Month: August 2020

‘Slowly but surely’ – Jon Jones hits the squat rack in prep for heavyweight debut

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

When exactly Jon Jones will be fighting again still isn’t clear. The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently relinquished his claim to the throne at 205 lbs, vacating his title in preparation for a long-teased move to the heavyweight division. Once there, it’s assumed that Jones will be the immediate top contender for the crown at 265 lbs. Something current champ Stipe Miocic seems like he may already be hedging on.

“Francis isn’t exciting for me,” Miocic responded when asked recently who the harder fight between Jones and Ngannou would be.

Whether or not that actually means Jones could be next in line for the title remains to be seen. Miocic added that he’d “love” to try his hands at boxing, and the UFC has already essentially promised Ngannou a shot at revenge for his 2018 title fight loss to Ohio’s own. But for his part, at least, Jones appears to be putting in the work to get ready for his heavyweight debut.

Most importantly, hitting the squat rack to start adding some of that heavyweight muscle he’ll need to compete with the big boys.

With Jones now firmly out of the light heavyweight title picture, recent opponent Dominick Reyes will take on Jan Blachowicz for his vacated belt. Reyes vs. Blachowicz is set for the co-main event of UFC 253 on September 26th. That card is expected to be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Israel Adesanya and contender Paulo Costa.

‘I deserved to put on a show like this’ – Aleksandar Rakic on celebrating Smith win early

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC Results

With just under ten seconds left on the clock in his three round main event against Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic stood up out of Smith’s guard – where he had spent the majority of the fight, slowly working his opponent over – raised an arm, and took a half victory lap around the Octagon. Smith followed him briefly, unwilling to sell out on a potential final burst of offense in an otherwise terrible showing.

It was a fittingly one-sided ending to a one sided fight. Rakic celebrating as the final seconds ticked off, Smith resigned, already defeated.

Following the UFC Vegas 8 event, the Austrian explained why he chose to knock off work early and “give something for the audience.”

“I love to do a little bit of a show, but only if I deserve it, and I think I deserved to put on a show like this,” Rakic said during the post fight press conference (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I saw the clock, and I saw, OK, seven seconds left and so I go, OK, I’m going to stand up and celebrate a little bit.

“Because he was already done. He was already done. He didn’t even want to stand up, and then he stood up. It’s the fight business, but we also want to give something for the audience.”

As an overall product, unfortunately, (and especially coupled with a lackluster co-main) the fight wasn’t much of a viewing treat. Upcoming challenger for Jon Jones’ now-vacated light heavyweight belt, Dominick Reyes gave the action some Twitter play-by-play, calling the performance ‘lame’ and ‘uneventful.’

Rakic, however, feels that he delivered a ‘great performance’ and is ready to fight for the title. As far as he’s concerned it sounds like everything went exactly the way he’d prepared and wanted it to go. With a heavy focus on pressure, and keeping a heavy top game.

“I worked hard on my wrestling and putting pressure on him,” Rakic explained. “I made him really tired. I heard in the second and third how he was breathing heavy. The plan was, don’t rush and don’t go for the submissions. If he gave me something really, really, then I’d go for it. The goal was to dominate, put pressure, and to win.”

Whether or not that kind of victory actually gets him a chance to fight for the belt remains to be seen. Rakic added that he’s prepared to take a five round main event to prove his mettle as a true contender if that’s what the UFC wants. Likely that will all boil down to the outcome of Thiago Santos vs. Glover Teixeira in the coming weeks and whether the winner of that bout comes away with a more electrifying win than the one Rakic posted on Saturday.

UFC Vegas 8: Smith vs. Rakic – Fights to make

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC Editorial, UFC Results

The latest UFC Vegas card may have started with a bang, but it ended with a whimper. Four straight submission wins out of the gate petered out into a string of decisions that, by the time the main & co-main events hit, felt especially grueling.

So, did Aleksandar Rakic really do enough in beating Anthony Smith to ensure himself of the next title shot? Is Neil Magny ready to wade into the land of title contenders once again? And what’s the next move for Alexa Grasso after a rock solid flyweight debut?

To answer those questions – and maybe one or two other things – I’ll be using the classic Silva/Shelby fight booking methodology from the UFC of years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Hopefully, by following that model, a few of these bout ideas will actually make it off the page and into the Octagon. Now, let’s get to the fights.

ALEKSANDAR RAKIC

When I first heard the idea suggested, I practically scoffed. What would Aleksandar Rakic be doing fighting Jiri Prochazka right now? But the more I think about it, the more right it seems. Getting down to brass tacks, this win may have bumped Rakic up the rankings, but it did nothing for anyone’s enthusiasm over him as an immediate title contender. And while I’d argue he didn’t actually lose his fight against Volkan Oezdemir… technically he did.

Prochazka may only be one fight into his UFC career, but that comes off a long, well established record fighting overseas. And picking Oezdemir off with a KO in his UFC debut was no easy feat. Let Prochazka get his chance to jump to instant contender status. And, in the process, give Rakic another chance to really prove he’s the next-gen of light heavyweight stars. Prochazka vs. Rakic should provide some crazy violence.

ANTHONY SMITH

This was a rough loss for Smith. It’s one thing for him to have a highly productive first two rounds against Glover Teixeira before getting hurt and beat up for the next two. That was a fight with momentum. One that showed, when his game is on, Smith still has a lot to offer other elite competition. But, Rakic just kinda ran through him. Outside of trading a few early low kicks, Smith didn’t have anything resembling competitive moments in this fight. Still, light heavyweight has plenty of talent in need of a test. So perhaps ‘Lionheart’ can fill that role.

Fights with Nikita Krylov, Misha Cirkunov, or Magomed Ankalaev would all fit the bill nicely. Either that or maybe wait for the outcome of Ryan Spann vs. Johnny Walker. Of all those, I like the idea of Cirkunov the most. A big, powerful 205er who often seems snakebit by defensive lapses. Anthony Smith vs. Misha Cirkunov is a great way for Smith to bounce back, or for Cirkunov to try another run toward the top 5.

NEIL MAGNY

The moment Lawler tied up with Magny and looked to wrestle, Magny had exactly the fight he wanted. A chance to really put pace and scrambling on Lawler, without having to face Lawler’s power punching. He outworked the former champ to a shockingly one-sided stat line, even if it was all only in service of a 30-27 win. Off that, he’s gotta get another name top 10 opponent. Fights against Stephen Thompson and Michael Chiesa would be great. And between them, that Thompson fight seems like it would be the absolute perfect test of Magny’s range striking skills. Can Magny outpace someone who’s more practiced and deft out at his preferred distance? Can he get in on Thompson’s hips and get him down? Or will Thompson provide the high bar for Magny’s decision heavy style? Magny vs. Thompson is just the right next fight for Magny if he’s going to try and make a run at the belt.

ALEXA GRASSO

Exactly the kind of flyweight debut Grasso needed. She showed off her speed and her striking variety against an opponent who was there with the counter all the way through, but just didn’t have the output to keep up with her. That win should drop Grasso straight into the top 15, if not the top 10, and I don’t see many reasons to slow her down in her new division. Unfortunately for her, almost all that division is currently booked. She could get a bout against Joanne Calderwood, or Alexis Davis maybe, but I feel like she’d be best served taking on someone off a win. To that end, there’s a fight coming up between Viviane Araujo and Montana De La Rosa. Whoever exits that bout with the victory would be the perfect next opponent for the Lobo Gym talent. Grasso vs. the De La Rosa/Araujo winner should be a surefire action striking battle.

RICARDO LAMAS

A hard fought victory for Lamas, one that really tested his mettle. Algeo pushed a hell of a pace all the way into the third, where Lamas made his wrestling and ground games count. Afterward, he suggested this may be the last fight of his career. At 38-year-old and with 12 years of pro MMA under his belt, it’s hard to blame him if he wants to call it a day. But, if he doesn’t, then fights with Alex Caceres, Makwan Amirkhani, or even a re-booking of the Ryan Hall fight would all be fun. I’m always a fan of fighters calling it quits on a win, but if Lamas decides he wants one more? How about Ricardo Lamas vs. Makwan Amirkhani, for what should be a grappling heavy battle.

ALEX CACERES

Finding consistency has been a tough task for Caceres in the past, but after taking a slight step back in competition he’s now on a three fight winning streak and once again primed for something bigger. That could be a fight with Makwan Amirkhani, or someone like Nik Lentz or Darren Elkins. But what about a scrap against the recently returned Daniel Pineda. It’d be a huge opportunity for Pineda to rebuild his reputation with fans, if he could pick up a win over a long time notable UFC vet. And for Caceres, it’d be a longtime veteran opponent who is dangerous and competitive in every aspect of the fight. It should make for an absolute non-stop battle everywhere. And if Caceres grabs that win then he’ll be firmly in the conversation for a top 15 opponent next time around. Cacers vs. Pineda gives two longtime vets the chance to make a statement at 145.

SEAN BRADY

Brady has been putting together a great run in his still young UFC career. He entered with a strong showing against longtime vet Court McGee. Backed up that win with a hard fought decision over Ismail Naurdiev and now picks up his first stoppage inside the Octagon. That should get him a solid step forward in competition. And a division as deep as welterweight has plenty. Fights against Ramazan Emeev, Daniel Rodriguez, or Song Kenan could all be solid next bouts. But it feels like Brady could really use a bigger test. Belal Muhammad his on a nice run of victories. And his well rounded style makes him a difficult challenge for fighters looking to prove they’re part of the welterweight elite. Can Brady work his way past another tough fighter who’s just as skilled everywhere as he is? Or will he hit a wall against Muhammad’s high output striking? Brady vs. Muhammad is a quality welterweight fight.

OTHER BOUTS: Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown 2, Ji Yeon Kim vs. Molly McCann, Bill Algeo vs. Tony Kelley, Impa Kasanganay vs. Marc-Andre Barriault, Maki Pitolo vs. Anthony Hernandez, Zak Cummings vs. Andrew Sanchez, Alessio Di Chirico vs. Jack Marshman, Austin Springer vs. Peter Barrett, Christian Aguilera vs. Dwight Grant, Polyana Viana vs. Brianna Van Buren, Emily Whitmire vs. Ashley Yoder, Mallory Martin vs. Miranda Granger, Hannah Cifers vs. Syuri Kondo

Chikadze’s withdrawal from UFC Vegas: Smith vs. Rakic fight caused by positive COVID test

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, MMA Health and Science, UFC News

With the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic still hanging firmly over the United States, the UFC’s recent fight cards have been plagued by last minute changes. The booking instability can be chalked up, in part, to fighters grappling with the problems of training under conditions of social distancing; struggling to maintain the routines and controls that a pro-level fight camp can put in place.

But, it’s also due to the fact that, with the necessities of sparring and travel, fighters are just at risk of catching the coronavirus. To date more than a dozen athletes have been removed from cards due to publicly announced positive COVID-19 tests, following the UFC’s return to action from a string of cancelled events in March and April.

The latest fighter forced out of his planned UFC bout after contracting the illness is none other than Georgian striking sensation Giga Chikadze. Chikadze was set to face off against Alex Caceres this week on the undercard of the UFC Vegas: Smith vs. Rakic fight night event. The Kings MMA fighter withdrew several days out, for undisclosed reasons. However, Adjara Sport has since reported that his removal from the fight was due to a positive test for COVID-19. On Friday, August 28th, UFC officials confirmed the news to MMA Fighting.

A former pro kickboxer, Chikadze is currently 3-0 in the UFC’s featherweight division—having picked up hard fought victories over Brandon Davis, Jamall Emmers, and Irwin Rivera. Hopefully he will recover quickly, and return to action in the near future.

In his place, Caceres will now face 12-3 newcomer Austin Springer. Springer steps in on just one day’s notice following the UFC’s attempted signing and quick release of longtime regional vet Kevin Croom. UFC Vegas 8 takes place this Saturday, August 29th, at the Apex Facility in Las Vegas, NV. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic.

Wish someone would ‘just break your jaw already’ – Usman responds to Covington’s call out of NBA players

Posted on by Zane Simon in Crime, Front Page, UFC News

Another moment of police violence caught on film has sparked a wave of protests in Kenosha, WI. The shooting of Jacob Blake – who was hit in the back seven times by officers as he opened the door to his vehicle, reportedly after attempting to intervene in a fight between two other people – has let loose another wave of collective anger from many around the country. Including responses from some of America’s most notable athletes.

The NBA put their playoffs on hold this week, following the decision from several teams not to go ahead with their planned games. A restart of the postseason is expected beginning Saturday.

“And y’all wonder why we say what we say about the Police!!” NBA superstar LeBron James wrote in a Twitter post responding to a video of Blake’s shooting. “Someone please tell me WTF is this???!!! Exactly another black man being targeted. This shit is so wrong and so sad!! Feel so sorry for him, his family and OUR PEOPLE!! We want JUSTICE”

Major League Baseball followed suit, postponing three games planned for August 26th, with more games postponed on August 27th and potentially more over the coming days.

“That motivated us,” Brewers star Ryan Braun told reporters, speaking of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to delay their playoff series against the Orlando Magic. “At some point, actions speak louder than words. Because this happened so close to home, it hits us differently than it does other teams.”

However, if the players around the MLB found the stance taken by NBA athletes inspiring, at least one of the UFC’s more notable names seems to have nothing but derision for the message basketball players are looking to send.

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That hardly means that Covington speaks for all the UFC’s fighters, though. As welterweight champion, and recent opponent, Kamaru Usman was quick to remind his former foe. “I really wish someone would just break your jaw already,” Usman wrote in a Tweet highlighting Covington’s message.

Usman also took to Instagram, posting a video of a separate police incident in which a man walked back to his car during an arrest, shoved an officer, and then chased the officer while the officer tried to tase the man—the video was juxtaposed against Blake’s shooting.

“Run ins with law enforcement shouldn’t have this much of a disparity,” Usman wrote. “There’s a big Difference in the outcomes for These TWO SEPARATE INCIDENCE!! Why Can’t We All Agree On This????”

Usman followed up with more thoughts on that post, and why he felt it was worth sharing, in another video message to fans who may have found his point unclear.

“The one thing that I wanted to really point out, initially, right from the beginning, from those moments was – if most of you didn’t realize – when that cop was talking to the Caucasian guy, and asked him to get down, and he had something in his hands,” Usman said, describing the video. “It was a taser. It was not a gun, it was a taser. So, the cop knew where his gun was, he had his gun. But he pulled out the taser.

“In the video above, with Jacob Blake, all the cops had their guns drawn. While he had nothing in his hands, he wasn’t speaking back. He was walking to the car, and they shot him. Right there, point blank.

“The other guy, on the other hand, was able to get up, chase after the cop, get into – after being tased – get into his car, drive around, ram into the cop car, get out and still able to run around. And not been shot once.

“So, I think that’s food for thought, there, of what the difference is,” Usman continued. “They’re both human beings. What is the difference? One was black and the other one was white. That was why I posted the video.

“I think some people have been—either they were confused by it, or they were just ignorant with the messages they were sending me or responding to. That’s very disappointing to hear, that’s very disappointing to see, and it set me off in a different place. Because, that’s what we still live in. That’s what I’m expected to live in each and everyday. So, that is extremely painful.”

The MMA Vivisection – UFC Vegas 8: Smith vs. Rakic picks, odds, & analysis

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, MMA Podcasts, UFC Gambling

This week’s UFC event has some serious name value heading into fight night in comparison to last week’s card. Top ranked light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic meet in the main event. Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler takes on Neil Magny in the co-main. And former title challenger Ricardo Lamas rounds out the action alongside Alexa Grasso and Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba.

For those interested in diving deeper into the prelims, check out the Prelims Vivi below.

The MMA Vivisection is brought to you by Combat Wombat, makers of combat sports themed artwork featuring MMA’s legendary fighters and legendary fights. Visit chrisrini.com for the latest pieces and commissions. Get your Combat Wombat themed Vivi t-shirts today! cottonbureau.com/products/dr-wombat

Here’s a look at how the UFC VEGAS 8 card stacks up right now:

ESPN+ MAIN CARD | 9pm/6pm ET&PT
Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic – At 5:25, Odds 19:42, Picks – Both: Rakic
Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny – At 21:41, Odds 30:49, Picks – Both: Magny
Ji Yeon Kim vs. Alexa Grasso – At 31:07, Odds 36:23, Picks – Both: Grasso
Ricardo Lamas vs. Bill Algeo – At 37:07, Odds 42:02, Picks – Both: Lamas
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba – At 42:27, Odds 46:12, Picks – Both: Ankalaev

ESPN/ESPN+ PRELIMS | 6pm/3pm ET&PT
Maki Pitolo vs. Impa Kasanganay – At 3:17, Odds 13:53, Picks – Zane: Pitolo, Connor: Kasanganay
Mallory Martin vs. Hannah Cifers – At 14:08, Odds 22:35, Picks – Both: Martin
Alessio Di Chirico vs. Zak Cummings – At 23:30, Odds 34:14, Picks – Both: Di Chirico
Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom – At 34:42, Odds 40:06, Picks – Both: Caceres (*Bout Fizzled since the show was recorded, now Alex Caceres vs. Austin Springer)
Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire – At 40:27, Odds 49:15, Picks – Zane: Viana, Connor: Whitmire
Sean Brady vs. Christian Aguilera – At 49:36, Odds 55:06, Picks – Both: Brady

For those of you following the picks made on the show, we started tracking them with the July 13th Vivi for ‘Kattar vs. Ige’, so far the standings are: Zane went 46/75 & Connor went 50/75 – last week Zane went 6/7 & Connor went 5/7, unfortunately we had several bouts they made picks for that did not end up on the card.

Be sure to follow Zane on twitter @TheZaneSimon, follow Connor, @BoxingBusch, and follow @BloodyElbow for all the latest in MMA happenings. If you enjoyed our show, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, or give us a “like” & share over on one of our other BE Presents Channels: SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, TuneIn, OverCast, or Player FM – whichever one happens to be your listening platform of choice. While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to Bloody Elbow Presents; that way you’ll always be the first to get all of BE’s daily MMA offerings. For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on all of our BE Presents channels.

Bryce Mitchell returns against Andre Fili for UFC’s Halloween show

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

The UFC’s 2020 may have come to a grinding halt somewhere around mid-march, but after a re-boot back in late May, the promotion has been on a non-stop charge of events. Currently the UFC has at least one card per week (more if you count the Contender Series) all the way out into mid-December. And those fall and winter fight cards are starting to fill up.

That includes the UFC’s upcoming Halloween offering, which just added a top shelf, all-action featherweight bout between Andre Fili and Bryce Mitchell. First reported by MMA Junkie, ‘Touchy’ is fresh off a split decision victory over Charles Jourdain at UFC on ESPN: Eye vs. Calvillo back in June. That victory provided a solid bounce back to a rough decision loss suffered against Sodiq Yusuff in January. The 21-7 Team Alpha Male fighter has never lost more than one fight in a row, stretching all the way back to his introduction to the UFC back in 2013.

Arkansas’ Bryce Mitchell has somewhat taken the UFC’s featherweight division by storm. The 25-year-old Westside MMA athlete hit the Octagon for the first time just back in 2018, fresh off a disappointing run on the Ultimate Fighter 27. While Mitchell dropped his second round bout on the show to eventual winner Brad Katona, he’s yet to chalk up an official loss in his pro fighting career.

Currently at 13-0, Mitchell is now 4-0 in the UFC’s featherweight division, and coming off a dominant victory over Charles Rosa back in May. In December of last year, Mitchell snatched up a place in the UFC history books with a rare twister submission win over Matt Sayles. Mitchell’s twister was just the second such submission in UFC history, coming more than 8 years after Chan Sung Jung landed the move on Leonard Garcia.

The October 31st fight card is expected to be headlined by a middleweight fight between Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall. An official location for the event has yet to be announced.

‘USADA never came for me in Brasil’ – Costa taunts Adesanya over champ’s doping claims

Posted on by Zane Simon in Drugs and PEDs, Front Page, UFC News

The war of words between Paulo Costa and Israel Adesanya has been going nearly non-stop since the middleweight title fight between the two men was first announced. The 29-year-old Brazilian tore his way through the UFC’s middleweight division with four straight knockouts before snagging a controversial decision over Yoel Romero to earn his shot at Adesanya’s title. But, before either man steps in the cage at UFC 253 this September, they’re working overtime to get under one another’s skin.

“He couldn’t give me a straight answer, put it that way” Adesanya recently revealed to Submission Radio, saying that he asked Costa when was the last time he’d been tested by USADA. “And I told him, I got tested twice in the last three weeks. Twice in the last three weeks I got tested. At night, cause they tried to catch me off guard. So, it was the first time they ever tested me at night. So, where’s your t-shirt? I’ve been tested over 30 times, but where’s your t-shirt?

“I know what it’s like. I’m from Lagos City, Nigeria. I know what it’s like in certain countries where money talks. Where if you flash your gun, people act a certain way. I know what it’s like. You’ve heard stories about Brazil with people running up to gyms to test people and then they’re not compliant of certain things. But yeah, I just know what it’s like. But I don’t mind. I just like bringing that up cause I want it to be known, cause I said on record, I’m gonna pop him before USADA pops him. So, I’m gonna beat him. And then when he gets popped by USADA down the line, I’ll be like, yup, I still whooped his ass even when he was on steroids. That would make a great story.”

Known for his shredded physique, fans might expect that Costa would want to shy away from any allegations that he’s anything less than a 100% clean fighter. Especially given that ‘Borrachinha’ has already run afoul of the UFC’s drug testing partner for receiving prohibited IV infusions ahead of his 2017 bouts against both Oluwale Bamgbose and Johny Hendricks. Instead, however, the Team Nogueira fighter seems content to lean into the gimmick.

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An official venue for the PPV card has yet to be announced. Initial reports suggested that the UFC may return to Abu Dhabi for the event. And more recently, reports are that UFC 253 may be the first in another month long stretch of fight cards hosted at the Yas Island venue. However, in late July the promotion did also request a permit to host the PPV in Las Vegas.

While the average UFC fan won’t have access to either venue, it is notable that the UFC has been using their 30ft cage on ‘Fight Island’ and the smaller 25ft cage at the Vegas Apex facility. So, stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news, notes, and updates on the card as it approaches.

Dana White on the list of 2020 RNC speakers, bookies set odds for how much he’ll talk MMA

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

Last week, the Democratic National Convention was broadcast live over the internet from around the nation. The event featured a host of political speakers, including former presidents, as well as celebrities like Eva Longoria, Tracy Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. This week, Republicans are taking center stage with their own list of political and public figures. Alongside many current cabinet members and conservative notables were reports of a few not quite so politically notable names—like former NFL star (and brief MMA fighter) Heschel Walker, as well as fellow former NFL players Jack Brewer and Burgess Owens.

The list of 2020 RNC speakers also includes none other than UFC president Dana White. White had a speaking slot in the 2016 convention as well, telling the crowd, “I’m sure most of you are wondering, ‘What are you doing here?’”

“I am not a politician, I am a fight promoter,” White continued in his 2016 speech. “I wanted to show up and tell you about my friend, Donald Trump—the Donald Trump that I know.” White went on to talk about purchasing the UFC, with the Fertittas, and how Trump was the only person to take their “blood sport” seriously. “Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC, and encouraged us to build our business.”

As White then noted, the Trump Taj Mahal played host to the first two UFC events under their new Zuffa ownership back in 2001—UFC 30: Battle at the Boardwalk, and UFC 31: Locked and Loaded. While White’s friendship with Trump rarely appeared to be a major talking point of the UFC’s history in years past (the two men were even business rivals during Afflictions brief dip into MMA promotion), in the months leading up to Trump’s 2016 presidential victory – and in the years since – Dana White has emphasized it as a much more significant part of the promotion’s history.

When the UFC raced back to holding events in Florida, after COVID-19 lockdown measures lead to the cancellation of a string of fight cards in March and April, Trump welcomed the promotion back to business with a prerecorded message.

“I want to congratulate Dana White and the UFC,” Trump said in a video short video broadcast live during UFC 249. “They’re going to have a big match. We love it, we think it’s important. Get the sports leagues back. Let’s play. Do the social distancing and whatever else you have to do, but we need sports. We want our sports back. And congratulations to Dana White, UFC.”

White even got a seat on Trump’s task force aimed at how to restart America’s sports leagues in the early stages of the US’s pandemic response. All of which appears to have paid off big for the UFC president, who is currently set to be one of the last speakers of this year’s RNC, just before Trump’s acceptance speech for his 2020 presidential nomination. That practically guarantees that the leader of the world’s largest MMA promotion is going to have a massive platform to advertise the UFC and its fighters.

And that’s why sports-book BetOnline has opened up a whole series of odds on White’s 2020 convention speech, including how often he’ll mention fights, fighters, or fighting (the over/under is set at 8.5) and whether or not he’ll name drop any current UFC talent. Here’s the complete list of lines available for anyone looking to get a piece of the action (h/t TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter):

Will Dana mention President Trump attended UFC event?
Yes +200 (2/1)
No -300 (1/3)

Total times Dana White says “Trump”
Over/Under 5½

Will Dana White say “Donald”?
Yes -120 (5/6)
No -120 (5/6)

Will Dana White say “Make America Great Again”?
Yes +300 (3/1)
No -500 (1/5)

Total times Dana White says “Fights(s)”, “Fighter(s)”, “Fighting”
Over/Under 8½

Will Dana White mention a current UFC fighter’s name?
Yes +400 (2/1)
No -700 (1/3)

Total times Dana White says “UFC”
Over/Under 3½

What will Dana White say first?
Ultimate Fighting Championship -300 (1/3)
UFC +200 (2/1)

Dana White’s Primary Shirt Color
White 5/2
Blue 3/1
Black 7/2
Gray 7/2
Red 7/1

*Do you or someone you know have a gambling addiction? Get help by contacting The National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700.

Scott Coker expects Ryan Bader will ‘want to go back to heavyweight’ after loss to Nemkov

Posted on by Zane Simon in Bellator, Front Page, MMA News

Ryan Bader may have walked out of Bellator 244 without the light heavyweight title around his waist, but at least he can still console himself with some heavyweight gold. The former longtime UFC athlete took his talents to the Viacom-owned promotion back in 2017, grabbing the strap at 205-lbs in his first fight at his new home, before charging through Bellator’s heavyweight Grand Prix—KOing MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in just 35 seconds to capture his second piece of hardware.

On August 21st, Vadim Nemkov made his own splash after a somewhat slower climb through the Bellator ranks, picking up a TKO over Bader behind a head kick and series of unanswered punches midway through the second round of the Bellator 244 main event. After the bout, promotion president Scott Coker spoke to reporters about what he thinks will come next for ‘Darth’ Bader. To his mind, it probably won’t be an immediate rematch with Nemkov. But it sounds like he’s leaving the ultimate decision up to the Power MMA talent.

“I think he’ll probably want to go back to heavyweight and fight some heavyweight fights,” Coker told reporters (transcript via MMA Junkie). “But I do think this: As a fighter, he’s gonna want to come back and avenge his defeat at some point. And so whether we do it at heavyweight or he wants to come back right away, we’ll have him decide, but my guess, and again it’s just speculation, is that he’ll want to move up to heavyweight for a couple of fights, and then he’s gonna want to fight Nemkov again.”

Bader took to Instagram after the loss to deliver a message to fans and to congratulate Nemkov on the victory. He also offered his own reminder that while his light heavyweight belt may be lost, he’s still got another title to defend.

“Lost one belt but still have another one on my shoulder,” Bader wrote on the social media platform, “and looking to come back better than ever.”

Coker added that Bellator plans to announce a couple major heavyweight bouts for October in the coming weeks, from which it sounds like he expects at least one title challenger for Bader’s belt to arise. Bader is currently under 90-day medical suspension following his knockout loss to Nemkov. So that could line him up for a return to action around the end of the year, or in early 2021.