MMA News

Author: Matt Boone

  • Archives: McGregor Involved In Bar Fight With Brazilian Fan? (2015)

    Yesterday, we ran a story of Conor McGregor singing the praises of old rival José Aldo in defense of his former rival against those who have ‘forgotten’ him. On this day seven years ago, however, their feud was at peak levels.

    In fact, if taken seriously, McGregor was even feuding with some random countrymen of Aldo, including in an alleged pub brawl that predated the infamous pub punch that McGregor was charged for four years later.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 20, 2015, 12:47 PM]

    At the UFC 189 “World Tour” press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Friday, an interesting exchange took place between Conor McGregor and a Brazilian fan.

    During the fan portion of the question-and-answer session, one fan, in particular, claimed that he got punched by McGregor at a “pub” on Thursday night. He continued by taunting McGregor, saying “he’s still here.”

    McGregor responded, “you cried like a bitch, I remember you!”

    Whether or not this was a fan joking around and McGregor simply went along with it, remains to be seen, but McGregor and UFC President Dana White, both of whom, along with UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo, were all in attendance to promote their UFC 189 main event, sure had big smiles on their face.

    For those who missed it, you can watch the first stop in the UFC 189 “World Tour” press conference below.

    Headlined by the UFC Featherweight Championship bout between Aldo and McGregor, with a co-main event of Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald for the UFC Welterweight Championship, UFC 189 takes place on Saturday, July 11th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Archives: Jones, DC Caught On Tape Talking Trash In Parking Lot (2016)

    The following article was published on this day six years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Six Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 12, 2016, 10:48 AM]

    If you thought the trash-talk between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was intense on-camera, wait until you hear what they have to say to each other when they think they’re not on camera.

    Footage leaked this week that shows Jones and Cormier talking trash to each other as they walked to their cars after the UFC “Unstoppable” press conference last weekend.

    Transcribed below is a recap of what Jones and D.C. said to each other on the way to their cars after the press event, which you can see in the video footage embedded above.

    Jon Jones: “You’re the lamest b*tch ass I’ve ever met, bro.”
    Daniel Cormier: “What does that make you?”
    Jones: “Talking all this sh*t outside with your bodyguards.”
    Cormier: “When have I ever backed down from a fight with you?”
    Jones: “Daniel, suck my d*ck, man. F*ck your cheerleading squad.”

    UFC 197: Cormier vs. Jones II is scheduled for April 23, 2016 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Make sure to join us here at MMANews.com on 4/23 for the best UFC 197 live results coverage on the web!

    H/T to MMAMania.com for transcribing.

  • Archives: Esparza & Jędrzejczyk Offended By Fedor’s Comments (2015)

    Months ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov made headlines after implying that women’s mixed martial arts is inferior to men’s mixed martial arts. Specifically, Khabib used Julianna Peña’s victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 as an example in support of his claim and, unsurprisingly, Peña took issue with these remarks.

    Seven years ago, another Russian MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko, made very similar remarks. And then-champion Carla Esparza as well as Joanna Jędrzejczyk both were offended, not unlike Julianna Peña years later.

    The following article was published on this day seven years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 12, 2015, 1:48 PM]

    At the UFC 185 open workouts on Wednesday, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza and number one contender Joanna Jędrzejczyk took exception to recent comments made by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.

    During a recent WHOA TV interview, the former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko controversially stated that he felt MMA is a man’s sport, adding that women have no business fighting in MMA.

    Esparza and Jędrzejczyk, who compete in the co-main event this Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, disagree.

    “I like him so much and he’s a living legend,” Jędrzejczyk said. “But I think we can do a pretty good job, you know? I think it’s not right. We can fight good, we can bring the audience and we can make the show better. That’s all.”

    “Facts speak for themselves,” Esparza agreed. “He’s one of the greats. I have nothing against him. Maybe we differ a little bit in opinion. You know, I think Ronda and the crowd she brought in to LA, the proof is in the pudding. It shows right there.”

    Esparza continued, “I think female MMA is basically the biggest female sport out there right now. We’re being put on the same stage as the guys, and obviously, Ronda is headlining even above all the guys. It just goes to show, we’re on top right now.”

    “Some people are always going to feel the way they feel. But I think day-by-day, fight-by-fight, I’m hearing those whispers a lot less than I used to I think if we go out there and keep showing that we have skills, that we have heart — I feel like a lot of times girls bring it even more than the guys just with their tenacity and they’re just non-stop. That’s why it is where it is right now because they keep proving themselves.”

    Esparza concluded, “We’re legit and we’re here to stay. Nothing is going to stop this momentum that’s been going with the women.”

    What do you think about Fedor’s comments about WMMA?

  • (Archives) Rousey: I Could Beat 100% Of UFC’s Male BW Fighters (2015)

    At one point, Ronda Rousey was viewed by many to be indestructible and borderline unbeatable. No one believed this more than Rousey, who thought that she would have been literally unbeatable against the men’s UFC bantamweight roster.

    The following article was published on this day seven years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 5, 2015, 3:59 PM]

    Following her 14-second destruction of the previously undefeated Cat Zingano at UFC 184 this past Saturday night, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey turned some heads with comments she made during an appearance on the ESPN program “SportsCenter.”

    Rousey, who appeared on the sports talk show on Thursday, stated that she “could beat 100 percent” of the UFC Men’s Bantamweight fighters.

    “I never say that I’m incapable of beating anybody, because I don’t believe in putting limits on myself,” said Rousey. “So I mean, I would have to say if you’re just talking about what’s in the realm of possibility of what’s possible of who I could beat, well I could beat 100 percent of them. You can’t tell me that there’s a zero percent chance that I can beat anyone on the planet, so I’m never gonna say that.”

    Rousey continued, “It’s not that they’re lacking anything so much. They decided later in life that they wanted to be a fighter. A lot of these girls already developed a personality and had a life and one day they decided, ‘I’m gonna give it a try.’ Whereas, this is literally what I was raised to do.”

    Looking back on her dominant performance over Zingano this past weekend at UFC 184, which may have been ordered by more than 500,000 homes on pay-per-view, Rousey said she felt it was nearly a flawless performance.

    “I looked through it and there literally isn’t a single wasted movement the entire fight,” said Rousey. “I wish I could have reacted a little sooner maybe with her charging at me. I can’t say a single bad thing about it, except for my reaction time in the beginning. If you watch it frame by frame, literally I did a backwards cartwheel off my face. I didn’t plan that at all. But if that’s your reaction at the moment, I guess you planned something right.”

  • Archives: Arianny Celeste Calls Rousey A Bully, Rousey Responds (2015)

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 26, 2015, 12:54 PM]

    UFC Octagon girl Arianny Celeste is not taking kindly to Ronda Rousey’s recent statement that fighters should make more than UFC’s Octagon girls.

    The longtime UFC employee told the folks at MMA Junkie Radio earlier this week that Rousey is a “big bully” who “continuously picks on me..” Rousey, however, has a different take.

    “What did I say that was a bully?” Rousey said at a recent media scrum, which you can watch above via MMAFighting.com. “That the fighters should get paid more than the ring girls? How does that make me a bully? That makes me f*cking right. I’m sorry, but she wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the fighters. She wouldn’t. You think her walking in circles around the two guys or two girls out there fighting for their lives is worth more? Think she works harder than they do?”

    In 2012, Rousey took some shots at Celeste when the two were both ranked in Maxim’s Hot 100 list. Rousey, who was not in the UFC at the time, stated the following:

    “It would have been really funny if I’d beaten Arianny Celeste, because that would be like a triathlete coming along and beating the runners in a marathon,” Rousey said at the time. “Like, ‘Haha, it’s your job to show your t*ts – I do that better than you!’ Maybe next year. She’s only getting older, and I’m reaching my prime.”

    During her radio appearance earlier this week, Celeste elaborated on her position, explaining why she tries to separate herself from the “MMA world.”

    “I’m not going to talk about her because I’m not a fighter,” Celeste said. “I’m not going to waste my time. I actually don’t talk about anyone. It blows my mind that someone who doesn’t even know me continuously picks on me. And that’s all I see her as: a big bully.”

    Rousey feels Celeste is taking things personally, and offered a bit of advice for the UFC employee.

    “You know what would have been the best thing for her to say?” Rousey said. “‘Oh my God, you know, these fighters work so hard and I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for them. I just admire them so much. And yeah, I definitely think that they should get paid more than anybody in the arena tonight.’ There ya go. That’s a PR lesson for her.”

    While Rousey may not be Celeste’s biggest fan, she did explain that she has no issue with Octagon girls in general, pointing out the fact that she has respect for UFC Octagon girl Brittney Palmer.

    “She went and became a ring card girl to pay her way through art school and become a renowned artist,” Rousey said. “And her being ring card girl helps her promote her art. If you’re working at Hooters because you’re trying to pay your way through medical school, then f*ckin’ work it girl. I respect the hustle. But don’t think you’re hot sh*t just because you work at Hooters. Use it to further yourself in life; don’t think that you’re awesome just because you do that. I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed with the job in itself.”

    Rousey makes her Octagon return at UFC 184 this Saturday night in Los Angeles, California, as she defends the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against undefeated number one contender Cat Zingano.

  • [ARCHIVES] Joe Rogan Says PEDs Are An “Epidemic” In MMA (2015)

    The following article was published on this day seven years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 13, 2015, 4:16 PM]

    Headline: Joe Rogan Says PEDs Are An “Epidemic” In MMA

    In light of the recent PED problem in the sport of MMA, longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan went on a rant about the subject on his latest podcast, referring to the situation as a legitimate “epidemic.”

    “The UFC and MMA, in general, is a steroid epidemic,” said Rogan. “They’ve started this really stringent testing and everybody is getting popped. They’re just getting popped left and right. It’s one of the things fighters have been saying for a long time, that everyone is on steroids, a huge percentage. Give a number 50, 60 [percent]. Whatever the f**k it is that are on steroids.”

    Rogan touched on the highest-profile case in recent weeks, that being Anderson Silva.

    “Anderson was coming back from a broken leg and he tested positive for metabolites,” said Rogan. “It was leaving his system, a very trace amount. If that was the case, it could very well be that he got on some steroids to heal up quicker. Because what steroids do, is they allow you to recover quicker.

    “So if he’s 39 years old and he broke his f***ing leg, you’re talking about a long-ass period of recovery. Or you take steroids and you recover in nine months instead of 15 months or fill in the blank. That could be what’s going on, but the reality is it’s illegal. You can’t do it. If it takes you 15 months, the excuse can’t be, ‘I’m going to give you some illegal drugs so you heal quicker. This is the only reason you take these drugs. Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine.’ No, you’re never allowed to take steroids.”

    Rogan also shared his thoughts on Hector Lombard’s positive test, news of which came out this week.

    “This thing that Hector Lombard got popped for, I’ve never even heard of this s**t before,” said Rogan. “It’s apparently a designer anabolic steroid, so what I think that means is that it’s one of these steroids that’s been concocted to get around the rules.

    “The test are getting way more sophisticated, so who knows? Lombard must have thought that he couldn’t get in trouble for this s**t. I don’t understand it.”

    Check out the latest Joe Rogan Experience podcast by clicking here.

  • Archives: Liddell Says Rousey Needs Striking Help, Offers Training (2016)

    In this article published on this day six years ago, Chuck Liddell offered to help Ronda Rousey improve her striking skills after “Rowdy” suffered her first career loss at the hands of decorated striker Holly Holm at UFC 196.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Six Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2016, 1:19 PM]

    Title: Chuck Liddell Calls Holly Holm A “Real Striker,” Says Rousey Needs Help & Offers To Train Her

    TMZ.com recently caught up with UFC Hall Of Famer Chuck Liddell, who claims he would happily help Ronda Rousey train her striking, which he admitted she needs if she wants to beat UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and former multiple-time women’s boxing champion Holly Holm in a rematch.

    “The Iceman” is one of the clearest-cut examples in the short history of MMA of an elite striker who only used his wrestling and grappling ability to avoid going to the ground or help him get back to his feet if he was taken down. For proof, look no further than the all-time record for knockouts in UFC history, which is still held by Liddell at 13 KOs in 23 appearances inside the Octagon.

    For the record, former women’s boxing champion Laila Ali agrees with Liddell as well.

    Liddell was asked about Rousey’s trainer Edmond Tarverdyan, who as a former professional boxing trainer is the man responsible for Rousey’s level of striking ability, and admitted that she isn’t on former women’s boxing champion Holly Holm’s level when it comes to striking.

    “Is it the guy who told her she could out-strike Holly Holm? Is that the same guy?” said Liddell in sarcastic fashion when asked about Tarverdyan by the TMZ reporter.

    After the comedic portion of his response, Liddell followed up with a politically correct statement regarding the improvement Tarverdyan has helped Rousey obtain in the striking department since the former Olympic gold medalist in Judo made the transition to mixed-martial-arts.

    “Ronda’s striking has greatly improved. He’s done a great job with her striking,” said Liddell after giving his opinion that Holm is still on another level in the striking department compared to Rousey. Liddell pointed out the fact that there’s a significant gap in talent between a “real pro striker,” which he called Holm, and Rousey, who is a decorated Judo player that has been adding striking to her game the past few years.

    Whether or not Rousey seeks out Liddell’s assistance in helping her further develop her stand-up game remains to be seen, however, she may have a chance to prove he and the critics wrong as it was announced by UFC President Dana White this week that November is when Rousey is likely to fight for the title, as she is expected to challenge the winner of the UFC 196 co-main event between Holly Holm and Miesha Tate for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

    Unfortunately for Rousey, she will have to do it without help from Edmond Tarverdyan on fight night.

  • Archives: Cyborg On Ronda Rousey’s Loss: It’s Sad (2016)

    The following story from six years ago is published in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Six Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 15, 2016, 11:57 AM]

    Headline: Cyborg On Rousey’s Loss: It’s Sad, I Can’t Say Anything Bad About Her

    After years of trash-talk, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino seems to be developing a soft spot for Ronda Rousey.

    During a recent interview, Justino shared her thoughts on the public reaction to Rousey’s first MMA loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November. Cyborg explained why no fighter likes to lose, however, she admits it does show you who really has your back and who doesn’t.

    Cyborg offered the following comments regarding Rousey’s loss while promoting her own title defense against Daria Ibragimova at the Invicta FC 15 this Saturday, relating to the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion because of her own past troubles in public when she dealt with the reaction to her failed steroid test.

    “It’s terrible. When you’re there, everybody is with you. I feel sorry about this. I know this, because before something happened in my career — the doping — and before everybody is with you [and then they’re not]. But I love my fans. Some fans kept with me and I’m sure she has that, too. It’s sad, but sometimes it’s good so you can see who’s with you. You can see who you really have to appreciate. This is not nice. Losing a fight, winning — it happens. But these people make fun. … I know it’s not nice.”

    While she is understanding of the situation, she did say that Rousey should use this experience to work on being careful about what she says before a fight, pointing out the fact that it might come back around if you lose.

    “I know she hurts now and I know depression. Always you can lose. You can lose, you can win. It’s not embarrassing. It’s embarrassing when you speak before you fight. It’s embarrassing speaking bad. I think you have to work hard on what you say, because if you lose, when you come back from the airport you have to have a pillow on your face. I think she’d like to use this to challenge herself and get better. To come in and change. Something bad in life has to happen before you change and grow. I can’t say anything bad about her. She’s been good for women’s MMA. She opened a lot of doors. I know I [fought] before her, but she had opportunities and she’s handled it and helped everybody.”

  • (Archives) Quote: WWE Won’t Want “Broken” Rousey After UFC 207 (2017)

    On this day five years ago, we ran a story about former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman stating that the WWE would never want Ronda Rousey after Rousey’s crushing loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. One year later, this happened…

    Ronda Rousey wins Raw Women's Title at Summerslam - Sports Matters TV

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 8, 2017, 7:08 PM]

    Headline: Jonathan Coachman: WWE Won’t Be Interested In “Broken Star” Rousey After UFC 207

    Former WWE broadcast team member turned ESPN analyst Jonathan Coachman made headlines in the MMA world this week.

    In a new interview with SIRIUS-XM “Busted Open Radio Show,” Coachman spoke about Rousey’s devastating 48-second knockout loss to Amanda Nunes in the main event of UFC 207, her second KO loss in a row inside the Octagon. The current ESPN analyst who came up in the sports / sports media industry, spent years working on-camera in WWE before making the transition to ESPN, claims his former place of employment won’t have much interest in the pioneer of Women’s MMA any longer.

    “When she lost, not only was she devastated but she admitted that some thoughts that went through her head were not good ones,” said Coachman, before adding, “Hopefully, she understands that she [has] gone much [further] than almost any female in really sports in the last 15 years.”

    “The Coach” continued, “As far as WWE is concerned, they don’t bring in .. and I refer to her as a broken star .. because that’s what she is, she’s broken from a professional sense .. they don’t rebuild broken celebrities outside of the WWE.”

    According to Coachman, who works alongside Bellator MMA star and former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen on multiple recent ESPN broadcasts covering MMA, Rousey “showed a lot

    “They go after, if you’re bringing in somebody from the outside, they go after people with a certain type of makeup and Ronda Rousey showed all of us that, how she responded to a loss, showed a lot about what she’s made of,” Coachman explained. “I’m not saying that’s good, I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m just saying as far as the kind of person you want to go after and build a program around. To bring her in the WWE and build up this perception of what her reality is not, you can’t do that.”

    Coachman concluded, “And you can’t disappear, guys, for 13 months from the fight game and then come back and expect all of us to think you’re going to be as nasty as you were before.”

  • Archives: Garbrandt Storms Off Joint-Interview To Look For Cruz (2016)

    Cody Garbrandt has always been a bit of a hothead, and fans at home caught a live glimpse of this in 2016.

    Tonight, both Cody Garbrandt and Dominick Cruz will be competing at UFC 269, but much has changed since their 2016 bout. For one thing, neither man is in the top 5 at bantamweight anymore. In Garbrandt’s case, he isn’t even in the division at all.

    But five years ago, Garbrandt had all the momentum in the world and an undefeated record. He also had a deep animosity for then-champion Dominick Cruz ahead of their UFC 207 bout. Don’t believe me? Look no further than the following article we ran five years ago.

    The following article is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 28, 2016, 8:38 PM]

    Headline: Video: Garbrandt Storms Off Joint-Interview With Cruz, Goes Looking For Him

    Author: Matt Boone

    Well, tensions are definitely rising, folks!

    During their latest split-screen joint television interview, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and Team Alpha Male contender Cody “No Love” Garbrandt reached their boiling point.

    Featured above is an excerpt from the joint interview, which aired via The Fight Network based out of Canada, and saw Garbrandt threaten to leave and find Cruz, who he mentioned was only one room over from where he was currently sitting.

    At that point, Garbrandt took his microphone off and apparently went in search of the reigning UFC 135-pound champion.

    One day he won’t have to look for Cruz is this Friday, as Garbrandt becomes the latest member of the Team Alpha Male camp to try and dethrone the UFC’s longtime 135-pound champion when the two meet in the co-main event of Friday’s UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey pay-per-view event.

    UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, airing live on pay-per-view this Friday, December 30th. Join us here at MMANews.com on Friday evening for live round-by-round results coverage of the UFC 207 pay-per-view.

    For more of The Fight Network’s coverage of UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey, visit their official website at FightNetwork.com.

  • Flashback To Peña Letting Rousey Know Who Was BW’s Biggest “Bully”

    UFC 269 headliner Julianna Peña has never been one to bite her tongue.

    Tonight, Julianna Peña will look to back up her hefty pre-fight talk when she takes on Amanda Nunes in the UFC 269 main event. One might even say that Peña has been attempting to bully Nunes ahead of their bout. Of course, Nunes has never been one to back down, and we saw that in the UFC 269 pre-fight press conference.

    Nevertheless, Peña has always been assertive and strong-willed, even when women’s MMA was synonymous with alpha female “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.

    Ronda Rousey
    Image Credit: Getty Images

    In 2015, Peña came to Arianny Celeste’s defense against the “bully” Ronda Rousey, and she didn’t stop there. She returned with some more choice words for the then UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

    During an appearance on Submission Radio in March of 2015, Peña shared her thoughts on a potential match against the former 135-pound champ.

    “Where I would hold the advantage is that I would not be mentally broken before the fight ever started, which I feel is sometimes to me – in my opinion – what seems to be the case with these other women that are facing her,” said Pena.

    Julianna Pena, Ronda Rousey
    Julianna Pena, Ronda Rousey

    “They already look dead upon arrival when they’re in the cage with her and I refuse to be shaken,” Pena continued. “I’ve been bullied my whole life and I just feel like she’s been a bully, and I feel like in the sense that I’m the bully and I’m a bigger bully than she can imagine, and I think that I would also have the advantage in the sense that I’m not afraid wherever the fight goes.”

    In the same aggressive fashion that Peña called for a fight against Amanda Nunes, she was equally as vocal about potentially facing Ronda Rousey for years. However, that “battle of the bullies” never materialized.

    Fortunately for us, though, the fight between Peña and Nunes has and will go down in a matter of hours at UFC 269.

    Who do you think would have won a fight between Julianna Peña and Ronda Rousey?

  • [ARCHIVES] Aldo Says “POS” McGregor Didn’t Keep His Word

    [MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

    The following article was published five years ago, where tonight’s UFC Vegas 44 headliner José Aldo accused McGregor of backing out of a deal they had made prior to their UFC 194 bout. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 14, 2016, 5:48 PM]

    Former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo recently spoke out about a pre-fight agreement made with UFC officials prior to his title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 194 and explained how “The Notorious” Irishman broke his word immediately after the fight.

    Aldo told Portal Vale Tudo that prior to losing his title to McGregor at the UFC 194 pay-per-view that both he and McGregor agreed to vacate the Featherweight title after the fight — regardless of who won — and move up to the Lightweight division where they were told they would then receive an immediate shot at the UFC Lightweight title.

    “I won’t accept another fight if it’s not for the belt. When we signed the contract, the intention was that the winner would fight at lightweight, but we would need to abandon the featherweight belt.”

    Aldo continued, explaining that after that, if they wanted to return to the Featherweight division, they would again immediately receive a shot at whoever the champion would be at that point in the weight class.

    “That was the plan, that’s what they told us. If we fought at lightweight, win or lose, and then had the opportunity to fight at featherweight again, it would be for the title immediately. I think they gave him too much power and he’s playing now, calling the shots more than the others. I think that’s wrong, no one ever did that.”

    In conclusion, Aldo said that it’s not so much that the “piece of sh*t” McGregor broke his word, but it’s a sign that it shows it is McGregor, not Dana White or another UFC executive, that appears to be calling the shots in the UFC lately.

    “It doesn’t matter if it’s about money or not at this point, what matters is show who calls the shots, who’s the boss, and not just a piece of s–t talking about things you see. He doesn’t deserve to be where he is. I’ve always respected all the merits, but he had more luck than merits.”

    (H/T for transcribing: MMAFighting.com)

  • [ARCHIVES] Wife Says UFC Tried To Get Aldo To Fight McGregor Hurt

    [MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

    Tonight, José Aldo will be headlining UFC Vegas 44 opposite Rob Font, and hopefully he’ll be doing so at 100%. The following is an article about a time his wife accused the UFC of trying to get Aldo to fight arguably the biggest fight of his career while injured. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 8, 2015, 6:13 PM]

    As we draw closer to this Saturday’s UFC 194 pay-per-view featuring the UFC Featherweight Championship unification bout between José Aldo and Conor McGregor, controversy over their originally scheduled fight at UFC 189 is starting to come to light thanks to the wife of the linear UFC 145-pound champion.

    Aldo’s wife, Vivianne Pereira, recently spoke with Brazilian media outlet Combate and made the claim that UFC President Dana White called her husband and tried to get him to fight McGregor at UFC 189 as scheduled, despite the fact that he was suffering from a painful rib injury.

    “Dana [called], talking about numbers. ‘It’s millions of dollars that you’re losing. You have to fight. You’ve never made this in your life’. [Jose] trying everything, doing everything. They didn’t want to announce it because who else would they put in the fight? They spent millions on the fight. How would they say he broke his rib? They didn’t want to admit they held it back, threw that on us, and we were saying it was broken.”

    UFC has since responded to the claims made by Aldo’s wife. A UFC official issued the following statement to MMAFighting.com.

    “Jose’s health and safety were always a priority and we worked closely with he and his team to ensure that he had access to the best medical care and consultation after sustaining the injury. We respect and understand that he could not proceed with the fight at UFC 189 due to the injury. Both fighters have now arrived in Las Vegas for this historic event, and we’re excited that UFC 194 is just days away.”

    Fans know the rest of the story. Aldo pulled out of the fight on very short notice and top contender Chad Mendes, who was paid by UFC to be on standby in case either fighter had to pull out, stepped in and fought McGregor in an interim title fight. “The Notorious” one went on to knock out Mendes in the second round to set the stage for another Aldo-McGregor show to close out the year.

    And we’re almost there!

    UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor takes place this Saturday, December 12th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on pay-per-view. Make sure to visit MMANews.com on Saturday evening for the absolute best UFC 194 live results on the web!