MMA News

Tag: Ryan Garcia

  • Ilia Topuria And Ryan Garcia Engage In Explosive War Of Words After Bold Boxing Callout

    Ilia Topuria and Ryan Garcia recently traded a series of heated messages after the reigning UFC lightweight champion floated the idea of stepping into the boxing ring in the future.

    Topuria, who is preparing to defend his title against Justin Gaethje at the UFC White House event on June 14, made it clear he believes he could compete at a high level in boxing right away.

    “I’d be very comfortable,” Topuria said in an interview when asked about facing Garcia. “I think I would break him before it gets to the judges’ decision.”

    That confidence quickly drew a sharp response from Garcia.

    “You are a damn good striker for MMA that’s it,” Garcia fired back on social media. “You wouldn’t be sipping on tea after our fight you would be eating through a straw after our fight. Stay in your lane. I’ll gladly stay in mine.”

    “El Matador” didn’t hold back in his reply.

    “You built your name on hype,” he wrote. “I built mine by putting legends to sleep. I would give you a boxing lesson. We are not on the same level. Bring the guy that you fight in September. I would beat both of you in the same ring.”

    Garcia doubled down, dismissing the undefeated Spaniard’s chances in a pure boxing setting.

    “I built my name sleeping guys that are way better boxers then you will ever be,” Garcia responded. “You’ve seen many MMA fighters try and you’ll just be another UFC hype job cashing out by getting knocked out by a boxer.”

    The exchange escalated further when Topuria referenced a controversial chapter in “KingRy’s” career.

    “The biggest win of your career came with steroids,” Topuria wrote. “So that’s where your confidence comes from? Interesting.”

  • ‘M*rder Of A Future President’ – Charlie Kirk’s Horrifying Assassination In Utah Devastates Combat Sports Community

    ‘M*rder Of A Future President’ – Charlie Kirk’s Horrifying Assassination In Utah Devastates Combat Sports Community

    Charlie Kirk’s brutal assassination stunned society, touching even the combat sports world.

    On Wednesday afternoon, right-wing activist Kirk was swept into the escalating political violence gripping America as he was gunned down during an event at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus.

    The U.S. President Donald Trump’s staunch supporter was speaking to students in a campus Q&A beneath a white gazebo when a single gunshot tore through the air. Kirk clutched his neck as blood poured from the left side, while horrified onlookers scattered in terror.

    Kirk was immediately taken to a hospital in a private vehicle, but Trump later confirmed on social media that he had succumbed to his injuries. The Republican leader further declared that, in honor of the late Turning Point USA co-founder, all American flags nationwide would be lowered to half-mast until Sunday evening.

    Jake Paul, Sean Strickland And Others In Combat Sports React To Charlie Kirk Shooting

    After confirmation of Charlie Kirk’s death from a gunshot, numerous prominent figures in the combat sports world took to social media to react. Some described the attack as a deliberate attempt to silence conservative voices in the U.S., while others blamed what they called the broader leftist ecosystem for his death.

    YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul:

    UFC middleweight veteran Tim Kennedy:

    Former UFC 185-pound champion Sean Strickland:

    UFC lightweight Renato Moicano:

    Dominance MMA founder Ali Abdelaziz:

    https://twitter.com/AliAbdelaziz00/status/1965866402843357486

    Former WBC interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia:

    UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell:

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling:

    UFC lightweight veteran Jared Gordon:

    Former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns:

    Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes:

    Veteran MMA referee Marc Goddard:

    UFC flyweight Charles Johnson:

    Former UFC interim 170-pound titleholder Colby Covington:

    UFC 155-pounder Terrance McKinney:

    Former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa:

    UFC featherweight Sodiq Yusuff:

    https://twitter.com/Super_Sodiq/status/1965863554617393659

    PFL light heavyweight star Derek Brunson:

    Former UFC 185-pound title challenger Marvin Vettori:

    Former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson:

    Former Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields:

    MMA coach Tim Welch:

    UFC middleweight star Bo Nickal:

    While Charlie Kirk’s assailant remains unidentified, authorities are actively investigating. Initially, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a suspect was in custody, but he later clarified that the individual had been released following questioning.

    He added that the FBI continues to work closely with local law enforcement to uncover the circumstances surrounding the attack.

    Image: @charliekirk1776/Instagram

  • ‘It Ain’t Boxing Lil Bro’ – MMA Fans Tear Into Ryan Garcia For Seemingly Branding UFC 319 Headliner ‘Boring’

    ‘It Ain’t Boxing Lil Bro’ – MMA Fans Tear Into Ryan Garcia For Seemingly Branding UFC 319 Headliner ‘Boring’

    Ryan Garcia appears less than impressed with the action at UFC 319.

    UFC 319, one of the year’s most anticipated pay-per-view cards, went down this past Saturday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The event delivered fireworks, with three main card finishes, including back-to-back first-round spinning back elbow knockouts.

    First, Carlos Prates flattened Geoff Neal in highlight-reel fashion, before Lerone Murphy derailed Aaron Pico’s Octagon debut in the very next fight.

    The main event saw Khamzat Chimaev dethrone middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision in what was arguably one of the most dominant title fight performances in recent memory.

    “Borz” racked up over 21 minutes of control time, landed 12 takedowns, and piled on 529 total strikes. However, the win elicited a divided response from fans, as Chimaev’s dominance lacked the threat of a finish or any truly fight-ending offense.

    Khamzat Chimaev defeats Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319
    Image: @ufc/X

    Garcia seemed to be among those left underwhelmed by the UFC 319 headliner, suggesting it failed to live up to the hype. The former interim WBC lightweight champion took to social media, where he did not specify the bout but implied his disappointment with the card, with many assuming he was referring to the main event.

    “UFC lowkey boring, at least this fight,” Garcia wrote on X.

    MMA Fans Rip Ryan Garcia For Hinting UFC 319 Main Event Lacked Excitement

    Ryan Garcia’s post suggesting he found the UFC 319 main event dull quickly drew the ire of MMA fans, who wasted no time firing back at “KingRy”.

    Many pointed to his own underwhelming performance against Rolando Romero, while others reignited the age-old debate of MMA’s superiority over boxing when it comes to delivering excitement.

    https://twitter.com/twrecks155/status/1957123445394976842
    https://twitter.com/notZIDEN/status/1957091340950671832
    https://twitter.com/DKD2421/status/1957044111296319664
    https://twitter.com/HonestCombatFan/status/1957032883371020289
    https://twitter.com/ogdaddychill/status/1957126315372314655
    Image: @ufc/X
  • Ryan Garcia Reflects on Surreal Times Square Experience: ‘It Felt Like A Sparring Match’

    Ryan Garcia Reflects on Surreal Times Square Experience: ‘It Felt Like A Sparring Match’

    Ryan Garcia suggests the unusual fight venue may have contributed to his underwhelming performance.

    On Friday night, Garcia headlined a fight card titled “Fatal Fury: City of Wolves” at the iconic Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, where he faced off against Rolando Romero.

    “KingRy” struggled to find his rhythm from the opening bell and was knocked down by Romero in the second round. Throughout the bout, Garcia was consistently outboxed in a contest that lacked sustained action. Ultimately, “Rolly” impressed the judges with his technical precision, earning a unanimous decision victory.

    During the post-fight press conference, Garcia acknowledged falling short of expectations while praising Romero for his dominant performance in the squared circle. Many fans and analysts speculated that Garcia’s year-long hiatus might have contributed to his disappointing showing.

    However, another factor to consider is the venue itself. The high-profile event was held in a secluded section of Times Square with sparse fan attendance, and New York’s notorious traffic added to the challenge.

    The former WBC interim champion specifically cited the unusual venue as a possible factor in his lackluster performance.

    “I really wasn’t a fan of that at all,” Garcia said. “It felt like a sparring match, and it felt like you could hear everybody. It just didn’t feel authentic to me. But no excuses. It is what it is. It was just so weird because usually once you step in the ring, everything fades away. This time I went in the ring and I could hear everything… Everybody just screaming stuff. I don’t know why I didn’t zone it out. It just felt like a weird fever dream. It was so awkward. Usually fights don’t feel that way.”

  • Fatal Fury Boxing: Ryan Garcia Knocked Down, Upset By Rolly Romero; Devin Haney & Teofimo Lopez Win In Snoozefest-Filled Card

    Fatal Fury Boxing: Ryan Garcia Knocked Down, Upset By Rolly Romero; Devin Haney & Teofimo Lopez Win In Snoozefest-Filled Card

    Turki Al-alshikh was ambitious in trying to set out a boxing card that was dropped in the middle of Times Square in New York. And while the Fatal Fury card on May 2 had an aesthetically pleasing look to it, the card has unanimously been panned as a letdown that may have done more harm to the sport than help it.

    This was all capped off in the main event, as Ryan Garcia, in his first fight since his win-turned-no-contest against Devin Haney — and the subsequent controversy-filled year he had — was upset in dramatic fashion by Ronaldo “Rolly” Romero in a bout for the vacant WBA lightweight championship.

    Garcia looked to find his rhythm early, working a strong jab in the opening minutes. But Romero had a little surprise, landing a rocking hook that sent Garcia to the canvas in the second. Garcia got up and worked his way back into the fight with his jab over the next couple of rounds. Romero continued to try and work the body, however, and it seemed Garcia was fighting at a much slower pace than we’re used to after eating the canvas.

    Despite pleas from his corner, Garcia’s pace did not pick up in the second half of the fight. Romero didn’t even need to increase his own game, as his activity was way more noticeable than the former lightweight and super featherweight champion’s. Romero continued to land some solid hooks as he completely outclassed Garcia.

    All three judges gave the nod to Romero, with scores of 115-112 (from two judges) and 118-109.

    Fatal Fur Boxing: Rolly Romero Upsets Ryan Garcia For WBA Title; Devin Haney Makes Dubious Boxing History In Win Over Jose Ramirez; Teofimo Lopez Retains WBO Title

    The penultimate fight of the evening was one for the record books — and not in a good way — as Devin Haney scored a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez.

    Per Compubox, the pair threw the fourth-fewest punches thrown in the history of 12-round fights at any weight class. Just as bad, each fighter landed less than 100 punches throughout the entire 12 rounds that have been analyzed by Compubox. Dan Rafael added that Haney never landed more than nine punches in the round, while Ramirez never landed more than six in a round during the sloppy affair.

    Nevertheless, it was a clear decision for Haney, who dictated the pace for nearly all of the bout. The judges scored the bout 119-109 (x2) and 118-110 for the former undisputed lightweight champion.

    Teofimo Lopez headed up the first of the three promoted main events of the evening, retaining his WBO junior welterweight championship against Arnold Barboza Jr. Barboza had his fair share of moments in the fight, landing early on the champion, as well as landing a strong right hand that caught Lopez’s attention. Lopez, however, was thoroughly dominant, utilizing his speed and footwork in executing combinations at a hand speed pace Barboza couldn’t keep up with.

    All three judges scored the fight for Lopez, with two 116-112 totals and an 118-110.

  • Ryan Garcia Set To Headline Historic Boxing Event At Times Square

    Ryan Garcia Set To Headline Historic Boxing Event At Times Square

    Ryan Garcia is set to make his highly anticipated return to the ring at one of the most iconic locations in the world.

    On Friday, The Ring Magazine, owned by Saudi’s Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalsheikh, announced that Garcia will headline a boxing event dubbed “Fatal Fury: City of The Wolves” at Times Square in Manhattan, New York City on May 2, where he will face Rolando Romero in a showdown for the WBA welterweight title.

    The star-studded event at the historic venue will also see “KingRy’s” last opponent, Devin Haney, move up a division to take on former unified junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez. Meanwhile, reigning WBO welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez will clash with interim titleholder Arnold Barboza in a high-stakes unification bout.

    Both Garcia and Haney will be stepping into the ring for the first time since their highly polarizing clash. The two last met in April 2024, when the former WBC interim lightweight champion dropped Haney three times on his way to a majority decision victory.

    However, weeks after the fight, “KingRy” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine both in and out of competition. This led to a one-year suspension after he reached a settlement with the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in June, ultimately overturning his victory into a no-contest.

    According to the announcement, the Times Square bound event is set to air live on pay-per-view, though the official broadcasters have yet to be revealed.

  • ‘Did To AJ What AJ Did To Ngannou’ – Conor McGregor, Ryan Garcia & Others React As Daniel Dubois Dominates, KOs Anthony Joshua

    ‘Did To AJ What AJ Did To Ngannou’ – Conor McGregor, Ryan Garcia & Others React As Daniel Dubois Dominates, KOs Anthony Joshua

    In what has to go down as one of the most one-sided and jaw-dropping upsets in recent professional boxing history, Daniel Dubois retained the IBF heavyweight championship with a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in London.

    Dubois became just the second man to knock out Joshua — and only the third to beat him — in his professional career. The defending champion put on a display that was flat-out dominant and one of the most brutal beatings Joshua received in the ring.

    “Dynamite” brought this pace right from the get-go, rocking the former two-time unified heavyweight champion in the first round and dropping him before the frame’s conclusion.

    The pace did not stop, and Dubois appeared three steps ahead of Joshua. In fact, he rocked “AJ” again in the closing seconds of the third round, knocking him down before the bell sounded.

    Dubois knocked Joshua down again in the fourth stanza, and he appeared to do so for a second time before it was ultimately ruled a slip.

    Things ultimately ended in the fifth, just as Joshua finally seemed to buckle Dubois with a right hand, putting him on the back foot. The fan favorite charged in an attempt to attack but was cracked and dropped by a counter right hook that landed on the button.

    Joshua was unable to answer the 10 count, giving Dubois the win and ensuring the championship wouldn’t change hands.

    Daniel Dubois Puts On Beating, Retains IBF Heavyweight Title With KO Of Anthony Joshua

    https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1837602954385162592

    Dubois has now won three straight since his unsuccessful challenge of Oleksandr Usyk in August 2023. He became interim IBF heavyweight champion with a finish of Filip Hrgović in June and was promoted to full-time champion when Usyk — then-undisputed heavyweight champion — was stripped of the IBF title.

    Meanwhile, this loss snaps a four-fight win streak that Joshua was on since dropping back-to-back WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight championship decisions to Usyk.

    Joshua had previously held the IBF title from his win over Charles Martin in April 2016 (and going on to pick up the WBA and WBO titles in the process) until his infamous June 1, 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. Joshua regained the titles in a rematch with Ruiz that December.

  • MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia Announces That He Will Be In Attendance At RIZIN Following Exhibition Rumors, Sean O’Malley Labels Conor McGregor A ‘Drug Addict’ In Recent Social Media Spat, & More

    MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia Announces That He Will Be In Attendance At RIZIN Following Exhibition Rumors, Sean O’Malley Labels Conor McGregor A ‘Drug Addict’ In Recent Social Media Spat, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 23, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Garcia sends a message to the Japanese fans
    • O’Malley fires back at McGregor and pulls no punches
    • Patchy Mix headlines Paris again on November 16

    Ryan Garcia Announces His Attendance For SuperRIZIN 3 This Weekend Amidst Exhibition Rumors

    Ryan Garcia has sent out a message via the RIZIN social media channels to announce that he will be in attendance at SuperRIZIN 3 this weekend.

    The Japanese promotion returns to Saitama Super Arena on July 28 where boxing star Manny Pacquiao will be in action against Rukiya Anpo.

    Garcia, who has been extremely controversial both before and after his recent fight with Devin Haney, has been recently rumored to have been given permission from Golden Boy to compete in an exhibition on RIZIN later this year.

    The video sees Garcia sending a message to the Japanese fans, when you can hear him over what appears to be construction work taking place in the background.

    “Hello, Ryan Garcia here. My announcement is this. I’m heading to Japan. Heading to Japan because I’m going to be at the RIZIN event and I know they’re making noise but guess what? I go louder, I go harder and I cannot wait to meet all my fans in Japan. Arigato from my heart to your heart, I love you. I’mma learn how to say I love you in Japanese. I’mma tell every Japan I love them, konnichiwa.”

    Sean O’Malley Unloads On Conor McGregor In Recent Social Media Exchange

    After they seemingly settled the beef not long ago, Conor McGregor couldn’t resist taking another slight dig at UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley.

    He quoted a post on X with a laughing face emoji that spoke about O’Malley pointing to a recent finding regarding how Ostarine can be transferred through sweat to explain his previous positive drug test results.

    “Sugar” didn’t take long to reply and when he did, he appeared to sever any chance of rebuilding this bridge with “The Notorious”.

    A pair of back-to-back posts made reference to McGregor’s current form inside the Octagon, UFC 303 withdrawal and referred to him a “drug addict” who “needs rehab”.

    Suffice to say that the former UFC champ champ is not going to take these comments lightly.

    Bellator Champions Series Announces Patchy Mix & ‘Baki’ For Paris Event On November 16

    The Bellator Champions Series is heading back to Paris on November 16 and so is the bantamweight champion Patchy Mix.

    He was last in action this past May where he closed the show at the French capital by defending his title via a controversial split decision win over Magomed Magomedov.

    Mix is now set to return for the second time this year when he faces Brazil’s Leandro Higo who is coming off of back-to-back wins.

    The co-main has also been announced with former Cédric Doumbé opponent Baissangour “Baki” Chamsoudinov finally making his return as he looks to stay undefeated against Sweden’s Oliver Enkamp.

    Read more on the story here.

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  • MMA News Today: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Makes First Statement On UFC 303 Loss, WBC President Expels Ryan Garcia From ‘Any Activity With Our Organization’ After Racial Slurs, & More

    MMA News Today: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Makes First Statement On UFC 303 Loss, WBC President Expels Ryan Garcia From ‘Any Activity With Our Organization’ After Racial Slurs, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • “MVP” plans to learn and come back stronger from UFC 303 setback
    • WBC refuses to work with Ryan Garcia after latest offensive outburst
    • Ankalaev believes he can exploit Pereira’s striking in one area

    Michael ‘Venom’ Page Speaks On Social Media After First UFC Setback

    Michael “Venom” Page suffered his first defeat in the Octagon at UFC 303 this past weekend where he was beaten on the scorecards by Ian Garry.

    Despite displaying some of his unpredictable striking at it’s best, he was unable to prevent his opponent from taking the fight to the ground.

    Page could have been lined up for a massive fight if he was able to hand Garry the first defeat of his career, but now it’s time to go back to the drawing board for the London-based fighter.

    Page spoke for the first time since the setback via a post on his Instagram profile, where he reflected about learning from this defeat in order to come back stronger.

    “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. #ufc303”

    WBC Cut All Ties With Ryan Garcia After Latest Controversial Rant Goes Too Far

    WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán has taken action against controversial boxing star Ryan Garcia after his latest outburst pushed the line too far.

    Garcia made headlines after using incredibly offensive racial slurs and referencing George Floyd during a rant on X Spaces.

    With Garcia’s behavior only appearing to become more erratic and troubling since his clash with Devin Haney, the people around him are starting to act.

    Sulaimán said that the governing body will be cutting all ties with Garcia from this point on and refuse to work with him.

    His post on social media also makes reference to how he has declined the opportunity for help from the WBC on multiple occasions, claiming that they wished to support him through is struggles with mental health and substance abuse.

    “Exercising my authority as president of the WBC , I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization. We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse”

    This latest outburst also led to Garcia’s family putting out a statement, insisting that they don’t support the things he said and that they don’t reflect who he truly is.

    Magomed Ankalaev Makes Bold Claim About Alex Pereira’s Striking

    Ask any MMA fan who the best striker in the sport is right now and you’re likely to be given the name of the UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira.

    Following his latest title defense at UFC 303, where his devastating stand-up skills were on full show once again, his likely next opponent has made a bold claim.

    Magomed Ankalaev believes that he will dethrone “Poatan” when they eventually meet, and while he would be expected to have an advantage in the grappling, he also believes that he can out strike the champion.

    Ankalaev spoke in an interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie about the one aspect that he sees in Pereira’s striking that he believes he would be able to take advantage of.

    “I think he is a great striker. But he is the kind of guy who always moves forward, and that is where sometimes he might make a mistake. That’s where I might catch him,” Ankalaev continued. “Definitely he has a strong punch, but I think just overall, his standup fight is overrated. Watch his fight with Jamahal Hill; he had something to offer to counter him. Same with the fight with Procházka. … He was probably lucky or didn’t face serious opposition. Wrestling is there, but I’m ready to fight with him standing up.”

    Read more on the story here.

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  • MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More

    MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Jones says he will return at MSG in November
    • Ige calls to face Garcia
    • 303 winner makes quick turnaround to face Drew Dober

    Jon Jones Says His Return Will Be On November 9 At Madison Square Garden

    In a post on social media, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones teased a potential date and location for the first defense of his title.

    “Bones” was set to face off with former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November of last year until an injury forced him to withdraw and postpone the fight.

    Jones appears to now be targeting the rescheduled fight for the same month in the originally planned venue, Madison Square Garden in New York.

    He replied to a comment on Instagram where he named November 9 at the iconic venue as the target that he is working towards right now.

    Dan Ige Wants To Fight Ryan Garcia At UFC 306 With No Takedowns Or Weigh-In

    After he stepped up on the day of the fight to save the co-main event of UFC 303, Dana White said that he will try to make it up to Dan Ige.

    Ige didn’t get his hand raised against Diego Lopes this past weekend but his efforts to be a company man didn’t go unnoticed or without reward.

    The featherweight contender posted on social media where he made his request for his next outing with a very bold idea.

    Ige posted that he wants to face the controversial boxing star Ryan Garcia at UFC 306 inside the Sphere with a few extra rules being put in place.

    Garcia responded on social media, so clearly the call out at least caught his attention, that he’s down to compete.

    https://twitter.com/RyanGarcia/status/1808595885770543420

    Jean Silva Set To Make Two-Week Turnaround To Fight Drew Dober In Denver

    Jean Silva delivered one of the stand-out performances at UFC 303 as he stopped Charles Jourdain in the second round.

    Despite missing weight for the fight, the Brazilian is now set to make a remarkable two-week turn-around in order to take on Drew Dober up at lightweight.

    Dober was originally set to face Mike Davis in a significant bout for the 155-pound fan favorite due to him training out of Denver, Colorado where the card will be hosted.

    Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight reported the news that Silva will be looking to pick up his third consecutive win in the UFC after debuting on the first card of 2024.

    Read more on the story here.

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  • MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia’s Team Claims Supplements Used Before Devin Haney Fight Tested Positive For Ostarine, Paulo Costa Gets Twerking Lessons From Fellow UFC 302 Fighter, & More

    MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia’s Team Claims Supplements Used Before Devin Haney Fight Tested Positive For Ostarine, Paulo Costa Gets Twerking Lessons From Fellow UFC 302 Fighter, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 31, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Garcia’s team claim ostarine ingestion was unintentional 
    • Costa gets some fight week lessons in
    • Aliskerov misses out on another big fight

    Ryan Garcia’s Team Explains Why They Believe Positive Test Was Caused By Tainted Supplement

    Ryan Garcia’s team have put out a statement in response to the recent findings regarding his testing results for his win over Devin Haney.

    After his A sample tested positive for ostarine, the B sample was sent away and came back with the same result, which appeared to make it a lot harder to defend.

    Garcia’s team believe that this was caused by a tainted supplement, as spoken about in the message that was put out there following the latest update.

    “This confirms what we have consistently maintained: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and has never intentionally used any banned or performance-enhance substances. Any claims to the contrary, questioning Ryan’s integrity as a clean fighter, are unequivocally false and defamatory.”

    The statement also provides several examples of why they believe that this is the case.

    It lists the likes of Garcia’s previous track record for voluntary testing, the small traces of ostarine that were found, his other pre-fight tests, and his clean hair sample as points that prove his innocence.

    Paulo Costa Receives Twerk Training From UFC Bantamweight Ailin Perez During UFC 302 Fight Week

    For a Paulo Costa fight week, UFC 302 appears to have been relatively plain sailing thus far, even if weigh-in day is still to come.

    Things can get confusing and crazy very quickly when he’s set to be in action, but in Newark, “Borrachinha” hasn’t been the instigator.

    In fact, the only thing that screams Costa fight week was a recent video that surfaced online of him being given twerking lessons from a fellow member of the roster.

    Ailin Perez caused some discussion last November after she twerked inside the Octagon following her win over Lucie Pudilová.

    From the fighter hotel, Perez has now passed this knowledge on to Costa by giving him step by step instructions.

    https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1796344861614014692

    Rising Middleweight Ikram Aliskerov Has Yet Another Fight Canceled

    Highly regarded middleweight Ikram Aliskerov has had another fight slip through his fingers in 2024.

    He was booked to face André Muniz on June 16 but a report from Laerte Viana announced that Muniz was out of the fight.

    Aliskerov was named MMA News’ Newcomer of the Year for 2023 following two devastating performances inside the Octagon that should have led to big things in the near future.

    The UFC has certainly tried to make that happen but bouts against the likes of Paulo Costa, Nassourdine Imavov, and Anthony Hernandez have all fallen apart during his time in the promotion.

    Aliskerov posted on social media to suggest that he will be staying on the card, providing that the UFC can find him a replacement opponent.

    Read more on the story here.

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