Month: July 2023

UFC 291: I won’t argue with ‘crazy man’ Tony Ferguson

Posted on by Zane Simon in UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2, UFC News

Bobby Green picked up the most prominent name win of his long MMA career on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. The noted lightweight veteran found himself on PPV taking on former interim champion Tony Ferguson.

Tony Ferguson speaks to media ahead of UFC 279. UFC 291
Tony Ferguson speaks to media ahead of UFC 279. IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

The result was a thoroughly one-sided ass kicking from ‘King’. After a little early trouble, the Pinnacle MMA talent settled into a fairly easy rhythm, countering Ferguson’s pressure with sharper strikes off the back foot and controlling him on the mat, until he finally hurt ‘El Cucuy’ badly enough to chase down the fight ending submission. Along the way, however, he did catch the 10th Planet black belt with a solid eye poke.

It’s an ever present danger in MMA, where fighters throw punches in volume, using gloves with open fingers to allow for better grappling. Fighters reach out to parry or fence off advancing opponents and it doesn’t take much for an out-stretched finger to find an eye. In this case, however, Ferguson seems to feel the foul was intentional.


Please enable Javascript to view this content
https://minigames.versusgame.com/widget/versus-widget.js

Tony Ferguson claims intentional foul marred UFC 291

Saturday night’s loss was just the latest in a long string of disappointments for Tony Ferguson inside the Octagon. Once considered one of the very best lightweights on the planet (someone some fans and pundits even thought could have upset Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title reign), Ferguson hasn’t tasted victory since a 2019 doctor’s stoppage TKO over Donald Cerrone.

In the years since, he’s hit the Octagon six times, losing every contest—with four of those losses coming inside the distance. Even still it sounds like his bout against Green is one he felt he was on his way to winning before Green decided to change the momentum.

“As the fight began, I was in the Xone, flowing & feeling confident,” Ferguson wrote in a post to his Instagram account. “Bobby knew the direction of the fight & I believe he knew what he was doing when he poked my eye. He has a big History of moves like this. It significantly impaired my vision, making it difficult to see clearly out of my eye.

“Despite this eye poke I never considered stopping the fight. Although the doc wanted too. Throughout my career, I’ve always pushed through challenges & never given up. This time was no different.”

As such, perhaps it’s not terribly surprising that the 39-year-old has no intentions of hanging up his gloves any time soon. Despite the continued poor outcomes, Ferguson sounds as set as ever on keeping his fight career going.

“Unfortunately in sports, setbacks like this are part of the journey.” Ferguson added. “While I won’t use the eye poke as an excuse for the outcome, I know for a fact I have more to give. Moving forward, I plan to work closely with Dana, Hunter & my entire team to assess what’s next.”

Bobby Green isn’t interested in Ferguson’s story

If Tony Ferguson believes that Bobby Green’s eye poke was intentional, and that the has a history of fouling opponents, the 36-year-old former King of the Cage champion doesn’t sound like he has much intention of pushing back against the narrative. Not because he’s prepared to own up to his opponent’s version of events, more because he doesn’t think Ferguson can be reasoned with.

“Tony said that I intentionally poked him,” Green responded in a recent interview on the MMA Hour. “There’s a narrative that I intentionally poked him, and then that threw his momentum off, and then from there the fight just went my way. I disagree with that. I felt that I was doing so much more than that the entire fight.

“The point is, that I feel like, one is that if you argue with this guy who—Sean Strickland just put out a post, he said “Who’s the most insane? Either Tony Ferguson or Diego Sanchez?” Those guys have been known for being the most crazy of the two. I guess who won by 75%, on Sean’s poll? I didn’t have anything to do with it… it’s on his polls.

“So, what I’m saying is, that if you argue with a crazy man, you’re probably crazy. So I’m not gonna argue with him… He’s crazy with that, but you can’t argue with crazy.”

That victory provided Green with his own badly needed bounce-back to winning form, following a recent no-contest due to a head clash with Jared Gordon back in April. That fight came on the heels of back-to-back losses to Drew Dober and Islam Makhachev, both via TKO/KO.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/ufc-291-was-another-phenomenal-ppv-6th-round-post-fight-show?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=13a81bd7a24b4b62b666d9cb04ad161b&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje – Fights to make

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2, UFC Editorial

Another PPV in July, another badass UFC card. UFC 291 just rocked, hard. Elite quality MMA action from top to bottom. Justin Gaethje became a title contender once again, Alex Pereira looks like a shoe in for the next light heavyweight championship fight, and Derrick Lewis reminded everyone why he’s long been one of the UFC’s mainstay fighters. There were a couple lows points here and there, but nothing that could drain the night’s momentum.

So, is there any reason that Gaethje won’t get his shot at lightweight gold in the next 6-8 months? Who the hell is Pereira going to fight for gold? And is Derrick Lewis going to re-sign with the UFC?

Dustin Poirier falls to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291.
Dustin Poirier falls to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291. IMAGO/USA TODAY

To answer those questions—and everything else—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!

UFC 291 Fights to Make

JUSTIN GAETHJE

An absolutely monumental performance from Justin Gaethje in a fight that had major implications on the immediate future of the lightweight title. Even with Charles Oliveira already booked to fight Gaethje in October, there was no clear fighter on the horizon next in line for a title shot at the lightweight belt. Beneil Dariush was the big story heading into 2023, and he fell tragically short to Charles Oliveira at UFC 289.

While a big win could put him right back in the conversation there isn’t a fight on the horizon that seems like it would have that kind of profile to it. Michael Chandler is tied up with a bout against Conor McGregor that may or may not happen. And while McGregor is certainly a huge deal, there’s nothing to even seriously suggest he’ll be fighting anyone soon.

Fighters like Tsarukyan, Gamrot, and Fiziev could all be in position to contend for a belt someday, but that day is not today and it’s unlikely to be tomorrow. The truth is, if the UFC is looking for a contender they can be sure of heading into spring of 2024, Justin Gaethje is almost certainly going to be that man. Sure he’s already got a loss to Charles Oliveira, which could be a problem if ‘Do Bronx’ manages to regain his belt in Abu Dhabi. But that fight was an absolute banger the first time, I don’t think there are many fans who would hesitate to watch it twice.

MMA: UFC 280-Oliveira vs Makhachev Oct 22, 2022; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Charles Oliveira (red gloves) and Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. Abu Dhabi UAE, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xCraigxKidwellx 20221022_jla_ooo_485
The winner is gonna need to fight somebody. Gaethje is that somebody. IMAGO/USA TODAY Network

The only person that really seems like they could throw a wrench in the works would be Alexander Volkanovski, if he could get himself set for a Makhachev rematch. But given that Volk just had surgery and seems like he’s got a contender on the horizon in Ilia Topuria, it really doesn’t feel like problem Gaethje should be losing sleep over. End of the day, Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira is on the horizon. Justin Gaethje should fight the winner.

DUSTIN POIRIER

As big as this win was for Justin Gaethje, it feels like it may have been just as hard a setback for Dustin Poirier. The ‘Diamond’ has contended for the lightweight title twice now and got finished both times (the same thing has happened to Gaethje too, but with each passing year the idea of another title shot seems like it becomes a more difficult opportunity to grab.

It doesn’t help either that this was such a decisive win for Gaethje. The ‘Highlight’ came out on the back foot, drawing Poirier into the pocket and intercepting his pressure with hard low kicks and winging hooks upstairs. The plan was successful enough to force Poirier to up the aggression in round 2, where he tried to stave off Gaethje’s blitz with a hand parry. That decision left him wide open for a sneaky right leg head kick that dropped the Louisiana native in a heap, ending the fight just 1 minute into round 2.

June 9, 2023: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 09: Beneil Dariush poses on the scale during the UFC 289 ceremonial weigh-in at Rogers Arena on June 09, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. - ZUMAp175 20230609_zsa_p175_033 Copyright: xTomazxJrx
Maybe Dustin will take the fight this time. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

I suppose as long as Makhachev remains king, Poirier will have a path to contend. But he’s gonna have to win a couple other fights first. What was it I said above about Beneil Dariush? That there wasn’t a high profile fight on the horizon that could put him back in contention? Seems like one just popped up. And it’s got a little extra history to it after Poirier previously publicly accepted, and then turned down the booking. Poirier vs. Dariush should be a top-priority fight for the UFC.

ALEX PEREIRA

An absolutely brutally close fight in which Jan Blachowicz looked like he hit a cardio wall midway through and did his absolute damnedest to keep battling on. Unfortunately for him, Alex Pereira was at least a little less gassed and the Brazilian was able to keep landing the cleaner strikes on his way to a very hard fought decision win.

Czech professional mixed martial artist Jiri Prochazka shows the UFC champion s belt in the semi-heavyweight category from the title match in Singapore, during meeting with fans, on June 13, 2022, in Brno, Czech Republic. (CTKxPhoto IgorxZehl) CTKPhotoP2022061306685 PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCZExSVK zeh
It’s Jiri time again. IMAGO/CTK Photo

That victory almost certainly sets Pereira up for a title fight, but the question is, against who? Will Jiri Prochazka be back soon, will the UFC look to get Magomed Ankalaev back in the mix? My guess is that Prochazka will be ready to go sometime early next year and we’ll see Pereira vs. Prochazka then. Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka is a real decent light heavyweight title fight, even if this bout was just a bit of a dud.

DERRICK LEWIS

Only Derrick Lewis could produce a moment in MMA like that. From the jump knee to the GnP to the post-fight speech he nailed every moment of his latest iconic TKO/KO. Gotta feel a little bad for Marcos Rogerio de Lima, because the man just became part of every highlight reel for the rest of 2023 at least.

After the bout, Lewis revealed that he had just finished his UFC contract. My first reaction was that if he says he hopes to resign with the UFC, then that’s what he’ll do. But then I had to look at the options with just a little more clarity. Being real, the only ‘big’ fight I see on the horizon for Lewis in the Octagon is… Jairzinho Rozenstruik?

He got beat by Sergei Pavlovich, he got beat by Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic doesn’t seem like he’s about to fight anyone without a belt around their waist, and Tom Aspinall would be foolish to do anything else. He beat Curtis Blaydes and lost to Tai Tuivasa and beat Alexander Volkov and lost to Sergey Spivak. Jailton Almeida is a nightmare matchup. The reality is, there’s not a lot for Lewis inside the UFC.

May 15, 2023, Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA, United States: Los Angeles, CA - May 16: Francis Ngannou behind the scenes of his promotional video workout at Professional Fighters League - Francis Ngannou workout at Unbreakable Performance Center on May 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA United States - ZUMAp175 20230515_zsa_p175_005 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
It’s time to try it again. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Outside of it, there’s Francis Ngannou, a man Lewis has already beat once (in one of the worst fights in UFC history, sure, but a win’s a win). And alongside Ngannou is a guarantee of a $2 million payday. As a free agent, Lewis is automatically the biggest name on the market and there’s even a history there to sell. Seems like a no-brainer for all parties, unless, of course, the UFC can exercise their matching rights. Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou 2 is a fight so obvious it’d be stupid not to try and make it.

BOBBY GREEN

Tony Ferguson had a little bit in the tank for Bobby Green early on in their bout, even dropping ‘King’ in the opening round. But once those early exchanges were over it was almost entirely one-way traffic for Green. Especially after Ferguson dove for that Imanari roll in round 2 and came up short. Several minutes of top control time for Green and the tide was firmly turned.

These are the kind of performances that keep Green a perennial force at the edges of the lightweight elite…

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/ufc-291-was-another-phenomenal-ppv-6th-round-post-fight-show?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=520ca885a806491390e933eda0b4c0c9&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

To read the rest of Fights to Make head on over to Substack. Now that Bloody Elbow is a fully independent site the best way to support us, so that we can continue fearless coverage of combat sports, is to pick up a paid subscription. Paid subscribers help fund other exclusive content like editorials from Karim Zidan and Jonathan Snowden and investigations by John S. Nash.

Jon Jones can’t ‘hold a candle’ to Tom Aspinall? – Champ delivers reality check to pundits

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC London: Aspinall vs. Tybura, UFC News

Tom Aspinall looked absolutely fantastic on Saturday night. Coming back from a year off of surgery and rehab on his injured knee, the top heavyweight prospect absolutely demolished solid gatekeeper to the elite Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC London.

Once one of the most heavily hyped newcomers inside the world’s largest MMA promotion, fans were given a stark reminder as to why, with the 30-year-old needing just over a minute to breeze by his Polish foe. And with the return to form came a return to outsized expectations.

Unsurprisingly, leading the Aspinall cheer squad is former UFC middleweight champion Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping.

Jon Jones at the 2023 ESPYs.
Jon Jones at the 2023 ESPYs. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Michael Bisping claims Aspinall will breeze by Jon Jones

Never a man to restrain himself from hyperbole, Bisping had a glowing review of the Team Kaobon talent in a recent interview with Sky Sports. Not only does he feel that Aspinall looks every bit the part of an elite heavyweight, he’s even calling his shot, that the 6′ 5″ Manchester-based fighter is on his way to UFC gold.

“Tom Aspinall was utterly fantastic,” Bisping said of Aspinall’s win (transcript via MMA Junkie). “That’s one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from a heavyweight. Marcin Tybura, the guy that he beat, is no walk in the park.  He’s won seven of his last eight against world class opposition, and Tom just blew threw him like he was nothing.

“And I do 100 percent believe that he will be the champion. In fact, I know he will be the champion barring any freak injury or something terrible or bad luck happens. He will be the champion of the world.”

In fact, Bisping is so sure of his prediction, he even turned it up a notch, claiming that Aspinall would absolutely blow by current champion Jon Jones, with every bit as much speed and violence as he showed against Tybura. A hell of a proclamation considering one man has struggled regularly with top tier athletes and the other is someone many believe to be literally the best fighter in MMA history.

“Jon Jones is the heavyweight champion. He’s an incredible fighter. He’s incredible. He’s one of the greatest of all time. I don’t think he can hold a candle to Tom. I think Tom will do the same thing to Jon Jones as what he did to Marcin Tybura,” Bisping added in the face of all evidence. “I don’t think there’s anyone that can stop Tom Aspinall. He’s that good.”

Jon Jones responds to the hype

Whether it was Bisping’s outlandish grandstanding, or just the general buzz in the air after Aspinall’s latest victory, there’s at least on man who—unsurprisingly—felt the need to get a word in edgewise as to Aspinall’s potential title hopes.

Jon Jones fired off a series of tweets in the days following Aspinall’s win, just to remind everyone how well his legacy has stood the test of time, and how many other ‘next big thing’ prospects he’s seen come and go. And then, in true Jon Jones fashion, he deleted them all.

“Sometimes I feel like I’ve been in a déjà vu, everyone’s going to be the guy to kick my ass,” Jones wrote on Twitter. “Meanwhile, I’m over here undefeated with a face full of gray hairs.

“Half the time the guys talking the most crap don’t even end up winning their next fight. I’ve been around this game for a long time. Over the years, I’ve learned not to get all impress so quickly. Stick around, win consistently like I have. And then talk your shit.

“Everyone’s the next big thing until I beat them. And then it’s like well. Who was that guy anyway? Just a few months ago Gane was the absolute future of MMA. Best foot work, fastest heavy weight we have ever seen. The most athletic. Now everyone’s like who the hell is that guy.”

Setting aside Jones’ single technical loss to Matt Hamill (for which the UFC still have yet to file that appeal they claim they’re working on), the man has a point. He cleaned out the light heavyweight division both of former champions and of current contenders during his long reign atop the division. And while heavyweight is a brand new division with all new challenges, he had no trouble mopping the floor with Gane in his debut.

Aspinall definitely looks like a great top contender, but the gulf between Tybura and Jones is so wide it can’t accurately be measured by science alone. He hasn’t even fought one of the divison’s top contenders, let alone someone who has contended for the title.

The bigger question should really be, how much longer will Jones stick around to fight anyone, regardless of the legitimacy of their skill.

Jon Jones is thinking retirement

Back in May, before his upcoming fight with Miocic was finalized, Jones gave some of his thoughts about his future as a reigning champion. It was a solid insight into his potential willingness to face fresh future contenders who may not have the name value to guarantee him a top-drawing PPV event, but might still possess all the danger to break his grip on the belt. To put it succinctly, it sounds a lot more like Jones would rather ride off into the sunset on top than play king to a new class of fighters.

“I think the Stipe fight will be plenty for me,” Jones told Fox Sports Australia, adding that fight with Francis Ngannou might be enough to keep him around. “I feel like I don’t have too much to prove after beating Stipe Miocic. I’ve been in the game for a long time. In fighter years, I’m an old guy. I’ve been training a long time and been in the game a long time. Got some small injuries.

“I just really want to be around. I want to be around for my family, be around for my kids. I want to be able to play with my kids, have a good head on my shoulders. … I could see it coming to an end really soon and I’m happy with that. I’m really proud of my career.”

It just may be that if (or when) Tom Aspinall is ready to contend for the UFC heavyweight title, the man across from him won’t be the sitting champ, but another top contender vying for a vacated belt.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/bmf-belt-sucks-but-the-fight-rules-mma-vivisection?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=fad1e67e89df4a0c9512ce368fcb80fd&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Before & after: Alex Pereira looks like a beast at 205 lbs ahead of UFC 291

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2, UFC News

He may not be fighting for another belt just yet, but UFC 291 looks like a big night for former middleweight champion Alex Pereira both figuratively and literally.

The multiple time Glory kickboxing title holder will make his first appearance up at his new weight class tonight, against former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the co main event of this weekend’s PPV in Salt Lake City, UT. To mark the occasion, Pereira stepped on the scales looking absolutely massive, even for a light heavyweight.

Alex Pereira still looks like a giant

Standing all of 6′ 4″, Pereira positively loomed over his competition fighting all the way down at 185 lbs. He also had a habit of looking like grim death every time he stepped on the scales. With an extra 20 pounds of weight to play around with, it’s no surprise he looked a lot more healthy on Friday at the UFC 291 weigh ins.

That said, it’s still a little bit of a shock seeing Pereira stand next to Blachowicz. A former champion, Blachowicz may not be the tallest light heavyweight in the world, standing at 6′ 2″, but he’s still plenty big. Ask any untrained viewer which of these men used to fight down a division, however, and I doubt many people would pick Pereira.

Perhaps it’s not terribly surprising that Pereira looks so much more natural up at light heavyweight, especially considering that the weight class is still a big lighter than where he used to compete back in his kickboxing days.

Pereira actually used to fight at 209 lbs

Although he started his career down at 187 lbs, by the time he was done plying his trade inside the ring, Pereira had already made a massive leap up in weight. As early as 2013, Pereira competed for the WAKO World Championships at 91 kg (200 lbs). And in 2019, he made the move up to Glory’s light heavyweight division, defeating Ertugrul Bayrak for the 95kg (209 lbs) title.

Pereira defended that belt once against Artem Vakhitov in 2021, before losing it in a rematch to Vakhitov via Majority decision later that same year. Shortly after that loss, Pereira made the jump over to MMA full time, signing immediately with the UFC to face Andreas Michailidis just two months later. Meaning he made a nearly 25 lb. swing in competition weight in just two months.

As tall as he is and as little work as he’s had to do to bulk up to light heavyweight, it’s not even out of the realm of imagination that someday fans could see Alex Pereira all the way up at heavyweight. Who knows, maybe he could even become the UFC’s first three division champion. Stranger things have happened.

Alex Pereira not worried about grappling

Maybe it’s that kind of size and strength that has Pereira feeling so confident about his chances of tangling with Jan Blachowicz on the ground. In a recent interview with Combate, ‘Po Atan’ talked about how he feels he matches up with Blachowicz’s ‘Polish Power’. And while he’d prefer to keep the fight standing, he sounds like he’s put a lot of time into his grappling game.

“Before my last fight with Adesanya, I said ‘I want to move up. I want to go to a different division. No matter what happens. Win or lose, I’m moving up’. I needed this break. I need a couple of fights in this division so my body can recover. I’m maintaining the same weight, 103 kg (227 pounds). The only thing that changes is my diet. I’m eating well now. I don’t have that ‘I’m weak, I didn’t eat that thing’ excuse now. No, I’ve eaten everything.”

“I think he’s better at striking [than grappling]. Lots of people don’t know and I haven’t had a chance to show my quality on the ground. If he forces (the takedown), I think I’ll be able to show some in this fight. I think his striking is more dangerous than his grappling, though.”

All things considered, I’m still not sure this is a fight Pereira will find all that much success in if he can’t get up off his back.

UFC 291 goes down this Saturday, July 29th, in Salt Lake City, UT. Outside of the light heavyweight co-main event the card is expected to be headlined by a lightweight rematch between former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, competing for the UFC ‘BMF’ title.

UFC 291 PPV bout in jeopardy after weigh-ins *UPDATED

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2, UFC News

At least everyone made it to the scales okay for UFC 291 this Saturday. Headlined by a ‘BMF’ title fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, the headlining fighters didn’t have to come in at actual championship weight.

Dustin Poirier hit the mark, however, weighing in at 155 pounds, while Justin Gaethje made it to the scales at 156, making their fight official for the the pay-per-view main event. Others on the card were not so lucky.

UFC 291's Michel Pereira.
UFC 291’s Michel Pereira. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Michel Pereira blows weight cut

Top ranked welterweight fighter Michel Pereira was the most notable name on the card to struggle on Friday morning. The Brazilian was all set for a high-profile action battle against former title contender Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, when he came in 3 pounds over the limit.

The situation was apparently bad enough that the UFC has had to go into extended negotiations with Thompson over his willingness to take a catchweight fight with Pereira.

At 40-years-old, Thompson is likely in a different spot than most notable talents facing an opponent struggling on the scales. ‘Wonderboy’ has already had a long career among the UFC’s elite, win or lose to Pereira on Friday, it’s unlikely he’ll be fighting for a title anytime soon. While the chance to negotiate with the UFC for a little extra cash to keep the fight on the card likely holds a lot more value. That said, Thompson hasn’t been talking like a man near the end of his career.

“I can’t believe people are saying that I’m old and I should retire,” Thompson said in a March interview. “I feel like people that do retire, when they sit down on the chair, they just feel like they should retire. Like just, their body’s beat up, aches and pains. … When I sit here and I’m sitting down in this chair, I feel great. I feel fine. I feel better than I was five years ago. I just don’t get it.”

Hopefully all sides can come to an agreement and Thompson and Pereira will still face off at UFC 291. For his part, the Upstate Karate standout hit the scales on point at 170.5 pounds.

UPDATE: Michel Pereira has not been medically cleared to fight. His UFC 291 bout with Stephen Thompson has been cancelled.

Vinicus Salvador misses flyweight

Pereira wasn’t the only Brazilian on Friday to miss weight big. Way down on the undercard, flyweight Vinicius Salvador had similar troubles with the scale, coming in at 128.5 pounds, 2.5 lbs over the 126 lb limit. Fortunately for Salvador, however, his oppponent CJ Vergara isn’t in nearly the same position of prominence as Thompson when it comes to on the spot negotiations.

Vergara has already agreed to a catchweight bout, and will receive 20% Salvardor’s show money as compensation for his opponent’s error. Speaking on Twitter, Salvador’s manager told fans that their team did everything they could to make weight, and apologized for the error.

Complete UFC 291 weigh-in results

  • Dustin Poirier (155) vs. Justin Gaethje (156)
  • Jan Blachowicz (205) vs. Alex Pereira (205.5)
  • Michel Pereira (174) vs. Stephen Thompson (170.5)
  • Tony Ferguson (155) vs. Bobby Green (155.5)
  • Michael Chiesa (170) vs. Kevin Holland (169.5)
  • Gabriel Bonfim (170) vs. Trevin Giles (170)
  • Derrick Lewis (263.5) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (262)
  • Roman Kopylov (185) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (185.5)
  • Darrius Flowers (170.5) vs. Jake Matthews (170)
  • Vinicius Salvador (128.5) vs. CJ Vergara (125.5)
  • Uros Medic (170.5) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (169.5)
  • Priscila Cachoeira (125) vs. Miranda Maverick (125.5)
https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/bmf-belt-sucks-but-the-fight-rules-mma-vivisection?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=353bb11ae2a44be6bb1a6c7722eada22&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Derrick Lewis felt like he ‘actually died’ cutting weight

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2, UFC News

Heavyweight is supposed to be the one place in MMA where a fight never gets cancelled on the scales. With an upper limit of 265 lbs, it took all the way until 2021 for the first fighter to miss the limit in the UFC’s then-28-year history. At least one other fighter has followed that inglorious path in the couple years since, but it’s still a terribly rare achievement.

It’s also something that it sounds like almost happened to former UFC title contender Derrick Lewis. The ‘Black Beast’ was on hand for the UFC 291 media day recently, and told a story about one of his weight cuts gone wrong, with frightening results.

Derrick Lewis weighs in for his fight against Serghei Spivac.
Derrick Lewis weighs in for his fight against Serghei Spivac. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

Derrick Lewis: ‘I felt like I actually died’ cutting weight

Ahead of his last fight, a heavyweight tilt against rising contender Sergey Spivak, Derrick Lewis apparently had to go through an absolutely harrowing weight cut. The 4oz Fight Club talent told media members that he dropped 25 pounds in the three days leading up to the bout, largely by fasting.

“The last fight, I actually passed out just before weigh-ins,” Lewis revealed (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I blacked out, my coaches had to carry me, make sure I stayed conscious, and I just didn’t have any energy the rest of the week.

“I cut like 25 pounds in three days, not eating, just drinking water—probably just a little something to eat. It was a big eye-opener and it was in the back of my head during the fight. I felt like I actually died, and I was thinking about all of the other fighters who went through that—they blacked out, came back, and couldn’t fight, they didn’t let the fighter fight. Good thing it happened at the [UFC Performance Institute] and they gave me everything I needed to get up and walk out of there. It was a very scary moment.”

While Lewis added that he really wished he could get that fight with Spivak back, this time around it sounds like he feels much more comfortable with his training camp and—by extension—much more sure of his path to victory against Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

“I really believe that on Saturday, I’m going to really have fun out there and you’re going to see something different in me, because I’ve been feeling good. I actually stuck to my diet. We’ve been training for 10, 11 weeks now, and I actually stuck to my diet for like one day, and I feel good.”

Marcos Rogerio de Lima ready to give performance of his career

As good as Lewis seems to feel heading into this fight, his opponent sounds like he’s just as well prepared. With both men holding elder statesman status as long standing members of the UFC roster (and both clocking in at 38-years-old), Marcos Rogerio de Lima nonetheless believes that this is his moment to shine in what would be the biggest win of his career should he walk out of UFC 291 with his hand raised.

“This is going to be a defining moment in the UFC,” Lima revealed in a recent interview. “I’m so ready for this fight. I’ve been training a lot of boxing, muay thai. My grappling is also on point. I’ve been training with Marcus Buchecha, so we exchanged a lot of info. (Augusto) Sakai has been helping me a lot, too.”

UFC 291 goes down on July 29th at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The card is expected to be headlined by a lightweight top contender’s bout between former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. The bout will mark Lewis’ first time on a UFC prelims card since his bout against Damian Grabowski in 2016. A light heavyweight bout between former champions Jan Blachowicz and Alex Pereira will serve as the evening’s co-main event.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/bmf-belt-sucks-but-the-fight-rules-mma-vivisection?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=1043c85598c74f58af6fcb488d75b30c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Floyd Mayweather once claimed he was a Tupac murder witness?!

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Crime

It may not be on the level of bigfoot, or JFK assassination theories, but one of the more enduring conspiracies in the celebrity realm revolves around the death of rap icon Tupac Shakur.

Murdered in a drive by shooting in 1996, rumors and legends continue to circulate that the artist actually faked his own death and has lived a life of quiet anonymity for the last 27 years. The subject of numerous lawsuits and criminal cases while he was alive (and himself the victim of a shooting in 1994), many fans have theorized that Shakur faked his own death to escape threats on his life and the other pressures of fame. Alleged inconsistencies in Shakur’s death certificate and his cremation shortly after his killing only added more fuel to that fire.

Tupak Shakur in 1993. Floyd Mayweather
Tupak Shakur with Janet Jackson in 1993. Ronald Grant

Floyd Mayweather Jr. claims he was there when Tupac Shakur was killed

Don’t come to undefeated former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. with any ideas about Tupac Shakur still being alive though.

Earlier this month, Nevada police executed a search warrant on 60-year-old self proclaimed longtime gang member Duane Kieth Davis—who has made public statement that he was in the car that executed the drive by on Tupac. Police were apparently trying to find corroborating evidence to recent statements Davis had made in interviews about his involvement in the still unsolved killing and seized a number of electronics including several ipads, laptops, and a desktop computer, along with portable USB drives.

With Tupac’s death back in the news, a clip that appears to have first surfaced way back in 2014 is once again making the rounds. In it modern boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. details how he witnessed the rapper’s death.

“The car pulled up and shot Tupac,” Mayweather told a small group of people while out walking in Vegas (tanscript via Fox News). “Car pulled right here and shot Tupac at this light. Car went that way. I was living right here in 1996 when Tupac got killed. Right here. I ain’t never told nobody. Only the close people with me know.”

Mayweather on Tupac’s legacy

Back in 2017, director Benny Boom delivered a bio-pic of Tupac’s life, entitled All Eyez on Me, Mayweather was in attendance for the film’s premiere and gave his thoughts on Tupac’s music and what it’s meant to him over the years.

“Tupac was a great artist, had great music. I loved his music,” Mayweather said. “Inspirational; and he was a genius.”

“Great film,” Mayweather added, speaking of the bio-pic. “It’s gonna take you on a roller coaster ride, but it’s a great movie.”

Obviously, most of this is all water under the bridge at this point. But if police are still interested in pursuing leads in Tupac’s death then maybe ‘Money’ will find himself on the witness stand one day.

Mayweather’s exhibition career continues

Back in the boxing world, even though he retired from professional competition back in 2017, after picking up a TKO victory over UFC superstar Conor McGregor, Mayweather has remained an active figure in the ring, with a number of mid-to-high profile exhibition fights. Most recently Mayweather faced off against mafia scion turned celebrity combat sports competitor John Gotti III. The fight was ruled an official ‘no contest’ after both men turned the showcase into a trash talk exhibition in the 6th of 8 planned rounds.

A brawl between corners started after the fight and things got pretty nasty over social media in the days that followed. However Gotti has recently claimed that he’s currently in talks with Mayweather for a rematch.

“We’re in talks right now, actually, to do something,” Gotti revealed speaking of a second fight with Mayweather. “So, we’ll see where it goes. From what I understood, after the fight, it was the most Googled thing in the whole world. Floyd’s a businessman, Floyd wants to capitalize on that and he wants to make money. Listen, they wanna do it again I’ll be here. I promise you this time I’m gonna come out guns blazing as soon as that bell rings. We’re gonna fight now.”

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/bmf-belt-sucks-but-the-fight-rules-mma-vivisection?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=1043c85598c74f58af6fcb488d75b30c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Vicente Luque cleared for UFC after brain hemorrhage

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA Health and Science, UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Dos Anjos, UFC News

There is no more terrifying two words in combat sports than ‘brain bleed’. Whenever a fighter slips into a coma and dies it seems as though the phrase ‘suffered a brain bleed in the ring’ is never far behind. For years, the condition was incredibly difficult to detect, with fighters often exiting the arena under their own power and conversing normally with ringside physicians before slipping into a coma from which they never recover.

UFC Fighter Vicente Luque in 2021.
UFC Fighter Vicente Luque in 2021. IMAGO/USA TODAY Network

Fortunately, in recent years more technology has made its way into combat sports to detect potential brain bleeds in their early stages, when they can still be more easily treated. Back in 2016, Bloody Elbow highlighted the growing popularity of ring/cage-side scanning devices that could aid in saving lives.

“The unit actually works on a very simple method,” said Roy Bachrach, a former paramedic and current Vice President of Business Development for InfraScan, the makers of Infrascanner 2000.

The device beams near-infrared light into the brain and then measures how much of that light is absorbed. Parts of the brain which are bleeding will absorb more than parts which are not.

“The brain by definition is a symmetrical unit so the right side equals the left side, it’s not completely symmetrical but the components we’re looking for are symmetrical,” said Bachrach. “What we’re doing is comparing the left side of the brain to the right side of the brain, in the same location, and checking for a difference.”

UFC headliner Vicente Luque suspended 1 year for brain hemorrhage

It’s unclear if that technology was in use by the NSAC last year when Vicente Luque was on the receiving end of the first knockout loss of his career—at the hands of Geoff Neal at UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Hill—however, shortly after the bout Luque was diagnosed with a brain bleed and placed under suspension, pending a doctor’s clearance.

While no reason was announced at the time, Luque’s suspension is likely the reason that his upcoming fight against Rafael Dos Anjos had to be rescheduled from its planned July 15th fight date. MMA Junkie reports that Luque was only cleared to return to competition on Tuesday, July 25th, during the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s monthly meeting.

“He suffered a brain bleed (a year ago),” NAC executive director Jeff Mullen told Junkie. “He had a suspension of one year. He had to bring before the commission clearance from a neurosurgeon and a neurologist independently who recommended he be licensed. We have that material. … I have faith in our doctors.”

Luque says he was cleared to fight in February

For his part, in an interview back in May, Luque gave vague details of his absence from the UFC, saying that he had only been suspended for 6 months following his last bout—although he did not note the reason—and had been cleared to return as soon as February, but that the commission wanted him to wait a full year before fighting again.

“I’m not 100 percent sure why it moved,” Luque said. “But I believe part of it was kind of the commission wanted me to get some more exams and get cleared since my last fight because I got suspended six months. I was cleared to fight in February but still they wanted some more exams. (We’re) just making sure I’m 100 percent. I do feel 100 percent, so I’m sure that everything is going to be good. They wanted to wait maybe a year after my last fight.”

Hopefully Luque’s return to competition goes without incident. It’s terrifying to think of a fighter stepping back into the cage after suffering an injury like that one, but so often in these cases the problem is that the injury goes untreated up until the fighter shows severe physical symptoms, at which point chances of recovery grow much more slim. It may just be that improvements in medical technology and a fair amount of caution have left Luque free to compete again.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/sean-strickland-is-causing-real-world-problems-for-keith-lee-the-level-change-podcast?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=159ef30d49a7420eb3ac26b91a7a7d93&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

‘Dead man walking’ Khamzat Chimaev has promise for Paulo Costa

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 294, UFC News

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa is finally official… finally. The two men have been jawing at each other for the better part of year while at the same time remaining decidedly inactive when it comes to actually taking fights inside the Octagon. A bout between them has been rumored for months, but seemed entirely off the table when the UFC announced that Costa would be taking on newcomer Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 this weekend.

For reasons still unknown (perhaps that Costa never actually signed a contract for the fight), that bout ended up getting scrapped. And instead, fans will get the bout they should have had all along. Costa vs. Chimaev, in Abu Dhabi, at UFC 294. Safe to say both men are ready to get at one another.

Khamzat Chimaev weighs in for UFC 279.
Khamzat Chimaev weighs in for UFC 279. IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

Khamzat Chimaev wants to make Paulo Costa cry

Now that they’ve actually got a contract in place, Chimaev and Costa are already ramping up the trash talk. In a recent interview with TNT Sports, the Chechen-born Allstars talent out of Sweden revealed his plans for defeating ‘Borrachinha’ most notably, he wants to beat Costa badly enough that the Brazilian breaks down in the Octagon.

“Smash, make money,” Chimaev told TNT Sports (transcript via MMA Junkie). “I make that guy cry, go home, be in Brazil. Nobody likes him. All Brazilians like me, support me. That guy is not Brazilian. I’m going to go, smash this guy and make him cry.”

While Chimaev has seemingly yet to bring anyone to the brink of tears, the 29-year-old has been nothing if not a destructive force inside the cage. At least, whenever he can be seen inside the cage.

Unbeaten through 12 fights, Chimaev made a big splash in the UFC back in 2020, rushing out to three quick finishes in the first three months of his Octagon career. Things have slowed down significantly since, however. With Chimaev competing just once in 2021, following a terrible bout of COVID-19, and then twice in 2022 before being sidelined due to weight management problems and rumors of “personal problems” and potential travel restrictions. ‘Borz’ hasn’t competed since defeating Kevin Holland via first round submission at UFC 279 in September of last year.

Paulo Costa has his own message

If Chimaev plans to make Costa quit and cry it doesn’t sound like his proposition is being met with any lack of confidence on the Brazilian’s side. In a recent video posted to his social media, the 32-year-old revealed plans of his own—namely, to “f—k [Khamzat Chimaev] in [his] f—king house.”

“Gourmet Chen Chen has no chance, zero, no chance,” Costa announced in a short video message. “I’m going to destroy him; dead man walking. Dead man walking right there in Chechnya. I come to f*ck you in your f—king house, motherf—ker. Training hard every single day, I have no days off. Look at this face, look at this face. Look right here, gourmet Chen Chen: the man who is going to kill you.”

Much like Chimaev, Costa has spent a lot more time talking about fights than actually taking them lately. The former middleweight title challenger has competed just two times since failing in his bid to take UFC gold from Israel Adesanya back in September of 2020. The Fight Ready talent followed that fight with a loss to Marvin Vettori at light heavyweight, in which his general lack of motivation seemed to be a significant factor, before returning again in August of 2022 for a bloody war with Luke Rockhold that saw Costa win a unanimous decision. The months since that bout have been marked by prolonged contract negotiations for the Brazilian.

Daniel Cormier thinks this is a title eliminator… for Khamzat

Since his very first fight inside the world’s largest MMA promotion, the one question on everyone’s mind has been, how long before we see Khamzat Chimaev fight for a belt? After beating Gilbert Burns back in April of last year, Chimaev seemed on the cusp of a shot at then-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Instead, Leon Edwards got the nod, and Chimaev got a stay busy fight against Nate Diaz… for which he blew the weight cut so badly that he had to be reassigned to a new weight class afterward.

Having already been poised for contention at 170 lbs, does that mean Chimaev should be near the front of the line at middleweight? If he beats Costa, former double champion DC doesn’t see any reason that Chimaev wouldn’t be right there in the mix.

“If he beats Paulo Costa, Khamzat Chimaev will have earned himself a title fight at 185 pounds,” Cormier said in a recent video on his YouTube channel (transcript via BJPenn.com). “And I don’t think anyone can disagree with that. I don’t believe that beating Gilbert Burns, going up, and now beating Paulo Costa doesn’t get you a championship opportunity. It makes you the No. 1 contender between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis.”

If DC is right, however, the question quickly becomes, does Chimaev jump ahead of Du Plessis in line? Or are we just getting set up for another long stretch of inactivity for the Chechen. By all accounts, the bad blood between Du Plessis and Adesanya seems serious enough that—assuming Izzy beats Sean Strickland—it’s very hard to imagine that fight not getting booked in the immediate future. Of course, should Strickland win, it also seems unlikely that Adesanya doesn’t get an immediate chance at revenge.

Chimaev vs. Costa is definitely a big fight, and the stakes absolutely feel high going into it. But hopefully the outcome won’t just be another long stretch of inactivity for either man once they get on the other side of it.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/sean-strickland-is-causing-real-world-problems-for-keith-lee-the-level-change-podcast?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=02885a8aed5a4d0aa5ed34b43f490374&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

55-year-old UFC Hall of Famer returns for grudge match against one-time CM Punk opponent

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC News

MMA is full of strange grudges. A sport populated by people who love to fight and who have learned to sell themselves through aggressive discourse is going to have a whole bunch of people who are mad at each other at any given time.

Even for MMA, however, former UFC fighter Mike Jackson has found himself in a few weird spots. Initially brought into the promotion as one of a couple men lined up to fight CM Punk in his brief vanity combat sports stint, Jackson parted ways with the Endeavor owned company back in January after compiling a 1-2 record with 1 no contest.

Former UFC fighter Mike Jackson.
Former UFC fighter Mike Jackson. IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

“I understand the business side of this,” Jackson said at the time. “But for me, it doesn’t matter. I made way more money not fighting than fighting.”

Mike Jackson’s Jake Shields confrontation

A strong Black Lives Matter supporter and self described “Snow Roach Antagonizer,” Jackson has unsurprisingly found himself in several clashes with members of MMA’s more vocally right-wing contingent. Most notably, his long running feud with Jake Shields that boiled over into an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute.

Shortly after the incident, Jackson told MMA Junkie that he was planning to press charges against Shields for assault, after which Shields claimed he would sue Jackson for defamation of character. It’s unclear at this time if either man has made any moves to advance their potential cases through the court system. However, shortly after getting released from the UFC, Jackson did say that he planned on settling his score with Shields.

“My mindset wasn’t to beat the f—k out of Jake Shields — it was to not get punched in the face,” Jackson told MMA Fighting back in January. “So he’s in my DMs, talking a bunch of s, but then his tune changed, and he was like, ‘Do you want me to come to Houston to box? I’ll come box you.’ I haven’t responded yet, but that’s my new thing. He’s going to come to Houston, or we’re going to find somewhere to meet, and I’ll beat the f out of him for the s—t that he did.”

Mike Jackson to fight ex-UFC champ Pat Miletich

If Shields and Jackson ever did follow up on their pugilistic plans, neither man has made any noise about it in the public sphere. Instead, news has recently broke that Jackson will be be settling one of his other long running social media scores inside the ring.

Caged Aggression, an Iowa based MMA promotion, has announced an upcoming fight between Mike Jackson and former LFA commentator and onetime UFC champion Pat Miletich. Outside of his MMA accolades, Miletich more recently made headlines with his support for the January 6th riots in Washington DC that resulted in 5 deaths, including one rioter shot by an officer inside the Capitol building. Miletich attended the riots in support of overturning the 2020 presidential elections and reinstating Donald Trump in the White House.

After news of his attendance became public, Miletich lost his job with LFA, and faced harsh public backlash for his actions. A former friend and self described student of Miletch’s in the past, Jackson was strong among his vocal detractors.

“I’ll admit, I hate this happened to someone I called a friend, brother, and coach,” Jackson wrote on his personal blog adding that Miletich had been associated with “the domestic terrorist who failed at their coup attempt at the nation’s capitol.”

Apparently Miletich has especially taken umbrage with the “domestic terrorist” label, claiming that the riot was actually a “love fest” and that he was “thinking about my children’s freedoms,” and wasn’t involved in any of the violence that resulted.

“Suddenly there was an uproar that I had been responsible for some sort of domestic terrorism and a supporter of white supremacy, which is a joke,” Miletich complained in a 2022 interview with ABC affiliate WQAD.

The two men have kept up a steady diet of antagonism in the years since, with Jackson directing social media posts at Miletich as recently as this last May.

Hopefully, this coming October 14th both men will get the chance to put their feud to bed once and for all with a full rules MMA bout at Caged Aggression 36: Bad Blood. In a press release for the event the promotion is sellin git as a “clash, fueled by personal animosity and stark ideological differences,” featuring “skill against youth, experience against speed, and conservative views against liberally minded agendas.”

It’s a somewhat surprising booking considering that when Jackson spoke to MMA Junkie about the idea back in 2022, he specifically noted that he wanted to keep the fight to kickboxing, “’cause I don’t want the motherf—ker to hold me and s—t in MMA.” Nonetheless, the two men will meet at a reported catchweight of 175 lbs. No other fights have currently been announced for the event.

https://soundcloud.com/bloody-elbow-podcast/why-the-ufc-is-targeting-right-leaning-sponsors-hey-not-the-face-21?in=bloody-elbow-podcast/sets/all-episodes&si=c3507fd6b2284250af384c462c0f3cce&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing