MMA: UFC eyes fight card on May 9 - Dana White

The UFC is aiming to stage a fight card at an undisclosed location on May 9 featuring at least two title bouts, the promotion's president Dana White has told its broadcast partner ESPN.

White canceled the proposed UFC 249 event last week, which was due to take place on April 18.

Prompted by fears over the spread of the coronavirus, White came under pressure from politicians and ESPN's owners at Disney to postpone the event.

ESPN are now reporting that Tony Ferguson will face Justin Gaethje in an interim lightweight title fight at an undisclosed location on May 9 instead.

Also on the bill is a bantamweight title fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz and a featherweight match-up between champion Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer, although it is unclear if Nunes' belt is on the line.

When asked by Reuters to confirm the title fights, the UFC responded in an email that they had no further comment "aside from what Dana has said to ESPN". (Reporting by Philip O'Connor Editing by Toby Davis)

-reuters-

Holm ends losing streak with knockout

SINGAPORE -- American MMA fighter Holly Holm broke her three-fight losing streak in Singapore Saturday, knocking out Brazilian Bethe Correia with a kick to the head.

The bantamweight fight was the headliner on Saturday's fight card, Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Asia after a 19-month absence.

The pair got off to a slow start with barely any contact in the first two rounds, prompting boos from the Singapore Indoor Stadium crowd.

Responding to a taunt in Round 3, Holm delivered a head kick that sent Correia crashing to the canvas and finished her opponent off with a punch.


"I picked the shot I wanted and got the finish... We figured she would get frustrated and that’s what opened up the opportunity for the head kick," Holm said in an interview after the fight.

Holm ended top star Rhonda Rousey's unbeaten run in 2015 with a similar move, a defeat she never bounced back from.

Since her upset of Rousey, Holm has also struggled, losing her subsequent three bouts. She previously had an unblemished 10-0 record in MMA.

In making its Asian return, UFC, the world's biggest MMA promoter, has its eye on the lucrative mainland Chinese market, initially scheduling two Chinese fighters on Saturday's card.

Top Chinese MMA star Wang Guan pulled out a week before the fight, citing injury.

But Li Jingliang, widely seen as China's best MMA prospect, roundly took down Guam's Frank Camacho in a three-bout fight, exhausting his opponent and winning by unanimous decision.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nunes shocks Rousey in cage return

Ronda Rousey's effort to reclaim her world bantamweight title ended in spectacular failure as champion Amanda Nunes stopped her after just 48 seconds of the first round of their title fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday.

In the co-main event, challenger Cody Garbrandt scored a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Dominick Cruz in another stunning upset to claim the men's bantamweight belt.

Brazil's Nunes lit up the former champion from the off, rocking Rousey with a flurry of big punches, her superior boxing never allowing the Californian to close the gap and use her judo skills to take the fight to the floor.

Stunned early on, Rousey had no answer to the power of the 28-year-old and referee Herb Dean quickly stepped in to stop the fight as Rousey was stung again and could no longer defend herself.

"She did a lot for the sport - she was the champion, but now I am the champion," an elated Nunes said in the octagon following her victory.

Rousey left the octagon immediately following the official decision, making no comment to the press.

The defeat could signal the end of the road for the 29-year-old Californian, who lost her title a little over a year ago when she was knocked out in stunning fashion by Holly Holm's head kick in Melbourne.

Holm then lost to Miesha Tate in her first defense in March, and Tate did little better, turning over the belt to Nunes in July.

Rousey, a judo bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics, may be one of the biggest draws in the mixed martial arts, but she is not universally popular, and the fact that she was allowed to shun the media in the run-up to this fight was not well-received by fighters or fans.

But no one can argue with her previous record as the first female bantamweight champion and her six successful defences of her title before succumbing to Holm.

Her stature as one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts saw her get a $3-million purse for Friday's fight, plus an undisclosed share of the pay-per-view revenues.

In contrast, Nunes was paid $100,000 to show and another $100,000 as a win bonus for her first title defence, apart from an undisclosed share of pay per view revenues.

Nunes walked away with something much more valuable - the women's bantamweight belt, and the chance to start a new chapter in the history of mixed martial arts.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Conor McGregor knocks out Alvarez to make history

NEW YORK -- Featherweight champion Conor McGregor capped the UFC's triumphant return to New York by knocking out Eddie Alvarez to claim the lightweight crown and become the first fighter in the history of the promotion to hold two UFC belts simultaneously.

Southpaw McGregor downed Alvarez three times in the opening round, leaving the champion stunned and on the back foot for the entire five minutes, and it didn't get any better for the Philadelphia native.

Alvarez's attempts to take the fight to the mat were thwarted by the 28-year-old, who continued to dictate the pace in the second in front of a packed house, most of whom were cheering for the Irishman.

Midway through the second round McGregor unleashed another combination and this time there was no way back for Alvarez as McGregor pounced to finish the fight.

"Eddie is a warrior but he shouldn't be in here with me. You've got to have size, reach, length, you've got to have attributes," he told ring announcer Joe Rogan following the bout.

"I'd lake to take this chance to apologize ... to absolutely nobody," he roared before taking his two belts and scaling the side of the octagon to celebrate.

The 32-year-old Alvarez had won the title from Rafael Dos Anjos back in July and after McGregor was done avenging his only UFC defeat to Nate Diaz, he immediately set his sights on taking that second belt.

With the ban on mixed martial arts in the state lifted in March of this year, the UFC returned to New York after an absence of over two decades, staging a card stacked with fights and backed up by a ton of hype.

While others on the bill failed to live up to it, McGregor once again proved his value to the UFC by putting on a spectacular show with another superb knockout win to go with his 13-second defeat of Jose Aldo for the featherweight crown.

Earlier in the evening women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk weathered a late storm from her Polish compatriot Karolina Kowalkiewicz, holding on to win a unanimous decision after an epic five-round battle.

In the other title fight on the card, welterweight champ Tyrone Woodley thought he had seen off the challenge of Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson to claim a narrow split decision, but the result initially announced in the octagon was corrected after several minutes and changed to a majority draw.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

McGregor gets revenge with decision win over Diaz

LAS VEGAS -- Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor won a thrilling decision victory over Nate Diaz in their rematch at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 202 event in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Featherweight champion McGregor had stepped up two weight classes to fight Diaz at welterweight in March but was submitted by the Californian in the second round.

On Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena, both fighters did heavy damage but neither could find the knockout blow over five bloody rounds. Judges gave McGregor a majority decision victory, setting the stage for a third fight.

McGregor downed Diaz early in the first round with a stinging left hand and fought a tactical fight, peppering his opponent's front leg with kicks.

Diaz hit the deck twice early in the second round but McGregor declined to take the fight to the mat, signalling for Diaz to get up.

Known for his durability, Diaz then landed two telling strikes of his own, forcing McGregor back against the cage towards the end of the round and grabbing the momentum.

Diaz came close to finishing it in the third but McGregor somehow stayed on his feet despite a series of heavy blows.

Both fighters were struggling with fatigue in the final two rounds, which were heavy on clinches around the cage, and Diaz managed to take McGregor down in the final seconds of the fifth.

(LOOK: Cristiano Ronaldo gets into the cage with MMA fighter)

The flamboyant McGregor is the biggest draw in the UFC, as shown by his $3-million paycheck for Saturday's fight.

While a third fight between the two would be a huge draw, the UFC is keen for McGregor to defend the featherweight title he won by beating Jose Aldo last December or to vacate it.

In Saturday's co-main event, top light heavyweight contender Anthony Johnson knocked out Glover Teixeira with a thundering right uppercut to put himself into contention for a title fight against champion Daniel Cormier.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Brock Lesnar beats Hunt in UFC return

Five years after he left, Brock Lesnar was victorious in his return to the Octagon as he claimed a unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Lesnar has not fought in the UFC since losing to Alistair Overeem in 2011, and has instead returned to his old stomping grounds at the WWE.

Nevertheless, he showed that he still has what it takes, taking down Hunt twice in the first round.

In the third round, he took full mount and unloaded hammer fists against Hunt, who did just enough to avoid getting stopped.

"It took me a while to get acclimated," said Lesnar, who won his first UFC fight since July 2010. "I'm so happy to be back here."

Scores were 29-27 across the board for Lesnar.

In the undercard, UFC light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defeated the legendary Anderson Silva via unanimous decision in a three-round, non-title bout.

Silva was fighting on two days' notice after Cormier's original opponent, Jon Jones, was pulled out of the card due to a positive test. "The Spider" did enough to survive until the third round, wherein he landed some significant strikes to the delight of the crowd, but Silva could not stop Cormier's takedown attempts.

Cormier won with scores of 30-26 across the board, and improved to 18-1 in the UFC, with his lone loss coming against Jones in January 2015. Silva, for his part, has not won in the UFC since 2012.

In another fight, Jose Aldo became the interim UFC featherweight champion after defeating Frankie "The Answer" Edgar in a five-round battle.

Scores were 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Aldo, who was fighting for the first time since he lost in just 13 seconds to Conor McGregor at UFC 194 back in December. It was also a repeat of his victory over Edgar back in February 2013, wherein he also won a five-round decision.

Aldo opened up a cut above Edgar's right eye in the second round, but "The Answer" refused to back down, even tagging Aldo with a combination in the third round. The Brazilian however landed the more significant strikes, and sealed his win with a strong fifth round.

Meanwhile, former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez overpowered Travis Browne in the first fight of the main card, knocking out the former champion in the closing seconds of round one.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Miocic KOs Werdum to claim heavyweight belt

Stipe Miocic registered a brutal one-punch knockout of Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 198 to claim the heavyweight championship in front of a hostile crowd at the Arena da Baizada in Curitiba, Brazil on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

The crowd was heavily pro-Werdum but Miocic quickly quieted them, landing a right hand on an on-rushing Werdum that sent the Brazilian to the canvas.

The official time of stoppage was at the 2:47 mark of the very first round.

"Cleveland, we got a champion, baby," Miocic, a native of Ohio, announced.

Miocic earned his title shot by knocking out Andrei Arlovski at UFC 195 in January, and made the most out of it as he proved to be the more patient fighter. Werdum, in contrast, was more aggressive than he usually was and paid for it dearly.

Werdum was on the attack when Miocic unloaded his right hand, catching the Brazilian flush and knocking him out cold.

"Honestly, he's tough, he kept me guessing," said Miocic, who hiked his record to 15-2. "But I caught him with the right hand, and he went down, thank God."

Miocic has now won three straight fights and six of his last seven.

"Tonight, he was better than I was," Werdum said via a translator. "But I'm gonna come back here, and I'm gonna be the champion again."

Werdum's six fight winning streak dating back to 2012 came to an end. The Brazilian won the heavyweight belt back in June 2015, when he submitted Cain Velasquez at UFC 188.

Cyborg wins UFC debut

In the undercard, Cris "Cyborg" Justino made a successful UFC debut by crushing Leslie Smith in just 81 seconds.

The bout, held at a catchweight of 140 pounds, ended quickly as Justino overwhelmed Smith with her striking ability.

The referee eventually stopped the fight at the 1:21 mark after "Cyborg" landed several shots in succession that Smith could not answer.

In the co-main event, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza dominated Vitor Belfort, stopping the "Phenom" at the 4:38 mark of the opening round.

Souza took Belfort down and used brutal ground and pound to bloody his opponent. The referee eventually stopped the fight after Belfort could not defend himself while Souza unloaded bombs from top position.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua claimed a split decision over Corey Anderson, 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Diaz shocks, submits McGregor at UFC 196

Nate Diaz made the most of his height and weight advantage to submit featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 196 Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila).

Diaz took the fight on two weeks' notice after McGregor's original opponent, lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, had to withdraw from the fight card due to injury. The bout was held at 170-pounds, a full two weight classes above where McGregor usually fights (145 pounds/featherweight).

No belts were on the line but the combatants still traded barbs and trash talk in the abbreviated lead-up to the fight.

McGregor had the better start, keeping the fight on the feet and landing several left hands that opened up a cut on Diaz's eye. The tide turned in the second, however, when Diaz landed a left hand and an uppercut that clearly rocked the Irishman.

The end came for McGregor when Diaz denied his takedown attempt and took top control, landing shots before eventually securing a rear naked choke. McGregor tapped at the 4:12 mark of the second round.

"I'm not surprised," a bloody Diaz declared after his win.

"I'm an athlete, a warrior. We should always be ready to fight," he added.

Diaz entered the bout having won just two of his last five MMA bouts, but that did not stop him from snapping McGregor's 15-fight winning streak that began in 2010.

"I was inefficient with my energy," McGregor said after the bout. "I'm humble in victory or defeat."

"I respect Nate. He came in, he took the fight on short notice. He took the fight at 170, and he did the job. He was efficient, and I wasn't efficient," he added.

It was McGregor's first bout since winning the UFC featherweight title off Jose Aldo in December, and his first bout at the welterweight division.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

McGregor, Diaz continue verbal joust after skirmish

Saturday can't come soon enough! #UFC196 https://t.co/sZjTF5UaPi

— #UFC196 (@ufc) March 3, 2016

McGregor: His wrist will never be the same

“The Notorious” Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz have continued swapping verbal tirades after their tension-filled face-off at the UFC 196 presser.

A free-for-all nearly erupted at the press conference when McGregor slapped away Diaz’s fist, which the latter aimed directly at the Irishman’s face during their staredown.

Diaz’s crew quickly jumped on the stage to confront McGregor but UFC officials, together with a couple of policemen, stepped in to defuse the tension.

"The man was afraid to look me dead in the eye," said McGregor during their appearance on FOX sports 1 as reported by MMA Fighting. "So he put a frame out in front of him and I quickly snatched it and broke his wrist.”

"The medics are in with him now," he added. "His wrist will never be the same. Like his bum knee, like his bum leg."

Diaz just shrugged off McGregor's attempt to slap his hand away.

"Yeah, you got a scared little [expletive] shot on the hand and [expletive]," he said.

Diaz then blasted McGregor for his status, claiming that he was born rich unlike most fighter.

"You're a rich kid," the fighter from Stockton, California said. "Rich kids shouldn't fight ever. Real people fight. Real people fight. Not [expletive] rich kids. You were born rich."

McGregor railed back.

"[Expletive] you, you don't know me," said McGregor. "You don't know where the [expletive] I came from. I'll ride into Stockton and take everyone out. Bunch of snitches in Stockton. I never heard of Stockton in my life."

Diaz also mentioned McGregor’s career defeats, which he claimed came in the hands of sub-par ground fighters.

"You got choked out by two nobodies," he said. "You were submitted by lames not even that long ago, it was like a week ago."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

UFC 196: Diaz steps up to face McGregor

Conor McGregor will face Nate Diaz at the main event of UFC 196 on March 5 after lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out of his title defense against the Irishman due to a foot injury.

UFC president Dana White told ESPN.com that Diaz agreed to take on the Irish superstar despite the fight being on 12 days’ notice.

It will be a welterweight bout, meaning that McGregor will have to climb two weight classes from featherweight.

"We called Jose Aldo; Jose Aldo turned the fight down," said White. "We called Frankie Edgar; Frankie Edgar turned the fight down. Those are two guys everybody was talking about.

"A lot of guys wanted this fight, but we ended up with Nate Diaz. We felt this was the fight to make and the fight the fans wanted to see."

McGregor, the reigning featherweight champion, was originally slated to challenge Dos Anjos for the lightweight crown. The fight, however, fell through when the Brazilian withdrew with a broken foot on Tuesday.

Dos Anjos is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Diaz has been wanting to fight McGregor for some time now.

Last December, he called out the Irishman with an expletive-laced rant after beating up Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 17.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Who will be CM Punk's opponent?

UFC president Dana White has identified the fighter who may just wind up facing CM Punk in his first-ever mixed martial arts bout.

Punk, the former WWE superstar whose real name is Phil Brooks, signed with the UFC in 2014 despite not having any professional MMA experience.

According to reports from ESPN and MMA Fighting, White has given young fighter Mickey Gall the opportunity to fight Punk – provided he gets past "a kid named Michael Jackson" in a bout that will appear in the preliminary event of UFC 196.

White "discovered" Gall via the UFC web show "Lookin' for a Fight," wherein the executive watches regional MMA shows in search for talent. White watched as Gall submitted his opponent and then called out Punk.

"I'm bringing in Mickey Gall, and he's going to fight a kid named Michael Jackson," said White. "They're going to fight on the prelims on February 6 on Fight Pass."

"If he wins that fight, Mickey Gall will fight CM Punk," he added.


White said Punk will be on hand to watch the Gall-Jackson showdown.

If Gall winds up losing the bout, Jackson will not get a shot against Punk.

"He (Gall) is holding a lottery ticket, with really good odds of winning the lottery right now," said White. "He's got to get through this fight. It's going to be a life-changer for this kid."

Punk is expected to make his UFC debut later this year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Frankie Edgar furious about possibly not getting title shot again

Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is not optimistic that he will be getting the title shot that was promised to him.

After the Ultimate Fighter 22 finale on December 11, UFC president Dana White guaranteed “The Answer” the next title shot at 145-pounds. It was after Edgar’s sensational first round knockout victory over two-time featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.

At the time, Edgar was awaiting the winner between Conor McGregor and José Aldo, who were slated to battle it out at UFC 194 the day after his fight. With “The Notorious” emerging victorious, it seemed like a showdown between him and Edgar was the next move to make.

McGregor, however, went towards another direction and chose to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the lightweight title instead. Multiple reports have claimed that the UFC’s top management is leaning towards making this fight instead.

These recent turn of events have rightfully left Edgar in a state of frustration. During his appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour show, Edgar laid out his frustrations in full detail.

"For sure, I’m pissed. I’ve been at it for a while now, I’ve been knocking on the door for this title shot for a while. It started with Cub [Swanson]. If Cub beat me he was promised a title shot. I beat him, I finished him in pretty dominating fashion and no, I’m not even considered for that title shot.”

“I take it in stride,” he added. “I do everything in stride, I really do think I’m a company man, but it’s not really panning out for me being that way."

Despite his sentiments, Edgar did concede to the fact that he is left with no other choice but to give in to the bosses’ decision, who at the end of the day, still have the final say on the matter.

"What can I do? Dana and Lorenzo, they know what I want, man,” Edgar lamented. “People are like, 'you need to call them.' They f**king know what I want.”

“What, am I going to bother them? For what? For them to say no? So they can promise me something one day and say no the next? Come on,” he added.

This story was originally published on the ABS-CBN Sports website.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Condit looking at retirement after loss to Lawler

Former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit is considering retirement after his last fight at UFC 195 this past weekend.

“The Natural Born Killer” was unable to capture UFC gold after losing to champion Robbie Lawler via a razor-thin split decision verdict. It was a barnburner that many believed Condit should have won.

During the post-fight press conference, a visibly disappointed Condit showed up, where he also announced the possibility of him hanging up his gloves for good.

“I came up short tonight. I don't know,” Condit said. “It was, tonight was kind of a do-or-die moment for my career and I was all in. if I got that strap, I was going to keep fighting.”

“If I didn't, like I didn't, I have to see if I can continue to do this.

Condit did clarify that his decision was mainly driven by his performance on Saturday night.

"It's not really an emotional thing. I'm not dejected. I don't know. I have to evaluate that there's the possibility that was my last one. We'll see."

At 31 years of age, Carlos Condit has been through a good number of wars throughout his almost 16-year professional MMA career. He currently holds a record of 30-9, with 18 victories by knockout.

This story was originally published on the ABS-CBN Sports website.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Dos Anjos stops 'Cowboy,' retains UFC lightweight belt

Rafael Dos Anjos successfully defended the UFC lightweight championship for the first time after a brutal first round stoppage of "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone in the main event of UFC on FOX Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando.

Dos Anjos had already beaten Cerrone when they first fought in August 2013, but "Cowboy" was coming into the match on the heels of a spectacular eight-fight winning streak that included a victory over former champion Benson Henderson.

Cerrone's winning streak came to a quick end, however, as Dos Anjos thoroughly dominate him. The Brazilian connected on a huge knee early in the first round that visibly hurt "Cowboy," and Dos Anjos then landed a kick to the body that proved to be the beginning of the end.

With Cerrone still stumbling due to the kick, Dos Anjos unloaded several punches that forced the challenger to cover up against the cage. He managed to survive the initial barrage and get the fight back in the middle, but Dos Anjos would not be denied, connecting on more strikes that forced the referee to stop the fight.

"I proved that I am in this division to stay," said Dos Anjos, who was announced the winner via technical knockout. "All those accusations that people were throwing at me – I'm here with my belt. It's just he beginning of my career."

Dos Anjos had dominated former champion Anthony Pettis in March to win the title, but needed only one minute and six seconds to defend it. Nevertheless, he commended Cerrone afterward, pointing out that it was not easy to win eight straight fights in the lightweight division.

"But I have the best team," Dos Anjos was quick to add. "I'm surrounded by great people."


Dos Anjos' last words were reserved not for other challengers in the lightweight division, but to featherweight champion Conor McGregor, who last week dethroned his countryman, Jose Aldo, in just 13 seconds.

"Hey, Mr. McGregor," Dos Anjos said, "If you want to come to the lightweight division, this is my division, man. You better stay in featherweight."

"I will fight him in Brazil, I will go to Ireland to face you there, whatever, man. I'm here to stay," he announced.

Cerrone, for his part, said the loss "sucks" but had no complaints. "I didn't show up to work," he said. "I couldn't find my gear. He showed up and I didn't. He did a good job."



Overeem TKOs Dos Santos

In the co-main event, Alistair Overeem stopped Junior Dos Santos in the second round in a battle of heavyweights.

After an uneventful first round, the two heavyweights finally opened up in the second, exchanging heavy kicks, with Overeem – a former world champion kickboxer – targeting Dos Santos' body multiple times. A combination by Overeem opened up a cut above Dos Santos' eye with a minute to go in the round, but the Brazilian responded by catching Overeem against the fence and unloading punches.

Overeem shook off the attack, however, and moved back to the center of the cage, where he unleashed a picture-perfect left hook that dropped Dos Santos to the mat. He followed it up with hammer fists, and the referee moved to stop the fight immediately.

Dos Santos was unhappy with the stoppage, but it was clear that the former heavyweight champion was groggy and struggling to get back up to his feet. The official time of stoppage was at the 4:43 mark of the second round.

"Junior is a very, very dangerous opponent," Overeem said afterward. "You have to fight cautious against him, because he throws bombs. He felt very strong. You have to have this game plan, figure out his rhythm, and pick him apart."

The victory was the 40th of Overeem's career, and put him in prime position to challenge for the UFC heavyweight championship.

In the undercard, Nate Diaz made a winning return to the UFC, out-pointing Michael Johnson with scores of 29-28 across the board.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What's next for Conor McGregor?

How can Conor McGregor top his spectacular achievement at UFC 194, when he ended Jose Aldo's decade of dominance in just 13 seconds?

How about holding two UFC championship belts at once? For the brash, outspoken, and talented Irishman, the goal of holding two titles at the same time is very much in the cards.

McGregor on Saturday crushed Aldo with a perfectly placed left hand punch that sent the Brazilian icon falling to the canvas. He followed it up with a couple of hammer fists, and the referee quickly stopped the fight, ending Aldo's long reign as featherweight champion.


In the post-fight press conference, it was revealed that UFC president Dana White "saw two potential paths" for McGregor, as reported by MMA Fighting. "The Notorious" can either vacate his featherweight belt and move up to lightweight, where he can immediately challenge for the title, or defend his belt against Frankie Edgar.

"I think that was always his plan," White said, as quoted by MMA Fighting in a separate report. "He wanted to fight Jose Aldo, and then move to 55 (lightweight) and then fight for that title."

McGregor is open to both scenarios but said he has no intention of vacating his featherweight belt.


"I'll tell you one thing that won't be happening. If I go up to that lightweight division, there's no way in hell that I'm vacating my belt," he declared. "That's not happening."

"There will be a belt on one shoulder and a belt on the other," he said.

In the history of the UFC, only two fighters have held belts in multiple weight divisions – Randy Couture and BJ Penn. Neither fighter held the championships concurrently, however, and that is the goal that McGregor hopes to reach.

"Look how many fights I've had in the last year. I stay busy. I stay fresh. So when I go to lightweight and take that lightweight belt, I will stay the featherweight champion also," he said.

"I will be a dual weight champion. There is no going up and vacating. The belt will still be active, because I am active," he said.

White has yet to comment on McGregor's plans.

The lightweight belt is currently held by Rafael Dos Anjos, who is set to make a title defense next week against Donald Cerrone.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockhold dethrones Weidman to claim UFC middleweight belt

Luke Rockhold handed Chris Weidman the first loss of his UFC career and claimed the middleweight championship with a superb performance in the co-main event of UFC 194 Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Rockhold took advantage of a poor tactical decision made by Weidman late in the third round to take control of the fight completely, en route to a fourth-round technical knockout victory.

Weidman, who came into the fight with a 13-0 record that included two victories over Brazilian legend Anderson Silva, attempted an ill-advised wheel kick with around a minute to go in the third round. He missed badly, and Rockhold promptly took him to the mat.

From that point on, the bout was all Rockhold as the challenger pounded away at Weidman, whose face was thoroughly cut up and barely survived the third round.

The end came at the 3:12 mark of the fourth, when referee Herb Dean finally stopped the contest as Weidman was no longer throwing any punches, while Rockhold continued to do damage from top position.


"It's indescribable," Rockhold said after his win. "Are you kidding me? I can't even believe this is real."

Rockhold, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion, improved to 15-2 with his victory. Weidman dropped to 13-1.

The bout was close up until Weidman attempted his wheel kick, although Rockhold took control in the second round thanks to his tremendous kicks. Weidman, however, had seemingly recovered in the third, attacking Rockhold with kicks of his own before his poor attempt that changed the complexion of the fight.

"I remember throwing that," a disappointed Weidman said after the fight. "He caught me and brought me down. That wasn't the smartest move."

"He shouldn't be trying that kind of stuff on me," Rockhold said of the kick. "I knew that if I got top control and got on the ground, I'm operating on a different level than anybody right now. I'm comfortable in my own game."

The 31-year-old Weidman won the UFC middleweight belt in July 2013, beating Silva via knockout at UFC 162. He successfully defended the belt three times, the last at UFC 187 in May when he stopped Vitor Belfort.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

McGregor knocks out Aldo to become undisputed champ

Conor McGregor needed only 13 seconds to knock out Brazilian legend Jose Aldo in their highly anticipated UFC 194 main event and become the undisputed UFC featherweight champion of the world.

McGregor landed a brutal left hand that landed flush on Aldo's jaw, sending the Brazilian crashing face-first into the canvas.

Remarkably, Aldo landed a left punch of his own as he was falling down, but McGregor barely looked affected and was quick to respond when he saw his opponent on the mat, landing hammer fists on a supine Aldo.

The referee moved immediately to put a stop to the contest, and McGregor leapt to the top of the Octagon in celebration, soaking the love of the Irish fans that filled up at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).

"Again, nobody can take that left hand shot," said McGregor, who became the interim champion after beating Chad Mendes in July at UFC 189. "I tell you, he's powerful and he's fast, but precision beats power, and timing beats speed, and that's what you saw out there."


It was Aldo's first loss in the UFC and only the second of his career; his last defeat was in November 2005. Prior to the setback, Aldo had been the only featherweight champion in UFC history, successfully defending the belt seven times.

He was knocked out cold by a punch that he did not see coming, however. It was the fastest title fight in the history of the UFC, and the first time in his career that Aldo had been knocked out.

"I feel for Jose, he was a phenomenal champion and he deserved to go a little bit longer," said McGregor, who has won 15 consecutive fights. "But I still feel, at the end of the day, that precision beats power and timing beats speed all the day of the week."

"It would have happened sooner or later," said the brash Irishman.

Aldo, bleeding from a cut on the bridge of his nose, said afterwards that he wants a rematch.

"He threw a cross at my chest, which was unexpected, then I threw a punch and he came back with another cross and that was that," Aldo said through a translator.

"I think that we need a rematch. That was really not a fight, so we need to get back in here," he said.

Aldo and McGregor were initially set to face off at UFC 189, but the Brazilian pulled out with just a few weeks to go due to an injury suffered in training camp. Mendes took his place and was knocked out by McGregor, setting up the title unification bout.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Conor McGregor: 'I see him crumbling towards the end of the first'

Fight week festivities have officially commenced in Las Vegas, ahead of this weekend’s UFC 194 event.

Repeatedly touted as the year’s biggest fight, the night will be headlined by champion José Aldo, who is dead set on keeping his title. The undisputed featherweight king will be facing the self-proclaimed "truth-talking" interim champion Conor McGregor.

The long-overdue grudge match is set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the sin city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

An odd sense of calmness was in the air during the pre-fight press conference on Wednesday afternoon (Thursday morning in Manila). No provoking antics were pulled, no word of trash talk was uttered. McGregor, however, did exude a quiet air of confidence this time around, a “state of zen” as he described it.

And like in previous media obligations, “The Notorious” displayed the same candor when asked about his personal prediction.

“I feel, within four minutes, the shots would have landed,” McGregor said. “It’s on him after that. I feel anything after that four-minute mark of the first round will be a formality. It will be on him, where he is mentally, where he is physically, and how much he truly wants this.”

“I see him crumbling towards the end of the first. Or not answering the bell for the second. But it will be wrapped up inside one,” he adds.

Aldo and McGregor were originally slated to face each other last July at UFC 189, but a rib injury on the Brazilian champion forced him out of the contest. Now that everything seems to be going smoothly within a mere three days before fight night, the brash Irishman is confident that a new featherweight reign will take over after December 12.

“This one will be a spectacle. This one will be a master class,” McGregor said. “This one will be the changing of the guard. Me bringing in a new era, in fighting, in approach, in everything.”

“I am a man with something to prove. And a man with something to prove is a dangerous individual. But at the same time, I am calm. I will go in calm, dangerous, and look to show the world the new age.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

UFC announcer Bruce Buffer believes Ronda Rousey lost because she was too busy

When Ronda Rousey was on top of the combat sports world during her reign as the UFC bantamweight champion, she rightfully became a revered public figure.

Fame brought “Rowdy” to new heights, as she appeared in various talk shows, book tours and magazine covers, on top of other obligations with Hollywood filmmakers. Last year, Rousey appeared in “The Expendables 3”, alongside some of the industry’s biggest names such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Mel Gibson, to name a few.

In 2015, she appeared in two films: the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, and the silver screen rendition of HBO hit series “Entourage”. She is set to act in two more movies: the remake of the 1989 classic “Road House”, and in director Graham Roland’s drama “Mile 22”.

Over the recent years, Rousey lived an extremely busy life, both as a UFC champion, and as a global cultural superstar. And for UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, this could have been one of the main reasons for her bitter loss against Holly Holm at UFC 194.

"Ronda fought three times this year, if I'm not mistaken, made two movies, booked for two more, did more publicity in the last four or five months since her book was released -- which is still number one on the charts -- than most major movie stars releasing motion pictures,” Buffer told TMZ. “This girl didn't have a full plate, this girl had a full table. I think it would affect anybody because you are not focusing on the job at hand as much as you would if that's all you had to focus on.”

Buffer, however, notes that given Rousey’s talent level, she is guaranteed to bounce back in no time.

“She, again, is an amazing talent so I don't question her, I support her and I think she is going to come back like an incredible beast,” Buffer continued. “I’m sure that if Ronda could take time off, go to the gym and train for three months for a fight with Holly Holm with absolutely no distractions, I don't even want to imagine the Ronda Rousey we're going to see come out. Again, we are talking top of the food chain, Olympic, amazing athlete."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Rousey breaks silence after loss to Holm

SYDNEY, Australia -- Dethroned UFC world champion Ronda Rousey vowed Monday she would be back after "a little bit of time" following her stunning knockout defeat to Holly Holm in their title fight in Melbourne.

Holm pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when she knocked out previously unbeaten Rousey in the second round to claim the world bantamweight title on Sunday.

Rousey, tagged the world's most feared female prizefighter, was hospitalised after Holm sent her crashing to the canvas in the second round of their bout with a savage kick to her jaw.

But the US cult figure assured her supporters she has no serious health concerns and would be back in the octagon before long.


"I just wanted to thank everyone for the love and support," Rousey said in a statement posted on Instagram. "I appreciate the concerns about my health, but I'm fine.

 "As I had mentioned before, I'm going to take a little bit of time, but I'll be back."

There were reports after the fight of a re-match between the newly-crowned champion Holm and Rousey.

Rousey's nutritionist and conditioning expert Mike Dolce said he expected her to rebound after her unexpected defeat.

"She will be back, absolutely, she is an amazing athlete," Dolce told reporters in Sydney.

"Ronda has lost before, she lost at the Olympic Games and I think that was a great test for her and look at how she came back, she came back a multi-time world champion.

"So I will be expecting the same type of rebound after this."

Rousey claimed a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before fighting her way to the top of the UFC and Dolce said she would draw on that experience ahead of a probable re-match against Holm.

"We go back to the gym, we go back to the basics, we go back to what made her a champion in the first place which is just hard work, sacrifice, dedication and focus on being the best in the world," he said.

"Last night was unfortunate but it doesn't change the overall goal which is being the best athlete on the planet."

"We knew going in that Holly would be a tough test and she certainly was," Dolce added.

"Holly is a great champion and you can't take that away from her."

Holm had Rousey staggering in the second round with some crunching left hooks, before finishing her off with a left-foot kick that landed flush under the champion's jaw.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com