Islam Makhachev has politely let upcoming opponent Beneil Dariush know that he is being overlooked.
In two months, two of the best lightweights in the world will compete in what is currently expected to serve as a title-eliminator bout. With UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira virtually a lock to defend against #1 contender Justin Gaethje next, the fight between Makhachev (#4) and Dariush (#3) seems to be a no-brainer for determining who will be next in line.
Makhachev got his wish when Oliveira submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, as the Dagestani is eager to showcase his sambo skills against Oliveira’s masterful jiu-jitsu. In fact, he is so excited at the prospect of fighting Oliveira that he doesn’t seem to be giving any concern to the possibility of Dariush standing in his way. On the contrary, he believes Dariush is merely lying along the way.
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes Tyron Woodley didn’t just lose to Jake Paul but also helped build Paul’s boxing reputation.
Paul viciously knocked out Woodley in their rematch just days ago, hitting Woodley with a big right hand that dropped him immediately. Paul remains undefeated in his young boxing career after an accomplished time in content creation.
Paul’s knockout over Woodley is arguably the most impressive of his time in the ring so far. Before the rematch with Woodley, he earned knockouts over former NBA star Nate Robinson and former UFC fighter Ben Askren.
“Man, I tell you what. This fight had to be about sleeping until that sixth-round came and it’s unfortunate because Tyron Woodley was actually winning that boring fight,” Cejudo said. “But he happened to just keep those, he just kept that left hand down, and slowly but surely Jake Paul threw that hammer and knocked him out.
“The fight was boring, the knockout was great. I mean, talk about a complete face plant by Tyron Woodley. Jake Paul, whether we hate him or love him, the dude has taken this by storm and if you really think about it man, Tyron Woodley is making this dude into a star. Made him into a star because of the simple fact that he beat a former UFC champion.” (h/t EssentiallySports)
It’s Unclear What Could Be Next For Tyron Woodley’s Career
Despite the loss to Paul, Woodley seemed optimistic about his fighting future. Leading up to the rematch, Woodley had made his plans clear that he wants to have multiple MMA and boxing fights in 2022.
Sean Strickland has turned in his unfiltered remark for the day, this time the controversial middleweight addressed the topic of homosexuality.
Strickland has made headlines on several occasions throughout the course of 2021. In June, a heated altercation with a training partner was captured on video. His words then began to attract attention as well when, in the same week as the aforementioned incident, he threatened to smack his trolls in front of their children.
That being said, the following tweet from Strickland may or may not come as a surprise when responding to a fan’s colorful question about whether the welterweight would rather have a homosexual son or a promiscuous daughter.
If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness….. If I had a whore for a daughter I'd think she just wanted to be like her dad lol!! https://t.co/QlfKlpUnWr
“If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness….. If I had a whore for a daughter I’d think she just wanted to be like her dad lol!”
He also offered these follow-up remarks moments later.
LISTEN gay men are great, i support them and their choices. freedom! Gay guys have it made. Most gay guys I know are always happy. They all just get to hang with buddies all day and have sex.. us straight men, we're fucked… we gotta do some serious work to get laid. Not fair
“LISTEN gay men are great, i support them and their choices. freedom! Gay guys have it made. Most gay guys I know are always happy. They all just get to hang with buddies all day and have sex.. us straight men, we’re fucked… we gotta do some serious work to get laid. Not fair”
It is unclear if Strickland was merely offering some of his eccentric humor or if he was being earnest with these remarks. There are two things that are for certain, however. Many people will consider his words, especially the initial tweet, to be homophobic in any context. Meanwhile, many others will consider that interpretation to be an example of “cancel culture.”
In any event, when he’s not chopping it up with Twitter followers in questionable Q&A sessions, Strickland is always in the gym, readying for his next battle. His first bout in 2022 is slated to be against Jack Hermansson on February 5.
What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland’s remarks?
Renowned boxing trainer Teddy Atlas has given credit to YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul for the way he’s approached his venture into the squared circle.
Five fights into his unlikely journey in combat sports and Paul is showing no sign of slowing down. Unbeaten to date, the Ohio native has certainly proved a large portion of fans and pundits wrong, something he’ll hope to continue doing in 2022. Paul will be entering the year off the back of a brutal knockout victory over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
After finishing fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA star Nate Robinson, former ONE and Bellator 170-pound titleholder Ben Askren, and Woodley, Paul was set for his first challenge from a pro boxer in the form of Tommy Fury.
After “TNT” withdrew due to a broken rib and chest infection, Woodley stepped in on short notice for his chance at redemption. But for the second time in 2021, he left the ring defeated, this time after being viciously slept by the internet star.
Despite extending his unbeaten record and knocking out a recognized fighter who held UFC gold just three years ago, many still doubt Jake Paul’s boxing credentials, and suggest they’ll continue to do so until he faces a professional boxer.
While boxing royalty Teddy Atlas is under no illusions about the quality of opponents “The Problem Child” has faced, he does appreciate the way Paul has approached his career in the sport. Speaking in an interview with The Schmo, Atlas praised Paul for respecting the sport of boxing by hiring professional coaches and putting in the work necessary to be competitive inside the ropes.
“He’s smart. A lot of people hate him, but one thing I give him credit for, he didn’t disrespect the sport of boxing. He went and he learned it. Can he go and just beat anyone? Of course not. But he learned the sport. He went out there and got a professional trainer, he went to a gym for the last couple years, and he worked his backside off to become the best he can become at this point, at this stage. He respected the sport.
Jake Paul, BY LEON BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES
“He’s doing the American way. He found a way to make money without hurting anyone, I mean legally… That’s the American way, to go out there and find a way to make money. I give him credit for that. And he took advantage of an audience, a large audience, and he’s taken them with him. He’s become their ambassador.”
“It’s probably not gonna happen, but if he fought Masvidal, Masvidal’s a pretty good striker, that’d be interesting. That would get my attention… Look, the guy that he beat, Woodley, was a real fighter, but he was just about retired, he was 41/42 years old, not a tremendous striker, better on the mat, not a real busy guy, so he picked his spot pretty good. And again, I give him credit. He got the job done. But (it would be) a little more interesting if he fought a Masvidal because Masvidal’s a better striker and he’s more versatile… guys like that.
“I don’t wanna see him in anymore with guys where you know it’s done, like a movie; you go into a movie and you already know the ending. I wanna see him where there’s still some questions out there when he gets into that ring.”
Although it doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon, talk of Paul vs. Masvidal will likely exist for as long as the polarizing celebrity keeps having his hand raised.
“When I did the choice to start into MMA, it was fifty-fifty with the boxing… I did some training with some guys in the gym in boxing and I tried a little bit in the MMA Factory. But I did my choice with the MMA Factory because it was easy. It was really close to my house,” Gane said to Sherdog. “Fernand Lopez was a friend of a dad of my best friend so that’s why I did this choice. But why not… I feel comfortable with the boxing style. I like to have the big gloves and see everything. You can play a little bit more, for me, you can play a little but more with the boxing style.”
Ciryl Gane (Image Credit: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Given he almost took up boxing, Ciryl Gane admits he still wants to test himself against the best at heavyweight. With that, the Frenchman says he’d love to box Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder to test himself.
“All the guys at the top. It will be a big challenge, this is real. I must train a lot for this kind of guy but when you look at the top you have Anthony Joshua, Fury, Wilder. You have a lot of guys just below, on the top ten. So yes, why not. One day I’m gonna try. One day,” Gane said.
Although Gane wants to box the big three, it seems unlikely that will ever happen. However, we did see Conor McGregor box Floyd Mayweather which people also said would never happen. Yet, UFC fighters calling out boxers is nothing new as even Ngannou has called out the heavyweight champs, while lately, Kamaru Usman has been angling for a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
How do you think Ciryl Gane would do against Fury, Joshua, and Wilder?
Brendan Schaub is taking a walk down memory lane in reminiscing about his retirement from MMA.
Brendan Schaub is known more now for talking about fights than actually being in them, but back in his days with the UFC, he was on top of his game. Now that it has been seven years since he retired from the sport of mixed martial arts, Schaub is giving some insight on his departure from the UFC and how it all went down.
“I don’t know when these guys are gonna realise – this is a business. It is a cutthroat business. Professional sports? It is cut-f***ing-throat,” Schaub said on the Below the Belt podcast (via Sportskeeda). UFC, NBA, MLB, it’s all like this, man. A lot are like this, unless you’re a big time dude, tip of the spear guy that was winning a million fights for them and making them all this money. When I retired, and I’d say I did pretty well in the UFC, when I retired I got an email that said ‘cool, just so you know if you ever come back we still own your ass’. It’s like, cool man, yeah, that’s all I got.”
Brendan Schaub, Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
This topic of the UFC parting ways with an email began most recently when longtime UFC fighter Kevin Lee was released from the organization. Lee stated that he was notified of his release by email. Schaub’s experience was years ago, but it seems the UFC is still practicing these impersonal procedures.
Unlike Lee, Schaub had retired from the UFC, not been released. He fought in the promotion from 2009 to 2014. At that time, he was a staple of the heavyweight division and has faced some of the best fighters in that division, including Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Cro Cop, and Matt Mitrione. Schab has gone on to be very successful outside the Octagon and attributes these other skills as allowing him to be alright not returning to fighting.
“In fighting, you can’t have one foot in and one foot out, or else you’re going to get really hurt,” Schaub said. “My heart wasn’t into it and I’d always wanted to do stand-up,” says Schaub. “It was never hard for me to walk away from fighting because it was very obvious what I should be doing. Most guys when they’re done, they don’t know where to put their energy, so I’m super fortunate.”
It is seen more now that current fighters will begin finding another outlet and business opportunities while still actively fighting. Schaub and other fighters turned commentators/personalities show that there is a way to keep close to the sport after fighting is over.
Are you surprised by the way Brendan Schaub’s relationship with the UFC ended?
UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou thinks footage of his past sparring with Ciryl Gane was made to make his opponent look promising.
Ngannou will make his first heavyweight title defense against Gane at UFC 270 in the first UFC pay-per-view of 2022. The fight will take place nearly a year after Ngannou earned the belt over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.
Ngannou and Gane briefly trained together at MMA Factory in France, as the two were looking to build their respective brands in the UFC heavyweight division. While Ngannou has claimed that he and Gane weren’t exactly close, they had mutual respect for one another during their sessions in the gym.
After Gane defeated Derrick Lewis for the interim title at UFC 265, sparring footage of him and Ngannou went viral on social media. During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Ngannou explained his side of the story regarding the clips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q7T9KqzD7w
“When I saw that footage, my first reaction was laughing. Because I know exactly what happened at those training sessions,” Ngannou said. “But this is the thing. When they want to like, do some highlight, they always choose the part of the video that they use. And they have a lot of videos like that because, at the time, they were filming our training session to promote him, his fight, and everything. So, there was a lot of footage from those few training sessions. But a lot of them never came out and would never come out. And I know for a fact that they will never come out.
“It’s about to make him look better and make me look bad, to prove that he’s the man.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
Ngannou and Gane have had quite the buildup to their heavyweight clash. Ngannou appeared to snub Gane of a greeting backstage at UFC 268, which Ngannou later claimed was mostly due to his animosity for coach Fernand Lopez.
In the current times of social media becoming more prominent, leaked sparring footage is becoming more plentiful. Regardless, fans will make up their mind on the matchup when Ngannou and Gane go to battle at UFC 270.
Do you think it was fair for the Francis Ngannou/Ciryl Gane sparring footage to be released?
Jake Paul will be taking several months off before he returns to the boxing ring.
Paul was one of the most active boxers in 2021, as he had three fights and had four in the span of 13 months. It was an incredible feat for Paul, who ended the year with a vicious KO win over Tyron Woodley.
Now, sources have told the Mirror that Paul will now take an extended break from the ring to take his first holiday in six years before focusing on promoting the undisputed lightweight title fight between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor.
Of course, Paul’s promotion, Most Valuable Promotion, recently inked a deal with Serrano, and after her dominant win on the Paul-Woodley 2 undercard, it set up a massive fight between her and Katie Taylor. It will arguably be the biggest women’s boxing fight of all time, and Paul’s focus will be on promoting that event.
USA Today
“She’s put in thousands and hundreds of hours in the gym and she deserves the big payday that she’s going to get,” Paul said on an episode of his brother’s podcast Impaulsive. She deserves to be able to retire from boxing and not work again. That hasn’t been the case for women’s boxing, they’ve been underpaid and taken advantage of. It’s an amazing accomplishment for me to be able to help her and she’s such an awesome person.”
Jake Paul is currently 5-0 as a pro boxer and coming off a KO win over Woodley back on December 18 as mentioned. Prior to that, he edged out a split decision over Woodley in August. In April, he knocked out Ben Askren in the first round in what some considered to be his first real test. He also holds a knockout win over Nate Robinson and YouTuber AnEsonGib.
Who Paul will box in his return is uncertain, but it’s now likely he will return at the end of summer in another big fight.
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC’s nominations for Best Submission of 2021.
It’s the last week of 2021, which means it’s time to start looking back at the biggest and best moments of the year. Right now, that means taking a peek at the UFC’s nominations for the best submission of the year.
You can expect everyone and their grandpappy to break out their year-end lists over the next few days. But naturally, the UFC’s lists stand apart from the rest given that, well, it’s their promotion.
So on behalf of the UFC, we at MMA News present to you their nominations for best submission of 2021! After a brief recap of each submission, you can find the video showcasing all the action followed by the Pulse of MMA letting their collective voice be heard on their thoughts on the nominations list. And as you will find out, public opinion was, in large part, not in accord with the UFC’s thinking.
Vicente Luque Submits Tyron Woodley via D’Arce choke (UFC 260)
During what was an action-packed first round, Tyron Woodley brought the fight to Vicente Luque. No longer gun-shy and tentative, Woodley took a more proactive approach. Though he had some success in the beginning, eventually, Luque got the better of the stand-up exchanges, culminating with a barrage of strikes that had “The Chosen One” on wobbly legs before ultimately being dropped by a looping left hook by the Brazilian, which led to the D’Arce.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Brandon Moreno Submits Deiveson Figueiredo via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 263)
Brandon Moreno came into UFC 263 as an underdog, but he exited as a champion. Heading into the third round, Moreno was up on two out of the three scorecards, with the third judge having it one round apiece. The judges would be taken out of the equation when he secured the rear-naked choke after peppering Figueiredo with a couple of left hands while applying a full body lock.
Glover Teixeira def. Jan Blachowicz via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 267)
Coming into the fight, it was well known what was Glover Teixeira’s path to victory when he challenged Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 267. The second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would be well served to get the fight to the mat and do what he had done in three of his previous five fights: get the submission. And that’s exactly what happened.
After getting the takedown in the second frame, Teixeira effortlessly passed Blachowicz’s guard into mount, prompting the Pole to give up his back, which is the last thing you want to do against Teixeira. Within seconds, the 42-year-old had secured the light heavyweight prize as well as his place in UFC history.
Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz
Khamzat Chimaev def. Li Jingliang via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 267)
Khamzat Smesh.
Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)
UFC’s Best Submissions of 2021 Video
You can check out each of the above submissions for yourself in the video below!
MMA Fans Weigh In
Finally, here is what the Pulse of MMA had to say about the UFC’s nominations list:
Chris Weidman believes Tyron Woodley’s legacy took a massive hit when he suffered a vicious KO loss to Jake Paul earlier this month.
In August, Woodley dropped a split decision to the former Disney actor and YouTuber. Although the former UFC champ lost, it wasn’t an embarrassing defeat. But in the rematch, he was brutally knocked out. For Weidman, he believes that hurts Woodley’s legacy in a major way.
“Damn, Tyron Woodley is going to have to live with that. It seems like they’re just comparing him to Ben Askren now,” Weidman said on his YouTube channel. “He’s not going to get another chance, like that’s it. I don’t know who he’s going to fight that we give him the draw and excitement that he would need to like elevate him back… I think his legacy has definitely been tarnished, which sucks to say.”
Although the KO loss is difficult to deal with, Tyron Woodley had made it clear he will fight again. As for Paul, Chris Weidman hopes the YouTuber-turned-boxer faces his former rival, Anderson Silva, next.
“I would love to see him fight Anderson Silva. He’s calling out all these fighters with UFC contracts. I don’t think he’s really–none of those are really going to happen at this point. The UFC would have to get behind it almost like a Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather type match.
“But unless you’re drawing in $500 million like the Mayweather and Conor McGregor fights were doing, the UFC’s not doing that because they want to split it. They would split it, but if it’s not that type of money, they’re not doing it. So (we’re) wasting our time even talking about (Nate) Diaz, (Jorge) Masvidal and (Kamaru) Usman,” Weidman concluded.
Do you agree with Chris Weidman that Tyron Woodley tarnished his legacy?
Car-Jitsu is beginning to find its wheels in the wide-open spaces of the loopy world of combat sports.
Invented in 2020 by Vik Mikheev, Car-Jitsu features jiu-jitsu contests held within mid-sized sedans. The participants compete in two three-minute rounds of grappling and alternate between driver and passenger between rounds.
Points are earned by establishing an advantageous position or scoring a submission. If the submission tally is tied at the close of the second round, the grapplers take the heated action to the backseat until one participant earns the most points within four minutes in an overtime period.
Kristin Shea and Alexandra Rosa Florez Engage In Fierce Car-Jitsu Battle
Everything within the vehicle is fair game and available for use. That means mirrors, seat belt, steering wheel—you name it. This is all factored into the “creative use of the environment” criterion. Participants are awarded four points for mount and back control and two points for placing their knee on the belly of the opponent.
So what spawned this idea from Mikheev? He says it began as something of an experiment that could yield fruitful long-term results for the participating grapplers.
“In 2020, I came up with the idea of doing competitive grappling in vehicles.” Mikheev said, per Jiu-Jitsu Times. “Since October of 2020, I and my friends run small tournaments of Car-Jitsu to study the aspects of jiu-jitsu application in such a confined space.“
Aljamain Sterling’s perception of Petr Yan as a cheater doesn’t stop at illegal knees.
Aljamain Sterling’s bantamweight championship win at UFC 259 will be tough to top on the “most controversial title wins in UFC history” list for a long time yet. With Sterling being the benefactor of Yan’s miscue, he has been the subject of most of the attention and scrutiny for the way he won the title. However, the fact remains that it was Yan who broke the rules by landing an illegal knee to a downed opponent.
Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“Yea fuck that Alga guy. He sucks. Aljo, on the other hand- yea, he can’t wait to fuck you up. Dirty rat,” Sterling posted with a syringe emoji.
When one fan indicated that Sterling’s physique is more suspicious than Yan’s and that the champion is oversized for his weight class, Sterling issued this response:
All natural work. I get fat. I have normal veins. And I get in peak shape and lose it after a few days of eating bad.
“All natural work. I get fat. I have normal veins. And I get in peak shape and lose it after a few days of eating bad. Glass these some milk and cookies.”
Dr. Funkmaster would then turn his attention over to USADA and their uselessness on stamping out PED usage.
You think the USADA team are flying Americans over there to test their athletes? Lol give me a break. Shits a complete joke.
They got a Dr. hiding here in the states, from airing their dirty Olympic doping laundry. No one is outing their athletes without concern for their life https://t.co/6sZAvcCAck
“You think the USADA team are flying Americans over there to test their athletes? Lol give me a break. Shits a complete joke. They got a Dr. hiding here in the states, from airing their dirty Olympic doping laundry. No one is outing their athletes without concern for their life,” Sterling said in response to a supporter of his crusade.
One week vs months and years of cheating aint shit. You keep you gains man. It’s cool tho. I’m use to competing against these athletes. These fighters been cheating for years since the beginning days.
They still are, and it’s something you understand but still get pissed about.
“One week vs months and years of cheating aint shit. You keep you gains man. It’s cool tho. I’m use to competing against these athletes. These fighters been cheating for years since the beginning days. They still are, and it’s something you understand but still get pissed about,” Sterling continued.
Sterling would then respond to additional criticism by invoking T.J. Dillashaw’s name as an example of USADA’s ineffectiveness both in general and as it directly relates to Petr Yan.
Lol call me what you want Bubba. They said the same about TJ Dillashaw. NYSAC caught him that dirty rat. NOT USADA.
Don’t worry. I’m still getting back in there against the rat. Calm your tits. https://t.co/2INgb16L5K
“Lol call me what you want Bubba. They said the same about TJ Dillashaw. NYSAC caught him that dirty rat. NOT USADA. Don’t worry. I’m still getting back in there against the rat. Calm your tits.”
It should be noted that Petr Yan has never failed a drug test in his athletic career. It is unclear what precisely Sterling is basing his accusations on. Then again, perhaps this is merely a tool for promoting their upcoming fight.
That fight is expected to take place in early 2022 now that Sterling has fully recovered from lingering issues following his neck surgery from earlier this year. UFC President Dana White has confirmed that this unification bout is the fight to make after Yan defeated Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 to become the interim bantamweight champion.
What do you make of Aljamain Sterling’s PED accusations lobbed at Petr Yan?
UFC veteran Matt Brown wants to fight in front of his hometown fans on the upcoming Columbus, OH card and is open to a matchup with Kevin Holland.
Brown was originally slated to face Bryan Barberena on one of the final UFC cards of 2021 but pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19. While he didn’t experience any severe symptoms, he was sick enough to the point where fighting wasn’t a realistic option.
Brown is now fully recovered from the virus and is planning on his return to the Octagon. The 40-year-old Brown is looking to earn a second-straight win after knocking out Dhiego Lima earlier this year.
Brown wants to check another item off his bucket list by fighting on the upcoming Fight Night card on March 26 in Columbus. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, he tabbed Holland as a potential opponent for his return.
“[Kevin] Holland is a tough guy with a good name,” Brown said. “That would be a great fight or anybody else. I’m not really too picky. I don’t really pick and choose. I say put a guy in the cage with me and tell me where to be and I’ll be there.
“If he wants to fight, we’ll fight. If they give me the call, I’m down. Let’s make it happen, Columbus, March 26. Let’s go.”
Kevin Holland Responds To Matt Brown’s Callout
After mixed results at middleweight, Holland has turned his attention to a cut down to welterweight for the foreseeable future. He most recently competed against Kyle Daukaus in October in a fight that was controversially ruled a no-contest after a head clash.
Holland heard about Brown’s comments and conveyed his interest in the possible matchup.
“I was thinking February 5th,” Holland said in an Instagram post. “Two big mouths on one card. Definitely a respectful callout, OG.”
Holland and Brown are both appearing to be chomping at the bit for a return to the Octagon. With the two fan-favorites currently unbooked, there does not seem to be anything standing in the way from this fight becoming a reality.
What do you think about a possible Matt Brown vs. Kevin Holland fight?
Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes we witnessed Dustin Poirier’s competitive fire go out following his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.
Poirier’s inspirational journey to the top first fell short of championship glory at the hands of Khabib in 2019. A third-round submission in Abu Dhabi sent ‘The Diamond’ back to the drawing board. Like he’s done so often in his career, Poirier bounced back. He did so courtesy of a five-round victory over Dan Hooker and back-to-back triumphs over Conor McGregor in 2021.
Having found himself back opposite the champion at UFC 269, this time in the form of Brazilian veteran Oliveira, many expected Poirier to close out the year with his first undisputed crowning. Instead, the favorite fell yet again to a third-round rear-naked choke.
Charles Oliveira takes out Dustin Poirier by submission 🔥#UFC269
Having seen his post-fight attitude and disappointment, Khabib, who retired as champion following UFC 254 in 2020, believes we’ve seen the last of a motivated and hungry Poirier.
At a recent press conference, the Dagestani, who’d predicted the challenger would dethrone Oliveira, was asked what went wrong for Poirier at the final pay-per-view of the year. In response, Khabib described the inevitable decline fighters experience.
“I think every person has resources. You know, I think when a man starts a new business, in the beginning he is on fire. He is moving forward, his business is developing. But after comes a time when he goes out. He wants to withdraw money and to start a new business. And this is life… You launch a business. In the beginning, you think you are going to do it all life. But then comes a time you go out a little bit, you want to invest to other business.
“The same thing could happen with a fighter. There is a fire, a hunger, when you want it very much. Then comes a time when you still want it but not so hard. It happens when the fire went out, but there are still numbers in a contract. You think, ‘Wait, I can earn this money in a fight.’ The fighters have such moments.”
Having seen Poirier’s fire dim following UFC 269, Khabib believes he’ll never be able to find the motivation that brought him to the top again. But the former champion also described it as a natural process, something which will inevitably happen to new top lightweights like Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev.
“After the fight, he said he needs to think, does he need it at all? If such thoughts came to his mind, it means he will win, but he will win and lose. He will not go to the end when it will be necessary. Sometimes, you look at the athlete and see how fast he changes. I say it to my close friends. While there is a time you should stay active and keep fighting. If this switch clicks once, he will never go back. I think his switch clicked.
What a beautiful journey, the ups and the downs. Im grateful for all of it
“The time comes. There was Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Pettis, before me. Then Conor… No one stayed, everyone left. Now it is Charles Oliveira’s time. Charles came. Now it is the time of Islam, Beneil, Justin (Gaethje), Charles Oliveira. They will fight now, then they will leave too. Others will come. No one can control this and no one will be able to stop this. Time runs (out). I think everything is simple. Charles Oliveira was better; choked and left. Later, another one will come and (beat) him. He will go out, then we will talk about another one. It is such a carousel that will never be stopped.” (Transcribed by Fighting Flashback)
Khabib’s take is seemingly something Dustin Poirier himself agrees with on at least some level. Following his latest setback, he admitted he wasn’t sure what was next and suggested no potential matchup excited him.
Newly-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has criticized comments Joe Rogan made on commentary during his UFC 269 victory over Raulian Paiva.
O’Malley closed out a strong year for “The Suga Show” last weekend at the final pay-per-view of 2021. Having rebounded from his first loss in MMA to Marlon Vera with back-to-back finishes over Thomas Almeida and Kris Moutinho, the 27-year-old aimed to make it three from three against Brazil’s Paiva.
Towards the end of the opening round, O’Malley had the crowd at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on their feet after recording yet another knockout finish. A brutal combination against the cage slumped Paiva and forced the referee to step in. The victory ensured O’Malley’s path to the top remained on track and saw him enter the rankings at #13 in the latest update.
Although in high spirits in the aftermath of his latest triumph, O’Malley did take aim at color commentator Daniel Cormier, something that seems to be a weekly occurrence at the moment, with Dominick Cruz and Alexander Volkanovski also recently expressing their disdain at the former two-division UFC champion’s mic work.
But O’Malley has now set his sights on another man at the desk, renowned podcast host, stand-up comedian, and combat sports enthusiast Joe Rogan.
O’Malley Encourages Rogan To “Form A Knowledgeable Opinion”
Sean O’Malley, Joe Rogan
While Rogan is no longer as present in UFC coverage as he used to be, now only covering the US-based pay-per-views (unless he has a hunting trip, of course), many still see his voice as an integral part of big events and he remains a popular figure. That’s the case for O’Malley, who signs off his post-fight interviews with the veteran broadcaster by saying, “I fucking love you Joe Rogan.”
While the love is still there, it’s seemingly been joined by some heavy frustration. Speaking on a recent episode of his TimboSugarShow podcast, O’Malley slammed the commentary team for pushing a narrative that suggested he is susceptible to leg kicks.
“They said, ‘I don’t know why, when you’re going to fight Sean, you don’t throw more leg kicks. He clearly had a problem in the Chito fight with the leg kicks.’ I fight Thomas Almeida, who’s a fucking good kickboxer, who tried kicking my legs… I countered, he landed a couple, I did a couple good things with the leg kicks. Kris Moutinho, who probably kicked my legs more than Thomas, still kicked my legs.”
The idea that O’Malley can be heavily damaged by low kicks came after he suffered a few injuries whilst in the Octagon, including one that led to the only blemish on his record to date. Against “Chito” Vera in 2020, a kick appeared to connect with O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, essentially giving him a case of ‘drop foot’.
Prior to that, O’Malley suffered an injury towards the end of his decision victory over Andre Soukhamthath, leading to the infamous post-fight interview that saw Rogan speak to “Sugar” while he was being tended to on the mat.
Joe Rogan, Sean O’Malley
Despite maintaining the love he has for the UFC mainstay, O’Malley suggested Rogan hadn’t watched his defeat to Vera enough to form a “knowledgeable opinion.”
“You can just say anything on the mic. Everyone knows how much I fucking love Joe Rogan. I say it after my fights… He might have watched that Chito fight one time while he was sitting there and then his opinion is what he saw right there. But dude, he got one kick that hit my nerve… He did land a couple of good leg kicks after that, but I was on one leg and I still pieced him up. If you’re gonna commentate and bring up that fight, every single time I fight, go watch it and form a knowledgeable opinion about it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
O’Malley’s claim is fairly similar to Cruz’s remarks about “DC.” The former two-time bantamweight titleholder accused Cormier of not watching enough tape and doing enough research to be able to call fights correctly.
But unlike that case, which saw many in the community agree with “The Dominator,” the narrative that O’Malley can be compromised by heavy leg kicks has been pretty prevalent, especially since his setback last year.
Was Joe Rogan wrong to suggest Sean O’Malley is susceptible to leg kicks?
On this day one year ago, we ran a story about Claressa Shields’ insistence that she will be the individual to prove that boxers can succeed in MMA. One year later, her record sits at 1-1, with Shields losing her most recent bout to Abigail Montes at the 2021 PFL Championships in October.
Although it cannot be denied that Shields suffered a setback and has much work to do before she can be successful in her mission, she has let it be known that she will not be deterred by her first defeat.
Here is a look back at Shields’ mindset before she ever stepped foot into an MMA cage in this story published one year ago. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 26, 2020, 10:54 AM]
Headline: Claressa Shields Vows To Prove Boxers Can Succeed In MMA
PFL newcomer and boxing world champion Claressa Shields is eager to prove that boxers can indeed be successful in MMA.
Some would say that there is a common perception that boxers do not have what it takes to be successful at the highest level of MMA. Case in point, just ask anybody what Floyd Mayweather’s chances would have been against Conor McGregor in an MMA bout. Whether a casual fan or a hardcore MMA aficionado, odds are you would get a response of McGregor being at least a -1000 favorite after the person scoffed at the very question.
This belief is further perpetuated by the precedent of one James Toney, a former boxing heavyweight champion who attempted to cross over into MMA, only to get submitted in the first round of his lone MMA fight. This has served as a precautionary tale for boxers ever since.
But now, there’s Claressa Shields, an Olympic boxing gold medalist who is venturing into MMA full time in the Professional Fighters League. Shields feels that it goes beyond a perception that boxers can’t cut it in MMA but that it is a full-blown myth, one that she cannot wait to burst.
“Listen, I’m excited and I’m just ready to prove everybody wrong,” Shields told MMA Fighting. “Not everybody but all the doubters. It seems like everybody keeps saying like ‘oh anybody that’s come from boxing can’t be successful in MMA.’
“Like they say look at James Toney, and I kind of laugh cause James Toney was 42 years old. I’m 25. He was also 42 years old and he went in there, I don’t know how long he prepared but he fought against one of the best guys that they had. It’s not that I wouldn’t do that, but I’m preparing. I’m taking it one step at a time.”
It is true that James Toney’s submission loss came to a UFC Hall of Famer (Randy Couture) and that he was indeed 42 years old at the time. Claressa Shields, on the other hand, is only 25 years of age and is arguably the best female boxer in the world. And most importantly, unlike Toney, Shields is fully invested in putting in the work to becoming a complete mixed martial artist.
“I’m not an egotistic person,” Shields said. “I am the best woman’s fighter in the world. There is no other woman fighter in boxing that can beat me in boxing, for sure. But going over to a whole other sport and saying that, it’s just not true now. I have to work my way up from the bottom and learn and train and drill.”
Claressa Shields plans to begin her mythbusting expedition around May or June of 2021 in a non-tournament fight in the PFL.
Do you believe there is a myth that boxers can’t cut it in MMA and that Claressa Shields will debunk it?
UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has admitted it’s frustrating not to be granted a title shot despite his impressive run in the division.
Since 2018, Dariush has been on fire. After a majority draw against Evan Dunham and defeats to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez left him 0-2-1 in three fights, the Iranian-born American found the form of his life, building a seven-fight win streak that started against Thiago Moisés at UFC Fight Night 139.
Further victories over Drew Dober and Frank Camacho, and highlight-reel knockouts of Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman, brought Dariush into the top 15, before decision triumphs against Brazilian veteran Diego Ferreira and former interim champ Tony Ferguson cemented his place in the top five and title contention.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPAMPz8hHVt/
Following his win against “El Cucuy” at UFC 262 earlier this year, many expected Dariush to be top of the queue for a championship opportunity. Instead, the 32-year-old found himself unable to find a high-ranked opponent for December whilst Dustin Poirier challenged for the title, and seemingly leapfrogged by Justin Gaethje after his memorable success against Chandler last month at UFC 268.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai black belt will now have to get through surging Dagestani contender Islam Makhachev to secure a date with the titleholder. In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Dariush admitted the “businessman” in him was disappointed and frustrated at the snub. However, the Makhachev booking has got him roaring again.
“The thing is, as a business man, for sure it bothers me. Like, it’s annoying. I did everything I needed to do to get this title shot. It’s not fair. But man, I’m not that much of a businessman. That part of me, it was like, a little bit of a scratch, but the dog in me when I hear like, ‘Makhachev, this guy, the guy, this is the best guy,’ when I hear about this, that part of me is like, ‘Let’s go!’ I’ve got fire in me, man. I’m training all the time but when I heard Makhachev, I was like, ‘Let’s go, man’. I’m, stoked on this.”
Having missed out on a long-awaited title shot to this point, Dariush believes a victory over the highly-touted Dagestani will be enough to book his place opposite the titleholder later in the year.
“I think so, that’s what it seems like, right? I just don’t see who would be, If I win this fight, like, who am I gonna fight next? Am I gonna fight Chandler? Is he gonna get another chance at the title? I don’t understand who else is there. Or like, do I have to fight Poirier? Who is there? Do I have to fight Charles (Oliveira)? We’ll see. I feel like I’m gonna be number one contender, yeah.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWyQIc0twjW/
Do you expect the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev to fight for the title later in 2022?
Mike Perry’s and Darren Till’s desire to fight one another went back four years until those plans suffered a likely fatal blow in 2021 when Perry parted ways with the UFC.
The year was 2017. Mike Perry and Darren Till had a combined UFC record of 8-1 entering the month of December, and the two men’s fan bases were continuing to grow.
What was also growing in popularity was the idea of the two welterweights fighting one another. As much as many fans wanted to see the fight, it was Perry and Till who have always lobbied for it the hardest.
Perry and Till’s banter would continue for years, and the two constantly flirted with fighting one another. During the Christmas season in 2018, Perry was coming off a loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio while Till defeated Donald Cerrone earlier that year.
Despite their most recent outcomes at the time, Perry decided to shoot his shot with the following Christmas wish and birthday message.
#HappyBirthday@darrentill2 and #MerryChristmas , for a gift I’d like to give you a contract with my name on it. We’ll make it happen. Until then don’t lose that 0 and remember nobody wants to stand and fight you like I do. #TheyreAllGonnaRun
“#HappyBirthday @darrentill2 and #MerryChristmas, for a gift I’d like to give you a contract with my name on it,” Perry wrote to Till on Twitter this Christmas Eve, which was also the Liverpudlian’s 24th birthday. “We’ll make it happen. Until then don’t lose that 0 and remember nobody wants to stand and fight you like I do,” Perry posted on Christmas Eve 2017.
With no fight planned for Till at the time following his victory over Cerrone on the headlining bout of UFC Fight Night 118 in Poland, Perry looked set to square off with the Brit. Having slipped to a unanimous decision defeat to Ponzinibbio at UFC on FOX 26, “Platinum” could be forgiven for believing that he may have lost out on that bout.
Till, however, offered some very encouraging words in his response to Perry, which was music to the ears of the then-26-year-old Perry:
Thanks for the well wishes… same to you!! The 0 is staying don’t worry about that… and yes I’ll sign it! Let’s go to fucking war if that’s what you want! Rankings and losses mean fuck all to me!!! 🦍👍🏻
“Thanks for the well wishes… same to you!! The 0 is staying don’t worry about that… and yes I’ll sign it! Let’s go to f**king war if that’s what you want! Rankings and losses mean f**k all to me!!!
Since this exchange took place, the combined record of Till and Perry went on to be 5-10. Today, Till no longer competes in the UFC’s welterweight division, and Perry no longer competes in the UFC at all and recently signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Unless Mike Perry makes his UFC return someday or he and Till finally compete against one another in a Triller event in the distant future, then this is one Christmas wish that will likely go down as unfulfilled.
Is Darren Till vs. Mike Perry the Christmas gift that got away for MMA fans, or were you among those who were uninterested in this fight taking place?
Jake Paul’s mom, Pam Ann Stepnick, was not happy with John Fury’s comments at the press conference.
When Paul was supposed to box Tommy Fury, Tommy’s dad, John had some vulgar comments to Jake during the press conference. However, after all the talk, Fury pulled out of the fight which Pam wasn’t surprised about.
“Well, I was unhappy. I really wanted Jake to fight Tommy, just because of all the back and forth. But it wasn’t really a surprise, when you just got down to it, because he didn’t show up to the first press conference,” Stepnick said to IFL TV.
“And then the other press conference, it was just his dad, you know, just being really, totally disgusting. And Tommy wasn’t saying anything. So, he did seem overwhelmed and a little bit afraid. So, I don’t know. I mean, I’m glad he showed a scan. But, you know, for all I know, they’re fake scans. So, who knows?”
John Fury
Although Jake Paul and Tommy Fury ended up not fighting, Pam admits she was still mad with what Fury had to say. The press conference was full of vulgar comments which forced BT Sport to have to apologize. And for Paul’s mom, she said it was disgusting that a man would bring up Jake’s girlfriend among other topics.
“It was so disgusting that I turned it off. I never miss something that Jake is doing, like ever, probably since he was, you know, five years old. But I just couldn’t take these disgusting, vulgar comments from him,” Stepnick said about Fury’s comments. “And I don’t know why he was doing the talking; he’s not the fighter. You know, talking about Julia [Rose] that way; it just, it was needless and disgusting.”
In the end, Jake Paul and Tommy Fury never got the chance to fight. But after Paul’s KO win over Woodley, perhaps the bout will get rebooked.
What do you make of Jake Paul’s mom’s comments about John Fury?
Kai Kara-France is still reeling over his UFC 269 win.
Kai Kara-France is flying high following his win at UFC 269. He defeated former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt by TKO in the first round of their matchup. The win was probably the biggest of Kara-France’s career so far. The performance shot the 28-year-old to number six in the flyweight rankings. Now, two weeks removed from the event, Kara-France is still in disbelief of his performance. He spoke about his feelings on The Schmo Youtube channel.
“Every morning I wake up and I’m like, ‘Did that really happen?” Kara-France explained. “It couldn’t have gone any better, from the lead-up to the actual fight, and then the finish and getting a bonus, and everyone really doubting me and kinda overlooking me. Especially Cody overlooking me, already telling Dana, ‘I’ll be the alternate for the next flyweight title fight.’
Kara-France has been a staple in the UFC flyweight division since 2018 when he made his promotional debut. Since then, he has only lost two fights, one of which was against champion Brandon Moreno. Despite Kara-France’s résumé, most media attention was on Garbrandt and his move to 125 pounds. Kara-France thought the UFC had a plan to give Garbrandt a title shot off a win and was glad to put a stop to that.
“So yeah, the whole lead-up was a weird one,” Kara-France said. “I knew that I’d been putting in the work, so when I turned up on fight week, I was focused. I only had one person in front of me and that’s all I was focused on, which was Cody. And he’s too busy trying to fight everyone else but me and won’t even acknowledge me. It was kinda like I was set up. He was getting set up for the title shot, and I was just a pawn and a stepping stone for him, to build him up for flyweight. So I was here to spoil the party, and that’s what I did.”
The win over a former champion is sure to give Kara-France a boost in motivation and confidence. He will need this confidence when he takes on Askar Askarov on March 26, as announced yesterday. Because should he win this bout, a title shot will more than likely be waiting for him.
Will Kai Kara-France become the UFC flyweight champion in 2022?
Yesterday, we shared an editorial from last year that documented Jon Jones’ chaotic drug-testing history. Heading into UFC 232, that history had more questions and fewer answers than ever before. But there was one thing Jones’ upcoming opponent at the time, Alexander Gustafsson, felt he knew for sure: Jones has always been a cheater.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 26, 2018, 9:00 AM]
Headline: Gustafsson: “Of Course” Jon Jones Has Always Cheated
Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson will be squaring off in the main event of UFC 232 this Saturday night from The Forum in Los Angeles, California, and there has been a lot of tension between Jones and Gustafsson during the lead-in to their contest.
After Jon Jones’ latest run-in with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with a test that rendered an “atypical” result, Gustafsson joined in on the chorus of criticisms that has rained down on Jones. In spite of slamming Jones publicly, though, Gustafsson claims that trash talking is not in his nature:
“I’m not one to trash talk my opponents,” Gustafsson told the LA Times. “If the talk is on, then let’s go, I’ll say the truth — nothing more or less. But it doesn’t affect me in my competition.”
It is with this pledge of truth that Gustafsson answered the question of whether he believes Jon Jones has always cheated, even before USADA partnered with the UFC in 2015,
“Yeah, of course I do,” Gustafsson said frankly. “I don’t care, though. It is what it is. That’s in the past and it doesn’t change anything. We have a new fight coming up and it’s all about that fight. Nothing else. I’m going to prepare for the best Jon out there — dirty or not, I don’t care. I’ll be sure I win this fight.”
At the end of the day, Gustafsson does not care what Jones has done or even what he may be doing. All he cares about is what he can control and the results dictated by his own performance:
“I don’t put an effort into what Jones is doing or not doing. I’m not sitting at home and thinking if he’s doing [performance-enhancing drugs] or not, and it’s not my job to prevent it. I’m just looking at the fight,” said Gustafsson.
“My job is to go out there and do my talking in the cage, and to beat the crap out of him.”
Do you agree with Alexander Gustafsson? Do you believe Jon Jones has been cheating throughout his career?
Newly-crowned UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is aware of the target she has on her back as the 135-pound queen, but she’s welcoming every threat and every challenge.
Amanda Nunes retaining the bantamweight title throughout 2022 was perhaps one of the few absolute UFC certainties in the eye of many fans and pundits. But most hadn’t considered the possibility of Peña shocking the world at the final pay-per-view of 2022. In the UFC 269 co-main event, she did exactly that.
With an aura of confidence behind her that many doubted and branded delusional, “The Venezuelan Vixen” backed her abilities and delivered in style. After making it through the opening round unscathed, the challenger executed her gameplay to perfection in the second.
Having reached the top of the food chain at 135 pounds, Peña is embracing the changing dynamic to her career. Whereas she’d been chasing a title shot and championship glory until this month, the 32-year-old is now the one everyone else in the division is pursuing. While some may crumble under that pressure, “The Venezuelan Vixen” is ready for everything.
During an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, Peña discussed the position she’s found herself in atop the bantamweight mountain. Knowing that the target is now well and truly on her back, the champ is intending to welcome all comers during her reign.
“Come one, come all. Like, come on with it, girl. Like, literally, I know that that’s the type of position that I was gonna be put in. I know that as the champion, you gotta big bullseye on your back. And I knew that I was gunning for that bullseye vs. Amanda,” Peña said.
“And now, that bullseye is on me, and I welcome that. I embrace that. I am excited for that. And like I said, that was last week. This week, we need to talk about what we have to do moving forward in order to defend.
“This I will defend with my life. And I am ready to do that. And moving forward, it’s all about what’s next and not what I did back then but what’s gonna come ahead in my future.”
With that in mind, it seems likely we’ll be seeing Nunes vs. Peña 2 sometime in the first half of 2022. If White is to be believed, it could be the biggest woman’s fight of all time.
Do you believe Julianna Peña will successfully defend her title in 2022?
On this day six years ago, we ran a story about Nick Diaz slamming the UFC for how the promotion was compensating his younger brother Nate.
Today, the topic of fighter pay is stitched into the fabric of everyday MMA discourse. However, six years ago it was far less common. The Diaz brothers’ outspokenness on the subject was ahead of its time and is one of the many reasons they are considered trailblazers of the sport.
In December 2015, Nick Diaz appeared on Chael Sonnen’s You’re Welcome podcast and spoke out against how the UFC pays their fighters. Our coverage of his comments was published precisely one week after Nate’s iconic callout of Conor McGregor at UFC on FOX 17.
In the podcast appearance, Nick Diaz brought up that his brother Nate earned only $40,000 to compete and win at UFC on FOX 17.
“[Nate’s purse] makes me sick. It makes me sick what I get paid. It makes me sick for what I’ve done in the past. Then you see this guy [McGregor] come out and do really well, and it drives you crazy. [Nate] is stuck in the stone age back there, but I’m trying to help bring him some understanding. It’s a quick fix, though. They really sell him short, both of us. As far as the 20 and 20, these guys are laughing, thinking it’s a joke. No, dude. That’s what he gets paid. You can’t lie to the fans.”
Nick went on to say Nate was the man fans wanted to see step in the Octagon across from McGregor next.
“They know what they want to see. It’s the fight that needs to happen. My brother’s definitely relevant. You can’t just act like he’s not. This fight should probably happen, as far as I’m concerned. You’ve got these other guys that aren’t very popular, even though they’re holding the belt. Belts aren’t important. It’s the fights that are important. Important to the fans, important to the show. That’s more money for everybody.”
During this period, Nick Diaz was serving a five-year suspension by the NSAC after UFC 183. Diaz competed for the first time since 2015 earlier this year against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. Diaz lost the fight via TKO (retirement).
Today, Nate Diaz is getting paid much more handsomely, beginning with him making good on his callout of McGregor at UFC 196. Since that victory, Nate has been getting the superstar treatment from both fans and arguably the UFC brass as well.
Petr Yan is ready for his highly anticipated rematch with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling, and there is still no love lost between them.
Yan was slated to face Sterling at UFC 267 earlier this year, but Sterling pulled out of the fight on weeks’ notice due to various health issues. Yan went on to fight Cory Sandhagen for the interim title, winning via unanimous decision with an impressive performance on the feet.
Tensions have risen between Sterling and Yan since their first matchup at UFC 259. After taking control of the later portion of the bout, Yan landed an illegal knee, and Sterling was awarded the belt via disqualification.
“Friendly reminder that [Sterling] is my bitch,” Yan said. This time I will destroy this little whiner even more impressive.”
Sterling’s prolonged absence from competition has created a bit of a shaky bantamweight title picture. The division as a whole is arguably the best in MMA today, with title-worthy contenders from top to bottom.
Things are just beginning to heat up ahead of the Yan vs. Sterling rematch, and their animosity doesn’t appear to be fading away anytime soon.
What is your prediction for the Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling rematch?
Yesterday, we shared an editorial from last year that documented Jon Jones’ chaotic drug-testing history. Once the news broke of another atypical test finding for Jones, Daniel Cormier was expectedly one of the first to react. Stipe Miocic would then react to Cormier’s reaction, five months after DC defeated him for the UFC heavyweight championship.
The following story is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 26, 2018, 10:23 AM]
Headline: Stipe Miocic Sends Message To DC After Jones’ Drug Test Incident
Author: Jon Fuentes
Current UFC “Champ Champ” Daniel Cormier’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career is coming to an end. Cormier has said that, following his heavyweight title defense over Derrick Lewis in November, he has one fight left in him. It’s believed that fight will be against the returning Brock Lesnar sometime in the first quarter of 2019. However, it’s also believed Cormier will fight longtime rival Jon Jones once more before retiring as well.
Should that take place, however, there will always be doubts about Jones’ competitive integrity. After having issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the past, Jones has once again found himself in a bit of controversy. “Bones” is set to face Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of this weekend’s UFC 232 pay-per-view (PPV). Initially, the fight was to take place in Las Vegas.
However, traces of turinabol were recently detected in Jones’ system. It has been said that those traces are leftover from Jones’ initial failed drug test last year, and are not new traces. Despite this, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) did not license Jones to fight this weekend. This forced the UFC to move UFC 232 from Vegas to California, where Jones was able to get licensed.
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