MMA Thread (UFC/Bellator et al)

[Bandit]

BISPING~!



I guess this means no Brock at Summerslam, though. I'm surprised Vince would do that, especially since Taker told him he won't wrestle on it. But I guess AJ vs Cena would fill that spot.

[Bandit]

UFC announced during UFC 199 that Don Frye has been named to the Pioneer division of the UFC 2016 Hall of Fame. The event will take place on Sunday, July 10, at 12 p.m. PT at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The ceremony will close out the UFC Fan Expo during the final day of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week. The event will also be streamed live and available on-demand exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS.

"Don Frye is a legend in this sport and one of the toughest guys to ever compete," UFC President Dana White said. "He was known for putting on incredible fights like his one with Takayama in PRIDE, which is still to this day one of the craziest fights I've ever seen. Congratulations to Don Frye for being selected to the 2016 Class of the UFC Hall of Fame!"

Frye notched a 10-1 record during four events over a span of 11 months in 1996. His mixed martial arts career began at UFC 8: DAVID vs. GOLIATH, where he defeated three opponents to capture the tournament title on February 16. He then competed at UFC 9: MOTOR CITY MADNESS on May 17, winning his fight on a non-tournament based card. Following his runner-up finish during UFC 10: THE TOURNAMENT on July 12, he secured his second tournament championship at UFC: THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATE 1996 on December 7.

During his tenure, Frye recorded a number of impressive firsts, becoming the first UFC athlete to finish three opponents in less than one minute, the first athlete to notch both a knockout and a submission in less than one minute, and the first to defeat five consecutive opponents by knockout. Over the course of his 15-year career, Frye also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, earning wins over UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama at PRIDE 19 and 21, respectively.

The final inductees of the Class of 2016 will be announced in the coming weeks leading to the landmark UFC 200: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, on Saturday, July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Good. Don Frye fucking rules. If Rogan quits after the sale like he claims, they should put him in the booth.





Shark Fights Commentary quotes

[Dr. Zoidberg]

\I guess this means no Brock at Summerslam, though. I'm surprised Vince would do that, especially since Taker told him he won't wrestle on it. But I guess AJ vs Cena would fill that spot.

WWE have said that Brock will be at Summerslam.

http://www.wwe.com/article/brock-lesnar ... -wwe-event

[Bandit]

He could be hurt, though. If he fights Mark Hunt like rumored he could very well end up with a concussion.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

There's about a 6 week gap between them, as long as he's not hurt too badly it should be alright.

It could end up being a win for everyone. Lots of extra publicity and buys for UFC & WWE plus Brock gets a shitload of money for one fight while still having his big WWE contract.

[Bandit]

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Well, that didn’t take long – Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold apparently are enemies again.

So, too, are UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, who were the cross to the middleweight’s trash-talk jab in pre-fight festivities.

The four apparently settled nothing with Bisping’s knockout victory in UFC 199’s headliner and Cruz’s decision victory over Faber in the co-main event, going another round on the mic at the post-event press conference.

The graciousness and gratitude emanating from Bisping (29-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) after his shocking upset of Rockhold (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) didn’t last longer than his victory speech, with the Brit gloating over his knockout at the post-UFC 199 press conference.

“Some say revenge is sweet,” Bisping said at The Forum, which hosted the pay-per-view event. “I disagree – I think it’s better than sweet. Luke, c’mon buddy. When the shoe was on the other foot, I leaned over and thanked you at this moment in time. I said, ‘Well done.’”

That struck the humbled Rockhold a little odd given his recollection of the previous result of their meeting, a second-round submission at UFC Fight Night 55.

“Yeah, and I actually picked you up off the canvas,” he said. “And you being the dick you are, came up to me and was a bitch about it.”

“I shook your hand,” Bisping countered. “And you said, ‘I already shook your hand, and you told me to (expletive) off, basically.”

“You asked me, ‘Do you know where you are, do you know where you are?’ You’re a (expletive) dick,” interrupted Rockhold.

“Hey buddy, you got knocked out,” Bisping spat. “Sit down and shut up. What an asshole, guys.”

“I will come back and kill you,” seethed Rockhold.

As if he hadn’t said enough already, Bisping held his newly won belt aloft and waved it before they did some more jawing. (You can check out the whole exchange at the 12:45 mark of the press conference.)

Cruz (22-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) needled Faber (33-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) when the question of facing Team Alpha Male Cody Garbrandt surfaced, rebooting an old routine about how Faber manages and coaches his students. (The exchange starts at the 16:30 mark.)

“Trust me, I make my own money,” Faber said.

“Yeah, off them, off your teammates, and they ride your coattails,” replied Cruz.

If you could imagine, Bisping tried to play the voice of reason.

So not much has changed for the UFC rivals.

For Bisping and Rockhold, it was kicked off by Bisping’s loose lips about a sparring session between them. Cruz got under Faber’s skin when he signed an autograph over his face.

Rockhold got his comeuppance two years ago, but Bisping avenged his loss and picked up the biggest win of his career. Bisping, naturally, considers himself 2-1 in their series. Cruz actually is 2-1, having dropped his first bout and won his rematch against Faber.

Faber is now considering the next move in his career, which may include retirement. But with the bad blood between the middleweights, and the rare air at the top of their division, that series seems destined to go to 5 games.

Both better promos than anybody in WWE.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Lesnar vows to conquer Punk’s UFC undefeated streak

[Bandit]

Brock Lesnar's return to the UFC is set, and so is his opponent. As announced this morning on ESPN SportsCenter, Lesnar will take on Mark Hunt in his return.

Lesnar last fought in 2011, taking on Alistair Overeem. Lesnar battled diverticulitis throughout his career, missing long stretches of action. Last year, Lesnar re-signed with the WWE for three years, and said that he closed the door on a UFC return.

"I couldn't live with that decision, that decision has haunted me for the last 15 months," Lesnar said. "I'm a big believer in facing your fears and facing the reality of not sitting 20 years ago saying 'Son, you should have done that.' I was on UFC 100, so why not UFC 200?," Lesnar said.

Lesnar said that this was his idea, and he immediately regretted not making a return to the Octagon.

"I lost to diverticulitis, that's who beat me. My performance was because of the illness. I feel a thousand percent, I wouldn't step in the Octagon if I didn't. I'm not faking it, this is for real," Lesnar said.

When Lesnar announced that Mark Hunt would take him on, he noted that he's never turned down a fight in the UFC. "Why not (Mark Hunt), I don't care," Lesnar said.

"It's taken some time for things to play out, but I said 'What are the chances of having Brock Lesnar at UFC 200?," Lesnar said. "I'm a crossover athlete, I'm the modern day Bo Jackson, and I couldn't be more excited that both companies have the faith in Brock Lesnar to return to the Octagon."

Lesnar said that he spoke to Vince McMahon about the idea and hashed it out. He said that he doesn't know what the plans for SummerSlam are, but isn't sure what the plans are for him on the card.

Interviewer Hannah Storm asked about the UFC banning Ariel Helwani over breaking the story of Lesnar's return, but Lesnar said that he's not on Twitter and isn't familiar with Helwani.

[Bandit]

MMA fighter Kimbo Slice was hospitalized in Florida earlier today ... and multiple sources tell TMZ Sports the situation does not look good.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Slice was admitted to a hospital near his home in Coral Springs, FL.
Police are currently at his home gathering information from family members.

Kimbo -- real name Kevin Ferguson -- last fought at Bellator 149 back in February and defeated Dada 5000 -- but the victory was overturned when Slice tested positive for a banned steroid.

Back in 2003, Slice became an Internet sensation for his backyard fighting videos -- destroying several opponents in unsanctioned street fights. He later signed a deal to fight in the UFC.
Story developing ...

[Dr. Zoidberg]

UFC Lifts Credential Ban Placed on MMA Writer Ariel Helwani

The UFC will not restrict MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani from covering future MMA events.

The organization released a statement Monday detailing its decision to reverse its ban on Helwani.

After reporting Saturday that Brock Lesnar would return to the sport to fight at UFC 200, which the organization officially announced later that night, Helwani was kicked out of UFC 199 and later told that he was banned from all future UFC events.

The UFC said that after a conversation with SB Nation, the host site for MMAFighting.com, the organization reconsidered its position. It still affirmed its position that Helwani's actions were wrong but did not specifically state why:

We respect the role the media plays in our sport and beyond, including MMAFighting's ability to report news. However, in our opinion, we believe the recurring tactics used by its lead reporter extended beyond the purpose of journalism. We feel confident our position has now been adequately communicated to the SB Nation editorial team. ... We will continue to introduce this sport and its athletes to new fans across the world, and we will do so by working alongside media across all platforms.

On his show The MMA Hour, Helwani explained his actions and thoughts on the situation (via Yahoo Sports' Andreas Hale).

"The last thing I want to do is sit on news," Helwani said. "If you're sitting on it, you're not doing it right."

Helwani said that UFC President Dana White told him to leave the event because he was being "too negative." Helwani also felt that Lorenzo Fertitta—who co-owns Zuffa, the UFC's parent company—forced White to ban him.

"I felt deep down inside that [White] didn't want to do that to me, but he was doing what he was told by his partner," Helwani said. "He may have been upset that I beat him to the punch [on announcing the Lesnar news]."

Helwani's restored credentials sparked reactions from the journalism world.

ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto took to Twitter after hearing the news:


UFC fighter Sarah Kaufman had backed Helwani before the UFC's announcement:

The story is not over, as more details are likely to emerge regarding the cause for the UFC's decision to flip-flop. Still, it is encouraging to see that Helwani did not ultimately lose access to the sport he covers for doing his job.

Source: Bleacher Report

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Bandit]

I like Helwani, but him comparing his treatment by UFC to his grandparents escaping Nazis was a little much.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Maybe Dana told the security to remove Ariel's gold fillings before being escorted from the premises?

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Bandit]

Meltzer really made it seem like Dana is leaving with the UFC sale last night. He said Dana will make a lot of money off of the sale and is burnt out on UFC and just wants to raise his kids now. If true, UFC is as fucked as WWE would be if Vince and HHH retired with a WWE sale. Dana is a prick, but he made that company. A Chinese buyer wouldn't know what to do once the stars under Dana retired.

[Big Boss Man]

Phil "CM Punk" Brooks first UFC fight has been announced. It'll be at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Seven-time UFC vet Ryan Jimmo dead at 34 after being struck in hit and run

Canadian light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo is dead at 34.

MMAjunkie today confirmed with a person with first-hand knowledge of the accident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter that Jimmo was the victim identified in an initial CBC News report of a fatal hit-and-run accident.

Edmonton Police Service officials were not immediately available for comment.

According to CBC News, “an altercation occurred between the drivers of two vehicles at around 2:15 a.m.” this morning in the parking lot of H2O Lounge in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The report continues that “the 34-year-old driver of one vehicle walked up to the occupants of the other vehicle. When he began to walk away, police say the suspects’ vehicle accelerated and struck him before leaving the scene.

“The suspects’ vehicle, a dark-colored pickup truck police say was occupied by two Caucasian males, then fled … and nearly hit a red car.”

Source: MMA Junkie

[Dr. Zoidberg]

UFC 200 shocker: Jon Jones flagged by USADA; Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt new main event

During an impromptu press conference Wednesday night, UFC president Dana White announced that Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt is the new main event for UFC 200.

The reason? Interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation. Because the procedure part of this review cannot be completed by Saturday, Jones' fight with light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been taken off the show.

Lesnar vs. Hunt will remain a three round fight.

White said he was informed by USADA that Jones was tested on June 16, but was unclear what the violation was for. He hasn't spoken to Jones or his agent Malki Kawa as of this point. He also didn't know why the test results took nearly a month to get back.'

"This is devastating to Daniel Cormier mentally, physically and financially," White said.

Cormier was going to get a percentage of the PPV revenue which, for a show that may do record numbers, would be several million dollars. White said he was unclear how Cormier would be compensated considering the amount of money that he makes. Cormier was in attendance at the presser, but the press conference feed was cut off after White spoke.

UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitsky made a brief statement, saying noted that USADA will handle results management, potential hearings and due process on the matter, and whatever legal review process is necessary before any sanctions are imposed.

White said they found out just a short time ago and wanted to alert the media to the annoucement as soon as possible. Matchmaker Joe Silva isn't even aware of the situation as he's on a flight. White's hope would be that someone would step up to fight Cormier on super short notice, but isn't sure what's about to happen.

There were no other light heavyweight fighters booked on the show, and the closest thing to a possibility would be Gegard Mousasi, a middleweight contender who is fighting Thiago Santos. However, Mousasi is getting ready for a fight in a 20 pound lighter weight class. Our Tom Lawlor, a Las Vegas resident who fights at 205, has begun petitioning for the fight on Twitter.

The UFC released the following statement:

The UFC organization was notified tonight that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jon Jones of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 16, 2016.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.

However, because Jones was scheduled to compete against Daniel Cormier this coming Saturday, July 9 in Las Vegas, there is insufficient time for a full review before the scheduled bout and therefore the fight has been removed from the fight card. As a result, the three-round heavyweight bout between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt will become the UFC 200 main event.

Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.

Ticket refunds available upon request at primary point of purchase.

Source: WON/F4W

[Big Boss Man]

Was going to post this. Jon Jones must have lost his 2nd chance with the UFC now. Jones vs Cormier would have done a huge buyrate (IMO) and for the big marquee fight to be shutdown is bad news for Dana & the UFC. Its the second time the Jones/Cormier fight has been called off too. Also Jones dropped out of another UFC PPV main, so he's becoming a liability to the UFC. His fighting ability isn't in the equation because he's a great fighter, but when he's been popped again for drugs it sounds out the wrong message.

[Bandit]

Conor McGregor switched Jones's urine sample with Nate Diaz's to fuck with Dana.