believe it’s just because of the money?
UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou appears in Jackass Forever and will be featured in a very violent scene.
Francis Ngannou captured UFC gold last March when he stopped a former foe in two-time heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic in the second round. After landing a role in the long-awaited film Jackass Forever, the newly minted heavyweight champion will be shown looking to earn gold in a different area of expertise in the film.
Ahead of its release, Ngannou helped lead viewers through an extended preview of what is being called the “cup test scene,” where Ngannou hits a man (Ehren McGhehey) in the groin at full strength. McGhehey was wearing a cup, but did it make a difference?
While having a Ford Escort crash into your privates will always leave a mark—if not physically then emotionally—apparently, the cup test was a success. So much so that Ngannou was left wondering, “Did he really have a nut?” when all was said and done.
You can check out the graphic scene’s extended preview along with Ngannou’s commentary below.
This isn’t the first time we have seen Francis Ngannou in Hollywood. In fact, the heavyweight champ popped up in a cameo appearance for Fast & Furious 9.
After Ngannou retained the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 270 last weekend, many people began to wonder what the future holds for the Cameroonian as he remains in a tense contract dispute with the UFC. But whatever the future holds, at least the heavyweight champion now has Hollywood in his back pocket.
Jackass Forever hits theaters nationwide today, Friday, February 4, 2022.
Will you be watching Francis Ngannou in Jackass Forever this weekend?
After winning UFC gold, Julianna Peña will fulfill another dream by coaching The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) prior to her rematch against Amanda Nunes later this year.
There is currently no set schedule for when the season will begin airing or when the rematch will take place. Peña is on the record for expressing her preference for the rematch to take place in the summer, which falls right in line with the upcoming taping of TUF.
Julianna Peña shocked the world at UFC 269. The massive underdog overcame a tough first round and let her hands go in the second. The bout ended with Peña sinking in the choke and ending the streak of the consensus WMMA GOAT, Amanda Nunes.
“I would love to coach The Ultimate Fighter. It’s always been a dream of mine,” Peña said. “And yeah, I would love for her to coach alongside me. I got nothing but love and respect for Amanda. I think that she’s been a great champion. And coaching The Ultimate Fighter would be another dream come true for me.”
Julianna Peña
The Ultimate Fighter has run since 2005 on various media outlets. The most recent season featured featherweight coaches Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega ahead of their UFC 266 title bout. Peña herself became the first female Ultimate Fighter season winner in 2013.
Throughout the years, the show has waned in viewership but still managed to pump out future stars and provided us with multiple champions. Like Peña, current belt-holders Rose Namajuanas and Kamaru Usman also made their way into the UFC via the show.
“The Venezuelan Vixen’s” win over Nunes will forever be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history. And as she prepares to defend her title, Peña finds herself in the fortunate position to begin paving the way for a new generation of fighters to begin chasing their own dreams and forging new legacies.
Will you be watching Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña coach The Ultimate Fighter?
Sean Strickland has attempted to clean up some previously controversial remarks in a very Strickland-like fashion.
Sean Strickland has emerged as a strong candidate if not clear-cut choice for the most outspoken fighter on the UFC roster. By now, it is obvious that whenever there is a microphone anywhere near Strickland’s vicinity, the general public should expect the unexpected and brace themselves for the unhinged.
By now, most regular followers of MMA News have grown accustomed to Strickland’s wild remarks, but there was one particular story that made more headlines than the usual head-turning Strickland story.
LISTEN gay men are great, i support them and their choices. freedom! Gay guys have it made. Most gay guys I know are always happy. They all just get to hang with buddies all day and have sex.. us straight men, we're fucked… we gotta do some serious work to get laid. Not fair
During a UFC Vegas 47 media scrum Wednesday, Strickland took another crack at clarifying his remarks, this after he described a reporter’s hair as “gay.”
“By the way, when I make fun of gays, dude, I fucking love gay men,” Strickland explained. “Gay men are awesome. Lesbians, not so much. Lesbians hate me. Lesbians look at me like the guy that hurt them; I’m not the guy, I’m not your father. But gay men, gay men look at me like they wanna fuck me, and I respect that. You know, they compliment me, they slide in my DMs, I get some dick pics every now and then; I respect that shit. So, I’m not homophobic.”
Controversies and off-color remarks aside, Sean Strickland is known for something else: being one of the best fighters in the middleweight division. At present, he is ranked #7, and that number would no doubt get a bump should he defeat the #6-ranked Jack Hermansson this Saturday.
If he does, you can once again expect more uncensored and uncontrolled comments from Strickland while he is in celebration mode, which is when “Tarzan” is in his most uninhibited state.
What do you make of Sean Strickland’s remarks on homophobia?
Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t taking Jake Paul’s challenge all that seriously.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov knows a trolljob when he hears one. When the Dagestani caught wind that Paul was teasing making a crossover into MMA, he offered to make his Eagle FC promotion the YouTuber’s MMA home. Paul then came back with the following counteroffer:
по рукам. только если я буду драться с тобой первым.
Jake Paul has said in the past that Khabib is the only fighter that he would never troll and that if he ever did call him out, it would be respectful. So maybe this isn’t a trolljob after all but rather the respectful callout he prophesized last fall.
When appearing on The Full Send Podcast, Khabib was asked to respond to Paul’s proposal. During his young career as an MMA promoter, the Dagestani has proven that he is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to grow the Eagle FC brand. But unretiring in order to fight an 0-0 Jake Paul is not a sacrifice this dedicated boss is willing to make.
And Khabib believes that the former Disney actor is very fortunate that is the case.
“Come on. Come on, Jake Paul. I don’t think so. In MMA, like couple minutes,” Khabib said of a potential bout between the two athletes.
Khabib may be willing to give Paul an opportunity to gain experience in Eagle FC, but from the little bit of footage he’s seen, a competition between the two of them isn’t worthy of any serious deliberation.
“He late a little bit. ’Cause I’m finished,” Khabib said. “Of course, they can think about this. I watched his—it was sparring or I watch some video (of him) doing MMA with someone. He have to learn a lot.”
Khabib may be referring to a video Paul released of him training leg kicks. He may also be referring to a dated video of the YouTuber getting submitted by Bellator’s AJ Agazarm in 2017. Either way, the undefeated grappler thinks Paul would be better served fighting a more handpicked opponent that is more suitable for a beginner.
“If he want, we can give him chance,” Khabib said. “We can sign him, and we can pay him. And we’ll see.”
Would you have any interest in watching Khabib maul—I mean fight Jake Paul?
As far as Jorge Masvidal is concerned, Colby Covington has been officially exposed.
The biggest theme heading into the UFC 272 main event between Masvidal and Colby Covington isn’t about two top contenders going at it. In fact, it isn’t about anything competitive or sportsmanlike at all. On the contrary, it is all the unsportsmanlike conduct that has helped create the true primary theme going into this grudge match: best friends turned bitter enemies.
Tuesday, Masvidal promised to release an exposé of his former buddy, roommate, and training partner Covington. And boy, did he ever follow through on that promise last night.
Below, you can view all five minutes and 48 seconds of Masvidal’s exposé. Here are some of the subjects you can expect to encounter during your viewing experience:
Who is the real “Street Judas” of this pairing?
The swift friend-to-foe switchup from Covington
“Lines you don’t cross” that were allegedly crossed
Former teammates’ and acquaintances’ testimonies on Covington’s character
General contradictions from Covington, such as his own standard of quality corner instructions and his opinion of Kamaru Usman.
Allegedly paid female “talent”
Confession to a fan that humility is “not what sells”
Back full circle to just who is the real “Street Judas”
It should also be noted that this is all just Part 1 and that Masvidal intends on releasing additional installments at an undisclosed time.
Without further ado and preview, you can view Part 1 of Jorge Masvidal’s exposé of Colby Covington below.
What is your review on Jorge Masvidal’s mini-documentary/exposé of former best bud Colby Covington?
Jake Paul believes Dana White’s non-response to his diss track released last week had nothing to do with the cease-fire the UFC President recently declared.
Jake Paul vs. Dana White beef? That’s so 2021. At least that’s what Dana White pretty much said last month when he vowed never to speak of Paul again. But ever since White laid down his verbal weapons, Paul has only reloaded in his continued onslaught of White and his business practices.
The kill shot from the YouTuber came last week with the release of a Dana White diss track, which featured Paul raising the usual themes of UFC fighter pay, their absence of healthcare, and what he deems to be the promotion’s unethical business practices as depicted by a spoofed version of White.
In an appearance on The MMA Hour, Paul shared his theory on the real reason the world hasn’t heard any response from White in recent days.
“I think he learned his lesson when he responded a couple of weeks ago while I was on vacation,” Paul said. “He responded with his little selfie video where he was rabid as a crab and clearly pissed off. First of all, it brought more attention to everything, and then he made himself look really stupid. And I think he is now being advised to just not respond.”
The video Paul is referencing is a social media post by White where he accused the YouTuber of refusing to respond to his challenge to get steroid tested for 2 years in return for cocaine testing White for 10 years.
Paul would then respond with a video of his own where he blasted White and called on the UFC boss to accept his terms: White could drug test him all he wants through USADA and Paul would retire from boxing altogether to fight in the UFC if White improved fighter pay and benefits.
Jorge Masvidal, Credit: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
White wasn’t the only target in Paul’s diss track. Another person referenced was Jorge Masvidal, whom Paul has butted heads with as of late. He, too, has been rendered silent by the unreturnable heat discharged with the YouTuber’s bars, says Paul.
“And it silenced everyone,” Paul said of the song. “What could they say? The first line is, ‘First of all, Masvidal, you ain’t rich; 50 fights for 5 mill that ain’t shit.’ Like, what’s he gonna say? What can anybody say? I think it shut people up, and there’s a lot of important messages in there, and it spoke for itself.”
Jake Paul does not currently have a fight booked. He most recently knocked out Tyron Woodley last December on pay-per-view.
Should Dana White, Jorge Masvidal, or anyone else targeted in Jake Paul’s diss track respond, we’ll be sure to bring you the dirt right here on MMANews.com.
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña was heartbroken to hear Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments that downgraded both her win over Amanda Nunes and the quality of women’s mixed martial arts.
At UFC 269, Julianna Peña silenced many a critic and generated the sorrow of overconfident gamblers across the globe who bet the house on Amanda Nunes. The bout was a true illustration of the unpredictability of MMA and the magnitude a big PPV moment could carry.
There was one man who was not impressed, however. And it wasn’t just anybody; it was the legendary and undefeated former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I am like, we can watch what Julianna Peña did with Amanda Nunes [at UFC 269]. But Julianna Peña, she is not like the greatest or something like that. She just beat Amanda Nunes like [on the day]. We can watch not many good [female] fighters all around the world. There are only like five or six of them,” Khabib said.
Peña Heartbroken Over Khabib’s Comments
Until last week, Julianna Peña had not responded to Khabib’s remarks, and we now have a glimpse as to why that is.
Before her bout with Amanda Nunes was even made, she scoffed at a comparison between Nunes and Khabib when MMA reporter Ariel Helwani compared the fear factor the two figures carried across the sport. Peña would even outright demand that Helwani never make that comparison again, implying that The Eagle was too lofty of a figure to be juxtaposed with the Lionness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-iWFINrQyw
With this level of reverence in mind, it should come as no surprise that Peña was saddened to hear Khabib’s take on her championship victory and his downgrade of all of WMMA in the progress.
“I saw in a presser that they asked [Khabib] a question and he was just completely downgrading the whole win and everything like that….it totally broke my heart…” Peña said in a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. “I was like, ‘Dude, you’re breaking my heart, man. Like, I freaking love you. Like, seriously.”
Khabib’s name was brought up when Peña and Rogan were discussing fighters who retired on their own terms. Peña begrudgingly credited Khabib for the way he retired and stuck to his guns but still couldn’t help but revisit the recent wounds the ground-and-pound specialist inflicted on her.
“He must be friends with Kayla Harrison or something. I don’t know. Because he was like, [MOCK KHABIB ACCENT] ‘If this is the top of women’s division, it’s a joke,” Peña said. “I mean, it wasn’t very nice. I didn’t appreciate it, Khabib.”
Khabib’s comments were made when asked if there were any plans of adding women’s divisions to his Eagle FC promotion in the near future. Khabib left the door open, but as you might have guessed from his comments, he isn’t in any big hurry to make this addition to his promotion’s overall roster.
Meanwhile, Khabib criticisms aside, Peña is hoping to deliver an encore of her UFC 269 victory over Nunes sometime in 2022 in a rematch that she, Nunes, and UFC President Dana White have already signed off on, with a potential season of The Ultimate Fighter leading up to the big sequel.
Perhaps if she defeats Nunes again and proves that it wasn’t a fluke, she will have gained the approval of this man she once admired and perhaps boost his perception of WMMA in the process.
What are your thoughts on Julianna Peña’s reaction to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments about her UFC 269 win over Amanda Nunes?
Joe Rogan has responded to the accusations of misinformation directed at his podcast after two music legends boycotted Spotify in protest.
Last week, Canadian music artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young told Spotify that they could either remove his music or the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast, which Young accused of presenting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, Young’s longtime friend and fellow R&R Hall of Famer Joni Mitchell stood in solidarity with him and also decided to remove her music from Spotify.
The brunt of the criticism came after a pair of controversial medical experts appeared on the podcast. This resulted in over 200 individuals submitting an open letter to Spotify requesting for the streaming service to take action against Rogan’s podcast for allegedly spreading misinformation.
UFC President Dana White and Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña are among the notable list of individuals who have come to Rogan’s defense against the wave of criticism. In White’s case, he claimed that Rogan was uncancelable; and Peña, who was a recent guess on JRE, did not understand what all the fuss was about for merely exchanging thoughts and opinions.
Joe Rogan Responds To Misinformation Accusations
Sunday, Rogan himself would address the backlash he is facing in a post to his Facebook page. Rogan’s impetus for releasing the video was to help straighten out the “distorted perception” of his podcast that may have been influenced by cherry-picked soundbites or “disparaging” headlines and articles about him.
“The podcast has been accused of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation,’ specifically two episodes—a little bit about some other ones but specifically about two—one with Dr. Peter McCullough and one with Dr. Malone,” Rogan began. “Dr. Peter McCullough is a cardiologist, and he is the most published physician in his field in history. Dr. Robert Malone owns nine patents on the creation of mRNA vaccine technology and is at least partially responsible for the creation of the technology that led to mRNA vaccines.
“Both these people are very highly credentialed, very intelligent, very accomplished people, and they have an opinion that’s different from the mainstream narrative. I wanted to hear what their opinion is. I had them on and because of that, those episodes in particular were labeled as being dangerous. They had ‘dangerous misinformation’ in them.
Joe Rogan, Credit: Getty Images
“The problem I have with the term ‘misinformation,’ especially today, is that many of the things that we thought of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact. Like for instance, eight months ago if you said if you get vaccinated, you could still catch COVID and you could still spread COVID, you would be removed from social media. They would ban you from certain platforms. Now, that’s accepted as fact. If you said, ‘I don’t think cloth masks work,’ you would be banned from social media. Now, that’s openly and repeatedly stated on CNN. If you said, ‘I think it’s possible that COVID-19 came from a lab,’ you would be banned from many social media platforms. Now, that’s on the cover of Newsweek.
“All of those theories that at one point in time were banned were openly discussed by those two men that I had on my podcast that have been accused of dangerous misinformation. I do not know if they’re right. I don’t know because I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person that sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”
Rogan cited multiple examples of medical professionals he’s had on as guests who offer a differing view from Malone and McCullough, such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Peter Hotez, and even Dr. Michael Osterholm, who has served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 panel.
Rogan also stated that he agrees with the recent disclaimer Spotify has added to Rogan’s podcast episodes that feature viewpoints that stray from the consensus regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The disclaimer encourages listeners to speak with their physicians to learn more about COVID-19 and what treatment is best for them and issues a general warning regarding the content in the episodes.
Rogan went on to state that he does not claim to be infallible, but he is willing to correct himself when wrong and will continue having open conversations in pursuit of truth and a stronger understanding of the topics discussed.
“Do I get things wrong? Absolutely I get things wrong,” Rogan continued. “But I try to correct them. Whenever I get something wrong, I try to correct it because I’m interested in telling the truth. I’m interested in finding out what the truth is. And I’m interested in having interesting conversations with people that have differing opinions. I’m not interested in only talking to people that have one perspective.”
Joni Mitchell (left) & Neil Young (right) circa 1976
Rogan also expressed sadness at the Spotify boycott by Young and Mitchell, both of whom Rogan says he’s a big fan of. At the end of the video, Rogan even shared a story of working as a security guard at the age of 19 during a Neil Young concert, where he quit because of the chaos that ensued and drove back home singing along to Young’s classic “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Moving forward, Rogan is open to ideas on how to improve his process as a podcast host, with one possibility being to have guests who have differing opinions on back-to-back episodes.
Rogan closed out the post thanking Spotify for their support and reflecting on how much his podcast has grown beyond his wildest expectations to the point where such massive controversies could even derive from it.
You can view Rogan’s full response below. (h/t Mindful Motivation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYdcTacXK9g
What do you make of Joe Rogan’s response to the backlash against him and his podcast after the Spotify boycotts?
After the following article was published, Michael Bisping had two more matches in his MMA career: Georges St-Pierre and Kelvin Gastelum. It wasn’t the “perfect scenario” he had mapped out, especially considering that he lost both bouts, but you can relive how Bisping envisioned his career winding down in the following article published on this day five years ago, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 12:26 PM]
Headline: Bisping: Fighting GSP & Romero Would Be ‘Perfect Scenario’ Before Retirement
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr
Michael Bisping isn’t getting any younger.
The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight titleholder will be 38 years of age before his next title defense. “The Count” is currently out with a knee injury and won’t be back until at least May.
With all that he has accomplished, it’s easy to see Bisping as a future UFC Hall of Famer. Before the champion goes, he wants mega fights that are the most lucrative. On his SiriusXM show, “The Countdown” (via Flo Combat), Bisping reiterated his desire for a “big money fight” or two:
“I said I want to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Whether that’s Yoel Romero, Georges St-Pierre or whether that’s Jacare [Souza] or Anderson Silva, I just want to be a part of the biggest fights ever earning as much money as possible.”
One would think the potential match-up that would make the most money is one with Georges St. Pierre. “Rush” left the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) with nine straight successful title defenses. He was also the UFC’s most consistent pay-per-view (PPV) draw during his run.
“The Count” insists that he doesn’t care who his next opponent is, as long as he brings in the cash.
“We will get the surgery out the way and when it’s done, it’s done and then I’ll fight Yoel Romero if I have to and I’ll whip his ass and if it’s GSP I’ll whip his ass. I just want the biggest fight possible on the biggest fight card possible.”
It isn’t crazy to think Bisping may get his wish. He has been a mainstay with the promotion since 2006 and his body has been put through the wringer. The ideal set of circumstances would be for the champion to face “GSP,” then Romero to close his career.
After Conor McGregor ran through Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith shared his harsh opinion of Cowboy’s performance, which resulted in Conor McGregor, Joe Rogan, and many others in the MMA community coming down hard on Smith.
Donald Cerrone would later say, in his own words, that he “didn’t want to be there” at UFC 246. Prior to Cerrone making these remarks, Nate Diaz had already come to Smith’s defense against McGregor’s and Rogan’s criticisms.
On This Day Two Years Ago...
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2020, 9:38 AM]
Headline: Nate Diaz Blasts Conor McGregor & Joe Rogan Over Stephen A. Smith Ordeal
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Nate Diaz thinks Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan are in the wrong when it comes to their ordeal with Stephen A. Smith.
Stephen A.’s post-UFC 246 comments on Donald Cerrone’s performance against McGregor have been a hot topic within the MMA community. The ESPN personality ripped “Cowboy’s” performance and called it “atrocious.” He even said that it looked as if Cerrone “gave up.”
Rogan criticized Smith over his remarks and said he shouldn’t be allowed to talk about MMA again. Stephen A. responded by saying Rogan is wrong to question his ability to cover MMA but Conor McGregor wasn’t thrilled with the response as he made clear on his Twitter account.
The call you discuss here is A+. I didn’t show enough. I’m not paid by the hour though. Joe’s comments however, come from you saying the opposition fighter quit. Broken nose/orbital bone say different. Fighting is vicious. Those who make the walk deserve full respect! Apologise.
“The call you discuss here is A+. I didn’t show enough. I’m not paid by the hour though. Joe’s comments however, come from you saying the opposition fighter quit. Broken nose/orbital bone say different. Fighting is vicious. Those who make the walk deserve full respect! Apologize.”
Nate Diaz Puts Conor McGregor & Joe Rogan On Blast
Diaz is aware of the whole ordeal and he’s taking Stephen A.’s side as he revealed in a Twitter post.
Rogan and Conor should give Stephen Smith a apology he said what it was The fight was over before it started Get offfeachothers nuts
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2019, 1:16 PM]
Archives: Dana White Disagrees With ‘Harsh’ Punishment Handed Down to Khabib Nurmagomedov
Author: Damon Martin
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to pay a $500,000 fine for his role in the infamous post-fight brawl that he initiated following his win over Conor McGregor last October.
Just seconds after Nurmagomedov secured a fourth-round rear-naked choke finish, he leaped over the cage to go after McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis, who was working in his corner for the fight.
Chaos ensued immediately afterwards but security quickly contained the ugly incident but the commission wasn’t going to let it go without handing down some stiff penalties for everybody involved.
Nurmagoemdov was dinged with the $500,000 fine and a six-month suspension assuming he completes an approved anti-bullying public service announcement for the state of Nevada. Meanwhile, McGregor was hit with a $50,000 fine and a six-month suspension and both fighters should be eligible to return after April 6.
UFC president Dana White has definitely gone back and forth with the Nevada Commission in the past over certain decisions that have been made and in this case, he believes Nurmagomedov got a raw deal when it comes to his punishment for the brawl.
“I was obviously surprised by how much they put on Khabib,” White told ESPN on Wednesday. “You’ve got a half-a-million dollars and six months [suspension] if he does some [public service announcements]. What he did was wrong, he jumped out, we had the whole thing contained in seconds.
“I don’t know. It was a little harsh in my opinion but it is what it is.”
The commission also took exception to the excessing amount of trash talking between Nurmagomedov and McGregor that led to their fight at UFC 229.
As personal as things may have gotten, the fight ended up as the biggest UFC pay-per-view of all time while the promotion put out a study earlier this week showing more than $86 million in revenue was generated for the city of Las Vegas by that single event.
White obviously doesn’t agree with trying to police what the fighters are saying to each other in the lead up to a fight, especially when it oftentimes leads to the biggest rivalries in the history of the sport.
“Here’s the thing — it’s a fight. At the end of the day, it’s a fight,” White said. “Sometimes you come across people that don’t like each other and there’s a lot of bad blood. That was the case in this fight. This is what we do. This is the fight business. These guys are talking about fighters saying mean things to each other and all this other stuff.
“If you break it down and go back to when [Muhammad] Ali fought [Joe] Frazier and you look at the times when that happened, the stuff that he said about Frazier and saying to Frazier was horrible. Horrible things that you don’t say to somebody else back then.”
It’s tough to imagine the Nevada commission actually attempting to curb trash talk before a fight but either way they definitely made Nurmagomedov pay for his choices after the fight was over.
Through his manager Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov has reportedly stated that he will no longer fight in Nevada as a result of this harsh penalty.
Was the Nevada commission wrong to fine Khabib Nurmagomedov so much money? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 3:29 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan: Conor McGregor “Will Manipulate Leverage” in “Star Driven” MMA
Author: Adam Haynes
Joe Rogan and friends theorize on a new dawn in MMA, and discuss Conor McGregor’s announcement on the newly established ‘McGregor Promotions’.
McGregor had numerous topics to discuss with Ariel Helwani on Saturday in Manchester, England, including a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather, Ronda Rousey and the soon-to-come birth of his first child.
The current UFC lightweight champion also announced the birth of ‘McGregor Promotions,’ insisting that he will look to co-promote any Mayweather match with the UFC and the boxer’s company, but with considerable conditions:
“Everyone’s got to know their place,” McGregor said. “There’s Mayweather Promotions, there’s the UFC and now there’s the newly formed McGregor Promotions. And we’re all in the mix.”
Joe Rogan spoke with ex-UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub and others on Saturday’s installment of their ‘Fight Companion’ podcast, and hypothesized on the rapid evolution of MMA:
“It’s going to become what boxing is. It’s going to become that. It’s star-driven” Rogan said. “when it’s star-driven like that, guys like Conor who are legitimate stars, they have the leverage. And they’re going to manipulate that leverage. They’re going to utilize that leverage and we’re going to see what happens”.
It’s been almost five years to the day since Julianna Peña lost to Valentina Shevchenko. As we now know, Peña was able to turn out just fine, currently sitting as the women’s bantamweight champion. But in the following article, we re-experience her raw reaction to losing in the UFC for the first time.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 8:41 PM]
Headline: Julianna Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Valentina Shevchenko
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Julianna Peña may have lost her first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but the sky isn’t falling.
Peña was submitted in the second round courtesy of an armbar from Valentina Shevchenko this past Saturday night (Jan. 28). The loss was Peña’s third as a professional mixed martial artist (MMA). That almost means her four-fight winning streak was snapped.
On her Facebook page, Peña apologized to her fans for falling short in Denver. She believes the defeat will help her grow:
“So, so sorry about my loss you guys. Too hungry. At this level of competition, you cannot make the first mistake or you pay the price. This is a big-time learning experience for me. Time to move forward though. I take one look in the past and then I turn around and keep it pushing toward the future.”
“The Venezuelan Vixen” said she hasn’t lost sight of what’s important. A loss inside the Octagon isn’t going to make her forget about the people who have supported her.
“Michael Jordan missed shots and even the best MMA fighters have tasted defeat at some point in their career. My character is not defined by my wins and losses nor are they contingent on the amount of love I receive from those who truly matter to me. Thank you to those who realize how much work goes into this process. It takes a village to get to the big stage and I could not be more grateful for my team who continue to help me achieve my dreams on a daily basis.”
Peña ended her statement by showing appreciation for her fans.
“You guys motivate and inspire me to continue to be great. You guys are my mentors, my heroes, my main support and without you being there for me, there would be no ‘Venezuelan Vixen.’ Much respect, love and thankfulness to those who tuned in to the fight. Like the terminator says, I’ll be back.”
It is no secret Chael Sonnen has historically been one of Jon Jones’ biggest critics. The two have been in conflict, mostly on social media, for years now. In 2019, shortly after Jones had competed at UFC 232 despite atypical test findings, Sonnen would actually come to Jones’ defense—sort of.
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2019, 3:18 PM]
Headline: Chael Sonnen Says Jon Jones Is Being “Falsely Disparaged”
Author: Jon Fuentes
There has been a ton of controversy surrounding UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. “Bones” has been engulfed in criticism for his drug testing issues over the past several years.
Recently, Jones forced an entire pay-per-view (PPV) event to be moved to a different state. Jones was suspended in 2017 after testing positive for a banned substance. After his suspension was served, he returned last month against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232.
Initially, the fight was slated to go down from Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Jones again tested positive for traces of the same substance he was suspended for in 2017. It was determined that Jones did not re-ingest anything illegal, but this was instead a pulsing effect. This was not enough for the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to grant him a license to fight at UFC 232. Thus, the promotion moved the event to California.
Jones defeated Gustafsson via third-round TKO to capture the vacant 205-pound title. Recently, the NSAC granted Jones a conditional one-fight license to defend his title in Vegas on March 2nd. He’ll face Anthony Smith in the main event of UFC 235 from the T-Mobile Arena. One man who knows a thing or two about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) is Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen has admitted to using PEDs in the past and has served a suspension for doing so. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Sonnen believes Jones is being “falsely disparaged” for having retaken a banned substance (Bloody Elbow):
“I am seeing Jon falsely disparaged for having retaken banned substances. That’s not true. The conclusion and the analysis is accurate that this is residue that is left over,” Sonnen said.
“My conclusion and analysis that he was under-punished …. I’m just a guy looking at the rules that understands that on your second violation, you have a minimum of two years.
“Had they gone through that, we wouldn’t be in this spot (because there would no longer be turinabol residue in his system).
What do you think about Sonnes’s comments on the Jones situation?
Months after Khabib had retired from MMA, a name from his past argued that he was the only man who could defeat the undefeated Dagestani.
The following article was published on this day one year ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2021, 6:10 PM]
Headline: Eddie Alvarez: I’m The Only Man Who Can Beat Khabib
Eddie Alvarez believes he is the only fight that would make sense for Khabib Nurmagomedov to come out of retirement.
29 men have tried to topple the unbeaten and seemingly flawless UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and all have failed. As the speculation of whether or not Khabib will pursue a 30-0 record spreads, in another world, perhaps he would already be 30-0, with Eddie Alvarez being on The Eagle’s victims list.
Back in 2016, Eddie Alvarez was the UFC lightweight champion and there were talks of him potentially defending the title against Khabib. In fact, Khabib claims he was sent a “fake contract” to fight Alvarez as a negotiation ploy to lure Conor McGregor into accepting the terms for the UFC 205 main event against Alvarez. McGregor would later dominate Alvarez to become the “Champ-Champ, and Khabib would virally call “Number-1 Bullshit” on the whole fiasco.
Eddie Alvarez Believes He Is Khabib’s Toughest Matchup
Former UFC Champion Eddie Alvarez. Image Credit: Esther Lin
Fast forward to 2021 and now Khabib Nurmagomedov is the lightweight champion, and it is Eddie Alvarez who says that a fight between the two would make sense, even though Alvarez is currently competing for another promotion.
“I’m his only matchup that would make any sense, or give him a terrible time,” Alvarez told Morning Kombat. “There’s one guy that gave him a terrible time in the whole division, and this is just the truth. (Gleison) Tibau gave him a terrible time because Tibau was not overly great at anything.
“Neither am I. I’m not overly great at anything. You say ‘What is Eddie great at?’ I’m not great at anything. I’m not a great striker, I’m not a great wrestler or great jiu-jitsu guy… I’m athletic, I have a strong spirit, a strong heart, and I will fight, I’ll fight to the death.”
Eddie Alvarez currently competes for ONE Championship, a promotion Alvarez has called home since 2019. Alvarez is 1-1 in the promotion and has lost two of his last three fights overall.
How do you think a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Eddie Alvarez would play out?
As marvelously as Conor McGregor performed in his 2020 victory over Donald Cerrone, much of the attention was placed on what Cerrone didn’t do as opposed to what McGregor did do. Whenever there’s a Conor McGregor fight, the A-listers come out, including the biggest names in sports media, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Smith opined that Cerrone looked like he quit during the loss to McGregor and was widely ridiculed for those remarks. Although later that year, Cerrone himself stated that he ‘didn’t want to be there,‘ when everything was still fresh after the fight, Smith’s remarks weren’t taken well by many within the MMA community, including Joe Rogan as you’ll see in the below article published on this day two years ago.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 1:20 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan Responds To Stephen A. Smith: I Like You, But You’re Wrong
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Joe Rogan has responded to Stephen A. Smith and he’s sticking to his guns.
Rogan and Smith are in a disagreement over Stephen A.’s assessment of Donald Cerrone’s performance at UFC 246. Smith called Cerrone’s efforts against Conor McGregor, “atrocious” and said that Cerrone looked to have “gave up.”
“Listen Stephen A. Smith, I guess I should respond. You’re a very entertaining guy. Like you a lot and I appreciate the props you gave me in that video, but you’re wrong. ‘Cowboy’ got f*cked up with those shoulders in the clinch. He had Conor’s arms tied up and they’re in tight spaces. Conor dips low and slams this bone of his shoulder into the nose. And he’s at the beginning of the round, Conor’s a f*cking super explosive guy. Super explosive, all muscle. Just f*cking pulled tight at the beginning of the fight and just, ‘Bang! Bang!’ He got off good shots and ‘Cowboy’ was confused.”
Rogan went on to disagree with the notion that Cerrone quit.
“Stephen A. Smith said that he felt like ‘Cowboy’ quit. He did not quit. He got smashed.”
Another problem Rogan has with Stephen A. is that he doesn’t think “Cowboy’s” credibility and status were taken into account with his remarks.
“It’s also who you’re talking about. You’re talking about a guy who has the most fights in the UFC, the most finishes in the UFC, the most head kick knockouts in the UFC, the most bonuses in the UFC. ‘Cowboy’ is a f*cking legend. He is as tough as they come. He’s lost before, every human can lose. Especially you’re fighting guys like Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal and these f*cking animals that he’s fighting. Or Conor, and Conor literally broke his face. He broke his nose and he broke his orbital bone. So Stephen A. Smith responded and then Conor responded. Conor told him to apologize and Conor’s right.”
The following article was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day In MMA History…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2019, 12:33 PM]
Title: Khabib Receives Nine-Month Suspension & $500,000 Fine
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has received his punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
Nurmagomedov was awaiting a final punishment for his role in the UFC 229 brawl. After submitting Conor McGregor back in October 2018, Nurmagomedov leaped into the crowd and went after the “Notorious” one’s teammate Dillon Danis. This sparked a brawl and punches were thrown from Nurmagomedov’s team.
At a commission hearing earlier today (Jan. 29), it was determined that “The Eagle” will be suspended for nine months and fined $500,000. Nurmagomedov’s suspension can be reduced to six months if he partakes in an anti-bullying PSA. The suspension is retroactive to Oct. 6.
Nurmagomedov’s ruling was handed down before McGregor’s. The “Notorious” one ended up being suspended for six months retroactive to Oct. 6 and he must pay a $50,000 fine. Nurmagomedov’s teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov also received suspensions. Both men have been suspended for one year retroactive to Oct. 6 and will each pay a $25,000 fine.
Nurmagomedov took to his Twitter account and clearly wasn’t so enamored with McGregor’s suspension:
Many aren’t expecting Nurmagomedov to fight this summer as he will be celebrating Ramadan. It’s also unlikely that he will compete without Abubakar and Tukhugov in his corner.
What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s suspension?
Prior to the epic encounter between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 that saw Zhang emerge victorious via split decision, there was already some tension between the two athletes as evident in the below article.
The following article was published on this day two years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 4:59 PM]
Headline: Weili Zhang Takes Aim At Joanna Jedrzejczyk Over Coronavirus Joke
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk is under fire for making a joke aimed at Weili Zhang involving the deadly coronavirus.
According to CBS News, the death toll caused by the coronavirus has risen to 132. Over 5,900 cases have been confirmed in China. Zhang was born in Handan, China.
Jędrzejczyk Makes Controversial Joke, Zhang Responds
Jędrzejczyk, who is set to challenge Zhang for the UFC strawweight championship on March 7, shared an image poking fun at Zhang by using the current epidemic. The post has been deleted, but you can see the picture below.
Zhang Fires Back, Jędrzejczyk Tries To Clear The Air
Taking to Instagram, Zhang responded to Jędrzejczyk and made it clear that she feels the joke was out of line.
“To make fun of tragedy is a true sign of ones character. People are dying, someones father, someones mother, someones child. Say what you want about me if it makes you feel stronger but do not joke about what’s happening here. I wish you good health until March 7th. I will see you soon.”
Jędrzejczyk attempted to clear the air on sharing the post but she also threw in another dig at the 115-pound champion in a selfie video (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“Hey champ. Hey Weili. I’m so sorry to make you feel bad, but I’d never make fun of sick people or a virus. I didn’t want you to get offended. I just made fun of the funny internet meme. So, so sorry, but still, I’ll see you March 7. Don’t get emotional, OK?”
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