Month: October 2023

Derrick Lewis arrested days before UFC main event

Posted on by Zane Simon in Crime, MMA News, UFC fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis, UFC News

The UFC is headed to Sao Paulo this week for a Fight Night card featuring former heavyweight title contender Derrick Lewis in a five round main event against fast rising prospect Jailton Almeida. The bout marks Lewis’ first since signing a new 8-fight contract to compete for the world’s largest MMA promotion.

At the moment, however, it sounds like Lewis will just be lucky he was able to make it to the event. That’s after news has surfaced of a recent arrest for the ‘Black Beast.’

Derrick Lewis arrested, accused of going 136 MPH in 50 MPH zone

Local Houston affiliate ABC 13 reports that Derrick Lewis was arrested on Wednesday, October 25th after an officer apparently spotted the notable UFC talent weaving dangerously through traffic in his red Lamborghini. According to arrest records, Lewis was clocked going 136 mph on FM (Farm to Market Route) 2100 on the outskirts of Houston, TX. The speed limit for the area is only 50 mph, meaning Lewis was traveling at nearly three-times the legal limit.

According to reports, Lewis was released on his own recognizance after meeting a $100 bond on the same day as his arrest. He is due back in court on December 27th.

Derrick Lewis shows off twin turbo Lambo

Derrick Lewis’ love for fast cars has been well documented at this point. Back in 2019, Lewis got up to 140 mph on the race track driving his new custom twin turbo Lamborghini Huracan. Fortunately that was on a closed, supervised course. No problems.

Derrick Lewis wasn’t always so lucky

While Lewis drives exclusively in style these days, he wasn’t always so fortunate. In a 2021 interview on the Rich Eisen show, the 4oz Fight Club talent talked about getting started in the combat sports game. Originally, Lewis had been interested in a professional boxing career training under legendary heavyweight champion George Forman.

Things got serious enough that Foreman gave Lewis a car and was planning to put him up in an apartment near the boxing gym. That relationship quickly soured, however, when Lewis announced his intentions of going into MMA instead.

“I told him, ‘No I don’t think boxing is going to be for me.’ By this time they had already given me a car,” Lewis recalled. “They were about to put me up in an apartment across from the gym I was training at in downtown Houston. 

“I told them, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do boxing. I’m going to stick to MMA’ because I felt like MMA was easier than boxing. So they took the car away from me. It was a Buick anyway.”

That time someone tried to steal Derrick Lewis’ car

In fact, these days, Derrick Lewis’ cars are so nice that someone tried to steal one. Back in 2021, Lewis made headlines when he posted an image to his Instagram account featuring his bruised knuckles and a caption that read simply “Satisfaction” and “He’s ok.”

In a now deleted video uploaded along with the image, Lewis noted that the “motherf*cker tried to break into my sh*t.”

Police reports from the incident state that Lewis was leaving a training session at his gym, when he heard sounds coming from the driver’s side of his vehicle. There Lewis apparently confronted 36-year-old Quinton Wright, attempting to jimmy the lock with a screwdriver. Wright was charged with simple criminal mischief because, as a police spokesperson at the time put it, “our winner did not get into the vehicle.”

“Mr. Lewis says he went over to the suspect, struck him, placed him onto the ground until the police arrived,” the spokesperson said in a statement to MMA Fighting at the time. “That’s the nicest way to put it.”

Lewis had his own account of events.

Lewis vs. Almeida is set to go down this Saturday, November 4th, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Alongside the heavyweight main event, the card is expected to play host to a middleweight bout between Caio Borralho and Abus Magomedov. Hopefully Lewis won’t get to do any driving while he’s getting ready for fight night.

Austin UFC fans get two 5-round non-title fights

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC News

It seems as though some of the UFC’s recent injury woes have shaken things up a bit more for the world’s largest MMA promotion and their fall-winter fight booking plans. Recently fans found out that Jared Cannonier had been set to replace Paulo Costa for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, following Costa’s infection trouble from a recent elbow surgery.

Unfortunately for Cannonier, shortly after accepting the bout, the ‘Killa Gorilla’ suffered an MCL tear, forcing him out of the PPV co-main event. The injury was bad enough, however, that it also scrapped a likely main event booking for the UFC’s upcoming card in Austin, TX, where the 39-year-old had been expected to take on fellow top-ranked middleweight Roman Dolidze. But, if fans were worried they weren’t going to get their money’s worth, then they need fear no more.

Dana White announces UFC Austin headliner

In a recent video released on the promotion’s social media platforms, UFC CEO Dana White gave fans an update on the promotion’s December 2nd fight card—topped by a newly booked lightweight pairing between Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan.

“What’s up everybody!?” White shouted into the camera. “UFC is returning to Austin, TX on December 2nd at the Moody’s Center. The main event is #4 ranked Beneil Dariush vs. #8 Arman Tsarukyan. Two elite lightweights; no holes in their game, 26 finishes between them. 15 in the first round. Dariush is a longtime veteran trying to remain at the top, and Tsarukyan is the guy that many people believe has the best shot of anyone in top 15 of taking out Islam Makhachev. He’s been the dark horse of the division, and a win here puts him in the top 4—on the verge of a title shot.”

Dariush will enter the fight looking to rebound from a first round TKO loss to Charles Oliveira, in a lightweight title eliminator fight back at UFC 289. That bout snapped an 8-fight winning streak for the longtime Kings MMA talent, stretching all the way back to 2018. Unfortunately, Oliveira didn’t end up fighting for UFC gold either, despite being scheduled for a main event booking against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

An injury, suffered late in training camp forced the Brazilian out of the event, opening the door for a rematch between Makhachev and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. The Dagestani retained his title via first-round head kick KO.

Arman Tsarukyan steps into the UFC Austin main event on a two fight winning streak, following a controversial decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot back in June of last year. Since that fight, the 27-year-old has rattled off back to back wins over Damir Ismagulov and Joaquim Silva—the latter coming by third round TKO back this last summer.

UFC Austin gets 5-round co-main event

In something of a surprise move from the UFC, their upcoming Austin fight card will host not one, but two 5-round fights. Alongside the main event booking between Dariush and Tsarukyan, Dana White announced a second lightweight bout between top-ranked action fighters Dan Hooker and Bobby Green.

“The co-main event: #9 Dan Hooker faces #12 Bobby Green,” White said in the same video announcing the main event. “That is also five rounds. Dan is that anywhere, anytime type fighter. 18 of his 23 wins are by finish. He’s well rounded, but known for his aggressive striking style. Bobby is on fire, coming off a 30-second knockout. Only a month ago, he was the main event. Green will meet him in the middle with his hands down, moving forward—daring Hooker to go toe-to-toe, like he always does. And he will be looking for his 21st stoppage, and he’s looking to move into the top 10.”

37-year-old Bobby Green enters the fight fresh off a shocking 33-second KO of Grant Dawson just earlier this October. That win was Green’s second, following a no contest against Jared Gordon this past April, and firmly re-cemented Green in the lightweight rankings following back to back TKO/KO losses to Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober to close out 2022.

Dan Hooker has been experiencing his own revitalized run of success lately, with a split decision win over Jalin Turner at UFC 290 in July. That win followed a TKO of Clauio Puelles in November of last year, maintaining Hooker’s status as a ranked lightweight despite a 1-4 run between summer 2020 spring of 2022.

Also expected for UFC Austin is a welterweight bout between Sean Brady and Kelvin Gastelum, as well as a women’s bantamweight bout between former champion Miesha Tate and Julia Avila, and the bantamweight debut of former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, taking on Rob Font. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and updates.

Henry Cejudo says former UFC champ needs to learn defense

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira, UFC News

The UFC took a night off this past weekend, ceding the spotlight to Francis Ngannou and his boxing debut against WBC boxing champion Tyson Fury. It was an electric night for the former king of the UFC’s heavyweight division, walking out with spirited split decision loss in a fight many felt he should have won. But, even if Ngannou proved the UFC and his doubters wrong, that doesn’t mean the world’s largest MMA promotion doesn’t still have some big fights of their own on the horizon.

Just around the corner, in fact, is UFC 295, going down next month in New York, NY. There, the PPV main event is expected to showcase a light heavyweight title fight between former LHW champion Jiri Prochazka, and former MW king Alex Pereira. It’s an action-forward matchup that should be a thrill for fans.

Henry Cejudo breaks down Jiri Prochazka

With the fight on our immediate Horizon, Henry Cejudo shared his thoughts about Jiri Prochazka, and his skills inside the Octagon. Cejudo made his return to competition this past May after a three year retirement from MMA. During his time off, however, ‘Triple C’ made a name for himself, both coaching fighters and providing fans with insight into the technical side of mixed martial arts.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube Channel, Cejudo took some time to talk about Prochazka’s technique. Or notably, his lack of it on the defensive end.

“The technique, as good as you are with everything, there’s one area where I feel like you really need to get better at – two areas,” Henry Cejudo remarked (transcript via MMA Junkie). “Your defense, with your hands: I don’t like seeing you get hit because that may cost you against a guy like Alex Pereira. Then the other thing, too, is your takedown defense. Your takedown defense is still a little suspect.”

“If there’s an area where I feel like he really needs to get better, it’s (technique) – particularly his defense. And the other thing is his takedown defense.”

Jiri Prochazka’s weird training

If Jiri Prochazka’s game seems a little unorthodox, or perhaps has a few more holes in it than it feels like it should, that’s probably because the fighter himself seems to take a very unorthodox route to fight training. Back in October of last year, ‘Denisa’ made headlines when he announced that he had recently spent three days in total darkness, meditating and exploring his own psyche.

“That’s all in darkness for three days, and there you can work with your demons and train what you want. I don’t want to talk about a lot, because that’s like my personal things,” Prochazka explained.

“That’s the biggest fun, because you have to go to the point where time is ending, and I can’t speak about that, because it’s so, not intense, for me, these things are so personal … and holy.”

Prochazka has also trumpeted the value of traditional martial arts training techniques like punching a tree 500x a day or taking a page out of Conor McGregor’s book and doing some movement and form training, Ido Portal style.

UFC 295 takes place on November 11th at Madison Square Garden. Originally intended to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones, the event will now feature Prochazka vs. Pereira atop the card. An interim heavyweight title fight between top contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall is expected for the co-main event.

Crazy video: MMA fighter rolls for heel hook, submits himself

Posted on by Zane Simon in Grappling, MMA News

Just as sports host some of the most incredible physical achievements in the realm of man, they’re also the arena of some of humanity’s greatest lowlights. For every circus catch, wall-climbing outfield grab, or tackle breaking touchdown run, there’s a botched snap, an unforced fumble on the goal line, or a catcher taking a foul tip right to the balls.

The same is true for MMA as well. Sure there’s Demetrious Johnson’s flying armbar, or Yair Rodriguez’s up-elbow KO, but we also have that time Jarred Brooks knocked himself out trying a highlight slam, or that time Ion Cutelaba got TKO’d by his own over-enthusiastic acting chops.

MMA fighter Luiz Claudio submits himself

Sure this one didn’t happen at the highest levels of the sport, but it’s just so weird and unexpected, it couldn’t be ignored. This past Sunday, October 29th at Fight Music Show: Fight Night 2 in Curitiba, Brazil, 4-2-1 pro MMA fighter Luiz Claudio faced off in a lightweight prelim against 9-1 Yabna N’Tchala.

Just over a minute into the fight, the Brazilian found himself on his back, rolling for a kneebar against N’Tchala. A leg entanglement ensued, with Claudio searching for a potential heel hook. Only, he had his feet so badly crossed up around his opponent’s leg that when he cranked for the submission, he was the one that ended up having to tap.

Honest to god, never seen anything like it before.

Swords though?

The centerpiece of the Fight Music Show card was a four-man one-night kickboxing tournament, won by 12-6 pro MMA fighter Dioginis ‘Overeem’ Souza. But the real highlight of the whole event has to be the medieval knight fights event in the middle of the card, between two swordsmen wielding real steel and some heavy padding.

I’m not sure exactly who won this ren-fest nonsense, but my personal scorecard goes to the dude in the black pants for landing four or five uncontested right hands in close.

To my memory, we haven’t yet seen a self submission in the UFC. But with the increasing numbers of raw talent getting picked up off the Contender Series lately, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before someone replicates this kind of comedy masterclass in the Octagon.

Francis Ngannou & Tyson Fury react to shocking fight

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Celebrity Boxing, MMA News, Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou

The combat sports world is still reeling. Francis Ngannou didn’t win against Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but he shocked a whole heck of a lot of people with 10 strong rounds of boxing against one of the best heavyweights of the last 20 years.

The general feeling in the air, as a result, is that while the 37-year-old didn’t get his hand raised, he was just about the only one who walked out of the arena on October 28th that had the aura of victory around him. Tyson Fury has to push back his planned Usyk fight, the UFC looked petty and short sighted, and the PFL has to reckon with a star performer whose price tag almost certainly shot up.

Francis Ngannou resolute after Fury loss

After the bout was over, Francis Ngannou took a moment to speak to fans at the arena about his performance and where it might lead him. It’s clear that even with the split decision going against him, the Xtreme Couture talent was flying high, and couldn’t wait to jump back in the ring for another boxing bout.

“I feel great, I feel fantastic, I’m very happy” Ngannou said after his bout with Fury (transcript from MMA Fighting). “It didn’t go my way. I want to thank … the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for giving me this opportunity to prove people wrong one more time again.

“I’m just a fighter and I’m ready to fight any time soon. We can run it back again and I’m sure I’m going to get better. This was my first boxing match. Great experience. I’m not giving any excuse. I know I came up short but I’m going to go back and work harder. With a little more experience next time, a little more feeling of the game, and come back even stronger. Because, at first, I was a little nervous. This new sport that I never did, that I don’t really feel it, now I know I can do this s***. Now, baby, get ready. A wolf is in the house. I’m going to bite some s***.”

Tyson Fury stunned by Francis Ngannou’s ability

As aforementioned, if Francis Ngannou feels like he won, it feels a lot more like Tyson Fury lost. Speaking to fans after his bout as well, Fury sounded notably stunned by the competition he’d just played a part in.

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said post-fight. “Francis is a hell of a fighter. Strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would ever be. Listen, he’s a very awkward man and he’s a good puncher, and I respect him a lot. Before the fight and afterward.”

“He was very awkward. He wasn’t coming forward. He was standing back waiting for me to land my punches and then try to counter. He’s a good fighter. He’s given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years.”

Even before talking things over with his manager, it already started to sound like plans for his bout against Usyk were disintegrating before our very eyes. The first thing on Fury’s mind wasn’t a new bout in December, but getting a little time to rest up and recuperate.

“I’ve been out of the ring a lot time again, 11 months in between my last fights,” Fury said. “You can see it in here. Ring rust and everything. No excuses. Francis is a good fighter and he caught me with some good punches. Fair play to him. He cut me across the eye there. I don’t know what that was, a left hook or head butt or something, I’m not sure. But it was a rough fight. Perfect.”

Fury vs. Usyk delayed

Fury vs. Usyk had been seemingly all signed, set and delivered for December 23rd in Riyadh, likely at the same venue where Fury took on Ngannou on October 28th. After the bout was over, however, Fury’s manager made it clear that while the bout hasn’t been cancelled, it has very definitely been delayed.

“It will go ahead but it will not be on the 23rd,” said Warren in a recent interview. “It was crazy for some people to suggest that it could still go ahead on the 23rd. He is 35-years-old and has just done a 12-week training camp and has just been in a tough fight. He needs a break with his family, he needs to switch off and we will announce the date when we are ready. But the fight is signed. The fight will happen. It will happen early in the new year, late January or February. That will be up to Tyson, it is his body.

“Fury said in the ring that he would fight on the 23rd—and he would do it—but he needs protecting from himself and that’s my job.”

Chael Sonnen disgusted by Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Celebrity Boxing, Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou

This past Saturday played witness to a monumental moment in the MMA world. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou finally got his day in the sun; a boxing match against heavyweight title holder Tyson Fury. A lifelong dream for the Cameroonian-born Frenchman, his bout was expected to be little more than a one-sided tune-up for Fury on his way to a bout with Oleksandr Usyk. Instead, fans were treated to a highly competitive split decision, where the ‘Predator’s striking prowess was on full display.

In fact, the fight was so close that many observers felt that Ngannou should have gotten the nod. The 37-year-old was competitive in every round with Fury, and scored the bout’s biggest moment of offensive prowess, a clean knockdown in the third round. With a little more time to think, more and more people seem to feel Ngannou was a victim of highway robbery.

Chael Sonnen rails against Tyson Fury scorecards

Unsurprisingly, one such voice belongs to former multiple-time UFC title contender Chael Sonnen. The ‘American Gangster’ has never been shy of an opinion when controversy is brewing. Shortly after Fury got the nod in Riyadh, Sonnen took to social media to voice his displeasure.

“Boxing is not a real sport,” Chael Sonnen said in a recent YouTube video (transcript via MMA Junkie). “That hurts me. That hurts me to say, but there’s no way to deny that.”

“A man’s body of work deserves to be recognized, and it deserves to be recognized accurately,” he continued. “That is disgusting, what they just did to him. Anybody would’ve been wise to predict that that was going to happen. There was no chance that boxing was going to allow him to come in and get that win if it went to a decision.”

Daniel Cormier glows about Francis Ngannou

Once Chael Sonnen’s ESPN talk show partner, UFC commentator Daniel Cormier had his own take on the fight. Cormier didn’t get into the weeds of how the bout should have been scored, however, instead keeping his focus to the remarkable achievement Francis Ngannou put forth, just by being so competitive against one of the best boxers in the world today.

“Francis Ngannou proved that he is the baddest man on the planet,” Cormier said in a recent video uploaded to his own YouTube (transcript via BJPenn.com). “Why? Because he was the heavyweight champion of the UFC, and he fought the lineal heavyweight champion of the world to a split decision.

“Tyson Fury could not fight Francis Ngannou in mixed martial arts in the way that Francis fought Tyson in boxing. There’s no way a fight between any boxer and the UFC heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts goes to that type of decision. It was the most impressive performance I’ve ever seen for a guy outside of the realm of expertise. Make no mistake.”

End of the day, whether Chael Sonnen wants to get wrapped up in the scoring controversy, or DC wants to make sure that Ngannou gets his metaphorical flowers, the narrative is the same. Francis Ngannou shocked the boxing and the MMA world in Saudi Arabia. The only question left to ask is: What’s next? Can the PFL find a fight to match the Xtreme Couture athlete’s newly invigorated star status? Or is it all boxing from here on out?

UFC star Justin Gaethje tussles with ‘bodyguard,’ gets tapped at the club

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

UFC 294 went down this past weekend in Abu Dhabi. As with every major UFC event, a number of high profile celebrities and fighters were on hand. In the case of UFC BMF champ Justin Gaethje, the ‘Highlight’ was there to corner friend and training partner Kamaru Usman.

The former UFC welterweight king served as a late notice replacement for Paulo Costa, facing Khamzat Chimaev on just 10 days notice. Usman put together a shockingly successful performance against the Chechen, losing a majority decision. But just because he and his team were there for business didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun too.

Video: Justin Gaethje wrestles Nelk Boys security, loses

Among the celebrities on hand for UFC 294 were longtime friends of Dana White and podcast influencers, the Nelk Boys. Known as much for their publicity stunts as their media content, it seems at some point someone must have had the idea to get UFC star Justin Gaethje into an impromptu scuffle. That, or maybe the Trevor Wittman-trained fighter just decided he was feeling restless.

Either way video is circulating online of Gaethje and a man only identified as a “Nelk Boys security” engaged in a friendly tussle. At first, Gaethje seems to be handling things just the way fans might expect. That is, right up until he gets caught in a surprise kimura and has to tap his way out of trouble.

Kamaru Usman pranks Justin Gaethje

That wasn’t the only bit of goofiness that the 34-year-old Arizona native found himself at the center of during his trip to Abu Dhabi. At some point during their stay in the Middle East, Usman caught Justin Gaethje sleeping, and did what any warm blooded American man does in that situation, drew a penis on his forehead in sharpie.

@mma_wizards

Nah bro he did him WRONG 😂😂 #ufc #fyp #viral #kamaruusman #justingaethje #justingaetje #funny #meme #maxholloway #francisngannou #tysonfury

♬ original sound – MMA Wizards

It’s unclear at this point what might be next for Gaethje (other than some rubbing alcohol). UFC 294 witnessed the second defense of Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title, potentially setting Gaethje up for his own crack at the Dagestani champ. However, since the bout was supposed to feature Charles Oliveira taking on Makhachev, before a last minute injury sidelined the Chute Boxe Diego Lima fighter, it may just be that Gaethje will be stuck on the sidelines waiting for his turn in line.

Gaethje and Usman at center of pre-fight injury speculation

Earlier in fight week, both Justin Gaethje and Kamaru Usman found themselves at the center of a less entertaining bit of headline news. During Usman’s open workout for UFC 294, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ hit a big double leg takedown. After hitting the mat, right next to a camera recording the session, it sounded like Usman told Gaethje something “popped.”

Usman seemed to get up slowly, but walked off the mat under his own power and reportedly went on to hit mitts with Cosmo Alexandre. Both men firmly denied that there was anything wrong with Usman’s knee, but it didn’t put a rest to fans speculating ahead of the event.

Eventually, even the most skeptical observers had to be satisfied, however. Usman fought seemingly without reservation or encumbrance for 15 hard minutes against Chimaev. If there was any trouble with his left knee, he certainly didn’t show it on Saturday.

Against Fury, Francis Ngannou proved that UFC just held him back

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Boxing Editorial, MMA Editorial, Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, UFC Editorial

Let’s be honest here, what Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou looked to be heading into Saturday’s PPV boxing event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the start of a prolonged, glorified ride into the sunset for the former UFC heavyweight champ. The best, and most realistic expectations had him getting throughouly out-classed and likely even stopped over the course of several rounds against the ‘Gypsy King’.

From there, Francis Ngannou would go back to the PFL, proud of what he’d accomplished, but as a former UFC star running on the fumes of past glory. Who were they going to find to fight him? Ante Delija, Denis Goltsov, Ryan Bader? Maybe he’d help the promotion cross the 100k PPV buy threshold a few times before retiring as a guy who had made a lot of money betting on himself as a big fight B-side, and an MMA star that a UFC rival desperately needed.

Francis Ngannou: Combat sports star

Instead, while he didn’t get the win, Francis Ngannou walked out of his fight with Tyson Fury with the feeling of a newly-established, legitimate combat sports star. An attraction who isn’t just good for the top of an MMA card or as second billing to one of the big-money boxers out there, but as someone who can command his own price, set his own terms. Is Deontay Wilder a bigger name in combat sports right now? Is Anthony Joshua?

Google trends comparing Francis Ngannou, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.

Suddenly, where Francis Ngannou might have been someone those men felt they could use as a negotiating tool for other fights, or as an exhibition tuneup where they’d have the leverage, now the ‘Predator’ looks more like a legit competitor. Either someone that everyone can make a killing off of with a heavily hyped PPV or someone that can truly add to their own legacy as a big tough fight fans want to see.

It might be that Ngannou never actually ever wins a professional boxing match. But what felt like it was likely to be a high profile one-off that would chase him back to MMA suddenly has the look and feel of 3-5 professional fights in which Ngannou makes bank the whole way through. He has, very likely, in a single night, re-written the arc of his legacy as a fighter.

At this moment, I’d say that Francis Ngannou has put on the single greatest performance by an MMA fighter to ever cross into boxing. He’s broken a mold 30 years in the making, one which flatly states that MMA fighters cannot cross-over and face elite prime boxers and hold their own. To date, the only thing really close was Conor McGregor lasting 10 rounds with a 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather before getting TKOd.

Tyson Fury on the floor after getting knocked down by UFC star Francis Ngannou.
Screengrab

The UFC takes an L

Beyond the remarkable nature of Francis Ngannou’s achievement and the effect it will likely have on his career, however, are the implications his achievement will have on the MMA industry. Most notably, the potential deletirous effect this could have on both the UFC and the PFL.

On the first front, the UFC has to come away here as a very obvious loser. Prior to his split from the world’s largest MMA promotion, Ngannou made it clear on several occasions that he wanted to make this fight with Dana White and the UFC brand as business partners. He felt the fight would sell better and feel bigger with the promotion on board, and he might have been right. McGregor vs. Mayweather was a enourmous success.

Instead, the UFC decided to try and make an example out of their heavyweight champion. More willing to try and wait out his intentions to see whether he would get cold feet with the potential of true free agency looming. Francis Ngannou didn’t, and got summarily kicked to the curb for daring not to bend.

Even getting the Fury fight (and the massive PFL contract) after leaving the UFC put the notion out into the ether that there may be greener pastures outside the promotion waiting for those fighter gutsy enough to make the leap. This success in Saudi Arabia, though, seems like it could supercharge that.

Sean O’Malley wants to box Gervonta Davis, if he’s serious about it, Francis Ngannou just laid a path to success. How many other fighters will look at what he’s done and see the UFC’s hesitancy to help them as a lack of belief in their potential. White’s short sightedness would have kept Ngannou from this new height forever. Do these athletes want to admit to themselves that they lack the Xtreme Couture talent’s self belief?

No picnic for the PFL

For the PFL, however, the problem feels much less theoretical and much more pressing…

Read the rest of the post over at our Substack page for FREE.

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Dana White ties Bud Light backlash to COVID

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC News

Things have been looking pretty bright lately on the financial side for the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion. Just in the last few days, the UFC announced that they had landed the largest sponsor deal in the promotion’s 30-year history. A $100 million contract in partnership with Anheuser-Busch and their Bud Light beer brand.

For Bud Light, this news comes after months of public backlash, boycotting, and sales downturns for the alcoholic beverage giants. That’s in the wake of a brief ad campaign starring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The initial spot with Mulvaney aired during March Madness back in April, and caused immediate outcry from conservative media and public figures. That led Bud Light to swiftly distance themselves from Mulvaney, causing members of the LGBTQ+ community to stage their own boycotts of the brand.

Dana White delivers response to critics over Bud Light deal

All of which, eventually, appears to have pushed the beer company back to a familiar branding partner: The UFC. Bud Light was the official beer brand of the Octagon from 2008 to 2017—replacing Mickey’s malt liquor initially, before eventually getting replaced by Modelo, themselves. Many pundits see this deal as an attempt from Anheuser-Busch InBev to re-align their brand with a promotion, and promoter, that can capture the kind of younger male demographic that Bud Light has been losing out on in recent years.

At a recent press conference for Power Slap UFC CEO Dana White fielded a question about the UFC’s new deal with AB InBev and what, if any, criticism that move has brought with it.

“Listen, believe me, if you think I got into this thinking that that wouldn’t happen, you’re out of your mind,” Dana White told reporters when asked about backlash he’s received over the UFC’s Bud Light deal. “People are very opinionated about this. It’s almost like in the COVID thing, right? Through COVID? What did I say during COVID? ‘Somebody’s gotta be first.’ And there are reasons why I felt we could ‘be first’ going through COVID; knew that we would do it right, yada yada yada. You know the story.

“But, when it comes to Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light? Everybody talks about, ‘Oh, you did it for money!’ Hey dummies, all sponsorship deals are about money, okay? So when you talk about being a sellout? I had multiple deals in front of me. So it’s not like, oh, Bud Light showed up, and they were the only option I had to get money. You know how f*cking stupid that is, to think that?

“This was all about—and I said this yesterday and I’ll say it again—everybody on every side of this deal that were involved, other beer companies and everything else, absolutely positively know that this was not about money for me. We were going to end up with money with no matter who we ended up with.”

“For Anheuser-Busch, it was about core values for me. I’m in a point in my life, and I’m in a point in my career, where nothing is just about money anymore. I am very aligned—and I saw some other f*cking *sshole today saying, ‘Oh, it sounds like they wrote him a script on what to say.’ Nobody writes me a script, nobody tells me what to say. Ever.

“When I come out and say something publicly? If you look at every quote, right, that I put out… every quote is me. Every quote is me, everything that’s posted on social media is me and everything that comes out of this mouth is me. Nobody tells me what to say and nobody tells me what to do. Ever.”

Dana White outlines Anheuser-Busch values

More and more, recently, the UFC has been pushing itself toward a more politically conservative public stance as a business. In a recent Fox News interview, Dana White struck out at what he sees as ‘woke’ ideologies, proudly proclaiming that “we don’t do anything woke over here, at all.” The promotion was also notable for its attempts to sidestep COVID regulations in the early days of the pandemic, and has become a reliable platform for former President Donald Trump to make public appearances—a relationship that even got Dana White a prominent speaking position at the last Republican National Convention.

It’s likely that’s the kind of political clout Anheuser-Busch is hoping will rub off on their Bud Light brand. In the same Power Slap presser, Dana White made his pitch as to why the company is a perfect fit for the UFC.

“And the things I said about Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light yesterday are absolutely true,” White explained, referencing a recent Fox News interview.

“I am a big Military/Law Enforcement guy. They have this, ‘Folds of Honor’ where they’ve spent $44 million over the last however-many years. Fallen first responders and military people, their families get taken care of with this money; scholarships for their kids, etc. That is right up my alley. Almost a billion dollars a year go to US farmers, for their crops, for their products. That is right up my alley, that is exactly who I am. 65,000 Americans are employed by Anheuser-Busch, and thousands of them are vets. Right up my alley.

“And I could keep going on and on forever and tell you why I am more aligned with Anheuser-Busch than any of the other beer companies that were offering to pay us money.”

How many other options did the UFC really have?

To hear Dana White tell it, the promotion had a whole host of options to choose from and AB InBev was simply the clear frontrunner because of their values. But it has to be wondered just how many other real competitors the UFC had for that spot. Especially given the massive amount of money on the table.

Not only does AB InBev have a bigger bank account than most of its competition in the beverage market, but, they also own pieces of a whole lot of their competition in the beverage market. Beyond brands as obvious as Budweiser and Busch, they also have partnerships with (if not outright ownership of) Becks, Corona, Michelob, Modelo (at least outside the US), Stella Artois, Kona, Natty Light, Cutwater cocktails, Bass, Magners, and Pacifico among many others.

That’s right, nestled in the middle of that list is Modelo, the company the UFC just left to go with Bud Light. Maybe some of these brands operate independently enough that the UFC was still at the center of a serious bidding war. But it’s hard not to feel like Anheuser-Busch was working with a very stacked deck. Did the UFC really have a lot of options to consider? Or did they have one truly massive bid and little else that could really compete?

Either way, the UFC boss is doing his part now, to make Anheuser-Busch appear in lock step with UFC values. If this partnership is successful, it may be that the UFC becomes a landing spot for other big brands looking for an image rehab.

Dana White explains why not Stipe Miocic at UFC 295; Miocic says it ‘wasn’t my choice’

Posted on by Zane Simon in MMA News, UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira, UFC News

The UFC’s end of the year PPV plans have been absolutely ravaged. What was supposed to be Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2 in Abu Dhabi on October 21st was shifted to Makhachev vs. Alex Volkanoski on just a few days notice. A December PPV expected to feature Conor McGregor taking on Michael Chandler off the back of their TUF coaching stint is now set to feature Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, with McGregor’s return still pushed indefinitely out into the future.

The last remaining big fight still on the books for 2023 was meant to be a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. That bout is now also in tatters, with Jones having suffered a torn pectoral muscle in training that will require 8-months of rehab. In its place, top contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall will vie for an interim belt. But why not Stipe Miocic? What’s wrong with the former two-time heavyweight king?

Dana White suggests UFC didn’t even call Stipe Miocic about a new fight

A full-time firefighter alongside his MMA career, Miocic hasn’t been seen inside the Octagon since his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou back in March of 2021. If that seems like it would leave him itching for a chance to fight again, it doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, at least to hear Dana White tell it, the UFC didn’t even consider offering the 41-year-old Ohio native a crack at the interim title. To do so, according to the UFC CEO, would have been disrespectful.

“Stipe’s not fighting for an interim title. You know what I mean?” Dana White told reporters after a recent Power Slap event. “Jones said, ‘I want to fight Stipe.’ I said, ‘You’re fighting Stipe.’ You have the greatest heavyweight of all time vs. the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. This is a legacy fight for both of those guys.

“I mean, to even call Stipe and ask Stipe to fight for an interim title is complete disrespect,” Dana White argued. “This is a fight for two legends; legacy, two of the greatest to ever do it. Fans want to see it, I want to see it, and they both want to do it.”

“Obviously, Stipe’s been in training camp; he’s spent time, energy and money on this thing,” Dana White said later, when asked about Miocic’s emotions on getting the fight cancellation news. “Obviously, he’s very, very upset about it. And these fighters go through a ton of emotions… Yeah, he’s upset, but, you know, he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time; this fight makes sense for him. This is a fight that, for both these guys—for Jon Jones, to beat Stipe at heavyweight, it’s massive for his career. For Stipe to beat Jon Jones and regain the heavyweight title? Why would you not want to do that. Why would you want to do anything else.

“Stipe Miocic is gonna fight in an interim title fight? He’s upset and he deserves to be upset, but it’s one of those things. It’s nobody’s fault. Jon Jones wants to fight. Jon Jones doesn’t want to have surgery. We don’t want the Jon Jones fight to go away, with Stipe. But, it is what it is and we all have to deal with it,” Dana White said.

So what’s the interim champ going to do?

With the UFC set to crown a new interim heavyweight champion at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden on November 11th, the question has to be asked: What then? Does the winner just have to wait for Miocic vs. Jones to happen someday, probably, maybe?

“100%,” Dana White responded when asked if the Aspinall/Pavlovich winner would just need to sit and wait for Stipe vs. Jones. “Here’s the deal: Jones & Stipe were supposed to fight. Jones gets hurt, right? 8-9 months, he’s gonna be out? You don’t strip him or take him out of the rankings for a year.

“So if you’re Sergei and Aspinall, you’re getting the opportunity to fight for the interim title anyway, now. So yeah, they’re going to have to wait until this fight happens. This fight was set up, this fight needs to happen. Two of the biggest legends in the sport want the fight. The fans want the fight.”

As for what happens if both Stipe and Jones retire after their fight, when (or if) ever it ends up happening? For now, Dana White is just hoping that’s not the outcome.

“Listen, to be the man, you gotta beat the man,” Dana White responded when asked about Jones and Miocic potentially both retiring. “So, whoever wins that fight, it would be nice to see them stick around and defend it. That, we can’t determine until it happens.”

UPDATE: Stipe Miocic says not fighting for interim belt “wasn’t my choice”

Soon after Dana White’s comments, Stipe Miocic said he didn’t have a say in the matter.

“I don’t know why I didn’t get picked, which is fine,” Stipe Miocic told MMA Fighting. “I understand they have a direction they want to go. I’m okay with that. Every guy in the division is tough. I definitely want to fight the biggest fish, which is Jon Jones. It wasn’t my choice, it was theirs. Listen, everything happens for a reason. The fight being canceled, it sucks. No question about it. Unfortunately that’s just the game we’re in. It happens. Like I said, I hope he’s okay. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. I want that belt back. It’s my belt. It’s going to happen.”

May 12, 2017 - Dallas, Texas, U.S. - Stipe Miocic vs. Junior Cigano dos Santos during UFC 211 Weigh-in at American Airlines Center. UFC 211: Weigh-in: Texas - ZUMAs277 20170512_sha_s277_808
Jason Silva / ZUMA Wire, IMAGO