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If you blinked or sneezed, you missed a pair of savage pro fights where the blows and blood flowed freely before a raucous crowd of around 3,000 during New England Fights’ Fight Night XII at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Saturday night.
The headlining fight between Marcus Davis of Bangor and Ryan Sanders of Brewer turned out to be a shocker when the fight was called after the match doctor looked over Davis’ eye and stopped the fight due to an injury after the first round.
“I thought it was a shocker,” said Sanders, a former student at Davis’ gym. “Marcus has put MMA on the map.”
Sanders thought several of his key blows made the difference in his victory Saturday night.
Mike Zichelle and Jesse Peterson clobbered each other in a brutal first round that featured key blows to the head.
Zichelle clobbered Peterson in the second round with a sharp hook and then let loose a barrage of punches on a dazed Peterson when the official called the fight and Zichelle won by TKO stoppage.
“He was strong and he was able to withstand my chokes,” Peterson said. “To be honest, he was real fast.”
All looked lost when Bruce Boyington unloaded blow after blow on John Raio’s head. But Raio executed a rear-naked choke, and the referee stopped the fight and Raio was declared the winner 4:36 into the first round.
“I thought everything was going great,” Boyington said.
John Ortolani of Massachusetts and Jarod Lawton, who hails from Auburn, pummeled each other in the opening round and the melee continued into the second.
A series of kicks and hard slams made for a grueling and sometimes gruesome fight. Lawton dispatched Ortolani in the second round after unleashing a flurry of punches to Ortolani’s head after he was sprawled on the floor. The official stopped the fight and Lawton was declared the winner. Ortolani didn’t move for a few moments before he got to his feet.
Auburn’s Jesse Erickson kept a strong Tollison Lewis of Windham at bay and then finished off Lewis with a triangular choke 4:56 into the opening round to win a pro lightweight bout.
Ryan Cowette didn’t waste anytime taking out Dave Claroni in the first pro bout of the night. Cowette got the upper hand and would not allow Claroni off the floor as Cowette hammered away at Claroni’s head.
The official stopped the fight 1:21 into the first round and Cowette was declared the winner.
After a series of missed jabs and kicks, Trevor Hebert of Rumford tackled Alex Clark of Auburn late in the first round, and both fighters got tangled up on the fence in the featured amateur fight Saturday night.
The two fighters engaged in all out warfare in the second round. Hebert and Clark threw each other around the ring like worn-out pillows and each ended up a bloody mess.
The fighters wouldn’t quit in the third. They got tangled up again for most of the round before the horn blew. Clark, who appeared injured, had trouble getting up off the floor before he was declared the winner, beating Hebert, 29-28 in the 150-pound amateur class.
Ryan Daley and John Crafts of Lisbon wasted no time knocking each other around in the ring. In the first round. Daley tagged Crafts and the two fighters took it to the floor to settle their differences. In Round 2, the fighters went to a ground game on the floor. Crafts used an arm bar before the referee called the fight with 1:29 left in the round, declaring Crafts the winner.
Dan Thayer of Portland and Jason Carpenter of Syracuse, N.Y., slapped each other around as soon as the bell rang in the first round of the 120-pound bout. They were relentless as they spilled onto the floor, each hammering away at each other before bouncing of the floor.
The second round was a slugfest, with both fighters feeling the impact of their swift punches. Thayer and Carpenter were dazed when the horn sounded.
Carpenter dropped Thayer with hard, head-on kick in the third round. A split decision was called, with Carpenter being declared the champion. When Caleb Costello and Matt Denning of Lewiston went head to head, it wasn’t clear who would come out on top in the first round. Denning’s strength was evident when he drove Costello to the floor. Denning demonstrated his power again in the second round eventually dispatched Costello with a triangle choke to win the match.
In the 185-pound division, Dan Connaughton used his knees and fists on feisty Mike Vangelist of Portland in the first round.
Vangelist stood his ground and was the aggressor in the second round, dropping Connaughton hard to the floor and pounding away with his fists on Connaughton’s exposed head in the second round. Vangelist’s relentless attack won him the match in the second round with a choke.
Stephen Desjardins of Bangor slammed Dustin Veinott of Auburn in the first round of a phantom-weight bout. There were more jabs and a bunch of attempted chokeholds before heading for a third round. But Desjardins came out on top and got the win by unanimous decision.
A featherweight bout between Joshua Greenway and Aaron Lacy ended at 2:01 in the first round after Lacy of Bangor tackled Greenway, never let him up and pounded on his head before the official called the fight in Lacy’s favor.
Another featherweight bout featured Charlie Stamback and Carl Langston, who charged Stamback, tagged him and both fighters ended up grappling on the floor in the second round. Stamback brought down Langston with another tackle as Stamback pounded away on Langston’s head. Stambach walked away with the victory.
Crowsneck Boulin won by unanimous decision after dominating a three-round fight using his agility and relentless pursuit of Brandon Gibbs.
It was like two freights colliding with each other when Devon Newell and Kevin Smith squared off in a 285-pound bout. Smith hammered away at Newell and never a took a breather. There was no feeling-out process when these two fighters traded blows.
The official called the fight when Smith unle
The headlining fight between Marcus Davis of Bangor and Ryan Sanders of Brewer turned out to be a shocker when the fight was called after the match doctor looked over Davis’ eye and stopped the fight due to an injury after the first round.
“I thought it was a shocker,” said Sanders, a former student at Davis’ gym. “Marcus has put MMA on the map.”
Sanders thought several of his key blows made the difference in his victory Saturday night.
Mike Zichelle and Jesse Peterson clobbered each other in a brutal first round that featured key blows to the head.
Zichelle clobbered Peterson in the second round with a sharp hook and then let loose a barrage of punches on a dazed Peterson when the official called the fight and Zichelle won by TKO stoppage.
“He was strong and he was able to withstand my chokes,” Peterson said. “To be honest, he was real fast.”
All looked lost when Bruce Boyington unloaded blow after blow on John Raio’s head. But Raio executed a rear-naked choke, and the referee stopped the fight and Raio was declared the winner 4:36 into the first round.
“I thought everything was going great,” Boyington said.
John Ortolani of Massachusetts and Jarod Lawton, who hails from Auburn, pummeled each other in the opening round and the melee continued into the second.
A series of kicks and hard slams made for a grueling and sometimes gruesome fight. Lawton dispatched Ortolani in the second round after unleashing a flurry of punches to Ortolani’s head after he was sprawled on the floor. The official stopped the fight and Lawton was declared the winner. Ortolani didn’t move for a few moments before he got to his feet.
Auburn’s Jesse Erickson kept a strong Tollison Lewis of Windham at bay and then finished off Lewis with a triangular choke 4:56 into the opening round to win a pro lightweight bout.
Ryan Cowette didn’t waste anytime taking out Dave Claroni in the first pro bout of the night. Cowette got the upper hand and would not allow Claroni off the floor as Cowette hammered away at Claroni’s head.
The official stopped the fight 1:21 into the first round and Cowette was declared the winner.
After a series of missed jabs and kicks, Trevor Hebert of Rumford tackled Alex Clark of Auburn late in the first round, and both fighters got tangled up on the fence in the featured amateur fight Saturday night.
The two fighters engaged in all out warfare in the second round. Hebert and Clark threw each other around the ring like worn-out pillows and each ended up a bloody mess.
The fighters wouldn’t quit in the third. They got tangled up again for most of the round before the horn blew. Clark, who appeared injured, had trouble getting up off the floor before he was declared the winner, beating Hebert, 29-28 in the 150-pound amateur class.
Ryan Daley and John Crafts of Lisbon wasted no time knocking each other around in the ring. In the first round. Daley tagged Crafts and the two fighters took it to the floor to settle their differences. In Round 2, the fighters went to a ground game on the floor. Crafts used an arm bar before the referee called the fight with 1:29 left in the round, declaring Crafts the winner.
Dan Thayer of Portland and Jason Carpenter of Syracuse, N.Y., slapped each other around as soon as the bell rang in the first round of the 120-pound bout. They were relentless as they spilled onto the floor, each hammering away at each other before bouncing of the floor.
The second round was a slugfest, with both fighters feeling the impact of their swift punches. Thayer and Carpenter were dazed when the horn sounded.
Carpenter dropped Thayer with hard, head-on kick in the third round. A split decision was called, with Carpenter being declared the champion. When Caleb Costello and Matt Denning of Lewiston went head to head, it wasn’t clear who would come out on top in the first round. Denning’s strength was evident when he drove Costello to the floor. Denning demonstrated his power again in the second round eventually dispatched Costello with a triangle choke to win the match.
In the 185-pound division, Dan Connaughton used his knees and fists on feisty Mike Vangelist of Portland in the first round.
Vangelist stood his ground and was the aggressor in the second round, dropping Connaughton hard to the floor and pounding away with his fists on Connaughton’s exposed head in the second round. Vangelist’s relentless attack won him the match in the second round with a choke.
Stephen Desjardins of Bangor slammed Dustin Veinott of Auburn in the first round of a phantom-weight bout. There were more jabs and a bunch of attempted chokeholds before heading for a third round. But Desjardins came out on top and got the win by unanimous decision.
A featherweight bout between Joshua Greenway and Aaron Lacy ended at 2:01 in the first round after Lacy of Bangor tackled Greenway, never let him up and pounded on his head before the official called the fight in Lacy’s favor.
Another featherweight bout featured Charlie Stamback and Carl Langston, who charged Stamback, tagged him and both fighters ended up grappling on the floor in the second round. Stamback brought down Langston with another tackle as Stamback pounded away on Langston’s head. Stambach walked away with the victory.
Crowsneck Boulin won by unanimous decision after dominating a three-round fight using his agility and relentless pursuit of Brandon Gibbs.
It was like two freights colliding with each other when Devon Newell and Kevin Smith squared off in a 285-pound bout. Smith hammered away at Newell and never a took a breather. There was no feeling-out process when these two fighters traded blows.
The official called the fight when Smith unle
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2006/12/07
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Does UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey already have one foot outside the cage door in preparation for a full-time move to Hollywood?
Today during a pre-UFC 170 media session in Los Angeles, the women’s MMA notable addressed the speculation that the fame and fortune of some additional film roles will eventually pull her from the grueling grind of being a cage fighter.
“Well, I’m a fighter,” she said flatly. “I enjoy fighting, and I was doing judo for a decade and a half for pretty much no money, and if money was what was really important for me, I might be a stockbroker right now.”
Rousey, who will appear in the upcoming films “The Expendables 3″ and “Fast & Furious 7,” has also reportedly scored upcoming roles in HBO’s “Entourage” movie and also a film adaptation of Brad Thor’s book, “Athena Project.”
Check out the video above as Rousey discusses the films, as well as her commitment to her current profession.
And catch Rousey (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in action on Feb. 22, when she meets title challenger and fellow Olympian Sara McMann (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in UFC 170′s pay-per-view headliner.
For the latest on UFC 170, stay tuned .
Is Ronda Rousey leaving MMA for Hollywood? UFC champ addresses speculation | MMAjunkie
Today during a pre-UFC 170 media session in Los Angeles, the women’s MMA notable addressed the speculation that the fame and fortune of some additional film roles will eventually pull her from the grueling grind of being a cage fighter.
“Well, I’m a fighter,” she said flatly. “I enjoy fighting, and I was doing judo for a decade and a half for pretty much no money, and if money was what was really important for me, I might be a stockbroker right now.”
Rousey, who will appear in the upcoming films “The Expendables 3″ and “Fast & Furious 7,” has also reportedly scored upcoming roles in HBO’s “Entourage” movie and also a film adaptation of Brad Thor’s book, “Athena Project.”
Check out the video above as Rousey discusses the films, as well as her commitment to her current profession.
And catch Rousey (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in action on Feb. 22, when she meets title challenger and fellow Olympian Sara McMann (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in UFC 170′s pay-per-view headliner.
For the latest on UFC 170, stay tuned .
Is Ronda Rousey leaving MMA for Hollywood? UFC champ addresses speculation | MMAjunkie
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At face value, the entire Jessica Eye story is beyond overblown. This is one not-yet-famous fighter testing positive for weed and that's it.
The reality, though, is that her non-suspension has touched on so many different topics on so many different levels that it's impossible to be disinterested.
The way it resonated with fans. The questions it raised about Texas's athletic commission. The impact it had on the women's division and UFC 171. The relationship between fans and fighters with the MMA media.
There was something for everyone, and there were lessons to learn from how everything panned out. So what were those lessons?
Find out right here! Jessica Eye Failed Drug Test: Lessons Learned from One of MMA's Silliest Stories | Bleacher Report
The reality, though, is that her non-suspension has touched on so many different topics on so many different levels that it's impossible to be disinterested.
The way it resonated with fans. The questions it raised about Texas's athletic commission. The impact it had on the women's division and UFC 171. The relationship between fans and fighters with the MMA media.
There was something for everyone, and there were lessons to learn from how everything panned out. So what were those lessons?
Find out right here! Jessica Eye Failed Drug Test: Lessons Learned from One of MMA's Silliest Stories | Bleacher Report
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2006/12/07
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29893
Only a day after Brazilian MMA fighter Luiz de Franca was shot and murdered in Natal, Brazil, tragedy has struck yet again in the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte.
According to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, two men shot and killed lightweight fighter Guilherme Matos Rodrigues while he was at a juice shop with teammates on Tuesday night. The assailants allegedly approached the shop on a motorcycle before opening fire.
Rodrigues was rushed to the hospital, but he passed away during surgery, per Cruz. He was 30 years old.
There are no leads or suspects in this case, nor are there any motives as to why the two men gunned down the Pittbull Brothers gym team member. There is also no word as to whether the de Franca killing could possibly be connected.
Rodrigues, nicknamed "Kioto", debuted as a professional in 2005 and amassed a 19-9 record, according to Sherdog. During his nine-year career, Rodrigues stepped in the cage with some stiff competition, including The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil cast members Neilson Gomes and John Teixeira, as well as former UFC vets Iliarde Santos (twice) and Ronys Torres. His most recent action came in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight, with whom the striking specialist had won two of his last three bouts.
He was teammates with Bellator MMA's "Pitbull Brothers" Patricio and Patricky Freire, as well as Bethe Correia, a newcomer to the UFC women's division. Patricio was understandably in shock following the incident, telling Cruz: "I can’t imagine why someone would do that to him. ...He trains with me for 12 years, and I never saw him getting trouble with anyone."
The UFC is headed to Natal for its Fight Night 38 card on March 23, and it's likely that the world's leading MMA promotion will look to increase stadium security in the wake of these murders.
One can only hope that the city's MMA fighters stay safe leading up to that event and beyond, and that authorities are able to get to the bottom of these horrible acts of violence.
Second MMA Fighter Murdered in Two Days in Natal, Brazil | Bleacher Report
According to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, two men shot and killed lightweight fighter Guilherme Matos Rodrigues while he was at a juice shop with teammates on Tuesday night. The assailants allegedly approached the shop on a motorcycle before opening fire.
Rodrigues was rushed to the hospital, but he passed away during surgery, per Cruz. He was 30 years old.
There are no leads or suspects in this case, nor are there any motives as to why the two men gunned down the Pittbull Brothers gym team member. There is also no word as to whether the de Franca killing could possibly be connected.
Rodrigues, nicknamed "Kioto", debuted as a professional in 2005 and amassed a 19-9 record, according to Sherdog. During his nine-year career, Rodrigues stepped in the cage with some stiff competition, including The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil cast members Neilson Gomes and John Teixeira, as well as former UFC vets Iliarde Santos (twice) and Ronys Torres. His most recent action came in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight, with whom the striking specialist had won two of his last three bouts.
He was teammates with Bellator MMA's "Pitbull Brothers" Patricio and Patricky Freire, as well as Bethe Correia, a newcomer to the UFC women's division. Patricio was understandably in shock following the incident, telling Cruz: "I can’t imagine why someone would do that to him. ...He trains with me for 12 years, and I never saw him getting trouble with anyone."
The UFC is headed to Natal for its Fight Night 38 card on March 23, and it's likely that the world's leading MMA promotion will look to increase stadium security in the wake of these murders.
One can only hope that the city's MMA fighters stay safe leading up to that event and beyond, and that authorities are able to get to the bottom of these horrible acts of violence.
Second MMA Fighter Murdered in Two Days in Natal, Brazil | Bleacher Report
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Almost exactly one year ago, the question regarding Ronda Rousey’s star power was whether or not it was enough to carry a UFC pay-per-view event.
Today, that question has turned into: Is her star power actually so strong, it could end her fighting career?
Rousey (8-0) will attempt to make her third defense of the 135-pound title against Sara McMann (7-0) on Saturday, at UFC 170 inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
In addition to fighting three times in the previous 12 months, Rousey, 27, has drawn plenty of interest from Hollywood. She’s already completed filming roles for “Fast and Furious” and “The Expendables 3.” She is due back on the movie circuit next month, to film an appearance on a movie version of the popular HBO series “Entourage.”
During a news conference on Thursday, UFC president Dana White said he does not consider Rousey’s acting obligations to be distractions, pointing out that Rousey has remained an active champion in the midst of it.
“What is she juggling?” White said. “[She will] obviously have time off [after UFC 170], but what do you do when you have time off? Some people gain a bunch of weight and they have to go lose it in their next fight.”
White did acknowledge that although Rousey is far from the first UFC fighter to appear in films, her earning power is far higher than any he’s seen previously.
If that ability to make money in Hollywood does eventually pull Rousey away from the cage, White says he’ll be happy for her and move on.
“Everybody keeps talking about, ‘What if she leaves for Hollywood?’” White said. “What if she leaves for Hollywood? How is that bad for [the UFC]? Is ‘The Rock’ [Dwayne Johnson] being a huge super star bad for the WWE?”
White added the UFC plans to have Rousey fight a total of three times in 2014.
Pre-fight scuffles between UFC opponents are rare, but they can happen.
Daniel Cormier (13-0) shoved Patrick Cummins (4-0) during a staredown on Thursday, presumably due to Cummin’s comments on their history.
The two former amateur wrestlers trained together years ago at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Cummins, who accepted the fight on short notice after an injury sidelined Rashad Evans, claims to have made Cormier cry once at practice.
The UFC has never lost a fight due to an incident at a weigh-in or news conference, but it was easy to read the uneasiness on White’s face as the shove happened.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like when they touch each other before fights,” White said.
“The one that scared me the most was Diego Sanchez/Josh Kosheck (at UFC 69). Sanchez hit him so hard he almost fell over the scale. The sneakiest one ever was Anderson Silva when he hit Chael Sonnen [at UFC 148].”
Cat Zingano remains at the front of the line for the next shot at the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Zingano (8-0) was supposed to coach against Rousey on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series last year, but was forced to withdraw due a torn ACL. Last month, her husband and coach, Mauricio Zingano, committed suicide in Denver.
White did not know a timetable for her return, but said she has not lost her place in the division. Zingano was originally expected to return to training in March.
“Cat Zingano and I have played phone tag and I owe her a phone call,” White said.
“The kitchen sink has been thrown at that poor girl. Losing the opportunity to coach TUF, losing the opportunity to fight for the title, being injured and going through all the emotional crap and then her husband -- you can’t even imagine.”
Rousey's star power, Cormier shove, more - MMA Blog - ESPN
Today, that question has turned into: Is her star power actually so strong, it could end her fighting career?
Rousey (8-0) will attempt to make her third defense of the 135-pound title against Sara McMann (7-0) on Saturday, at UFC 170 inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
In addition to fighting three times in the previous 12 months, Rousey, 27, has drawn plenty of interest from Hollywood. She’s already completed filming roles for “Fast and Furious” and “The Expendables 3.” She is due back on the movie circuit next month, to film an appearance on a movie version of the popular HBO series “Entourage.”
During a news conference on Thursday, UFC president Dana White said he does not consider Rousey’s acting obligations to be distractions, pointing out that Rousey has remained an active champion in the midst of it.
“What is she juggling?” White said. “[She will] obviously have time off [after UFC 170], but what do you do when you have time off? Some people gain a bunch of weight and they have to go lose it in their next fight.”
White did acknowledge that although Rousey is far from the first UFC fighter to appear in films, her earning power is far higher than any he’s seen previously.
If that ability to make money in Hollywood does eventually pull Rousey away from the cage, White says he’ll be happy for her and move on.
“Everybody keeps talking about, ‘What if she leaves for Hollywood?’” White said. “What if she leaves for Hollywood? How is that bad for [the UFC]? Is ‘The Rock’ [Dwayne Johnson] being a huge super star bad for the WWE?”
White added the UFC plans to have Rousey fight a total of three times in 2014.
Pre-fight scuffles between UFC opponents are rare, but they can happen.
Daniel Cormier (13-0) shoved Patrick Cummins (4-0) during a staredown on Thursday, presumably due to Cummin’s comments on their history.
The two former amateur wrestlers trained together years ago at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Cummins, who accepted the fight on short notice after an injury sidelined Rashad Evans, claims to have made Cormier cry once at practice.
The UFC has never lost a fight due to an incident at a weigh-in or news conference, but it was easy to read the uneasiness on White’s face as the shove happened.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like when they touch each other before fights,” White said.
“The one that scared me the most was Diego Sanchez/Josh Kosheck (at UFC 69). Sanchez hit him so hard he almost fell over the scale. The sneakiest one ever was Anderson Silva when he hit Chael Sonnen [at UFC 148].”
Cat Zingano remains at the front of the line for the next shot at the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Zingano (8-0) was supposed to coach against Rousey on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series last year, but was forced to withdraw due a torn ACL. Last month, her husband and coach, Mauricio Zingano, committed suicide in Denver.
White did not know a timetable for her return, but said she has not lost her place in the division. Zingano was originally expected to return to training in March.
“Cat Zingano and I have played phone tag and I owe her a phone call,” White said.
“The kitchen sink has been thrown at that poor girl. Losing the opportunity to coach TUF, losing the opportunity to fight for the title, being injured and going through all the emotional crap and then her husband -- you can’t even imagine.”
Rousey's star power, Cormier shove, more - MMA Blog - ESPN
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We had talked about the contemptible weight watching that had deprived him of Louisiana home cooking for weeks in order to turn a heavyweight nowhere man into a light heavyweight championship contender. We had addressed the comedown to the core that had hit like the followup blow in a 1-2 combo when news broke last week that his top-shelf opponent had shattered on the floor and their fight was off. And, of course, we had gotten around to the life-affirming development that resuscitated his spot in Saturday night's UFC 170 co-main event, only with a new opponent.
That last part had brought into play a harder question that had to be asked. I was tiptoeing around it. On the other end of the phone connection, Daniel Cormier was sounding excited and positive and jovial. I knew that letting the air out of his balloon ran the risk of shutting him down into monosyllabic pablum, turning the rest of our interview into an icily fruitless exercise.
WAGENHEIM: Crash course to Rousey-McMann
I mean, this is a man whose mixed martial arts career has been an express train toward a championship, and now it seemed to me that the train needed to throttle down a bit as it navigated a curve in the track. Not everyone agrees with me on that. Some pretty smart people have insisted to me over the past week that, even with a change in opponent, a Cormier win on Saturday night should earn him a shot at the 205-pound belt. I don't see things that way. So I braced for some pushback as I forged ahead.
"A win over Rashad Evans, a former light heavyweight champion, would have thrust you right into a title shot," I began. "Now you're facing Patrick Cummins, who'll be making his UFC debut, and-- "
"It's going to take more now," Cormier piped right in. "It's going to take more. That's one thing we cannot ignore."
There was silence on the line. Cormier, the 34-year-old two-time Olympic wrestler with a 13-0 MMA record, had said what he'd had to say. And I was muted by the surprise of it.
How refreshing to hear a guy with significant stakes in the matter acknowledge that there's a meritocracy in this sport -- or at least that there should be. All too often, fighters argue their case for a shot at the brass-and-leather strap based on the flimsiest of credentials. They're emboldened to do so by UFC matchmaking that sets fuzzy standards, occasionally even awarding title bouts to fighters who haven't once competed in a weight class, all in the name of commerce.
For that reason, I had expected to have to challenge Cormier on the sticky issue of entitlement when we spoke earlier this week. But he went there all by himself. And while I was busy crossing a bunch of contentious questions off the mental list I'd prepared for our conversation, he decided he had a little more to say on the matter.
"With a win over Rashad Evans, there's a valid argument that I should be the next guy to challenge for the title," said Cormier. "But a win here doesn't really do that. It doesn't have the same effect. You beat Patrick Cummins, as I expect myself to do on Saturday night, yeah, there still is some work to be done. I believe I'm going to have to fight again in order to get that title shot I've been chasing for so long."
Actually, Cormier's pursuit of the gold has had its fits and starts and twists and turns before. Back in 2008, his return to the Olympics -- he'd finished fourth in freestyle wrestling in '04 -- brought him nothing but disappointment, as he experienced kidney failure while cutting weight and couldn't compete. The following year, Cormier made his professional MMA debut, hooking on with American Kickboxing Academy. There's no downside to being the primary training partner to Cain Velasquez, except for this: Velasquez is now entrenched as UFC heavyweight champion, and his good friend is not about to challenge him. So much for that goal of being heavyweight champ.
On to the light heavyweight division it would be. And Cormier didn't exactly dip his toe. In signing on to make his debut at the new weight a tussle with Evans, a former champion coming off a career-revitalizing dismantling of Chael Sonnen, Cormier was diving into the deep end. "Yeah, maybe it was a bit much, cutting to a new weight and taking on a former champion in my very first fight in the new division," Daniel acknowledged. "In a sense, maybe this will be better for me, to allow me to make the weight and get into the rankings at 205 pounds while competing against somebody who's not at such an elite level. Patrick Cummins is no Rashad Evans."
That's for sure. Rashad Evans was not working at a coffee shop last week. Rashad Evans is not a neophyte with but four professional fights. Rashad Evans would not be going into this fight as a 10-1 underdog.
Patrick Cummins has a story, one that even ties in with Cormier's, and the UFC is jumping through hoops to tell it. He was a two-time All-America wrestler at Penn State, and back when Cormier was preparing for the 2004 Olympics, Cummins was among the high-level wrestlers brought in to train with him. Cummins said last week that during one of those sessions he broke Cormier emotionally, made him cry. Cormier apparently doesn't appreciate the distorted reminder of a challenging time -- Cummins was just one in a long line of fresh wrestlers, he said, who were sent at him in waves during those harrowing practices -- and when they came face to face at a Thursday press conference, Cormier gave him a shove. All parties are trying to build this into a grudge match.
But here's what it really is. It is the UFC's attempt to salvage a co-main event of a card strategically scheduled for the Olympic fortnight with three undefeated Olympians at the top of the marquee -- a pair of Olympic medalists, Ronda Rousey (2008, bronze, judo) and Sara McMann (2004, silver, wrestling), fight in the main event. For Cormier, this fight represents a payday he thought he was losing -- no longer a proving ground at the
That last part had brought into play a harder question that had to be asked. I was tiptoeing around it. On the other end of the phone connection, Daniel Cormier was sounding excited and positive and jovial. I knew that letting the air out of his balloon ran the risk of shutting him down into monosyllabic pablum, turning the rest of our interview into an icily fruitless exercise.
WAGENHEIM: Crash course to Rousey-McMann
I mean, this is a man whose mixed martial arts career has been an express train toward a championship, and now it seemed to me that the train needed to throttle down a bit as it navigated a curve in the track. Not everyone agrees with me on that. Some pretty smart people have insisted to me over the past week that, even with a change in opponent, a Cormier win on Saturday night should earn him a shot at the 205-pound belt. I don't see things that way. So I braced for some pushback as I forged ahead.
"A win over Rashad Evans, a former light heavyweight champion, would have thrust you right into a title shot," I began. "Now you're facing Patrick Cummins, who'll be making his UFC debut, and-- "
"It's going to take more now," Cormier piped right in. "It's going to take more. That's one thing we cannot ignore."
There was silence on the line. Cormier, the 34-year-old two-time Olympic wrestler with a 13-0 MMA record, had said what he'd had to say. And I was muted by the surprise of it.
How refreshing to hear a guy with significant stakes in the matter acknowledge that there's a meritocracy in this sport -- or at least that there should be. All too often, fighters argue their case for a shot at the brass-and-leather strap based on the flimsiest of credentials. They're emboldened to do so by UFC matchmaking that sets fuzzy standards, occasionally even awarding title bouts to fighters who haven't once competed in a weight class, all in the name of commerce.
For that reason, I had expected to have to challenge Cormier on the sticky issue of entitlement when we spoke earlier this week. But he went there all by himself. And while I was busy crossing a bunch of contentious questions off the mental list I'd prepared for our conversation, he decided he had a little more to say on the matter.
"With a win over Rashad Evans, there's a valid argument that I should be the next guy to challenge for the title," said Cormier. "But a win here doesn't really do that. It doesn't have the same effect. You beat Patrick Cummins, as I expect myself to do on Saturday night, yeah, there still is some work to be done. I believe I'm going to have to fight again in order to get that title shot I've been chasing for so long."
Actually, Cormier's pursuit of the gold has had its fits and starts and twists and turns before. Back in 2008, his return to the Olympics -- he'd finished fourth in freestyle wrestling in '04 -- brought him nothing but disappointment, as he experienced kidney failure while cutting weight and couldn't compete. The following year, Cormier made his professional MMA debut, hooking on with American Kickboxing Academy. There's no downside to being the primary training partner to Cain Velasquez, except for this: Velasquez is now entrenched as UFC heavyweight champion, and his good friend is not about to challenge him. So much for that goal of being heavyweight champ.
On to the light heavyweight division it would be. And Cormier didn't exactly dip his toe. In signing on to make his debut at the new weight a tussle with Evans, a former champion coming off a career-revitalizing dismantling of Chael Sonnen, Cormier was diving into the deep end. "Yeah, maybe it was a bit much, cutting to a new weight and taking on a former champion in my very first fight in the new division," Daniel acknowledged. "In a sense, maybe this will be better for me, to allow me to make the weight and get into the rankings at 205 pounds while competing against somebody who's not at such an elite level. Patrick Cummins is no Rashad Evans."
That's for sure. Rashad Evans was not working at a coffee shop last week. Rashad Evans is not a neophyte with but four professional fights. Rashad Evans would not be going into this fight as a 10-1 underdog.
Patrick Cummins has a story, one that even ties in with Cormier's, and the UFC is jumping through hoops to tell it. He was a two-time All-America wrestler at Penn State, and back when Cormier was preparing for the 2004 Olympics, Cummins was among the high-level wrestlers brought in to train with him. Cummins said last week that during one of those sessions he broke Cormier emotionally, made him cry. Cormier apparently doesn't appreciate the distorted reminder of a challenging time -- Cummins was just one in a long line of fresh wrestlers, he said, who were sent at him in waves during those harrowing practices -- and when they came face to face at a Thursday press conference, Cormier gave him a shove. All parties are trying to build this into a grudge match.
But here's what it really is. It is the UFC's attempt to salvage a co-main event of a card strategically scheduled for the Olympic fortnight with three undefeated Olympians at the top of the marquee -- a pair of Olympic medalists, Ronda Rousey (2008, bronze, judo) and Sara McMann (2004, silver, wrestling), fight in the main event. For Cormier, this fight represents a payday he thought he was losing -- no longer a proving ground at the
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In a span of less than two years, Erik Koch went from training for a featherweight title fight against Jose Aldo to Fight Pass relegation.
But based on his performance on Saturday night at UFC 170, he's not likely to stick to the online prelims for long.
The Roufusport fighter, competing at lightweight for the first time since 2008, made short work of Rafaello Oliveira. Koch won via TKO at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in just 1:24.
"What you saw tonight was the real Erik Koch," he said.
Koch gave an indication what was to come when he dropped a charging Oliveira with a right hand. Oliveira got right back up, but soon thereafter was dropped by a straight left. A ground-and-pound assault caused referee Yves Levigne to wave off the fight.
"I'm not a boy, I'm a man, that was too much weight to cut," said Koch (16-6), who had his ninth career finish. "This is what the ‘New Breed' is all about."
Oliveira (15-7) lost for the fourth time in his past five fights.
UFC 170 results: Erik Koch makes short work of Rafaello Oliveira - MMA Fighting
But based on his performance on Saturday night at UFC 170, he's not likely to stick to the online prelims for long.
The Roufusport fighter, competing at lightweight for the first time since 2008, made short work of Rafaello Oliveira. Koch won via TKO at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in just 1:24.
"What you saw tonight was the real Erik Koch," he said.
Koch gave an indication what was to come when he dropped a charging Oliveira with a right hand. Oliveira got right back up, but soon thereafter was dropped by a straight left. A ground-and-pound assault caused referee Yves Levigne to wave off the fight.
"I'm not a boy, I'm a man, that was too much weight to cut," said Koch (16-6), who had his ninth career finish. "This is what the ‘New Breed' is all about."
Oliveira (15-7) lost for the fourth time in his past five fights.
UFC 170 results: Erik Koch makes short work of Rafaello Oliveira - MMA Fighting
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The UFC has agreed to match Bellator's offer sheet to keep top-ranked free-agent lightweight Gilbert Melendez, sources close to the situation told MMAFighting-com on Sunday.
Per the terms of the agreement, according to several sources, Melendez's deal guarantees that at least 75 percent of the 31-year-old's fights will be contested on pay-per-view moving forward. Additionally, income earned from Melendez's contracted pay-per-view points will kick in at a lower minimum buy rate than for any contract in UFC history, meaning Melendez will still earn pay-per-view point earnings on an event that performs poorly at the box office.
Melendez will also earn pay-per-view income regardless of his placement on an event, i.e., regardless of whether he fights in the main event, co-main event or main card.
Altogether, the terms of the deal will likely make Melendez one of the highest paid fighters in the current mixed martial arts landscape.
Upon learning of the deal, MMAFighting-com reached out to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, who issued the following statement.
"It's my understanding that the UFC matched the deal we agreed to with Gilbert," Rebney said. "While I haven't yet spoken to Gilbert's management team, I have heard from various sources that the UFC matched our offer. We have a stacked lightweight roster and Gil would have made a great addition to it, yet I'm glad he was able to go out, explore the free agent market and get paid what he deserves. That's what the free market system is all about. I'm happy for Gil, that through this process he was able to ensure long term financial security for himself and his family. That's what the fighters that put it all on the line inside the cage deserve.
"This process has shown that in MMA, there are two legitimate options for fighters. And, as I said last week, with two large scale options for fighters in MMA, fighters negotiating power is dramatically improved. Our actions throughout this process accomplished that for Gilbert right now, and in the future it will do the same for countless additional fighters. Some will end up in Bellator and some will end up in the UFC. But, either way, the sport benefits. Now our focus turns to the task at hand, which is our Season 10 kickoff this Friday on Spike TV."
UFC officials did not immediately return requests to comment.
Currently the No. 2 ranked lightweight on the UFC roster, Melendez agreed to terms with Bellator MMA on an undisclosed "multi-fight, multi-year" deal in mid-February following soured contract negotiations with the UFC. Due to the terms of Melendez's original Zuffa contract, the UFC retained the right to match any competing offer, which it has now elected to do.
Melendez holds a 1-1 record under the UFC banner. Following the collapse of Strikeforce, where Melendez served as the promotion's long-reigning lightweight champion, Melendez fought to a controversial split decision loss against then-UFC title holder Benson Henderson in his Octagon debut. He followed up that performance with a ‘Fight of the Year' candidate win over Diego Sanchez, which UFC President Dana White called "one of the best fights I've ever seen."
UPDATE: Following the release of this report, UFC officials announced that Melendez will coach opposite lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, which will be followed by a title fight between the two coaches in late-2014.
UFC matches Bellator offer, re-signs Gilbert Melendez - MMA Fighting
Per the terms of the agreement, according to several sources, Melendez's deal guarantees that at least 75 percent of the 31-year-old's fights will be contested on pay-per-view moving forward. Additionally, income earned from Melendez's contracted pay-per-view points will kick in at a lower minimum buy rate than for any contract in UFC history, meaning Melendez will still earn pay-per-view point earnings on an event that performs poorly at the box office.
Melendez will also earn pay-per-view income regardless of his placement on an event, i.e., regardless of whether he fights in the main event, co-main event or main card.
Altogether, the terms of the deal will likely make Melendez one of the highest paid fighters in the current mixed martial arts landscape.
Upon learning of the deal, MMAFighting-com reached out to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, who issued the following statement.
"It's my understanding that the UFC matched the deal we agreed to with Gilbert," Rebney said. "While I haven't yet spoken to Gilbert's management team, I have heard from various sources that the UFC matched our offer. We have a stacked lightweight roster and Gil would have made a great addition to it, yet I'm glad he was able to go out, explore the free agent market and get paid what he deserves. That's what the free market system is all about. I'm happy for Gil, that through this process he was able to ensure long term financial security for himself and his family. That's what the fighters that put it all on the line inside the cage deserve.
"This process has shown that in MMA, there are two legitimate options for fighters. And, as I said last week, with two large scale options for fighters in MMA, fighters negotiating power is dramatically improved. Our actions throughout this process accomplished that for Gilbert right now, and in the future it will do the same for countless additional fighters. Some will end up in Bellator and some will end up in the UFC. But, either way, the sport benefits. Now our focus turns to the task at hand, which is our Season 10 kickoff this Friday on Spike TV."
UFC officials did not immediately return requests to comment.
Currently the No. 2 ranked lightweight on the UFC roster, Melendez agreed to terms with Bellator MMA on an undisclosed "multi-fight, multi-year" deal in mid-February following soured contract negotiations with the UFC. Due to the terms of Melendez's original Zuffa contract, the UFC retained the right to match any competing offer, which it has now elected to do.
Melendez holds a 1-1 record under the UFC banner. Following the collapse of Strikeforce, where Melendez served as the promotion's long-reigning lightweight champion, Melendez fought to a controversial split decision loss against then-UFC title holder Benson Henderson in his Octagon debut. He followed up that performance with a ‘Fight of the Year' candidate win over Diego Sanchez, which UFC President Dana White called "one of the best fights I've ever seen."
UPDATE: Following the release of this report, UFC officials announced that Melendez will coach opposite lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, which will be followed by a title fight between the two coaches in late-2014.
UFC matches Bellator offer, re-signs Gilbert Melendez - MMA Fighting
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Say what you want about Dean’s decision to stop Saturday’s title fight in the first round, awarding Rousey the first knockout of her career. Given the stakes involved, he probably could have given Sara McMann more opportunity to recover, sure.
But don’t ignore reality, either. Liver shots end fights -- in fact, good ones often look more debilitating than strikes to the head. McMann never argued the stoppage forcefully and it’s quite possible she would not have recovered anyway.
The venom directed at Dean’s stoppage was, perhaps, due somewhat to the fight in general. For all the talk about Olympians and judo vs. wrestling and undefeated records, the main event was a 66-second blowout. Complete blowout.
Fans of the still relatively new UFC women’s division might not have known exactly what they expected to see on Saturday, but a first-inning, run-rule situation that lasted about a minute wasn't it.
McMann was supposed to be the greatest challenge yet to Rousey’s career. She went out with a whimper, thanks to a very effective but visually uninspiring body shot. A quick knee to the midsection and that’s it? The mountain is climbed? Weak.
That perspective unfairly diminishes the level of skill and preparation that really went into Rousey’s finish, but unfortunately, it's bound to exist after a fight like that: Yes, Rousey is amazing, but I’d sure like to see her in a real fight.
As much as Rousey has seemingly enjoyed her one-sided career, she admits that just three years in, she’s already forced to search for (and at times, create) challenges for herself.
“I keep trying to top myself,” said Rousey, two days before fighting McMann. “It’s hard to keep creative and say, ‘What can I do that is better than the last thing?’”
The UFC’s bottom line is unlikely to struggle when Rousey headlines, blowout or not. Consumers of combat sports have long shown a willingness to tune into less-competitive fights, as long as marquee names are involved.
Rousey, however, seems like a champion who wishes to be challenged. Currently, only a handful of 135-pound females appear even slightly capable of providing one.
Cat Zingano was supposed to fight Rousey last year, but suffered a serious knee injury in May. UFC president Dana White has said Zingano will fight for the belt when she’s healthy, but no firm date for her return exists.
Interest in a fight between Rousey and Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino, aka “Cyborg,” is certain to amplify this year. Justino recently announced her intent to drop to 135 pounds and “retire” Rousey by December.
On Saturday, White, who accused Justino of being on performance-enhancing drugs one week ago, said she would have to drop to bantamweight and fight outside the UFC before ever receiving that opportunity.
The simple question of whether Justino would be licensed to fight at 135 pounds remains an interesting one. In 2012, she and her manager at the time, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, said cutting to that weight puts her health at risk.
“That’s extremely relevant, it’s an admission by the fighter,” said Francisco Aguilar, chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. “If she made that comment, she had reasons for making it.
“If the UFC wanted that fight in Las Vegas, the commission would review her application and decide whether or not to approve that bout at 135 pounds. This is one of those situations we’d really have to look at.”
For years, White claimed female fights would never happen in the UFC because the divisions lacked depth. It was Rousey, White says, who changed his mind.
In some ways, though, every lopsided Rousey win validates White’s initial concern about depth in the women’s divisions. Hopefully, that challenge she’s been looking for is on its way.
Who can challenge Ronda Rousey? - MMA Blog - ESPN
But don’t ignore reality, either. Liver shots end fights -- in fact, good ones often look more debilitating than strikes to the head. McMann never argued the stoppage forcefully and it’s quite possible she would not have recovered anyway.
The venom directed at Dean’s stoppage was, perhaps, due somewhat to the fight in general. For all the talk about Olympians and judo vs. wrestling and undefeated records, the main event was a 66-second blowout. Complete blowout.
Fans of the still relatively new UFC women’s division might not have known exactly what they expected to see on Saturday, but a first-inning, run-rule situation that lasted about a minute wasn't it.
McMann was supposed to be the greatest challenge yet to Rousey’s career. She went out with a whimper, thanks to a very effective but visually uninspiring body shot. A quick knee to the midsection and that’s it? The mountain is climbed? Weak.
That perspective unfairly diminishes the level of skill and preparation that really went into Rousey’s finish, but unfortunately, it's bound to exist after a fight like that: Yes, Rousey is amazing, but I’d sure like to see her in a real fight.
As much as Rousey has seemingly enjoyed her one-sided career, she admits that just three years in, she’s already forced to search for (and at times, create) challenges for herself.
“I keep trying to top myself,” said Rousey, two days before fighting McMann. “It’s hard to keep creative and say, ‘What can I do that is better than the last thing?’”
The UFC’s bottom line is unlikely to struggle when Rousey headlines, blowout or not. Consumers of combat sports have long shown a willingness to tune into less-competitive fights, as long as marquee names are involved.
Rousey, however, seems like a champion who wishes to be challenged. Currently, only a handful of 135-pound females appear even slightly capable of providing one.
Cat Zingano was supposed to fight Rousey last year, but suffered a serious knee injury in May. UFC president Dana White has said Zingano will fight for the belt when she’s healthy, but no firm date for her return exists.
Interest in a fight between Rousey and Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino, aka “Cyborg,” is certain to amplify this year. Justino recently announced her intent to drop to 135 pounds and “retire” Rousey by December.
On Saturday, White, who accused Justino of being on performance-enhancing drugs one week ago, said she would have to drop to bantamweight and fight outside the UFC before ever receiving that opportunity.
The simple question of whether Justino would be licensed to fight at 135 pounds remains an interesting one. In 2012, she and her manager at the time, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, said cutting to that weight puts her health at risk.
“That’s extremely relevant, it’s an admission by the fighter,” said Francisco Aguilar, chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. “If she made that comment, she had reasons for making it.
“If the UFC wanted that fight in Las Vegas, the commission would review her application and decide whether or not to approve that bout at 135 pounds. This is one of those situations we’d really have to look at.”
For years, White claimed female fights would never happen in the UFC because the divisions lacked depth. It was Rousey, White says, who changed his mind.
In some ways, though, every lopsided Rousey win validates White’s initial concern about depth in the women’s divisions. Hopefully, that challenge she’s been looking for is on its way.
Who can challenge Ronda Rousey? - MMA Blog - ESPN
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Vitor Belfort was 33 years old when an Ultimate Fighting Championship doctor in Las Vegas -- whose name has faded from his memory -- diagnosed low testosterone as the cause for his feeling "tired and lethargic." The fix for the two-time champion was a testosterone-replacement therapy regimen that continues to this day.
Now 36, as he basks in a career rebirth that has him set for a spring UFC title fight, Belfort has emerged as the poster child for a practice anti-doping experts portray as, at worst, outright cheating and, at best, an unfair exploitation of a performance-enhancing-drug testing loophole: athletes competing while treated with synthetic testosterone.
Exemptions for testosterone use -- a substance banned in sports as a performance enhancer -- are being handed out at exceedingly high rates in the ever-popular combat sport of mixed martial arts, with state athletic commissions routinely granting allowances based solely on low lab values and diagnoses of hypogonadism, an "Outside the Lines" investigation has found. A major known cause of acquired hypogonadism: prior use of anabolic steroids.
In the past five years, at least 15 mixed martial artists have been issued exemptions to use testosterone, the vast majority revealed or confirmed through public records requests filed by "Outside the Lines" with the major state commissions or athletic bodies overseeing the sport. The sport itself has had more than 20,000 pro fighters over the past five years, according to record keeper mixedmartialarts-com, although fewer than 1,800 MMA combatants are under contract to the sport's dominant promoters -- Zuffa (UFC) and Bellator, which account for 11 of the fighters on TRT. Although only a small fraction, the number of exemptions still dwarfs what can be found in other sports:
• The International Olympic Committee did not issue a single testosterone exemption for the 2012 London Olympics, which featured 5,892 male athletes.
• The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued one testosterone exemption last year among the thousands of elite-level athletes under its jurisdiction.
• Major League Baseball has issued six exemptions to athletes over the past six seasons -- an average of 1,200 players populate its rosters each season.
• National Football League officials say testosterone exemptions are "very rare" and only a "handful" have been issued since 1990. Nearly 2,000 players circulate through rosters each season.
• No pro boxer is known to have had an exemption issued through a state athletic commission, and Nevada officials said they have never even received an application.
"It's a huge number," said Dr. Don Catlin, the country's leading anti-doping expert, of the MMA testosterone exemptions. "I am on the IOC committee that reviews [therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone] requests. We essentially grant none. But in boxing and MMA there is no central control. There is no set of rules that everybody has to follow.
"There is a set of rules for each [state athletic commission], but they are kind of Mickey Mouse rules. So the route to being able to take testosterone is wide open. ... You go in and say 'I have these symptoms.' The doc says, 'Oh yeah, you got low testosterone.' You get a TUE."
Along with exemptions, several MMA fighters and officials also described to "Outside the Lines" widespread use of performance-enhancing substances in the sport. One top contender labeled PED use in the sport "rampant," and a prominent state athletic commission chairman matter-of-factly acknowledged: "We got some doping going on in MMA."
A few state commissions where MMA fights occur less frequently acknowledged they don't test for PEDs or don't require fighters to reveal whether they are being treated with testosterone. Nor, apparently, does any state -- including Nevada, arguably the most influential commission and a model for other regulators -- require notice in a bout agreement of an individual having an exemption to use testosterone, so an opponent is left to learn through the rumor mill, if at all. Read More: Therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone in MMA outpace other sports, Outside the Lines finds - ESPN
Now 36, as he basks in a career rebirth that has him set for a spring UFC title fight, Belfort has emerged as the poster child for a practice anti-doping experts portray as, at worst, outright cheating and, at best, an unfair exploitation of a performance-enhancing-drug testing loophole: athletes competing while treated with synthetic testosterone.
Exemptions for testosterone use -- a substance banned in sports as a performance enhancer -- are being handed out at exceedingly high rates in the ever-popular combat sport of mixed martial arts, with state athletic commissions routinely granting allowances based solely on low lab values and diagnoses of hypogonadism, an "Outside the Lines" investigation has found. A major known cause of acquired hypogonadism: prior use of anabolic steroids.
In the past five years, at least 15 mixed martial artists have been issued exemptions to use testosterone, the vast majority revealed or confirmed through public records requests filed by "Outside the Lines" with the major state commissions or athletic bodies overseeing the sport. The sport itself has had more than 20,000 pro fighters over the past five years, according to record keeper mixedmartialarts-com, although fewer than 1,800 MMA combatants are under contract to the sport's dominant promoters -- Zuffa (UFC) and Bellator, which account for 11 of the fighters on TRT. Although only a small fraction, the number of exemptions still dwarfs what can be found in other sports:
• The International Olympic Committee did not issue a single testosterone exemption for the 2012 London Olympics, which featured 5,892 male athletes.
• The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued one testosterone exemption last year among the thousands of elite-level athletes under its jurisdiction.
• Major League Baseball has issued six exemptions to athletes over the past six seasons -- an average of 1,200 players populate its rosters each season.
• National Football League officials say testosterone exemptions are "very rare" and only a "handful" have been issued since 1990. Nearly 2,000 players circulate through rosters each season.
• No pro boxer is known to have had an exemption issued through a state athletic commission, and Nevada officials said they have never even received an application.
"It's a huge number," said Dr. Don Catlin, the country's leading anti-doping expert, of the MMA testosterone exemptions. "I am on the IOC committee that reviews [therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone] requests. We essentially grant none. But in boxing and MMA there is no central control. There is no set of rules that everybody has to follow.
"There is a set of rules for each [state athletic commission], but they are kind of Mickey Mouse rules. So the route to being able to take testosterone is wide open. ... You go in and say 'I have these symptoms.' The doc says, 'Oh yeah, you got low testosterone.' You get a TUE."
Along with exemptions, several MMA fighters and officials also described to "Outside the Lines" widespread use of performance-enhancing substances in the sport. One top contender labeled PED use in the sport "rampant," and a prominent state athletic commission chairman matter-of-factly acknowledged: "We got some doping going on in MMA."
A few state commissions where MMA fights occur less frequently acknowledged they don't test for PEDs or don't require fighters to reveal whether they are being treated with testosterone. Nor, apparently, does any state -- including Nevada, arguably the most influential commission and a model for other regulators -- require notice in a bout agreement of an individual having an exemption to use testosterone, so an opponent is left to learn through the rumor mill, if at all. Read More: Therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone in MMA outpace other sports, Outside the Lines finds - ESPN
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In a surprise move, perennial lightweight contender Nate Diaz (17-9) took to social media Wednesday afternoon to ask for his release from the UFC.
"I would like to request to be released from the @ufc. It's time for me to be on my way .. ?" Diaz wrote on Twitter in a message addressed to both UFC President Dana White and the official UFC account.
Diaz's announcement comes just days after the UFC matched an extremely lucrative contract offer initially extended to friend and longtime teammate Gilbert Melendez by Bellator MMA.
Diaz, currently the UFC's No. 5 ranked lightweight, has competed within the promotion since winning The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007. He holds a 12-7 record over that time, and fell short in his only title shot, losing a unanimous decision against Benson Henderson in 2012.
Representatives of Diaz's management did not immediate return messages left by MMAFighting-com.
UFC officials have yet to comment on the situation.
Nate Diaz asks for UFC release via Twitter - MMA Fighting
"I would like to request to be released from the @ufc. It's time for me to be on my way .. ?" Diaz wrote on Twitter in a message addressed to both UFC President Dana White and the official UFC account.
Diaz's announcement comes just days after the UFC matched an extremely lucrative contract offer initially extended to friend and longtime teammate Gilbert Melendez by Bellator MMA.
Diaz, currently the UFC's No. 5 ranked lightweight, has competed within the promotion since winning The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007. He holds a 12-7 record over that time, and fell short in his only title shot, losing a unanimous decision against Benson Henderson in 2012.
Representatives of Diaz's management did not immediate return messages left by MMAFighting-com.
UFC officials have yet to comment on the situation.
Nate Diaz asks for UFC release via Twitter - MMA Fighting
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The testosterone replacement therapy era ended swiftly and unexpectedly on Thursday, with all the fireworks of a subdued but unanimous vote by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
As the first state regulatory body to ban TRT outright for combat sports, the NSAC reaffirmed its position as the nation’s most influential and forward-thinking athletic commission. Minutes later, the UFC joined the party by announcing it will follow Nevada’s lead and disallow TRT at shows where it does its own oversight and drug testing. And thus, the decisive blow was finally struck in what for years has been MMA’s most high-profile performance-enhancing-drugs crisis.
As former baseball play-by-play man Jack Buck might say: Go crazy, folks, go crazy.
Clearly, the sport’s battle with PEDs is far from over. There is still a marked need for better, more thorough overall testing, and it remains to be seen how quickly other states will join Nevada in banning TRT. Even still, this must be regarded as a great day for MMA and a huge step toward a cleaner industry.
TRT was listed second-to-last on the NSAC’s 27-item agenda on Thursday and observers expected its discussion would focus merely on the commission’s standard for approving therapeutic-use exemptions. Instead, in a whirlwind dialogue and vote, the body banned TRT use entirely.
In the moments that followed, MMA social-media circles exploded in excited relief. The sport’s long national nightmare, it seemed, was on the verge of a happy ending.
UFC officials attending the meeting left hastily without talking to reporters, but minutes later, company president Dana White—who’s waffled on TRT over the years—reportedly texted ESPN’s Brett Okamoto to say he fully supported the move. “(I) couldn’t wait for that garbage to go away,” White told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani a bit later, as the UFC released a statement urging other state athletic commissions to also ban TRT.
It was hard not to notice a subtle sense of irony on the day, as the NSAC voted to eliminate testosterone use at the same meeting where it approved the UFC’s request to hold a pay-per-view event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 24. It is thought that show will be UFC 173 and feature the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort.
Belfort became the poster boy for TRT use during 2013, winning three straight fights via head-kick knockout while seeming to recapture the speed and fearsome power of his 19-year-old self.
As a fighter who’d been caught using steroids in Nevada in 2006, Belfort’s TRT usage raised suspicions among fans and media, especially when he claimed he couldn’t remember when he started the controversial treatment or the name of the doctor who recommended it.
It had been assumed that Belfort would apply for a TUE in Nevada leading up to his clash with Weidman. No word yet on what the 36-year-old "Phenom" will do now. The NSAC vote was also notable because it came just two days after an ESPN Outside the Lines report indicated that the mainstream media had finally noticed MMA’s massive TRT-related black eye.
The collaboration of ESPN investigative reporter Mike Fish and longtime fight journalist Josh Gross was a painstakingly comprehensive look at TRT in MMA. While the report was likely an eye-opener for the uninitiated, for people already familiar with the story, it was simply the last nail in the TRT coffin.
In its wake, it was no longer possible to go on blathering about “normal” hormone levels or “hypogonadism” without looking like a fool. Perhaps NSAC members read the series of stories before casting their historic vote. Perhaps not. Whatever the reason, kudos to the “fight capital of the world” for finally doing the right thing on behalf of clean fighters, dedicated fans and the good name of MMA as a whole.
This decision by the NSAC and UFC isn’t a magic elixir that will cure all (or even most) PED use in MMA. State commissions will conceivably need to work even harder now to catch drug cheats. Indeed, Nevada commission members admitted part of their reasoning for banning TRT was that they didn’t have the budget to track it properly.
Make no mistake, though, this is a leap in the right direction. As other major sports work feverishly to cleanse themselves of PEDs, MMA will no longer appear complicit in aiding and abetting those who take chemical-induced shortcuts.
The loophole is now closed and those MMA fighters who continue to look for a leg up from science will have to do it outside the rules.
That alone is cause for celebration.
MMA Industry Has Cause to Celebrate as Nevada, UFC Ban Testosterone Therapy | Bleacher Report
As the first state regulatory body to ban TRT outright for combat sports, the NSAC reaffirmed its position as the nation’s most influential and forward-thinking athletic commission. Minutes later, the UFC joined the party by announcing it will follow Nevada’s lead and disallow TRT at shows where it does its own oversight and drug testing. And thus, the decisive blow was finally struck in what for years has been MMA’s most high-profile performance-enhancing-drugs crisis.
As former baseball play-by-play man Jack Buck might say: Go crazy, folks, go crazy.
Clearly, the sport’s battle with PEDs is far from over. There is still a marked need for better, more thorough overall testing, and it remains to be seen how quickly other states will join Nevada in banning TRT. Even still, this must be regarded as a great day for MMA and a huge step toward a cleaner industry.
TRT was listed second-to-last on the NSAC’s 27-item agenda on Thursday and observers expected its discussion would focus merely on the commission’s standard for approving therapeutic-use exemptions. Instead, in a whirlwind dialogue and vote, the body banned TRT use entirely.
In the moments that followed, MMA social-media circles exploded in excited relief. The sport’s long national nightmare, it seemed, was on the verge of a happy ending.
UFC officials attending the meeting left hastily without talking to reporters, but minutes later, company president Dana White—who’s waffled on TRT over the years—reportedly texted ESPN’s Brett Okamoto to say he fully supported the move. “(I) couldn’t wait for that garbage to go away,” White told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani a bit later, as the UFC released a statement urging other state athletic commissions to also ban TRT.
It was hard not to notice a subtle sense of irony on the day, as the NSAC voted to eliminate testosterone use at the same meeting where it approved the UFC’s request to hold a pay-per-view event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 24. It is thought that show will be UFC 173 and feature the middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort.
Belfort became the poster boy for TRT use during 2013, winning three straight fights via head-kick knockout while seeming to recapture the speed and fearsome power of his 19-year-old self.
As a fighter who’d been caught using steroids in Nevada in 2006, Belfort’s TRT usage raised suspicions among fans and media, especially when he claimed he couldn’t remember when he started the controversial treatment or the name of the doctor who recommended it.
It had been assumed that Belfort would apply for a TUE in Nevada leading up to his clash with Weidman. No word yet on what the 36-year-old "Phenom" will do now. The NSAC vote was also notable because it came just two days after an ESPN Outside the Lines report indicated that the mainstream media had finally noticed MMA’s massive TRT-related black eye.
The collaboration of ESPN investigative reporter Mike Fish and longtime fight journalist Josh Gross was a painstakingly comprehensive look at TRT in MMA. While the report was likely an eye-opener for the uninitiated, for people already familiar with the story, it was simply the last nail in the TRT coffin.
In its wake, it was no longer possible to go on blathering about “normal” hormone levels or “hypogonadism” without looking like a fool. Perhaps NSAC members read the series of stories before casting their historic vote. Perhaps not. Whatever the reason, kudos to the “fight capital of the world” for finally doing the right thing on behalf of clean fighters, dedicated fans and the good name of MMA as a whole.
This decision by the NSAC and UFC isn’t a magic elixir that will cure all (or even most) PED use in MMA. State commissions will conceivably need to work even harder now to catch drug cheats. Indeed, Nevada commission members admitted part of their reasoning for banning TRT was that they didn’t have the budget to track it properly.
Make no mistake, though, this is a leap in the right direction. As other major sports work feverishly to cleanse themselves of PEDs, MMA will no longer appear complicit in aiding and abetting those who take chemical-induced shortcuts.
The loophole is now closed and those MMA fighters who continue to look for a leg up from science will have to do it outside the rules.
That alone is cause for celebration.
MMA Industry Has Cause to Celebrate as Nevada, UFC Ban Testosterone Therapy | Bleacher Report
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The UFC has banned the use of TRT abroad, according to this official press release.
"The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)," White stated in the release. "We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling."
Original report 8:10am (AEST) - TRT banned in Nevada
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is now banned in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas Nevada.
As if echoing the thoughts of Australia's Dylan Andrews who condemned the use of the controversial practice just days ago, The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to ban TRT use earlier this morning. Noted users of TRT include Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen, together with a litany of other high profile MMA athletes. With what will now be considered a much fairer playing field, it will be interesting to see how the fighters effected by this decision react to today's announcement.
TRT is the use of hormone replacements for men who are deemed incapable of producing sufficient amounts of this hormone themselves. Typically, as men age, their testosterone levels decrease (which is normal) - but some MMA athletes are granted exemptions to "top-up" their testosterone levels so they then fall in the "normal" range.
Commission representative Adam Hill broke the news via twitter, revealing that UFC president Dana White is also on board with the decision.
Breaking news: TRT banned effective immediately | MMA Kanvas
"The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)," White stated in the release. "We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling."
Original report 8:10am (AEST) - TRT banned in Nevada
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is now banned in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas Nevada.
As if echoing the thoughts of Australia's Dylan Andrews who condemned the use of the controversial practice just days ago, The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to ban TRT use earlier this morning. Noted users of TRT include Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen, together with a litany of other high profile MMA athletes. With what will now be considered a much fairer playing field, it will be interesting to see how the fighters effected by this decision react to today's announcement.
TRT is the use of hormone replacements for men who are deemed incapable of producing sufficient amounts of this hormone themselves. Typically, as men age, their testosterone levels decrease (which is normal) - but some MMA athletes are granted exemptions to "top-up" their testosterone levels so they then fall in the "normal" range.
Commission representative Adam Hill broke the news via twitter, revealing that UFC president Dana White is also on board with the decision.
Breaking news: TRT banned effective immediately | MMA Kanvas
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Ronda Rousey was 8-0 in MMA with eight armbar finishes, but she wasn’t able to help the stats in favor of the submissions inside the Octagon in 2014 in her title fight with Sara McMann at UFC 170.
Rousey made quick work of McMann on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada with a huge knee to the body. "Rowdy" was the last hope for a tapout at UFC 170, continuing the streak of non-submission finishes in the UFC.
Rousey vs. McMann was the 68th UFC fight in 2014, yet only eight ended via submission or technical submission. With 44 decisions, 15 (technical) knockouts and one DQ since Jan. 4, fans are starting to wonder where the jiu-jitsu fighters are.
One week after UFC 170, eight more fights took place at the TUF: China Finale card in Macau, China. Zero submissions. "The fans like to watch a stand-up war," said Charles Oliveira, one of the only fighters to win a fight via submission in 2014. "I guess the jiu-jitsu fighters are looking to work on their stand-up skills and forgetting about the jiu-jitsu."
Demian Maia, Jacare Souza, Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga, Donald Cerrone and Rousey all fought this year already, but none of them finished the fight on the ground. In fact, only Cole Miller, Russel Doane, Dustin Kimura, Kyung Ho Kang, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Beneil Dariush, Alex Caceres and Charles Oliveira have scored submission wins in 2014.
"In my last fight I was looking for the knockout," Oliveira said, "but I saw an opening and went for the takedown several times and got the tap."
Submission wizard and multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion Antonio Braga Neto made his UFC debut last June with a first-round kneebar over Anthony Smith. According to Braga Neto, most UFC fans prefer to watch a striking battle over a submission exchange.
"The fans don’t like to watch too much jiu-jitsu," he said. "To tell you the truth, when someone goes to the UFC they want to knock people out because that’s what the fans want to see. I think the fans clearly prefer to watch a stand-up fight because they don’t understand the ground game."
Oliveira believes that referees also are to blame for the lack of finishes, in that they don’t let fighters work for better positions on the ground and constantly ask them to "work" even when they are already doing it.
"That’s a problem because you have to be fast and not lose positions," he said. "You need to quickly advance for positions, looking for an opening to finish the fight."
Members of the old school of the Gracie family constantly say that they don’t need anything else than pure jiu-jitsu to succeed in MMA. Oliveira and Braga Neto disagree, but know that it’s important to focus on your best game.
"We need to evolve as fighters, so people start training other martial arts and forget about jiu-jitsu, so we lose the details," Braga Neto said.
"I never saw someone evolve in the striking and wrestling areas and keep the good adjusts on the ground. I will always work on what I’m best first, and then I’ll try evolving in the other aspects of the game."
"You need to do what you do best," Oliveira added. "If you’re a jiu-jitsu guy, you need to go with that. We’re MMA fighters, we need to be complete in everything. I’m training everything, but I can’t forget my roots. I keep training jiu-jitsu three or four times a day, you can’t learn one thing and forget the other."
UFC returns next Saturday in London, England with UFC Fight Night 38, and 13 of the 20 fighters on the card have more than a third of their professional victories via submission. Will we see more jiu-jitsu action in London?
Where are the submissions? - MMA Fighting
Rousey made quick work of McMann on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada with a huge knee to the body. "Rowdy" was the last hope for a tapout at UFC 170, continuing the streak of non-submission finishes in the UFC.
Rousey vs. McMann was the 68th UFC fight in 2014, yet only eight ended via submission or technical submission. With 44 decisions, 15 (technical) knockouts and one DQ since Jan. 4, fans are starting to wonder where the jiu-jitsu fighters are.
One week after UFC 170, eight more fights took place at the TUF: China Finale card in Macau, China. Zero submissions. "The fans like to watch a stand-up war," said Charles Oliveira, one of the only fighters to win a fight via submission in 2014. "I guess the jiu-jitsu fighters are looking to work on their stand-up skills and forgetting about the jiu-jitsu."
Demian Maia, Jacare Souza, Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga, Donald Cerrone and Rousey all fought this year already, but none of them finished the fight on the ground. In fact, only Cole Miller, Russel Doane, Dustin Kimura, Kyung Ho Kang, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Beneil Dariush, Alex Caceres and Charles Oliveira have scored submission wins in 2014.
"In my last fight I was looking for the knockout," Oliveira said, "but I saw an opening and went for the takedown several times and got the tap."
Submission wizard and multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion Antonio Braga Neto made his UFC debut last June with a first-round kneebar over Anthony Smith. According to Braga Neto, most UFC fans prefer to watch a striking battle over a submission exchange.
"The fans don’t like to watch too much jiu-jitsu," he said. "To tell you the truth, when someone goes to the UFC they want to knock people out because that’s what the fans want to see. I think the fans clearly prefer to watch a stand-up fight because they don’t understand the ground game."
Oliveira believes that referees also are to blame for the lack of finishes, in that they don’t let fighters work for better positions on the ground and constantly ask them to "work" even when they are already doing it.
"That’s a problem because you have to be fast and not lose positions," he said. "You need to quickly advance for positions, looking for an opening to finish the fight."
Members of the old school of the Gracie family constantly say that they don’t need anything else than pure jiu-jitsu to succeed in MMA. Oliveira and Braga Neto disagree, but know that it’s important to focus on your best game.
"We need to evolve as fighters, so people start training other martial arts and forget about jiu-jitsu, so we lose the details," Braga Neto said.
"I never saw someone evolve in the striking and wrestling areas and keep the good adjusts on the ground. I will always work on what I’m best first, and then I’ll try evolving in the other aspects of the game."
"You need to do what you do best," Oliveira added. "If you’re a jiu-jitsu guy, you need to go with that. We’re MMA fighters, we need to be complete in everything. I’m training everything, but I can’t forget my roots. I keep training jiu-jitsu three or four times a day, you can’t learn one thing and forget the other."
UFC returns next Saturday in London, England with UFC Fight Night 38, and 13 of the 20 fighters on the card have more than a third of their professional victories via submission. Will we see more jiu-jitsu action in London?
Where are the submissions? - MMA Fighting
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The month of March features a ton of MMA action. From the UFC all the way down to the minor leagues, a ton of top stars and up-and-coming prospects will be fighting with the intent to become a world champion someday.
At the Beaten Path, our job is to point you in the general direction of the best prospects who fight from month to month. That way, you have an insight into the future, as these men and women can end up in the UFC one day.
Here are five prospects to watch in March. These fighters could join the UFC ranks and be successful in the future.
Pictures: The Beaten Path: 5 MMA Prospects to Watch in March | Bleacher Report
At the Beaten Path, our job is to point you in the general direction of the best prospects who fight from month to month. That way, you have an insight into the future, as these men and women can end up in the UFC one day.
Here are five prospects to watch in March. These fighters could join the UFC ranks and be successful in the future.
Pictures: The Beaten Path: 5 MMA Prospects to Watch in March | Bleacher Report
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A South African cage fighter has died almost a week after getting elbowed in the head during a brutal bout.
Booto Guylain, 29, was declared dead Wednesday six days after his Feb. 27 clash with Keron Davies at the Extreme Fighting Championship Africa championships in Johannesburg.
The professional MMA middleweight, who had a 0-2 record, sustained the injury during the third round in a TKO loss to his fellow South African.
Taken to hospital for emergency treatment straight away, the bleeding and swelling on his brain was too serious and he was unable to pull through, reports EFC Africa.
"We are devastated," the organization's president Cairo Howarth said.
"This is a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him. Our thoughts are with his family in this trying time," he added.
Guylain, from Cape Town, had lost both of his professional bouts by TKO, according to Bleacher Report.
He is the second pro MMA fighter to die in the last six months, with Brazilian Leandro Souza passing in Sept. due to organ stress suffered during his pre-fight weight cut.
And he is the third fighter to die directly from injuries suffered during a bout.
Michael Kirkham, 30, and Sam Vasquez, 35, passed from cerebral hemorrhages in 2010 and 2007.
Read more: Pro MMA fighter Booto Guylain dies after getting elbowed in head during bout in South Africa - NY Daily News
Booto Guylain, 29, was declared dead Wednesday six days after his Feb. 27 clash with Keron Davies at the Extreme Fighting Championship Africa championships in Johannesburg.
The professional MMA middleweight, who had a 0-2 record, sustained the injury during the third round in a TKO loss to his fellow South African.
Taken to hospital for emergency treatment straight away, the bleeding and swelling on his brain was too serious and he was unable to pull through, reports EFC Africa.
"We are devastated," the organization's president Cairo Howarth said.
"This is a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him. Our thoughts are with his family in this trying time," he added.
Guylain, from Cape Town, had lost both of his professional bouts by TKO, according to Bleacher Report.
He is the second pro MMA fighter to die in the last six months, with Brazilian Leandro Souza passing in Sept. due to organ stress suffered during his pre-fight weight cut.
And he is the third fighter to die directly from injuries suffered during a bout.
Michael Kirkham, 30, and Sam Vasquez, 35, passed from cerebral hemorrhages in 2010 and 2007.
Read more: Pro MMA fighter Booto Guylain dies after getting elbowed in head during bout in South Africa - NY Daily News
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world, which hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport and produces events worldwide. Based in the United States, the UFC has eight weight divisions and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta control the UFC's parent company, Zuffa.
In a deal that will run until 2016 it was announced recently that online gaming operator Unibet has signed a deal to become the official betting partner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts organization. Zuffa bought UFC in the year 2000 and after the long battle to secure sanctioning, SEG stood on the brink of bankruptcy when owners of Station Casinos Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and their business partner Dana White approached them in 2000, with an offer to purchase the UFC. A month later, in January 2001, the Fertittas bought the UFC for $2 million and created Zuffa LLC as the parent entity controlling the UFC.
The partnership deal will include the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Belgium, Netherlands, France and Australia jurisdictions. Unibet will develop select betting options for the UFC events as part of the arrangement with the UFC.
Nils Anden, Unibet’s chief marketing officer commented, “The UFC has really established itself as a leader in both sports and entertainment, while Unibet has managed to do the same in the gambling sector,” Anden added,
“As part of this exclusive partnership, we are currently working on a wide range of exciting new bet offers for UFC events; markets that will take the betting experience of fight night to a whole new level.”
Executive vice-president and managing director of UFC EMEA, Garry Cook, also commented, “This is a great opportunity for our fans to step into the world of the UFC in a new and engaging way.”
UFC Unibet Team Up for Online Gambling Offers | Online-Casinos-com
In a deal that will run until 2016 it was announced recently that online gaming operator Unibet has signed a deal to become the official betting partner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts organization. Zuffa bought UFC in the year 2000 and after the long battle to secure sanctioning, SEG stood on the brink of bankruptcy when owners of Station Casinos Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and their business partner Dana White approached them in 2000, with an offer to purchase the UFC. A month later, in January 2001, the Fertittas bought the UFC for $2 million and created Zuffa LLC as the parent entity controlling the UFC.
The partnership deal will include the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Belgium, Netherlands, France and Australia jurisdictions. Unibet will develop select betting options for the UFC events as part of the arrangement with the UFC.
Nils Anden, Unibet’s chief marketing officer commented, “The UFC has really established itself as a leader in both sports and entertainment, while Unibet has managed to do the same in the gambling sector,” Anden added,
“As part of this exclusive partnership, we are currently working on a wide range of exciting new bet offers for UFC events; markets that will take the betting experience of fight night to a whole new level.”
Executive vice-president and managing director of UFC EMEA, Garry Cook, also commented, “This is a great opportunity for our fans to step into the world of the UFC in a new and engaging way.”
UFC Unibet Team Up for Online Gambling Offers | Online-Casinos-com
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Georges St. Pierre has welcomed the recent decision to ban Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), adding that the presence of TRT in the sport was “one of the reasons” he took the decision to stop fighting.
GSP has previously revealed his battles outside the Octagon and in a recent interview with Dallas News, the former champion pulled no punches in saying exactly what he thought of TRT and the wider issue of drugs in sport.
"It should have been done a long time ago,” GSP declared. “There's not another sport that accepts it. It's a joke. For our sport, I don't want to accuse individuals. Never once have I accused a person. I don't want to accuse the organisation.”
“The problem is the system. One of the reasons why I stopped (fighting) is I see a lot of s**t going on and I got tired of it. I tried to make things change and it didn't work.” The Canadian also added that he thought the UFC was in the best position to set an example on drugs in sport, adding that random testing for title fights should be a no-brainer given the high stakes and what is on the line.
"The guideline should be random testing, especially when you fight for a title,” GSP said. “The guy that finished first in cycling, would have finished 40th, ten years ago. That's how much drugs help now.
“You lose a race in cycling, you lose your ego, you lose something financially. But if you lose a fight, not only do you lose financially and your ego, it can affect your well-being, you have cerebral damage and be really messed up. If the UFC does something, the other organisations will follow."
GSP now has the luxury to enjoy the sport from the fan perspective, if only temporarily, and was open about his thoughts on his previous opponent, Johny Hendricks, whom he defeated in controversial circumstances at UFC 167.
“I was not prepared for someone that changes,” GSP revealed. “Most guys I fight, they don't change, they fight always the same way.”
“They might try a few things left and right but they don't transform them. I believe one of the big turning points for Johny, he did well adjusting things.
“That gave me hell.”
The former UFC welterweight champion was also tipping a win for Hendricks against Robbie Lawler in Dallas for UFC 171, believing that the acclaimed wrestler will have a slight advantage in the world of grappling.
“I believe Johny Hendricks has an edge in the fight, especially in the grappling department, because of his experience in wrestling,” GSP said. “He has a very good team.”
“I believe Johny will come more well prepared, maybe I'm wrong, that's just my opinion.”
Amongst the voices of opinion in the lead up to UFC 171, a tip from the former reigning champion is hard to ignore.
GSP responds to TRT ban, tips Hendricks for UFC 171 | MMA Kanvas
GSP has previously revealed his battles outside the Octagon and in a recent interview with Dallas News, the former champion pulled no punches in saying exactly what he thought of TRT and the wider issue of drugs in sport.
"It should have been done a long time ago,” GSP declared. “There's not another sport that accepts it. It's a joke. For our sport, I don't want to accuse individuals. Never once have I accused a person. I don't want to accuse the organisation.”
“The problem is the system. One of the reasons why I stopped (fighting) is I see a lot of s**t going on and I got tired of it. I tried to make things change and it didn't work.” The Canadian also added that he thought the UFC was in the best position to set an example on drugs in sport, adding that random testing for title fights should be a no-brainer given the high stakes and what is on the line.
"The guideline should be random testing, especially when you fight for a title,” GSP said. “The guy that finished first in cycling, would have finished 40th, ten years ago. That's how much drugs help now.
“You lose a race in cycling, you lose your ego, you lose something financially. But if you lose a fight, not only do you lose financially and your ego, it can affect your well-being, you have cerebral damage and be really messed up. If the UFC does something, the other organisations will follow."
GSP now has the luxury to enjoy the sport from the fan perspective, if only temporarily, and was open about his thoughts on his previous opponent, Johny Hendricks, whom he defeated in controversial circumstances at UFC 167.
“I was not prepared for someone that changes,” GSP revealed. “Most guys I fight, they don't change, they fight always the same way.”
“They might try a few things left and right but they don't transform them. I believe one of the big turning points for Johny, he did well adjusting things.
“That gave me hell.”
The former UFC welterweight champion was also tipping a win for Hendricks against Robbie Lawler in Dallas for UFC 171, believing that the acclaimed wrestler will have a slight advantage in the world of grappling.
“I believe Johny Hendricks has an edge in the fight, especially in the grappling department, because of his experience in wrestling,” GSP said. “He has a very good team.”
“I believe Johny will come more well prepared, maybe I'm wrong, that's just my opinion.”
Amongst the voices of opinion in the lead up to UFC 171, a tip from the former reigning champion is hard to ignore.
GSP responds to TRT ban, tips Hendricks for UFC 171 | MMA Kanvas
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After Joe Fisher was choked out by Caleb Frasher in the third fight of an event in Columbus, Ohio, Fisher's mom went to great lengths to make sure her son was fine.
Skip ahead to the 1:38 mark to see why Fisher's mom was so worried. After seeing her son fall to the mat, she scaled the cage fence and jumped into the ring to check on him, but was only there for a few seconds before security escorted her out through the gate. Fisher got up and looked to be fine, but the otherwise unremarkable match gave us a good example of worried mom strength.
MMA Fighter's Mom Jumps Into Ring After He's Knocked Out
Skip ahead to the 1:38 mark to see why Fisher's mom was so worried. After seeing her son fall to the mat, she scaled the cage fence and jumped into the ring to check on him, but was only there for a few seconds before security escorted her out through the gate. Fisher got up and looked to be fine, but the otherwise unremarkable match gave us a good example of worried mom strength.
MMA Fighter's Mom Jumps Into Ring After He's Knocked Out
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A big part of the reveal was the new Mixed Martial Arts room. Mount De Sales graduate and Mixed Martial Arts fighter Cole Miller cut the ribbon.
Miller and airmen demonstrated different techniques.
"We had two guys there that one had been training in Brazilian Jujitsu, the other had a wrestling background so, I just showed how wrestling has the take down aspect and the brazilian jujitsu has the submission aspect," said Miller.
He said it's important for the airmen to have a place to practice and train for hand-to-hand combat.
"You have to be prepared and now that the Air Force has invested into their troops and providing a room like that it will make everybody more prepared for these real life scenarios that they're gonna encounter," he said.
The other fitness center updates include a Warrior Athlete Readiness Room with ropes, kettle bells and weights for metabolic training intervals.
A Fitness On Request machine was installed, it allows users to select different fitness routines and get taught by a virtual fitness instructor.
Robins Air Force Base gets new MMA room