One of the judges working on the Cain Velasquez attempted murder case has requested extra security in light of recent alleged threats.
The former UFC heavyweight champion Velasquez was arrested last week after allegedly attempting to murder a suspected child predator, Harry Eugene Goularte, who allegedly molested one of Velasquez’s young relatives. Velasquez ended up allegedly shooting Goularte’s stepfather instead of Goularte during a high-speed chase near San Jose, CA.
Velasquez faces a minimum of 20 years in prison if convicted on the charges. He is being held at a Bay Area jail after a judge denied bail to Velasquez, prompting quite the response from Velasquez’s legal team.
In a recent interview with NBC Bay Area, former sheriff’s lieutenant Mark Garcia addressed the reasoning behind one of the judges being concerned for their safety.
“No, I’m not surprised at all,” Garcia said. “You look at each and every case and you also do a threat assessment. And you come up with an idea and the tools necessary to provide them safety.”
The identity of the judge hasn’t been disclosed and extra patrols are expected to be utilized around the judge’s home in the coming weeks during the Velasquez investigation.
Velasquez last competed in the UFC back in 2019, suffering a first-round knockout to Francis Ngannou. Many current and former UFC fighters, including Ronda Rousey and Derek Brunson, have spoken out in favor of Velasquez and his alleged actions.
What are your thoughts on the Cain Velasquez situation?
UFC President Dana White believes welterweight contender Colby Covington violated “man code” with his pre-fight trash talk leading up to UFC 272.
This past weekend, Covington bounced back from his second loss to reigning 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman in a fairly similar fashion to how he did the first time—a dominant main event victory.
While 2020 saw him do so in a fight night headliner with Tyron Woodley, Saturday’s event saw him take his bitter rivalry with former teammate and friend Jorge Masvidal to the Octagon on the pay-per-view stage.
Across 25 minutes, “Chaos” implemented a grueling game plan that saw him tire out “Gamebred” with constant takedown attempts and an imposing wrestling game.
With that callout, the event ended with the same trash-talking tone that had been evident all week.
While Covington’s random attacks on Brazil and the relatives of former opponent Usman showed he’s capable of creating controversy no matter the scenario, it was clear the build-up to UFC 272 would be more intense given the former interim champ’s history with Masvidal.
“He’s a coward. It just shows his character,” said Masvidal. “And then he’ll sit there after a fight and try and shake a hand, and tell them, ‘The UFC was gonna cut me so I had to talk about Brazil, I had to talk about your wife to drive up the pay-per-views,’ when in current history, (he’s had) some of the worst pay-per-view selling, period. He doesn’t sell pay-per-views.
“I’m happy to stick it to him in that regard, and show for the future generations to see that like, you don’t have to talk about people’s wives, religion, and kids to sell pay-per-views,” Masvidal added. “This is the only way people talk about him. You hardly ever hear people talking about Colby’s performance.”
While some love and cheer Covington’s persona on, Masvidal certainly isn’t alone in his assessment of the #1-ranked welterweight’s comments.
White Agrees With Masvidal’s Criticism
Having been a key figure at the top of the UFC tree since 2001, Dana White has seen his fair share of trash talk, controversial moments, and polarizing fighters. Despite that, even he thinks Covington often crosses the line.
During the UFC 272 post-fight press conference, the UFC president was asked whether he agrees, like Masvidal, that family is off-limits when it comes to pre-fight back and forth.
White responded by sharing the same sentiment as “Gamebred” did last week, suggesting Covington’s words had violated “man code.”
“I agree with that, too,” said White. “It’s called man code. You either have it or you don’t.”
Takashi Sato will fill in for the injured Claudio Silva on 11 days’ notice against Nelson. Sato hasn’t fought in the Octagon since his submission loss to Miguel Baeza in November 2020.
Nelson has also spent a considerable amount of time away from MMA competition. He’s slated to make his first walk to the Octagon since his loss to former title challenger Gilbert Burns in September 2019. He’s lost back-to-back fights to Burns and Leon Edwards.
Nelson’s last win came against Alex Oliveira at UFC 231, submitting Oliveira in the second round. He’s also picked up wins over Albert Tumenov and Alan Jouban over his recent stretch of fights.
Nelson will get a tough assignment against the short-notice replacement Sato. While Sato has lost two of his last three UFC fights, he’s an accomplished striker and could give Nelson plenty of headaches on the feet.
Nelson is mostly known for his grappling, as he’s demonstrated in past wins over Omari Akhmedov and DaMarques Johnson. Sato has earned gruesome knockouts over the likes of Jason Witt and Ben Saunders in the UFC.
Jorge Masvidal feels he missed a big opportunity to turn the tide in his grudge match against Colby Covington at UFC 272.
Masvidal fell via a unanimous decision to his former friend turned rival Covington. It was a war that lived up to the hype, but Covington got the better of a majority of the exchanges on the feet and ground.
Masvidal nearly rallied in Round 4 after landing a massive right hook to Covington’s chin midway through the round. The punch dropped Covington immediately, and he appeared badly wobbled by the blow.
However, instead of pushing forward with pressure and attempting to finish the fight, Masvidal appeared hesitant to pull the trigger and follow up the big punch.
During his UFC 272 post-fight press conference, Masvidal talked about that moment and his regrets about not capitalizing on the opportunity.
“Shit, and then I didn’t pounce on him after I dropped him,” Masvidal lamented. “I wasn’t surprised that he bounced up. I was surprised that I didn’t go and take his head off. I thought he was gonna shoot immediately on me, so I just (was) thinking of the wrong shit instead of just go and take his head off. I was tired; he was tired and hurt.
“That was my chance right there. That was that window of five, six seconds to give it all I got, and make a sprint, and make a big change. Maybe I could’ve made that round 10-8, 10-7, who knows? But I didn’t take that opening.”
Masvidal has now lost three fights in a row, including back-to-back defeats to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. His last win came against Nate Diaz in their BMF title matchup at UFC 244.
Masvidal signed a new deal with the UFC leading up to the fight with Covington and remains one of the promotion’s biggest stars. But he’ll need to get back in the win column in his next UFC outing to potentially earn a rematch against Covington down the line.
What were your thoughts on Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal?
UFC interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan is ramping up the mental warfare ahead of his rematch with official titleholder Aljamain Sterling.
Yan and Sterling will unify the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, FL, nearly a year after the two top bantamweights squared off at UFC 259. Sterling won the bout via disqualification following an illegal knee from Yan in the fourth round.
Tensions have continued to build between Sterling and Yan ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch. They were supposed to fight back at UFC 267, but Sterling pulled out with a lingering injury on short notice. Yan would go on to beat Cory Sandhagen for the interim title.
In a recent tweet, Yan had a bit of fun at Sterling’s expense and showed that there’s still no love lost between the two 135 pounders.
Sterling has yet to defend his bantamweight title since earning the belt controversially in his first matchup with Yan. The two fighters have accused each other of delaying the rematch and have gone back and forth on numerous occasions on social media.
Despite Sterling being the current bantamweight titleholder, it’s Yan who holds a spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Sterling will look to rewrite the script at UFC 273.
What is your prediction for Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2?
UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland shocked some in the MMA community when he apologized after joking about overweight women.
Strickland has been known for his out-of-the-Octagon endeavors arguably more than some of his successes inside of it. He is coming off an impressive main event victory over Jack Hermansson in his last fight.
Strickland has been known to cross the line on separate occasions in the opinions of some fans, especially when it comes to giving his thoughts on topics like homosexuality and, in this case, overweight women.
I shouldn't of made fun of the over weight woman.. not cool, moment of weakness sponsor ads just piss me off.. heart disease is real and fucked up. We shouldn't joke about it, i have fat family members. I'm sorry, I'll be better from now on.
“I shouldn’t have made fun of the over weight woman.. not cool,” Strickland said. “Moment of weakness sponsor ads just piss me off.. heart disease is real and fucked up. We shouldn’t joke about it, I have fat family members. I’m sorry, I’ll be better from now on.”
Strickland has been known to communicate without much of a filter in media interviews and on his various social media platforms. He has previously said that if he had a gay son, he would’ve felt he failed as a man.
Strickland has also said that he would take pleasure in murdering someone inside of an Octagon. This was met with critics around the UFC, including Belal Muhammad.
Strickland has never been afraid to speak his mind, which isn’t surprising to most UFC fans. But the fact that he’s still able to admit when he feels he did something wrong could be seen as a surprise to many.
What is your reaction to Sean Strickland apologizing?
Rafael dos Anjos is happy that Islam Makhachev must fight another bout before getting a title shot.
Rafael dos Anjos is coming off a big win this past weekend at UFC 272. Although his road to get there was a bit rocky, dos Anjos is now on a two-fight winning streak and making his way back up the rankings. His original opponent Rafael Fiziev was forced out of the bout last minute, and Renato Moicano stood in on short notice.
However, there was another man who dos Anjos was looking for. He was hoping Islam Makhachev would step in.
Makhachev last fought two weekends ago at UFC Vegas 49. He was toying with the idea of stepping on on a one-week turnaround to face dos Anjos, but in the end, he did not. Makhachev also lost his original opponent for his fight last minute but still walked away with the win.
Now, according to Dana White, it seems that Makhachev will have to fight one more time before receiving a title shot, much to dos Anjos’ satisfaction.
“That’s the price (Makhachev) pays for playing politics, playing these little games,” he told The MMA Hour via The Score. “He had his title shot secured, now he’s going to fight another one.”
Makhachev’s original opponent was Beneil Dariush. A win over him would have all but sealed a title shot. However, the win over Bobby Green may not hold as much weight. dos Anjos believes Makhachev’s offer to step in was not genuine and that he exposed this when he accepted Makhachev’s condition for the fight to take place at 170.
“I called his bluff,” he said. “I think that’s what it was. His team probably thought that I wouldn’t take this fight at 170. But you know what? I was training, I didn’t want to waste a whole fight camp, I hadn’t fought for 16 months. I just wanted to go there and fight someone.”
dos Anjos and Makhachev have been booked to fight one another on multiple occasions now. It seems that UFC 272 may have been the final chance to get it done, as they now appear to be on different courses.
Do you think Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev will fight each other one day?
Colby Covington wants to get paid more than his rival Jorge Masvidal following their grudge match at UFC 272.
Covington put on arguably one of the best performances of his career against Masvidal in the main event. He outstruck Masvidal on the feet statistically and smothered him on the ground to control the fight and earn a unanimous decision victory.
Before the grudge match, Masvidal and the UFC came to terms on a new deal that made him among the highest-paid fighters in the promotion. Now, Covington wants a bigger piece of the pie following his recent performances inside the Octagon.
During his UFC 272 post-fight press conference, Covington stated that he feels he deserves more money from the promotion after his dominant win over Masvidal
“I’d love it, I think I deserve it,” Covington said. “Jorge just signed his contract right before the right because he knew he was going to get his ass whooped. He wasn’t going to have any leverage or power to negotiate after I whoop his ass on Monday morning, so I want to be paid more than Jorge Masvidal now. He likes to rub that in this face that ‘oh I make more money, and this and that’. First off, no he doesn’t because he pays half of it to Maritza his ex-wife. So he doesn’t make more money than me. But secondly, I need to make more money than Jorge. He’s a flash in the pan, two-pump chump like his ex-wife Maritza said.
Colby Covington
“He’s 37 years old, I just turned 34 years old just before this fight. I’m in my prime, getting better every single day, and you haven’t seen the best of me. So I still got a long career ahead of me.”
Covington called out another former American Top Team teammate, Dustin Poirier following his win over Masvidal. Poirier has said in the past that he intends to move up to 170 pounds for his next fights, but it’s unclear if that’ll come to fruition.
Covington is expecting to return to the cage later this year and wants to be paid adequately for his efforts. This could potentially set up negotiations on a new deal between Covington and the UFC as soon as this week.
Who do you want to see Colby Covington fight next?
The beef between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington is not over just yet.
On Saturday night, Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington faced off in the main event of UFC 272. This bout could have ended their ongoing feud once and for all, but it seems it has not.
Masvidal and Covington used to be friends and training partners. This closeness allowed for more personal insults to be thrown both ways. Covington took it a step further and mentioned Masvidal’s family in some of his trash talk. This kind of thing is not so easily forgotten by Masvidal.
“Like I said, none of it is personal, but it just sucks because this idiot talked about my kids, you know?” he said during the UFC 272 post-fight press conference. “He’s still somebody, if I see him out on the streets, I’m gonna give him everything I got to break his fuckin’ jaw. It doesn’t matter if I lost wrestling scrambles tonight. I still think he’s a fuckin’ pussy.”
Instead, the two fought inside the Octagon last Saturday. This grudge match was an interesting one to fans, so much so that it warranted a non-title fight main event, which is rare for a PPV.
Fans were invested in the friendship turned heated feud being settled. However, judging from Masvidal’s comments, their beef is still going strong and may still spill onto the streets.
Would you be interested in a rematch between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington with or without the title on the line?
Kevin Holland is hoping to be quite active in 2022.
Holland had his first fight of the year on Saturday on the main card of UFC 272, which also marked his return to welterweight. On the regional scene, Holland fought at 170 but eventually moved up to middleweight where he had some success, including going 5-0 in 2020. Yet, after an 0-2 and one No Contest campaign in 2021, he made the drop down to 170lbs.
In his return to welterweight, Holland took on Alex Oliveira, and in the first round, he struggled early on. However, he came out guns blazing in the second round and got the TKO win. Following the victory, he made it clear he wants to fight as often as possible and recapture the success he has in 2020.
“Everything is about timing,” Holland said on The MMA Hour. “I had fun at ‘85, still plan on having some more fun there, so I can’t complain. I have a pretty decent name at ‘85. I was ranked 14 going into this fight, at middleweight. … You’ve got some of these guys ranked ahead of me at middleweight on some losing skids.
“If we’re just speaking here, just throwing out things, I feel like I could be ranked higher than those guys,” Holland continued. “And if we’re talking about 170, I would like to see where that goes. So no, [I don’t] wish that I did it sooner. I like where I’m sitting. I might be the only guy ranked at both weight classes, so it could be fun.”
After the win, Holland called out Donald Cerrone who’s fighting Joe Lauzon on May 7. Yet, in his post-fight press conference, he walked back on it and said he has his eyes set on Daniel Rodriguez, who’s coming off a decision victory over Kevin Lee back in August.
With Holland possibly being open to fighting at 185lbs again, he hopes he can get six fights in 2022.
“Shoot, if they’ve got something available next month at 185 pounds — because I don’t feel like going on a diet right this second — then I’ll do that, too,” Holland said.
“It would mess things up if I was shooting for something specifically. I’m just shooting to be an active guy. I’m just shooting to continue to grow and get experience and be a better fighter. So if I can fight five, six times this year, that’d be awesome. I like to fight a lot, so I can’t do every fight at 170 pounds if I’m gonna fight six times this year. There’s still some good fights at ‘85, so I’ll take whatever comes. I think an ‘85 fight sounds good right now if I want to go out and eat carne asada for the next few weeks.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
With the win at UFC 272, Kevin Holland is now 22-7 and one No Contest and will likely get a big name next. The Rodriguez fight does make sense, as the two were scheduled to fight one another on May 30, 2020, just two weeks after Holland beat Anthony Hernandez at middleweight, but Holland was forced out of the bout due to an injury.
Who would you like to see Kevin Holland fight next?
Terrance McKinney knows the day he becomes UFC champion is coming.
Terrance McKinney is coming off a big win at UFC Vegas 49 over Fares Ziam. McKinney is a rising star in the UFC lightweight division. He finds himself outside the top fifteen at the moment, but that is not stopping him from envisioning his first title fight.
McKinney is 12-3 in his professional MMA career, with two fights and two wins in the UFC. McKinney has his sights set on some big goals, but first, he says he will win the lightweight title.
“2023, that’s the goal to have my title fight that year,” McKinney told TMZ Sports. “It don’t matter who has the belt, I’m taking that fight. If it’s Islam, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, whoever has the belt that’s what I want.”
At just 27 years old, McKinney is showing that he can be a force in the 155-pound division. He has never gone the distance in his career, and now has seven submission victories and five TKO or KO wins. Despite his immense talent, there could still be a long way to go. The UFC lightweight division is filled with superstars. The top is jammed packed with killers and it seems like there could be a long waitlist for a title shot. In the meantime, McKinney is ready for whatever the UFC throws at him.
“I just take whoever they throw my way,” he said. “Whoever is brave enough to take it, let’s get it.”
With such a great showing in his last fight, McKinney could be looking at ranked opponents soon. If he can string together a few big wins, he could be on his way to fulfilling his prophecy.
Do you think Terrance McKinney is a future UFC champion at 155 pounds?
UFC featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell has a couple of notable fans in the political world in Donald Trump Jr. and Candace Owens.
Mitchell put on arguably a career-best performance against Edson Barboza at UFC 272. He smothered Barboza on the ground with his wrestling and was able to eliminate Barboza’s advances on the feet.
In the leadup to UFC 272, Mitchell made his voice heard on a variety of issues. He even gave an elaborate take on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During his UFC 272 pre-fight press conference, Mitchell said that he hopes the conflict doesn’t escalate into a global war and that he doesn’t intend to fight overseas if the U.S. government were to ever require it. After getting word of Mitchell’s comments, Trump Jr. endorsed Mitchell’s views on the issue.
Trump Jr. wasn’t the only political figure who liked what Mitchell had to say. Owens, a well-known conservative political commentator, gave a glowing review of Mitchell’s stance.
Didn’t think I could love the UFC more but here we are— Finally, a foreign policy perspective that is infinitely more comprehensive than those presented by our war-mongering politicians, propagandist journals, and criminal Biden & Clinton families combined. https://t.co/V1jXWhjhWU
“Didn’t think I could love the UFC more but here we are— Finally, a foreign policy perspective that is infinitely more comprehensive than those presented by our war-mongering politicians, propagandist journals, and criminal Biden & Clinton families combined,” Owens said.
While Mitchell’s views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been praised by many, some of his other views haven’t come without controversy. In a recent interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, he said that recent mass shootings around the United States were an inside job.
Nevertheless, Mitchell has also been praised for his intentions to donate half of his UFC 272 purse to youth in his native Arkansas. UFC President Dana White has since said that he intends to cover the amount that Mitchell previously intended on giving away to his local community.
As Mitchell’s star power continues to rise, so will the audience he’ll garner to hear his views on societal issues. For now, he already appears to have two willing endorsers in Owens and Trump Jr.
At UFC 272, Moroz did what she set out to do that night and left no room to talk. On Saturday, she shut down their rivalry by submitting the “Demonslayer” in the second round of their match.
Maryna Moroz and Mariya Agapova, Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Due to injuries, the Octagon has not seen the Ukrainian fighter for two years, yet she fought like she hasn’t missed a day.
Born in Vil’nohirs’k, Ukraine, Moroz fights while her family is at home. The immense pressure to fight that night, for herself and for her country, is an inspiration to many.
Fellow American Top Team member and decorated UFC fighter Joanna Jędrzejczyk showed nothing but respect for Moroz.
“Maryna Moroz was sitting here a minute ago. Guys, she put on a hell of a performance. It’s been two years, she hasn’t fought because of so many injuries. But we all know what’s happening in Ukraine, in Europe, and I think she deserves double bravo or respect (for) how she’s handling all of this. It’s hard. Her family is there, in Ukraine, fighting for life. So this girl has done really big things tonight. So big congrats Maryna. We are very happy for you,” Jędrzejczyk stated in a media scrum following UFC 272.
After the impressive win, Moroz was brought to tears in a post-fight interview when explaining the situation in Ukraine.
Moroz fought hard on March 5, and as the only female fighter in the UFC from Ukraine, she has shown how remarkable she truly is.
What are your thoughts on Maryna Moroz’s UFC 272 performance?
Making the most of his opportunity to address some recent comments, UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev has refuted claims made by both Dana White and Conor McGregor.
Despite extending his win streak to 10 with a dominant performance over Bobby Green just two weeks ago, much of the current discussion about Makhachev surrounds his apparent decision to turn down a short-notice fight against longtime rival Rafael dos Anjos.
After the withdrawal of Rafael Fiziev early in UFC 272 fight week, the former UFC lightweight champion was after a new opponent. While Makhachev appeared willing to step in on social media, RDA’s compatriot Renato Moicano was later revealed to be the chosen one.
Shortly after, White claimed he’d gone to sleep assuming a deal had been agreed for the Dagestani to complete quick turnaround, only for him to discover the #3-ranked 155lber had turned it down.
Dana, you went to bed to early, you gotta stay up late to get things done 😂😂😂 https://t.co/JaoXVwxHga
Giving a different take, the 30-year-old claimed he’d called the UFC to try and make the fight happen, not the other way around. However, he cited an important condition not being met as the reason the fight fell through.
“Dana said I turned down this fight, but Monday morning, when I wake up, I just saw some news, like ‘Fiziev have COVID. The fight is canceled.’ And I’ve been in California on vacation,” said Makhachev. “And I wake up and call my manager. ‘Hey, Ali [Abdelaziz], I saw some news. Please call UFC and say I’m ready (to) take this fight.’
“And I ask about some condition, very small condition, nothing (too big). And (neither UFC nor Ali called me). I (woke) up and I called Ali, and I tell him, ‘Hey, come talk with the UFC, please. I want this fight,” Makhachev continued. “But the UFC (didn’t) do it. That’s why it (didn’t) happen, and that’s it. People think UFC call me and tried to make this fight, but I call UFC, and I ask about this fight.”
While Makhachev didn’t delve further into details about the mentioned stipulation, his initial callout on social media included a request for it to be a welterweight bout. Perhaps the UFC or dos Anjos’ desire for a 160-pound catchweight, as the eventual UFC 272 co-main was fought at, led to negotiations collapsing.
Makhachev: McGregor Will Never Agree To Fight Me
Conor McGregor, Islam Makhachev
Elsewhere on his trail of calling out ‘fake news,’ Makhachev took aim at familiar foe McGregor. Given his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s history with the Irishman, it’s not surprising to see the Dagestani going back and forth with McGregor as his rise to the top of the lightweight division continues.
“I think this is fake. For the fans, they make (something) interesting, but I think this fake. It’s gonna be hard for him to make 155 because he drunk all day, and a lot of people gonna smash him in this division,” asserted Makhachev. “He just gonna fight vs. Nate Diaz or some old people (to) make some money and that’s it. He’s never gonna be champion. He’s never gonna be (at championship level).”
Having seen a decline in form since his defeat to Khabib in 2018, Makhachev doesn’t believe he’d have an issue dispatching McGregor. For that reason, he says McGregor would “never” accept the fight.
“He just play game. He never gonna take this fight. He just play a little bit game. Because he knows (it’s) gonna be long night for him,” claimed Makhachev. “What Khabib did with him, I’m gonna—because he’s not same now. When he fight with Khabib, (he was) in good shape, not drunk too much. But now, he have to retire. This guy have money, everything. But if he wanna come back, let’s do it. I’ll be happy to smash him.”
Having failed to book a rematch between Khabib and McGregor, whose first bout ended with a memorable brawl, perhaps the UFC and White will look for what may be the next best thing: ‘The Next Khabib’ Makhachev vs. the “Notorious” megastar.
How do you think a fight between Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor would play out?
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes that Dana White and his promotion may have decided to re-book Islam Makhachev’s fight with Beneil Dariush in order to lay the groundwork for Conor McGregor to return into a title bout.
At UFC Vegas 49, Makhachev added a 10th win to a lengthy win streak. After the withdrawal of Dariush, who suffered a broken fibula in training earlier in February, the Dagestani faced short-notice opponent Bobby Green, finishing him with ease in the first round.
Despite Green being unranked, many expected the win to secure Makhachev the spot immediately behind Justin Gaethje in the queue for a title shot. Judging by the #3-ranked contender and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments, they seemed to share that sentiment.
Dana on Islam/RDA: "I thought we had it done. I went to bed one of the nights I thought it was done and woke up the next morning and [Makhachev] turned it down."
While the revelation came as a surprise to some, not least to fans of Makhachev, renowned UFC personality and podcast host Joe Rogan believes he’s identified the method behind the promotion’s decision.
Talk of Conor McGregor, who’s been out of action since breaking his leg last July, returning to the Octagon straight into a title fight has increased in recent weeks, largely after White appeared to leave the door open to the idea.
According to Rogan, the UFC likely re-booked Makhachev vs. Dariush in order to set up a championship opportunity for the Irishman when he makes his comeback.
“When Dana said that Makhachev now has to fight Beneil Dariush before he can fight for the title, I think that sets up a Conor fight (for the title). I think that’s probably why he really did it,” Rogan said on his podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, this past week. “It’s kind of crazy.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
White Previously Slammed Those Criticizing A McGregor Title Shot
“Crazy” is perhaps the adjective used by a large portion of the MMA community. While some have suggested McGregor’s past achievements, immense drawing ability, and superstardom mean an immediate title fight, despite his two-fight skid, is justified, others have used it as another example of the rankings being wrongly discarded.
During an appearance on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, White responded to those who have criticized his willingness to have the former two-division champion return from injury straight into a title fight. He had some choice words for his detractors.
“The problem is, every time I do a f*cking interview, all anybody wants to ask is, ‘You think Conor McGregor will get a f*cking title shot?’ That’s all they f*cking ask,” said White. “So, I’m gonna say, ‘Well Conor McGregor isn’t anywhere near coming back yet, so I don’t know, let’s see what happens..’ It’s a dumb f*cking question for the media to ask, but the media asks dumb f*cking sh*t all day, every day. That’s what happens.
“And anybody who’s p*ssed off because Conor might f*cking get (a title shot), you’re a f*cking idiot too. If that p*sses you off, Jesus Christ. Calm down, buddy,” concluded White.
The effort to help Cain Velasquez has been put to a stop.
In light of the ongoing situation with Cain Velasquez and his criminal trial, fans and friends are trying to help. Velasquez was taken into custody by San Jose Police department and is being charged with several counts, including attempted murder. Velasquez is a popular figure in MMA and wrestling circles and has many people pulling for him.
Two GoFundMe accounts were set up to help raise money for Velasquez’s family and legal fees. Unfortunately for the people who were involved in either fund, they were taken down by GoFundMe due to policy.
“We can confirm that both fundraisers were removed, and all donors have been refunded,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told MMA Junkie. “GoFundMe prohibits raising money for the legal defense of a violent crime.”
Velasquez is currently being held without bail. His bail was denied on the case of his “reckless” behavior. The list of charges for Velasquez is as follows: attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count), and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count).
Bail will not be able to be requested again unless the list of charges changes somehow. Velasquez is a father and will remain in jail until his trial. The GoFundMe was set to help the family in this time as well.
There are many supporters of Velasquez who have been trying to help out any way they can. Although GoFundMe is not an option at this time, there are other ways that people are raising money. A #FreeCain campaign has been trending on social media as a way for people who are looking to support him and his family to come together.
What do you think of GoFundMe taking down these accounts?
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has revealed an event and opponent he’s targeting for his first Octagon appearance of 2022.
After suffering his first defeat in 2020, O’Malley made a splash last year, finishing all three of his opponents and collecting a trio of $50,000 bonuses along the way. Having secured a place in the rankings with his first-round victory over Raulian Paiva in December, it appeared 2022 was set to be a big one for “Sugar.”
Potentially giving up his nine-fight Las Vegas streak, the 26-year-old hinted that his first bout of 2022 could come at UFC 274, which is set to be held on May 7 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Interestingly, the last time O’Malley fought outside of Nevada was five years ago in Phoenix. On that night, he knocked out David Luzzo at LFA 11. He’ll be hoping for a similar result on his return to the city, but if his hopes come to fruition, he’ll be facing his toughest opponent to date, by far.
When asked if he has a name in mind for the event, O’Malley revealed he’s targeting a clash with veteran Brazilian Pedro Munhoz, who is currently ranked three places above the Montana native at #9.
“I’m thinking Pedro (Munhoz) but we will see. I’m going to make sure I can f*****g train full time and my f*****g s**t feels good,” said O’Malley. (h/t BJPenn.com)
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UFC 274 Set To Be Headlined By LW Title Fight
If a bout between O’Malley and Munhoz is added to the May 7 event, the card will grow in strength.
Elsewhere, UFC mainstays Shogun Rua, Ovince Saint Preux, and Donald Cerrone are expected to be in action, along with exciting names like Brandon Royval, Khaos Williams, and Michael Johnson.
While more fights will undoubtedly be announced over the coming weeks and months, fans will certainly now be keeping an eye out for the addition of “Sugar” Sean O’Malley to the PPV.
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Would you like to see Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz added to the UFC 274 card?
UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev is more convinced than ever to eventually move to welterweight after watching the UFC 272 main event.
Makhachev has been on a roll as of late with 10 straight victories. He most recently dismantled short-notice replacement Bobby Green in his second-career UFC main event at UFC Vegas 49.
Before the win over Green, Makhachev made quick work of top contenders such as Thiago Moisés and Dan Hooker.
Makhachev will more than likely have to face Beneil Dariush next, as UFC President Dana White recently hinted. However, he’s already got his eyes set not just on the lightweight title but also a chance to add his name to UFC lore.
“I’m gonna take this belt, defend like three, five times, and I’m gonna come to welterweight division,” Makhachev proclaimed.
UFC 272 featured a welterweight grudge match between top contenders Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. Makhachev sat cageside to watch Covington earn a unanimous decision win over his former American Top Teammate and friend Masvidal.
Despite Covington’s impressive performance, Makhachev garnered more motivation to eventually challenge the top welterweights in the UFC after watching the UFC 272 main event.
Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington
“I saw this fight, I witnessed front row, when Masvidal fight versus Colby. Honestly, I really believe I can beat these guys one night, both these guys.
“Because Colby, he have just wrestling. I can beat him easy….his striking is very (slow) and other guy, Masvidal, I think he’s so old now, he just makes some money, he have maybe couple more fights and he gonna retire.”
Makhachev Doesn’t Expect Relationship With Usman To Be An Issue
Following his latest win over Green at UFC Vegas 49, Makhachev hinted at a move up to welterweight, a division in which Kamaru Usman currently reigns as champion.
While Makhachev and Usman have the same manager and seem to have a solid friendship, that hasn’t deterred Makhachev from pursuing multiple UFC belts. This is because Makhachev doesn’t expect Usman to still be competing if he gets the fight against Canelo Álvarez he’s been pushing for.
Makhachev revealed a recent conversation with Usman and the welterweight champion’s future as the titleholder.
“I told Usman. I told him, ‘Man, now you gonna beat Leon Edwards,” Makhachev said. “‘And after, you wanna fight vs. Canelo, make $100 million, and that’s it. Your motivation is finish.’ He say, ‘No, no, no, I’m gonna still compete.’
“But I don’t believe when somebody have $100 million, it’s not possible (to) wake up early morning (and stay hungry). It’s not possible.”
Usman recently underwent hand surgery and is expected to return later this year. He’s more than likely set to face Leon Edwards for his next title defense.
Makhachev was reportedly the UFC’s top target to replace Rafael Fiziev against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 272. However, according to Dana White, he turned down the fight and White says Makhachev will now have to face Dariush before earning a title shot.
Makhachev has been referred to by many UFC fans as the heir apparent to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is a mentor and coach of his. If Makhachev can earn the lightweight title, he could potentially accomplish something Nurmagomedov never did in earning multiple world titles after moving up a division.
How do you think Islam Makhachev would do at welterweight?
Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler wants to see fighters earn more money during and after their careers.
Lawler is back in the win column after earning a TKO win over Nick Diaz at UFC 266. Entering the highly-anticipated rematch with Diaz, Lawler had lost four straight and hadn’t earned a win since 2017.
Lawler is one of the OGs of the fight game. Going back to his UFC debut at UFC 37, he has been arguably one of the biggest fan favorites in the sport.
Lawler is still intent on performing at a high level, even in the latter stages of his professional career. But during a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, he admitted there’s still one change he wants to see be made in MMA.
“I would obviously like the fighters to get paid more,” Lawler said. “But, I’d also like them to have something like a pension after the fact, so that they’re getting paid—those types of things. Obviously, everyone’s not going to make it to the highest level and make a whole bunch of money winning world titles, but once you get to the UFC, Bellator – these bigger organizations – I think there needs to be some sort of—kind of like the NFL does. I mean they take care of their guys after—at least try to. And the NBA does a great job, and baseball probably does the same thing, where guys are still continuing to get something after they’re done with the sport. So if there’s a way that we could get this for the fighters it’d be awesome.”
Lawler has been around the fight game for years, and he believes that it’s time for fighters to be treated fairly and compensated correctly for their efforts.
UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has looked back on the incident that led to his withdrawal from UFC Vegas 49.
On the February 26 card, Dariush was set to headline against Islam Makhachev in what was widely expected to serve as a title eliminator.
But with just over a week to go before the contest, it was announced that the Iranian-American had pulled out after suffering an injury in training, later confirmed to be a broken fibula.
Per Beneil Dariush (@beneildariush), the injury he suffered on Tuesday is a broken fibula bone. Still no timeframe for his recovery. Surgery may be necessary, but he is still weighing options on treatment.
Now almost a week beyond the event and some time after the injury, Dariush has detailed the moment his hopes of securing a title shot last month crumbled.
During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the 32-year-old revealed that a botched takedown caused his fibula to snap, admitting that the mistake that led to the painful moment was down to his own misjudgment.
“Woke up, feeling super good, weight was the best it had ever been. I was 171 in the morning, and I was like, ‘Man, this is incredible,’” Dariush recalled. “I went into practice. I’ve been feeling so good, I’ve been having people alternate. I’ve been making sure I have fresh guys on me all the time. That was basically what I was doing. I had a striker first, then I put a collegiate wrestler on me, only wrestling situations, and then I had one more guy after that. On my third guy, it was me who actually made the mistake.
“I grabbed my partner, I lifted him up, and as I was about to bring him down, my toe got stuck in the mat like never before,” Dariush continued. “When I brought him down, I brought him down over my knee and over my ankle, and the way my ankle twisted, I don’t even know, but it ended up snapping fibula.”
At that moment, Dariush knew this wasn’t an injury he’d be able to quickly overcome. While this was not the lightweight’s first dance when it comes to broken bones, he says the sound of the crack was worse than any he’d experienced before.
“I got a nice little crack in there… It’s just like, ‘Oh God, no, no, no, please no.’ I kinda had a feeling man, as soon as it happened,” said Dariush. “Because I haven’t heard a crack like that in my leg ever before. I’ve broken my chest before, and I remember the crack. And I’ve broken my foot and toes in my other legs, and I heard a crack. This one sounded worse than the previous. I knew something was up.”
Fortunately for Dariush, after seeing multiple physicians, it’s now been confirmed he will be able to avoid surgery and even return to training in as early as eight weeks. That will likely see him begin preparation for a re-booked title eliminator with Makhachev.
Per Beneil Dariush (@beneildariush), he has visited four physicians regarding his broken fibula. Three suggested physical therapy, one advised surgery. As of now, he is going with PT and trying to avoid surgery. Still no firm timeframe on his return, but no surgery is good news.
UFC middleweight contender Darren Till feels he would’ve made quick work of former champion Robert Whittaker had he not torn his MCL.
Till got off to a fast start against Whittaker in their July 2020 headliner but was unable to keep his momentum for five full rounds. It was later revealed by Till’s coach, Colin Heron, that he suffered a torn MCL during the fight.
Till has lost four of his last five and has just one win at middleweight, a split-decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244. He made the move from 170 to 185 pounds following back-to-back losses to Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal.
Till’s middleweight tenure has produced mixed results. After his win over Gastelum, he has lost back-to-back fights to Whittaker and Derek Brunson.
“The fight before (Brunson), I lost to Whittaker. In my opinion now, Whittaker and Adesanya are the two best middleweights on Earth. I don’t feel like I even gave 50%,” Till said. “God’s honest truth—I’m not trying to disrespect Whittaker. I don’t feel like I was even giving 50% in that fight. I was making him miss, I was relaxed, I was knocking him down. If I came in there 100% Darren Till, I would get Whittaker out of there quite quickly.”
Till is anticipating a return to the Octagon in 2022 and recently signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. He has also been seen training with rising UFC star Khamzat Chimaev in Sweden.
Despite his recent struggles, Till arguably still has massive potential at middleweight and could challenge for another UFC title someday. If he is victorious in his next bout, a rematch with Whittaker may become a part of the discussion.
Stephen A. Smith is not buying what UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal is selling following his loss to Colby Covington.
Covington defeated Masvidal via unanimous decision in their welterweight grudge match after months of back-and-forth banter. Covington dominated with his wrestling and also out-landed Masvidal with his standup.
After the fight, Masvidal claimed that he was “flat” with his wrestling, which he feels was a major reason for the loss. Covington has always been known to be a wrestler by nature but has also shown improved standup over time.
During a recent segment of ESPN’s First Take, Smith gave his thoughts on Masvidal’s approach to the fight with Covington and his post-fight comments.
“I’m a huge, huge Masvidal fan,” Smith prefaced. “I think he’s great for the sport because he’s got knockout power in both punches, he can obviously use that knee very well and he has improved his wrestling. But Colby Covington showed that he’s on a different level from a wrestling standpoint, and from a stamina standpoint.
Image Credit: David Becker/Getty Images
“One of the things that I paid attention to coming into this fight is something that Colby Covington said. Because he knew him and they were former best friends and roommates turned enemies, Covington said, ‘Masvidal trains for his fights; I live this.’ What he was talking about is he is always in shape. He’s never out of shape. He’s renowned for his condition and the pressure he’s able to apply and how he never lets up because he keeps on coming.”
Smith went on to point out how fatigued Masvidal looked as the fight came to a close.
“I saw Masvidal gutsy and survive the five rounds, but while he was waving Covington on to come on, ‘Let’s get some more.’ He was literally using two security personnel to lean on because that’s how exhausted he was. Covington looked like he was just starting. He was that energized. The guy is in phenomenal shape, he’s an outstanding wrestler and Masvidal admitted that his wrestling was flat.
“How was it flat coming into this fight knowing this guy as well as you know him and knowing what he was going to try to do to you, and how much you supposedly hate him? How you were not ready for a wrestling match, I don’t understand. It’s inexplicable.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Masvidal has now lost three straight bouts and hasn’t won since his BMF title victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. He’s anticipating a return later this year to work his way towards a potential rematch against Covington down the line.
Smith has had a complicated relationship with the MMA community. In addition to his criticisms of Masvidal, he also came under fire after attacking Donald Cerrone on the ESPN post-fight show for his quick loss to Conor McGregor.
What are your thoughts on how Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington played out?
Islam Makhachev wants to test himself against the best.
Islam Makhachev has just won a main event fight in the UFC. He is on the fast track for a UFC title, but he is still looking to take on the best competition he can. He was briefly linked to a short-notice fight against Rafael dos Anjos, but that fight did not manifest. In the few days between his win over Bobby Green and offering to step in against dos Anjos, Makhachev and his team were filmed for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s YouYube channel.
In the most recent video, Makhachev is seen training with his team and helping his training partners get ready for their fights. At the end of the clip, Makhachev is wrestling with his manager, who is no match for him. He calls for some tougher competition. The name Jordan Burroughs is suggested, to which he laughs.
“Easy, Jordan Burroughs, if you want, let’s grapple brother, let’s grapple,” he said.
Jordan Burroughs Wants Makhachev To “Prove It”
Burroughs is an Olympic gold medalist wrestler and is also a five-time world champion. Makhachev and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov are known for their ground game as well. They are both proficient in Sambo wrestling, and Makhachev is a World Combat Sambo Champion.
This is not the first time Makhachev has expressed interest in testing himself against Burroughs. He mentioned it once in an interview with Daniel Cormier. Burroughs caught wind of this and has accepted the invitation.
Makhachev does some of his training at AKA in California alongside some other great wrestlers like Cormier. If Burroughs does want to give it a try, he would apparently be welcome to hop in and do so.
Who do you think would win a grappling match between Jordan Burroughs and Islam Makhachev?
UFC women’s flyweight Maryna Moroz says the UFC’s official Russian Instagram account blocked her based on her nationality.
While fighting is, in itself, an intense sport with high stakes, not many will have entered a cage in as difficult a scenario as Moroz did this past weekend. With war waging in her native country of Ukraine, “Iron Lady” took to the Octagon at UFC 272 to face Mariya Agapova.
In the context of her fighting career, Moroz’s first-round submission represented victory in her first fight since 2020, extended her win streak to three, and earned bragging rights over her former ATT teammate.
But more importantly, it saw the 30-year-old Ukrainian fight through an immense level of adversity and emotion that few will experience in their lifetime. Ultimately, Moroz proudly held her flag aloft inside the T-Mobile Arena and delivered a victory for her country that comes at a time when so many have experienced personal losses.
The Iron Lady Maryna Moroz makes it 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬-𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻! 👏
While her focus has, and will continue to be, directed towards her family in Ukraine, an Eastern European country in the midst of a Russian invasion, it seems the tension between the two nations hasn’t been reserved for solely across the Atlantic in Moroz’s case.
“Yeah (I was happy with my performance). I think people forget about me,” said Moroz. “Because before I win fight, I have records, year 2020 (was my last win). But, you know, you see, Russian Instagram doesn’t post me after my (last fight). He blocked me. But after I give interview, he unblocked, but never posted me, only posted my opponent. It gave me more energy to win this fight.”
While she didn’t provide a name, the “he” she refers to could be the UFC’s Vice President of Russia & CIS, Andre Gromkowski, who frequently posts about the account’s growth across social media.
When asked why she believes the account blocked her, Moroz simply said with a shrug, “Because I’m from Ukraine.”
Moroz Reveals Difficult Pre-Fight Feelings
Following her victory at UFC 272, Moroz was brought to tears as she took the mic in front of the crowd and entire fanbase.
Having addressed the ongoing conflict in her country during fight week and spoken out against the man behind it, “Iron Lady” let her emotions out after what has undoubtedly been a difficult period for the flyweight.
Discussing the pressure she felt as she tried to balance her worries about Ukraine with the preparation for her fight, Moroz further told the media about the nerves she was feeling in the days leading up to the March 5 PPV.
“I had a lot of pressure. I was nervous about the war in Ukraine,” said Moroz. “All this week, I felt nervous, I was crying. But I tried to focus… It was really hard for me because I see in Ukraine how terrible the situation is. But I focused, and I won the fight.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
UFC welterweights Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal have revealed the words they shared inside the Octagon during their main event fight at UFC 272 this past weekend.
After months of heated back and forth, insults, historical stories, and rising animosity, Covington and Masvidal settled their score inside the cage on Saturday night. The former friends, ATT teammates, and roommates possessed a rivalry worthy of a pay-per-view headliner, even without the presence of a title on the line.
But while it appeared the time for talking was over on Saturday night, both Covington and Masvidal have revealed things were far from quiet inside the cage.
“Me just telling him, ‘You’re still a bitch.’ Shit like that… I don’t even know what he said, bro. But I know I just told him, ‘You’re a bitch. I’ll get you eventually.’”
Also bringing his own trademark insults to the forefront inside the Octagon, Covington revealed he reminded “Gamebred” who his “daddy” is inside the T-Mobile Arena.
“I was telling him, ‘Yeah, I’m still your daddy. You know who your daddy is. I’m the king of Miami, so take this ass-whoopin’ like the little bitch. I’m glad you came out and took this ass whoopin.’”
As the pair head in opposite trajectories in the welterweight division, their animosity will seemingly return to trash talk and social media exchanges. But after UFC 272, “Chaos” has the added ammunition of a victory inside the Octagon.
What is next for Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington in the UFC?
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