UFC fighter Kevin Holland taught one internet troll a brutal lesson after the man called him out on social media relentlessly for weeks.
Holland is set to make his UFC return at UFC 272 at welterweight, after a long run at middleweight. He’ll face Alex Oliveira in the hopes of getting back in the win column after a series of lopsided performances.
But Holland has remained one of the most popular UFC personalities on social media. He recently stopped an alleged carjacker in his neighborhood and helped local police apprehend the suspect.
Holland took up a challenge from one Instagram user who decided to berate the star athlete in his direct messages. After calling Holland out for a fight, the troll was invited to Holland’s gym to attempt to prove his points.
This troll thought he was a tough guy or skilled or some bs. So I put his ass on a bus, paid for his hotel room and brought him in for a session. How it started- pic.twitter.com/fsBiEcnvoJ
Holland made the troll look silly on the mat, showcasing his grappling skills and quickly getting a tap. It’s safe to say that the troll in question won’t be challenging Holland again anytime soon.
Holland rose to prominence with an electric calendar year in 2020. He earned three-straight wins, including a vicious knockout over Joaquin Buckley.
As he makes the move to 170 pounds, he’s looking to realize his potential in the Octagon and possibly challenge for a title shortly.
What are your thoughts on this video of Kevin Holland submitting a troll?
Bellator MMA’s first event of the year has just wrapped up, and it featured a heavyweight title fight to determine their undisputed champion. Sitting champ Ryan Bader was in the light heavyweight World Grand Prix, so to keep the heavyweight division moving, an interim title fight between Timothy Johnson and Valentin Moldovsky went down last June with Moldavsky emerging as the victor.
Bader lost his semifinal bout in the Grand Prix, so at Bellator 273, he returned to heavyweight to determine who the true champion is. At media day on fight week, Bader said, “The last fight (in Phoenix at Bellator 268 on Oct. 16, 2021) was not the result we wanted. The crowd showed up. Arizona showed up. We packed the house. Let’s get a little redemption here in front of the home crowd.”
Below, you can find highlights from the main event that saw Bader retain the heavyweight championship.
Francis Ngannou knows that if the UFC takes his belt, he will be just fine.
Francis Ngannou is sitting at the top of the UFC heavyweight division. Fresh off his first title defense win over Ciryl Gane should be putting him in a safe place in terms of his career. However, Ngannou has been having some contract disputes with the UFC over the past year. Now that he is still the champ, should he be worried about the UFC taking his title away?
Ngannou beat Gane by unanimous decision at UFC 270. Inside the Octagon when the decision was read, UFC President Dana White was nowhere to be found. White is typically the one to wrap the belt around a champion’s waist, but he claims he was dealing with an issue backstage. Many believe that the strained relationship between White and Ngannou was the true reason White was MIA after UFC 270, and some have warned Ngannou to be wary.
When Ngannou won his title, he began his quest for more money and opportunities. Unable to come to an agreement in a hypothetical bout against Jon Jones, the UFC created an interim title just months after Ngannou was crowned.
Francis Ngannou Unworried About Potentially Being Stripped
“No, I’m not worried about that because at the end of the day, it’s just a belt, you know?” Ngannou told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour. “As soon as they take the belt away, I’m a free agent [LAUGHS]. But I earned the belt; it’s not the belt that will make me champion. With or without it, I’m still a champion. So, let’s be clear about that. Nothing will change my status of being the champion.”
Ngannou has been looking for opportunities outside the UFC. He has mentioned wanting to box with Tyson Fury. He will not be able to seek this kind of boxing match while he is under the UFC contract. If he were to be forced out, he would most likely transition over to boxing.
Do you think the UFC will try and strip Francis Ngannou if he is out too long?
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?
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker knows a lot of people are counting him out ahead of his Israel Adesanya rematch at UFC 271.
After losing his title to Adesanya at UFC 243, Whittaker has won three straight fights and has worked his way back to the champion. While Whittaker’s rise back to the title shot has been impressive, Adesanya’s recent defenses have been dominant.
There’s always a lot of pressure that comes with fighting for a world championship. But for Whittaker, he embraces it and isn’t worried by how fans perceive his chances in the rematch.
“I’m the underdog moving into this rematch with Adesanya,” Whittaker said. “(It) makes sense, you know. He already beat me once. He’s the current champ. He’s sitting at the high horse and he beat me the first time. It takes some of the pressure off, being the underdog.
“No one expects me to win. No one expects me to go over there and dethrone him after he beat me already. Throughout my whole career, I’ve loved being the underdog. I love getting in there and defying the odds. I like going in there and proving people wrong. It gives me that little bit of extra edge.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
The two Oceania rivals have remained unfriendly with one another in the buildup to their rematch. Whittaker has referred to Adesanya as a “s**t person” in the past, and his apparent disdain for the champion hasn’t waned.
Whittaker most recently earned dominant wins over Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum in the Octagon. He’s remained arguably one of the top fighters in the world despite losing his title, even ranking #11 on the MMA News Top 100 Fighters of 2021 list.
Whittaker will have the opportunity to shock the world against Adesanya at UFC 271 and reclaim his throne against his rival.
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.”
Cris Cyborg enjoyed a professional wrestling style match with Melissa “Thunder Rosa” Cervantes at her private training facility.
Rosa is no stranger to mixed martial arts. She trained with Cris in the past and had a professional bout in 2019.
After an MMA training session, Cyborg agreed to try a pro wrestling match.
Thunder Rosa and Cris Cyborg, Photo Credit: CrisCyborg.com
“I always do something for [opening] the door for women’s wrestling, you know, it’s a different world too and it’s just hustle,” Cyborg told James Lynch (h/t Sportskeeda).
The technique proved to be a learning experience for the Bellator Featherweight Champion.
“We didn’t train together, we did one match, a pro wrestling match. You know, I was no good because I don’t know too much about the rules but probably you guys are going to have fun, we did a video too,” continued Cyborg.
On January 31, the video of the session will premier on Cyborg’s YouTube channel.
The Legend Of Cyborg
Cris Cyborg, Photo Credit: Cris Cyborg via Twitter
Cyborg continues to stack her impressive résumé.
With 20 wins by knockout from Storm Samurai to the UFC and now Bellator, 25 wins and only 2 losses, the first and only Grand Slam MMA fighter in history—holding four championship belts in four different promotions—Cris Cyborg is an MMA legend.
And outside of the cage, Cris puts her heart into less fortunate communities.
As a world champion, she feels it is her duty to make significant positive changes in the world. Her goal is to inspire everyone to help out in whatever way they can.
There is more to come from the defending Bellator women’s featherweight champion.
Perhaps after the fun wrestling match with Thunder Rosa, fans might see the champion add an AEW cameo to her long list of various achievements.
Would you like to see Cris Cyborg at a future AEW event?
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?
Ciryl Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez has revealed what Kamaru Usman said to him after Francis Ngannou’s victory at UFC 270.
While it may have somewhat drifted into the background with the remarkable situation surrounding the heavyweight champion’s future in the UFC and ongoing contractual dispute with the promotion, Ngannou’s bitter and public feud with MMA Factory founder and head coach Lopez was an intriguing narrative heading into the opening pay-per-view main event of 2022.
With the culmination of the unification showdown and the crowning of an undisputed titleholder, most will hope we’ve seen the end of the public criticisms and insults between Ngannou and Lopez. One man who certainly feels that way is reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.
Usman, a good friend of his fellow African UFC champ, was in Ngannou’s corner for the UFC 270 main event. While Lopez didn’t share any words with “The Predator” after Gane’s defeat, he did interact with “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Lopez revealed Usman pleaded with him to leave his differences with Ngannou in the past, something the 43-year-old says he is more than happy to do.
“When I shake Kamaru Usman’s hand, he stopped me and said to me, ‘Fernand, we are brothers. Let’s stop this. Let’s just move on.’ And I said, ‘You’re right. Let’s move on…’ I’m done. I’m exhausted with that topic,” said Lopez.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZGdI7otpdZ/
While we may not have seen the interaction and in-person make up between Lopez and Ngannou many wanted, the Frenchman’s post-fight words with the likes of Usman and opposition coach Eric Nicksick suggest both sides are willing to put their differences behind them.
That is, until we see Ngannou vs. Gane 2 down the line…
Should the beef between Fernand Lopez and Francis Ngannou be put to bed now that UFC 270 has passed?
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?”
KillEagle Promotions will be holding the “Brawl at the Mall” charity event to raise money to fight childhood cancer.
There will be a charity MMA, kickboxing, boxing, and bare-knuckle boxing event held in Havre, Montana tonight to raise money to fight childhood cancer. The event is being put on by KillEagle Promotions based in the area. Part of the proceeds for this event will go directly to the Seattle Children’s Cancer Research Center.
Wesley KillEagle is the organizer of this event and has been putting on similar types of events for several years. This cause is close to KillEagle’s heart since his 7-month-old daughter Payton was diagnosed with liver cancer, and they had to be treated in Seattle. Her surgery there was successful and she has been in remission ever since.
“I just remember how scared I was,” KillEagle told Havre Daily News. “I was a single father at the time, I had two kids at home, I’d just bought a house, I’d just bought a vehicle and I was struggling and freaking out, trying to figure out how I was going to pay for everything.”
The event will consist of 10 bouts: four amateur MMA bouts, a boxing match, two kickboxing title fight matches, professional bare-knuckle boxing, and a heavy-weight bare-knuckle MMA fight as the main event.
This event will take place at the Holiday Village Mall tonight, Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
If you are in the area, will you come out and support this good cause?
Three years ago, heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko had just lost to Ryan Bader via TKO in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Final. Despite having won two of his last three fights coming into that bout, a former foe of Fedor, Dan Henderson, considered the possibility that the then 42-year-old Emelanenko was, as he put it, “used up.”
The following article was published on this day three years ago and 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 29, 2019, 1:45 PM]
Headline: Dan Henderson Believes Fedor May Be All Used up After Bellator 214 Loss
Author: Andrew Ravens
MMA Legend Dan Henderson has sounded off the state of Fedor Emelianenko’s career after suffering his most recent loss.
This past Saturday night in the headliner of Bellator 214 at The Forum in Inglewood, California on the Paramount Network, Ryan Bader finished Fedor Emelianenko to win the vacant Bellator heavyweight title.
Emelianenko is a historic figure in the history of the MMA game and no doubt an MMA Legend. In the eyes of Henderson, he praised Bader for a job well done but also thinks that Fedor’s chin is suspect and could be all used up.
“Damn good job from Bader, for sure. Fedor’s had kind of a suspect chin,” Henderson told Fight Hub TV (H/T to MMAMania). “He’s still super dangerous. I figured [Bader] would win but not quite in that manner. It seems like [Fedor] could be all used up, unfortunately, I would love to see him out there more, but.”
The MMA legend finished former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the main event of the Bellator 198 event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois via strikes in the first round in a Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout. His next fight saw him beat Chael Sonnen on at Bellator 208 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York by first-round TKO.
Although Peña has been very vocal since her win, Nunes has been on the quiet side. Peña, who spoke recently on The Joe Rogan Experience, has laid down the consequences for Nunes in the event she opts not to have the rematch.
“Well, somebody suggested, ‘Well, what if [Nunes] doesn’t decide to take the fight with you and decides to take an easier fight at ’45 and retires into the sunset?’ I’m like, she can’t,” Peña said. “She can’t do that. She would look like the biggest coward on Earth.”
Since the loss, Nunes has not been making many statements publically. She did, however, decide to leave her longtime gym ATT to begin the process of starting her own team. Nunes, of course, still holds the featherweight belt and has a duty to defend that as well.
The idea of Nunes retiring soon is not that far-fetched, either. She has been fighting in the UFC since 2013. She won the bantamweight title in 2016 and followed it up by winning the featherweight belt two years later. Nunes is currently the top female on many people’s GOAT lists.
The following article published on this day four years ago is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2018, 1:05 PM]
Headline: Jędrzejczyk On Rousey: ‘We Paid The Price For Weight Cuts’
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk believes she suffered the consequences of a bad weight cut as did Ronda Rousey.
Jędrzejczyk was last seen inside the Octagon back in November. She defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight title against Rose Namajunas. In a shocking upset, Namajunas finished Jędrzejczyk in the opening frame to capture the 115-pound gold.
After the fight, the former strawweight titleholder dropped Perfecting Athletes and blamed them for a poor weight cut. She believes that newly minted WWE superstar Ronda Rousey has also been the victim of a weight cut gone wrong. Jędrzejczyk says it played a major factor in her performance against Holly Holm.
During an appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Jędrzejczyk explained the dangers of weight cutting:
“The funny thing is, people don’t believe that your brain can be frozen, but the weight cut can change the game. It can and that’s the worse thing. It can (happen) and this is what happened to me and Ronda. We paid the price for the weight cuts and that’s the thing.”
She also offered a response to the critics.
“They didn’t go through the weight cut, so they don’t understand. They don’t understand what we had to go through, but one day I will explain to all of them.”
Sound off in the comments below. Do you believe bad weight cuts are to blame for the fall of Ronda Rousey and Jędrzejczyk s first loss?
Jake Paul and Stephen A. Smith had a light back-and-forth about Paul’s career progression as a boxer and his ambitions of stepping into the ring with Canelo Álvarez.
Love him or hate him, there is no question that Jake Paul has taken the combat sports world by storm since bursting onto the arena two years ago. What began as a dip into the celebrity boxing pool evolved into headlining cards against accomplished MMA fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Through it all, the irreverent YouTuber has continued to make headlines and land KOs as his star has continued to rise.
Nonetheless, after Paul defeated Askren and was booked to face Woodley, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had already seen enough of the YouTuber’s self-matchmaking.
“Let me say this. I am not impressed, not one bit,” Smith began in a soliloquy last year on his Stephen A’s World last year. “While Logan Paul is taking fights way over his head, getting in the ring with boxing royalty like Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, risking a beatdown for the ages, by the way, Jake Paul is going the opposite direction…the complete opposite direction, fighting non-boxers.”
Smith went on to lay out why neither Askren nor Woodley were appropriate matchups for Paul in his opinion and stated that the former Disney actor should be facing actual pro boxers.
After Smith’s comments came to his attention, Paul killed Stephen A. with kindness, merely expressing that he ‘loves his fans’ in response to the renowned sports personality.
Stephen A. Delivers His Criticism Directly To Paul
Photograph by Eric Helgas for The New Yorker
Earlier this week, Jake Paul made an appearance on ESPN’s First Take starring Smith, and the outspoken figure took the liberty to restate his criticism straight to the YouTuber’s virtual face.
“My problem with you, Jake—because we gotta be real here—I know you heard my position about this—my problem is: You are beating up on dudes that don’t box. They’re not boxers. Nate Robinson was a basketball player. Ben Askren came out there with a pose looking like he’s Jake LaMotta, he was 19-1 in (MMA), but he was never a boxer. He was a grappler. And Tyron Woodley’s a striker. What was that?!”
Paul would then issue the following prompt response.
“Meanwhile, I was on Disney Channel while these guys were winning UFC championships. I was playing with Mickey Mouse while these guys were throwing armbars and winning UFC championships. So I’ve been training for the same amount of time as them.
“And look, I’ve always gone against people where the odds are even. Canelo just fought Caleb Plant as like a -1400 favorite. Gervante Davis in his eighth fight fought a guy who was making his professional boxing debut. Floyd, in his fourth fight, fought a guy who was making his professional boxing debut.
“So everybody’s analyzing my career, critiquing it, paying attention to it from day one, but you can’t tell me who was Mike Tyson’s first fight. You can’t tell me, Muhammad Ali, who was his first fight. No one knows. But everyone’s seen all of my fights. And I’m gradually progressing and increasing my level of opposition as I get better (in) the gym.”
Paul also invoked the name of Tommy Fury as an example of his wilingness to fight a professional boxer as well as doubling down on his interest in fighting veteran second-generation slugger Julio César Chávez.
Paul’s Confidence In Álvarez Fight Unwavering Despite Smith’s Dismay
(via Triller & DAZN)
Another name Paul has expressed an interest in fighting down the line is none other than boxing superstar Canelo Álvarez. Being well aware of these lofty goals, Smith had to hear it straight from the YouTuber’s mouth to believe it.
“Now you say ‘line ‘em up, knock ‘em down’ and there was rumors about you and Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson basically put that to bed. And I’m sure you’re not trying to fight somebody in their mid-50s, but you did mention the name Canelo Alvarez,” Smith said. “And I want you to know, as much as I like you, Jake, you’re going into deep waters there! Now you’re getting out of control! Because you know Canelo is not the one to mess with! You know you’re not ready for that! Seriously, you do know that, right? This is Canelo we’re talking about!”
Paul’s response served as a reaffirmation of his own confidence and perhaps an incidental installation of confidence in viewers worldwide about striving beyond others’ limitations.
“That’s what other people think,” Paul said. “Other people try to place limits on what is possible for you when you are a unicorn doing something different. Other people try to place limits on what’s possible for you and on what you can accomplish because of their mindset and what they think they can accomplish as a human being. But for me, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to
“And I know I can get after Canelo. I know I can go rounds with him. And the guy he fought the other time, ‘Turkish Warrior,’ quit after three rounds. He didn’t throw one punch. I’m bigger than Canelo, I’m faster than Canelo, I’m more athletic than Canelo. Can I box better? Probably not. But give me three years, and that’s gonna be a big fight. The two biggest names in boxing going after each other. Why not?”
You can view the clip from Paul’s appearance on ESPN’s First Take below.
As we now know, Khabib Nurmagomedov never did fight Tony Ferguson, much to the chagrin of millions of MMA fans. He did, however, fight Conor McGregor in what turned out to be arguably the biggest win of his legendary career.
Even though Khabib would later retire in 2020 after the sudden passing of his father Abdulmanap, two years earlier there were signs that the Eagle would glide off into an early retirement. This article published four years ago to this day was such a sign.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2018, 12:05 PM]
Headline: Manager: Khabib May Retire After Bouts With Ferguson & McGregor
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
It’s possible that Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t be competing for much longer.
Nurmagomedov is set to clash with Tony Ferguson on April 7 for what Dana White claims to be the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title. Conor McGregor will likely face the winner as he’s still recognized as the lightweight champion as well. Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson will headline UFC 223 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
It’s no secret that injuries and illness have plagued “The Eagle.” Nurmagomedov is 25-0, but his inability to show up on fight night at times has cost him. Now, the dominant 155-pounder insists he is finally ready to seize the moment. So much so, that his manager Ali Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports that McGregor’s title is meaningless (via MMAFighting.com):
“On fight night, Khabib will fight for the undisputed lightweight belt. My demands have been fulfilled. I can give a sh*t what everybody asks, what everybody’s saying. I don’t care if Conor’s stripped [or] not stripped. I know that April 7, Khabib will fight for the lightweight belt and Conor’s belt will go in the trash.”
He went on to say that Nurmagomedov may decide to retire if he beats Ferguson and McGregor.
“We’re gonna beat Tony. We’re gonna stop Tony in three rounds. Khabib’s probably gonna retire undefeated because he’s gonna beat Conor, he’s gonna beat Tony, and he’s probably gonna say ‘Bye-bye.’”
Do you see Nurmagomedov walking away from MMA if he beats Ferguson and McGregor? Sound off in the comments below.
The first step towards the return of Jon Jones could be this weekend.
The former light heavyweight champion’s advisor recently revealed to The Sun that he will meet with the UFC this weekend to discuss his client’s potential return.
Advisor Richard Schaefer said he will meet with the promotion in the coming days in Los Angeles.
Schaefer will be discussing the options for Jones’ return. Jones has been out of the cage for nearly two years now, with his last fight dating back to February 2020.
Schafer has big plans for Jones’ return, hoping to get him in the title picture when he comes back.
“He is willing, ready, and able to fight whoever we can get for the heavyweight title,” said Schaefer.
Jones’ advisor is open to many options for his first fight back. While he would prefer to get him a fight against Francis Ngannou, he thinks the current champion’s contractual issues and recent injury could stop that fight from happening.
“I think Francis Ngannou has some issues. One side is contractual. How’s that going to play out?” said Schaefer. “But then he has, as I understand as well, possibly the need for an operation because of his torn ligaments.”
Ngannou won last weekend, defending his heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Ngannou’s team has since stated that he is set to undergo a knee surgery due to injuries he sustained in training. They estimate he will be out of action for nine months.
Jones is recognized as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. He has only lost once through 27 pro fights, with that defeat coming through a controversial disqualification in 2009.
Do you want to see Jon Jones in his return? If so, who would you want to see him face?
After speculation about his fighting future circulated last year, the Cowboy will ride again when Donald Cerrone meets Joe Lauzon at a UFC Fight Night event on April 30.
Following his TKO loss to Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson last May, many fans were wondering if Cerrone had fought in the Octagon for the last time. After all, that now made him winless in his last six fights, with four of those bouts ending via TKO.
UFC President Dana White addressed Cerrone’s future last year, indicating that he would allow Cowboy to move back down to lightweight for another fight but that a loss would mean the end of his legendary run in the UFC. We now know that this crucial bout will be against Joe Lauzon on April 30 based on a report Friday from MMA Junkie.
Like Cerrone, Joe Lauzon has also been competing in the UFC for over a decade. Making his Octagon debut in 2006, Lauzon has gone 15-12 during this run, with Fight of the Night performances against standouts like Jim Miller (twice), Michael Chiesa, and Kenny Florian. He also won a Performance of the Night over Diego Sanchez at the historic UFC 200 event in 2016.
Donald Cerrone’s most recent victory came against Al Iaquinta in 2019. The last time he won Performance of the Night was with his sick armbar victory over Mike Perry in November 2018.
Image Credit: MMA Fighting
With this bout set, the updated lineup for the April 30 Fight Night card is as follows:
Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
Cortney Casey vs. Antonina Shevchenko
Gina Mazany vs. Shanna Young
Francisco Figueiredo vs. Daniel da Silva
Mike Breeden vs. Natan Levy
What is your prediction for this fight between UFC veterans Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon on April 30?
Eagle FC 44: Spong vs. Kharitonov took place tonight from the FLXcast Arena in Miami, Florida.
In the main event, undefeated boxer Tyrone Spong sought to go 3-0 in his MMA career when he took on Sergei Kharitonov, who entered with a total of 42 MMA fights and a record of 33-9. Spong is 14-0 as a pro boxer and also has kickboxing experience.
In the co-main event, “Suga” Rashad Evans competed for the first time since his “retirement” in 2018 after losing to Anthony Smith. Evans came into the fight on a three-fight losing streak after falling to Sam Alvey and Daniel Kelly prior to his loss to Smith. Evans took on Gabriel Checco, who entered with a record of 12-5. Most recently, Checco defeated Simon Marini via unanimous decision last October.
You can check out the highlights from both of those bouts as well as a bout between former UFC competitors Ray Borg against Cody Gibson below.
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou says all options are on the table during his continued contract negotiations with the promotion.
Ngannou successfully defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Leading up to the fight, Ngannou suffered a knee injury that nearly forced him to pull out.
While he won the fight via unanimous decision, his battle with UFC president Dana White and the brass continue. The two sides have been at odds over contract negotiations as Ngannou’s current deal comes to a close.
“Good question, do the UFC still want me to fight there? … If they make things right, yes. That’s all I’ve been saying.”
Ngannou went on to elaborate on whether or not he’s willing to walk away from the UFC if he and the brass can’t come to terms.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get what I want. Listen, as I said, even before this fight, I walked into this fight knowing I could have lost this fight. But, I reviewed everything, in me, I’m like, if this is it, if this is the end, let it be on my way, it’s gonna be on my way; I’m gonna make the call how it ends. It won’t end on somebody (else’s) rules, it will end on my rules.”
Ngannou has remained vocal in his demands for not only better pay, but fair terms in his contract. He wants to pursue potential opportunities in boxing including against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Many fighters have come to Ngannou’s defense amidst his outspokenness towards the UFC, including former champions such as Tito Ortiz. The issue of UFC fighter pay has been a hot topic of discussion over the past few years.
Ngannou is expected to miss at least nine months after he undergoes surgery on his knee. It’s unclear if he’ll return to the UFC later this year or pursue other avenues.
Do you think Francis Ngannou will fight in the UFC again?
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes believes he’s the worst stylistic matchup in the division for former 205-pound king Jon Jones.
Blaydes has long been a top name in the UFC’s heaviest weight class. Since his debut in 2016, “Razor” has built a 10-3 (one NC) record that includes victories over Aleksei Oleinik, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
In his 19-fight professional career, Blaydes has only fallen to defeat against two men, Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis, the two hardest hitters in the UFC, if not the entirety of MMA. With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that Blaydes is confident in his abilities, so much so that he feels he’d provide the toughest matchup for former UFC light heavyweight champion Jones at heavyweight.
Speaking exclusively with MMA News, Blaydes discussed Jones’ impending arrival in the division, the power of Ngannou and Lewis, and his plans for 2022.
After a second reign atop the light heavyweight mountain, which included defenses against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes, Jones vacated the belt in order to pursue a fresh challenge: title success at heavyweight. But since his last fight at 205 pounds in February 2020, “Bones” has remained on the sidelines.
With Jones potentially joining him on the heavyweight ladder this year, Blaydes has given his take on the potential matchups that could await the GOAT contender. “Razor” told James Lynch that he sees himself as the toughest stylistic matchup for Jones, simply because of the different looks he’ll bring to the Octagon.
“Stylistically? Honestly, I think it’s me, because I’m gonna involve the grappling,” Blaydes told MMA News. “I’m not saying I’m the best matchup, but I think I’m offering more different looks. Like, when he goes against an (Francis) Ngannou, or a Stipe (Miocic), or a (Ciryl) Gane, or a Derrick Lewis, he knows they’re all just gonna strike with him. He knows that. He knows that if he stays on the outside, which he’s very good at, people, they don’t know how to get past the long reach of his. The best way to get past it is to get into the clinch. But these guys don’t want it.
“Derrick Lewis doesn’t wanna clinch, Ngannou doesn’t wanna clinch; they’re looking for the knockout. He’s not gonna give you the opportunity from distance to knock him out,” added Blaydes. “So, I think if he went against those guys he’d just pick them apart from the outside. Me? He’s gonna have to worry about every time he throws a leg kick, am I gonna grab it? And he’s gonna be a little bit more hesitant. Everyone does that. Whenever I fight anyone, like Volkov, Junior (dos Santos), even Jairzinho; we always expect them to be a lot more aggressive, and they’re not. Because we always forget they don’t wanna get taken down.”
Jones Targets Heavyweight Debut In 2022
After Ngannou’s title crowing at UFC 260 last March, the biggest fight in the promotion seemed to be a clash between “The Predator” and Jones. But after a public pay dispute saw the matchup collapse, Jones spent the entirety of 2021 on the sidelines.
At the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in September, Jones provided an encouraging update, suggesting he was targeting his divisional debut for the second quarter of 2022. That led many to believe Jones would challenge the victor of the UFC 270 main event for the gold.
For both men to reach the cage, it appears a number of things will need to happen. First and foremost is Ngannou’s contract. With his dispute with the UFC ongoing, it’s unclear what the future will hold for the champion, with some even suggesting he could sit out the remainder of his contract and pursue a move to boxing in 2023.
Nevertheless, Jones seems as eager as ever to pursue his goals, something that’s an enticing prospect for MMA fans, who haven’t seen Jones in action for nearly two years.
Do you think Jon Jones haswhat it takes to win championship gold at heavyweight?
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes the ongoing dispute between Francis Ngannou and the UFC has entered “uncharted waters,” in more ways than one.
At UFC 270, much more was at stake than just a belt. As well as bragging rights in regard to his bitter feud with former coach Fernand Lopez, Ngannou’s future, standing in negotiations with the UFC, and hopes of a blockbuster boxing crossover were on the line.
After the opening two rounds, it seemed “The Predator” had bet on himself and come up short. But one takedown represented an almighty shift in momentum, one that would see Ngannou wrestle his way to a unanimous decision victory.
According to UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier, the ongoing dispute has firmly drifted into “uncharted waters,” both in terms of White’s post-fight actions and contractually, a scenario he thinks could set the tone for future fighters and their negotiations.
“When Mick Maynard got up to go and put the belt on, granted, we have seen this in heavyweights before. Do you remember when Stipe beat Francis? When Stipe was upset by the way Francis was getting promoted, he took the belt from Dana and his coach put it on him. So we’ve seen these types of things before. But it was the athlete being upset with the promotion, so he didn’t let him, this was, I don’t know,” Cormier said during a recent episode of DC & RC. “I mean, I’ve seen other guys strap the belts before, but generally at international events. This was the first time I’ve seen a champion win on US soil and not have Dana put the belt on them. I honestly don’t know the last time Dana has not been at a post-fight press conference.
“So we are in uncharted waters here,” Cormier added. “But not only because of the reaction the UFC has given but also because of where Francis stands and his position. Francis is in a position that not many people get to, in regards to negotiations. It seems as though he’s more than willing to die on his sword. He took a chance on himself and it seemed as though he won… This is unprecedented. This is going to really tell you how people are going to go about their negotiations because we’ve never seen this before.”
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Despite the reaction of fans and pundits, Ngannou was clearly not fazed by White’s absence, and even suggested it was an “honor” to receive the belt from matchmaker Mick Maynard instead.
Ben Askren doesn’t agree with Chael Sonnen that UFC 272 is a career-ending fight per se, but he knows Jorge Masvidal needs to defeat Colby Covington to regain his popularity.
Masvidal became a massive star in 2019 after knocking out Darren Till in London. He followed that up with a five-second flying knee KO over Ben Askren and then TKO’d Nate Diaz to become the BMF champ. Since then, however, he has suffered two-straight losses to Kamaru Usman for the belt and will now headline UFC 272 opposite Covington.
It’s a crucial fight, as the two are bitter rivals and Sonnen has said if “Gamebred” loses, it would be career-ending. Yet, for Askren, he doesn’t think it would end his career if he loses, but it would derail his hype and popularity a ton.
“Well Chael understands the fight business better than almost anyone so generally when he says things, there’s a lot of validity to it,” Askren said to MMA Island about Masvidal. “And so I would not say it’s a career-ender, but unfortunately, people will take offense to this, but I made him a huge star, right? It was at my expense. I don’t want to say he was a nobody before that, but he was kind of like a moderately popular fighter who kind of had maybe a hardcore following but wasn’t known to a broader audience and then the event with me happened, unfortunately, and he became let’s say, one of the top-five stars in the sport and then obviously he parlayed that with the Nate Diaz fight.
USA Today and Sports Illustrated
“Nate Diaz is not the toughest opponent at welterweight but then once he got past that fight, the Usman fights were pretty non-competitive and he hasn’t really fought anyone else in the upper-echelon of that division,” Askren continued about Masvidal. “So Colby is another guy, the upper echelon of the division, and if he loses to him, I think it probably knocks his popularity a couple of levels and he’s got to go low. Now can he regain the popularity on some level? Possibly.”
As both Askren and Sonnen say, UFC 272 will be a massive fight for Jorge Masvidal’s star power.
Do you think UFC 272 is a career-ending fight for Jorge Masvidal if he loses?
Ngannou might be out of competition for an extended period of time. The champ needs surgery following his win over Gane. This fact, paired with the unstable relationship he has with the UFC, could put his future in the organization in jeopardy. This is where Gane can step up. He was the interim champion and still the number one contender. If the UFC needs a big fight while Ngannou is out it could be Gane vs. Jon Jones.
Jones has been teasing a move to heavyweight for over a year. He too has been having some contract trouble along with some personal issues throughout his transition. However, Jones will most likely be making his heavyweight debut in the near future and Gane could be the man to welcome him according to his coach.
“If they (the UFC) solve the problem with Francis, what they would like to do, what everyone would like to have, is Jon Jones vs. Francis,” Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez told MMA Fighting. “I’m realistic, Jon Jones is number one. This is how it works, it’s a business… If that does not happen, and they have any issues having Francis onboard in the company, then obviously, we are ready to take Jon Jones.”
It may be unlikely to see Jones come to the heavyweight division and fight for anything less than a title fight. Ngannou may be out for a while and the UFC could easily strip him or create another interim title. If either of these options were to happen, Gane vs. Jones could be a perfect fit.
Do you want to see Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones in the heavyweight division?
MMA fighter Faelly Vitoria may have her medical expenses for a needed ACL surgery paid off through help from Brazilian police.
Vitoria signed with Invicta FC in late 2020 but hasn’t been able to make her promotional debut yet due to the COVID-19 pandemic and her injury. She’s 4-0 in her professional career and managed by UFC legend Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male.
A military police battalion in Macapa, BR is holding a raffle for a Taurus G2C .40 gun on May 31 and will give Vitoria half of the profits if she’s able to sell 1,000 tickets on her own. The cost of a ticket is R$ 10, which is the equivalent of just under two U.S. dollars.
“It’s a good prize,” Vitoria said. “People look and be like, ‘Wow, a gun or R$4,000.’ It’s an interesting prize to raffle and get some money to pay for the surgery.”
Vitoria trains in Brazil through a military police-supported social project that helps underprivileged youth through developing martial arts skills.
Before she’s scheduled to go under, Vitoria has been cleared to compete in Brazilian regional promotions and will fight against Iranilde Lima at Black Glory MMA on March 12.
What is your reaction to the raffle for Faelly Vitoria?
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