Tag: UFC News
Jon Jones Appears To Retract Peace Offering To Daniel Cormier Following UFC 285
One of the interesting takeaways from the recently concluded UFC 285 event, where Jon Jones locked in GOAT status by making quick work of Ciryl Gane, was his purported interaction with arch-nemesis Daniel Cormier.
Cormier was on commentary for the actual event, and even during fight week, much was made about a the two doing an interview together. Although that never came to fruition, Cormier did reveal that he had a phone call with Jones during the fighter meetings to gain a better understanding of how he was going to approach the fight.For his part, Jon Jones had also offered an olive branch in the lead up to the contest, publicly endorsing Daniel Cormier’s professionalism in the commentary desk. Cormier also responded in kind, saying that it ‘feels nice’ to hear Jones’ endorsement of his commentary skills.
However, it would appear that Jones has now retracted his peace offering in one of his latest Tweets.In a Twitter Q& A that he conducted, Jones had this response to a fan who noticed Daniel Cormier’s less-than-animated reaction to his UFC 285 win.
“My man couldn’t even pretend to smile, it was pretty funny. Asking what happened, an experience(d) former champion and analyst suddenly not being able to identify a guillotine,” said Jones.
My man couldn’t even pretend to smile, it was pretty funny. Asking what happened, an experience former champion and analyst suddenly not being able to identify a guillotine. ? https://t.co/dgqcqdCO34— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 9, 2023
To place this in context, Daniel Cormier is generally known for his over-the-top, effervescent reactions when he’s on commentary. In contract, his reaction to Jones’ win was rather subdue – a fact that seemingly hasn’t escaped the attention of the UFC heavyweight champion either.
You can watch Cormier’s Octagon-side reaction below:
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Jon Jones Claims Francis Ngannou Left The UFC To Avoid Fighting Him
In another Tweet during the same Q& A, Jones was also less-than-complimentary of his predecessor, Francis Ngannou.
UFC 270 in January 2022 was Ngannou’s last UFC outing, when he outpointed Ciryl Gane in a close contest. ‘The Predator’ has since been released from his UFC contract as he could not come to terms with the organization.
Jones, however, feels that Ngannou had another reason for leaving. Replying to a fan who asked him if a potential fight against Francis Ngannou would be possible in the future, Jones had this to say.“I highly doubt it, especially after that first performance [at UFC 285]. Like I said, the dude left for a reason. Came up with every demand and request in the world. He knew that the UFC wasn’t going to bend, he found his way out.”
You can read more about Jones’ thoughts on Francis Ngannou here.
I highly doubt it, especially after that first performance. Like I said the dude left for a reason. Came up with every demand and request in the world. He knew that UFC wasn’t going to bend, he found his way out https://t.co/dxgr6D5v8g— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 9, 2023
How do you think a potential Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou super fight goes? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Brandon Gibson Provides Update On Aaron Pico’s Shoulder, Says He’ll Be Bellator Champion In 2023
Brandon Gibson has provided a positive update on the shoulder injury that Aaron Pico suffered in the first round of his last fight.
Pico was one of the most-hyped prospects in the history of MMA even before his first fight, but his pro career got off to an inauspicious start in 2017 when he was submitted by Zach Freeman in less than 30 seconds at Bellator NYC. The 26-year-old stopped his next four opponents before suffering a pair of knockout losses in 2019, and he rebounded from those results by embarking on a six-fight win streak that he carried into his most recent bout against UFC veteran Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator 286.
A sizeable favorite heading into the matchup, things quickly took an ugly turn for Pico when his shoulder appeared to pop out of place early on in the fight with Kennedy. The 26-year-old survived the opening round and made it back to his corner, but the bout was called off after it was determined that Pico would be unable to continue.
Gibson Expects Pico To Be Bellator Champion In 2023
Gibson was in the corner at Bellator 286 and attempted to yank Pico’s shoulder back into place, but the noted striking coach recently told Ariel Helwani that his fighter should be returning to action in the near future.
Pico’s corner attempted to fix his shoulder at Bellator 286. (Esther Lin)
“He’s even better than he was,” Gibson said on The MMA Hour. “He needed that shoulder surgery, it was a long, lingering injury. It was unfortunate how that fight with Jeremy Kennedy goes, I cannot wait to run that back. That’s something that motivates me every single day. Aaron’s shoulder is stronger than ever, it’s actually scary. I’ve been having to really tape my wrists, his left hook has been so powerful and so fast. And also while he was rehabbing that left shoulder, and he just continued to polish every bit of his game. From them mental to the physical. Aaron Pico’s gonna win a world championship in 2023 for Bellator, I have no doubt in my mind Ariel. I’m gonna have – my two students are gonna my two champions by the end of this year.”
The other “student” Gibson referred to was Jon Jones, who returned to the cage after a three-year layoff at last weekend’s UFC 285. Making his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane, “Bones” showed very little ring rust and needed just over two minutes to secure a guillotine choke that crowned him as the UFC’s heavyweight champion.
That event’s main card also included the UFC debut of Bo Nickal, who is arguably the sport’s hottest prospect to come along since Pico. The 27-year-old secured his fourth first-round stoppage in as many pro bouts when he submitted Jamie Pickett, but the win did result in a bit of controversy.
What do you think of Gibson’s claim that Pico will be Bellator champion by the end of the year?
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Petr Yan Gives His Prediction For Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has provided his prediction for the expected next title fight in his division.
Ever since he recorded his second successful title defense last October at UFC 280, it’s been widely expected that Aljamain Sterling will welcome former two-division champion Henry Cejudo back to the Octagon next.
While there is still yet to be official confirmation of the bout, it appears to be all but finalized. And after reported showdowns in March and April didn’t come to fruition, both parties have named UFC 288 on May 6 as the likely date.
Ever since talk of the bout picked up, predictions and analysis have been consistently floated around the MMA community.
While some have cited Cejudo’s form prior to his 2020 retirement to support their view that “Triple C” is the man to dethrone “Funk Master,” others think the reigning champ will make it an unsuccessful comeback for the 2008 Olympic gold medalist.
Yan, a former two-time opponent of Sterling’s, sits in the latter group.
Yan Backs Former Opponent Sterling In Planned Next Defense
During his appearance at UFC Las Vegas media day on Wednesday ahead of his own return to the Octagon, Yan was asked for his take on the planned bantamweight showdown in New Jersey later this year.
Having shared the Octagon with Sterling on two separate occasions, feeling the full force of the champ’s grappling talents in their 2022 rematch, the Russian is well-placed to assess Sterling’s chances of victory.
And owing to Cejudo’s lengthy layoff, which will be three days short of three years should he return on May 6, “No Mercy” is giving Sterling good odds of a third successful retention.
“If this fight will (happen), I think Sterling will win,” Yan said before addressing whether Cejudo’s layoff will play a part in the result. “Yes, I think it’s gonna effect him. I don’t believe he’s gonna display his best shape.”
Before watching his division’s next championship bout, Yan has business to attend to this weekend. In the UFC Las Vegas main event, the Russian will look to return to the win column having gone 0-2 last year.
Given the controversial nature of his defeat to Sean O’Malley last October in Abu Dhabi, as well as the close nature of his rematch with “Funk Master” six months prior, it stands to reason that a victory over Merab Dvalishvili will thrust Yan straight back into contention.
Do you agree with Petr Yan’s prediction for Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo?
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Former UFC Fighter Beats Stage 4 Cancer In A Year, Shows Off Incredible Body Transformation
Former UFC fighter and WEC title challenger Mike Swick has posted an update on his cancer diagnosis, revealing that he’s now “cancer free.”
Swick, who competed in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions during his UFC career, hung up his gloves in 2015 following consecutive losses to Matt Brown and Alex Garcia.
Prior to that, “Quick” had his hand raised 10 times inside the Octagon, in addition to challenging for the inaugural WEC middleweight gold in 2004.
Since his retirement, Swick has maintained his presence in the sport by running his own gym in Phuket. The facility, AKA Thailand, is connected to the American Kickboxing Academy headquarters in California.
Image: AKA Thailand
Early last year, Swick revealed troubling news. The MMA veteran announced that he was facing his “toughest and most aggressive battle” after being diagnosed with stage four leukemia lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow.
Despite the stage four characterization noting that Swick was battling an extremely aggressive form of the disease, the 43-year-old recently revealed that he’s won the fight.
Swick, Former UFC Contender, Shares Positive Update
This week, Swick took to social media to reveal some incredibly good news. Just over a year on from his diagnosis, the former UFC contender is cancer free.
In a post showing his physical transformation from his diagnosis to receiving the all-clear, Swick provided a motivational message in light of his recovery.
“43 and Cancer Free! As you can see by the photo, I didn’t wait around for the test results… Very positive I was gonna win this battle somehow. It can come back and I can always get it later in life but I will be much more prepared and ready and can at least always say no matter what, I kicked it’s ass!” Swick wrote. “As you can see from my timeline the last year, it didn’t slow me down. It was tough but keeping a positive mindset and not allowing it to change my life anymore than it had to was important and kept my stress down and life moving forward.
“Stage 4 of the most aggressive and deadly form of Lymphoma Leukemia. (It) was not an easy thing to hear so young and healthy but I been a fighter since I was a kid and accepted the challenge and knew this post would come one day. Literally from the day I took that first selfie, I couldn’t wait to post this,” Swick added.
Swick also addressed the hope that his story will inspire those suffering from similar circumstances, offering his support in any way possible and thanking those who’ve done the same for him.
“I hope it’s inspiring to anyone facing the same situation or similar and if you have any questions comment below or DM me,” Swick said. “Many have been fighting this with me and many will be successful and live full happy lives after! Anything I can do to help will just make me more happy! Thanks for all the support! It’s been amazing! Love you all!”
Paddy Pimblett’s Streak Of Dana White-Backing Ends With “Messy” Power Slap League
While he’s often been aligned with the view of promotional president Dana White, UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett has finally noted his disagreement with his boss on one topic.
Since arriving on MMA’s biggest stage in 2021, Pimblett has quickly risen to prominence courtesy of both his performances inside the Octagon and his personality outside it. But while some have been seen as entertaining, a number of the Liverpool native’s remarks have caused controversy.
That’s been most notable when it comes to Pimblett’s support of the UFC president. In the past, “The Baddy” has spoken out against those who criticize the promotion for its treatment and fighter pay. He also took a firm stance on MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, who’s had his fair share of back and forth with White in the past.
With that, Pimblett has displayed allegiance with the 53-year-old on numerous occasions. As it turns out, though, that’s not the case with everything.
Image: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
It’s taken one of the more polarizing discussions in recent times for a disagreement between Pimblett and White to be visible. And in this instance, “The Baddy” is certainly not on his own…
Pimblett On White’s Power Slap League: “It’s Just Crazy”
This weekend, the finale of the first Power Slap season will air from the UFC Apex. The show, which is the first mainstream instance of a slap fighting organization in North America, has caused a significant amount of controversy since it first aired in January.
Many have called out the activity, branding it an inevitable route to concussions and CTE given its elimination of any form of defense for competitors. White’s creation has drawn the ire of a number of prominent figures, including in the medical space.
Beyond that, fighters under White’s MMA banner have also questioned the ‘sport’, with the latest to do so being Pimblett. During a recent episode of his Chattin’ Pony podcast, the lightweight prospect noted that he won’t be watching Power Slap, which he branded “crazy.”
“I’m not into it, personally. They sign up for it (though), so it’s on them. If you wanna sign up for that lad, it’s on you. But I personally won’t be watching it. It’s mad,” Pimblett said before touching on an example of damage being done through slap fighting. “That was messy, the big heavyweights, and he won. (But) they both lost! Nobody won! … Whoever gets to go first (wins) You see that a lot… It’s just crazy, lad. It’s defenseless! You’re taking a shot defenseless with your hands behind your back!”
Pimblett’s comments came while in discussion with boxing star Ryan Garcia. Alongside UFC names like Aljamain Sterling and Stephen Thompson, “KingRy” has been an outspoken critic of the Power Slap league.
Pretty wild, honestly. I just don’t get it ??♂️— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) January 21, 2023
Do you agree with Paddy Pimblett’s take on Dana White’s Power Slap league?
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Ryan Spann Reacts To Anthony Smith Calling Him His ‘Bitch Forever’
UFC light heavyweight contender Ryan Spann has responded to Anthony Smith’s comments regarding a future rematch.
Spann is coming off of the biggest win of his UFC career over former title challenger Dominick Reyes at UFC 281. He bounced back in a big way after defeating Ion Cuțelaba via submission earlier this year.
Spann lost to Smith in his first-career UFC main event last year in a first-round submission. There were some tense moments leading up to the fight, with some pre-fight trash talk between the two sides.
After his win over Reyes, Spann hinted at wanting someone in the Top 5, except for numbers 2-4 in the rankings. That would leave Smith at No. 5, as the top contender Glover Teixeira is set to face Jiří Procházka at UFC 282.
Smith didn’t take kindly to Spann’s indirect callout.
During a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Smith blasted Spann after allegedly hinting at targeting a rematch.
“I don’t know what happened in our fight that left him with any confidence that he thinks he can still beat me or that he deserves a rematch,” Smith said. “I had him on ice skates until he was shooting takedowns, I strangled him, and then stood over his body, reminding him what he said he was going to do to me. So, he’s my bitch forever and he knows it.”
Smith hasn’t fought since a loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 277. He’s won three of his last four fights, including over Spann and Jimmy Crute.
It didn’t take long for Spann to get word of Smith’s harsh rhetoric, but he took the high road in his response.
Ryan Spann Responds To Anthony Smith’s Recent Belittling
Spann responded to Smith’s comments during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour.
“I’ve never said that man’s name,” Spann said. “We’re moving on to some other things, we got some things going on in-house right now that we’re trying to worry about. And we’re not worried about anything on the outside.
“I don’t know what his problem is, I don’t know why he’s bringing my name up. All I said was I wanted two numbers. That’s all I said…at no point have I ever called that man out. But the time will come, but right now we have some in-house things that have our attention as a team.”
Smith’s loss to Ankalaev doesn’t fully eliminate the possibility of a rematch with Spann. Although, it seems that Smith isn’t interested in running it back anytime soon.
Spann appears to be hitting his stride after the Reyes win, and he has his eyes set on title contention. As he moves up the ladder, another shot at Smith may come to fruition depending on how things play out.
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Aljamain Sterling Sympathizes With Yan After UFC 280 ‘Robbery’
UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling sympathizes with two-time adversary Petr Yan following his controversial loss to Sean O’Malley.
Sterling defeated former champion TJ Dillashaw via second-round TKO at UFC 280. A fight before on the card, Yan lost to O’Malley via split decision in one of the most exciting fights of the event.
Despite the entertainment value of Yan/O’Malley, the biggest talking point after the fight was the judges’ scorecards. Many fans and pundits felt Yan won the fight, with some believing he didn’t lose a single round against O’Malley although the fight was competitive.
Tensions between Sterling and Yan have lessened since their two fights in the Octagon. They had a cordial pre-UFC 280 run-in that went viral and the two of them sat next to each other at the pre-fight press conference without issue.
In the aftermath of Yan’s latest defeat, Sterling sympathized with the former bantamweight champion.
Aljamain Sterling Supports Petr Yan Following Controversial Loss To Sean O’Malley
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Sterling gave his thoughts on Yan vs. O’Malley.
“I felt bad for Yan,” Sterling said. “I think he got robbed. O’Malley was a little shocked and perplexed after the decision as well, it caught him off guard…now he knows what it feels like when I was in the same position. The difference is I actually knew I won the fight, and he’s on the side where he won the fight and he doesn’t even know if he really won the fight until he goes back and watches. In the fight, I knew based on the strike count that I freaking won the fight.”
Sterling is referring to his UFC 273 split-decision win over Yan earlier this year. Some fans and pundits feel Yan did enough to earn the victory on the judges’ scorecards at UFC 273, on the contrary, the majority of viewers feel there was a robbery at UFC 280.
Sterling lost earlier in his career in back-to-back split decision defeats to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assunção, as Yan now has against him and O’Malley. Nine fights later, Sterling fought for the bantamweight title against Yan at UFC 259.
When pondering his next move in the Octagon, Sterling hinted that a fight with Yan would add to his legacy. If the UFC opts to give O’Malley the next title shot, he feels it would be a massive pay-per-view draw.
Yan and Sterling could potentially meet for a third time in the Octagon and Yan will likely earn an opportunity to bounce back in a big way in his next fight.
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