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Why Joe Rogan supports overturning Jon Jones' DQ loss to Matt Hamil
The 12-6 elbow prohibition was a ruse to allow elbows when the Unified Rules were codified in NJ - an elbow was described as a 'forearm', while the 12-6 version used to break ice in bogus karate exhibitions was defined as an 'elbow'. In 2009 Jones crushed Hamill, but saw much-pilloried ref Steve Mazzagatti ask 'The Hammer' if he was OK after receiving a 12-6 elbow from Jones. Hamill wasn't OK before the elbow, and is deaf, and didn't reply, and Mazzagatti DQed Jones; it's Bones' sole loss, and UFC president Dana White is reportedly working with the UFC to overturn it. Commentator Joe Rogan comments: "I’m in agreement with this 100%. The 12-6 elbow rule is one of the dumbest rules in combat sports. At the very least that fight should be a No Contest. He was completely dominant." h/t Twitter
Jon Jones names the G.O.A.T. and his Mount Rushmore
Aidan James keen for BRAVE to help European MMA scene
"I can truly say, from my experience with the BRAVE team, that the goal here is bigger than individual fights. They want to reach all communities and make sure they experience mixed martial arts. I've traveled to incredible places and the fans in all those places have been able to experience for the first time a truly global event. As I grow as a martial artist, I'm very proud to be growing with BRAVE and hope to help them reach out to the MMA community in Europe and in the UK, specifically. I can't wait to be in action in England and put on a show for everyone." James, on a three-fight win streak in Brave, fights Cameron Else on the main card of BRAVE 24, an invite-only event on 7/25 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, inside the Copper Box Arena, that will connect the biggest influencers, politicians, and sportsmen to MMA and is set to empower the sport in the continent of Europe.
Amanda Nunes: Why I want a Cyborg rematch
"I think this is the fight to make. You know, 145 is dead right now, nobody in that division. And Cyborg was the most dominating woman on the planet. I feel like she don't expect she would lose [to] me, as fast at how it was. She thinks she wanna prove something but she knows she's gonna lose again. But I feel like, we should make that [rematch]. All the fans want that." h/t Sherdog • Watch
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•Gunnar Nelson vs. Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Dequan Townsend IN with Justin Ledet OUT vs. Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC on ESPN 3 on 6/29 in Minneapolis
•Glover Teixeira vs. Nikita Krylov at UFC on ESPN+ 16 on 9/14 in Vancouver
•Todd Duffee vs. Jeff Hughes at UFC on ESPN+ 16 on 9/14 in Vancouver
•Marcin Tybura vs. Augusto Sakai at UFC on ESPN+ 16 on 9/14 in Vancouver
•Volkan Oezdemir vs. Ilir Latifi at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark
•Jim Miller vs. Clay Guida at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark
•Joaquim Silva vs. Nasrat Haqparast at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark
•Jordan Espinosa vs. Matt Schnell at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark
•Lauren Murphy vs. Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark
Why Colby Covington cool with Lawler fight, not title shot vs. Usman
Colby Covington extended his win-streak to six by beating RDA to win the Interim welterweight belt, and saw it removed when surgery prevented a title defense. And he trash talks in a league that loves, even demands trash talk. Yet his first fight in over a year isn't vs. champ Kamaru Usman, it's vs. Robbie Lawler at UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3 in Newark, and he's OK with that: “I accepted right away. Marty Fake Newsman, he’s out there faking injuries, who knows when he’s gonna fight again? He’s already been out for six or seven months. Who knows when he’ll be back? ... The show must go on. I’ve got to defend this title. I won this title and now it’s time to defend it. Robbie is a bigger name. He looked impressive in that fight with Ben Asscream. He’s a better dad than Ben Asscream, he’s a better fighter, he’s better looking. He just does everything better than Asscream, so I’m excited. It’s a big, big opportunity and I shine brightest in those big opportunities, so this is my chance to really show to the UFC and to ESPN who the real champ is and who is the face of the UFC and that’s what I plan on doing.” h/t MMA Fighting • Listen to MMA Junkie Radio
Dana White ponders boxing rights bids to bolster UFC Fight Pass
Dana White: "A lot of different people have different opinions of me, but I’ve been the vision since the day I said to the Fertittas, ‘You should buy this thing.’ I’m not saying they didn’t have part of the vision, but I’m the vision guy when it comes to the UFC and the fight game. The vision never changed. Since day one, you’ve always heard me say, ‘This will be global, and this will work anywhere.’ … Now with streaming, with ESPN Plus and UFC Fight Pass, we can do fights all over the world. ... We’re considering everything. There could be a situation where we do fights like we do on Fight Pass from other promotions but doing that with boxing, too, maybe acquiring other companies, maybe bidding on the right big fights to air on Fight Pass. We’re looking at all the options, not just one or two. What you’re hearing right now [about buying Premier Boxing Champions], though, is bull$#!@ as usual. ... Whether boxing is fixable or not remains to be seen. I’m going to give it a shot. But I’ll tell you this, there’s four big heavyweights out there that people want to see, and if sold and done the right way could be even bigger. They’re not as big as they should be. They should be much bigger. The gates should be bigger. The pay-per-views should be bigger. I believe I could add value to those fights. Some people might agree; some won’t." h/t LVRJ
YouTube superstar announces main event for Brave CF London debut
Lucas "Mineiro" Martins will challenge world champion Bubba Jenkins with the American's Featherweight title on the line. The announcement was made by Brazilian comedian and YouTube superstar Whindersson Nunes, the biggest digital influencer in his country, and Lucas' personal friend and student, who used his Instagram fanbase of over 30 million followers to declare his support for his teacher. BRAVE Combat Federation's first trip to England is set to be a once in a lifetime experience for the exclusive guests, in an invite-only event that will change the landscape of mixed martial arts in Europe and in the world. Watch
Jon Jones explains why he said managers should get 10%, max
“The reason why I came out and I encouraged fighters to think about what they’re paying management companies is just because there are a lot of fighters walking away from the sport with nothing. At the end of the day, I just feel like everyone should be earning what they get. I just wanted to educate some of the boys. At the end of the day, true legacy moves are how you affect other people’s lives. I felt like if one athlete re-evaluated his situation and ultimately saved more money for his family then I helped. It’s about changing lives and giving back and that was my way of doing it. Just in a small way. Having brothers in the NFL, you’re used to managers and football taking 1 percent, 2 percent. In MMA, it’s common for managers to take 20 percent, 25 percent. We’re making a lot less money than NFL players. Something doesn’t seem right to me about that. Just to voice it and allow guys to think a little bit outside the box? I know that’s a win for some people. I’m grateful for anybody who had the opportunity to reassess their situation.” h/t MMA Junkie
UFC 240 poster drops
KHK praised by IMMAF pres. Kerrith Brown for Brave CF MMA development work
Brave Combat Federation and the Kingdom of Bahrain have been praised for the roles they played in the development of mixed martial arts on a grass-roots level. On November 9-16, 2019, 550 athletes from more than 60 countries will compete in the IMMAF-WMMAA World Championships in Isa Town, Bahrain, during Brave International Combat Week 2019, the largest combat sports festival in Asia. Brown: “His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa has worked very hard to help us deliver an amazing event by giving the athletes all the conditions possible so they can be able to put on world-class performances when it matters. Our relationships with BRAVE and His Highness are the best possible. We have the same visions and goals for the sport. They have stepped up to the plate in terms of understanding our vision and putting the sport at the highest level and I’m thankful to be partners with them.” h/t Conan Daily • Watch
Amanda Nunes on when Rousey, Tate, and Cyborg broke
“Against Miesha… when I connect a couple punches, I saw she slowly breaking. That is a very good moment for you as a fighter to see because you want to see your opponent breaking .... For Ronda Rousey, when I was able to connect, I saw she was done right away. She didn’t wanna be there. ... Move forward to Cyborg, when I connect with the first one was when it got her dropped. I saw she wasn’t gonna recover right away because she never got hit like that before, ever in her life. When you never got hit like that, you know you’re not gonna come back, because you never felt that before. In those moments, when you see your opponent done… definitely [it’s the best feeling in the world].” Nunes defends her bantamweight belt vs. former champ Holly Holm at UFC 239 on 7/6 in Las Vegas. h/t MMA Weekly • Watch (2:01)
Suckerpunch Entertainment partners with Russian MMA team to expand global reach
In anticipation of the growing market in Russia, as well as the expansion of fighters coming out of that region, Suckerpunch Entertainment, with 130 athletes on the roster, has partnered with ‘Raty MMA’ to promote and bring more fighters abroad as well as sending more U.S. based athletes overseas in the coming months. Butler-Au: “Our goal at SuckerPunch is and has always been to take care of the best talent in MMA worldwide. To do this we have to constantly look at ways to expand our footprint and create a real infrastructure for the management of athletes in this sport. We have been vetting potential partners for some time now and we are excited to formally partner with Raty Team in Russia. Raty team is a very respected and credible name in their region and their staff and culture are what we are looking for in a global partner. They have an abundant roster of very talented fighters and we will be bringing them into the North American market while they will be helping bring our clients opportunities in Eastern Europe." h/t MMA Fighting
Yorgan De Castro: ‘Very special’ to be first UFC fighter from Cape Verde
Now an undefeated heavyweight, Yorgan De Castro, 31 De Castro spent his first 18 years in Cape Verde, where he grew up with a single mother. He moved to Portugal in 2005 at 18 in pursuit of opportunity, and trained and competed in kickboxing for five years. Then he moved to Mass and found Lauzon MMA and later Regiment Training Center.De Castro put Cape Verde on the map in the MMA world with his Round 1 TKO vs. Alton Meeks on Dana White’s Contender Series last week: “This is a big deal. If you don’t know, it’s a really small country. We don’t normally do big things. Nothing happens there. For me, it’s big to be able to inspire the generation coming up. Not just (kids from) Cape Verde, but kids from all over the place that grew up in a humble place and have nothing. I want them to see me as hope and do what they want to do and believe that anything can happen.” h/t BE
Dana White: I think I pushed Darren Till a little too soon
“I think after the win over Cowboy, I pushed him a little soon. It happens. Sometimes when a guy gets that much steam behind them, pump the brakes a little here, and let him get back and work on the things he needs to work on. For some people [with a win over a fighter of Cerrone's caliber], it’s the perfect time. For others, it’s too soon. That weight division is nasty. It’s like Murderer’s Row in that top-8. He’s gonna be around. We’ll give him some time, look for an opponent and see what’s next for him.” h/t BJPenn.com • Watch
Romania's Cosmin Dusa collapses before fight at Eagles FC, and dies
On Friday morning Romanian bantamweight Cosmin Dusa made weigh for a fight vs. Lilian Grosu at Eagles Fighting Championship - Eagles Elimination on June 22. Dusa reportedly made weight on Friday morning without any apparent health problems. However, on Saturday morning he was found by his team, collapsed in his hotel room. Dusa was rushed to a local hospital and placed in intensive care, but died on Tuesday morning. The cause of death remains undisclosed,but is expected to be announced on Wednesday. h/t Sherdog • Alba24.ro
Miles Johns Miguel Baeza earn UFC contracts on DWCS Episode 2
Shorty following the five bouts on the second episode Dana White's Contender Series, the UFC President announced the promotion would be signing two of the night's athletes: Miles Johns and Miguel Baeza.
Effort underway to overturn Jon Jones DQ loss to Matt Hamill
Michael Bisping: Weili Zhang can upset champ Jessica Andrade
“Weili is 19-1, nine by knockout, seven submissions so 16 of those 19 wins are by stoppage. This woman is a stopper. She stops fights, she wins fight, knockouts, submissions. And I get it’s rare in those weight classes to be a finisher. But she does that and she’s also very good. I saw the fight against Tecia Torres. I watched it, I was like ‘wow this girl is sensational. She’s amazing.’ Now she’s on a three-fight win streak [under the UFC banner]. Is that a little early for a UFC title shot? Maybe, but it’s not unheard of. It’s certainly not unheard of and of course, I’d say she has the skills to be in there. Weili may beat her. She’s a fantastic striker, she’s got good footwork, she’s very very capable. And she’s 3-0 in the UFC with a massive record.” The pair fight at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on 8/31 in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. h/t BJPenn.com • Listen to Believe You Me podcast
Tuff-N-Uff gives back to Vegas community with free MMA event
With the average prices of event tickets to popular mixed martial arts events often topping hundreds of dollars, seeing such an event live is out of reach for many of the sport's most ardent fans. Tuff-N-Uff has decided to help do something about that by offering a packed roster of fights at a FREE event that will be held June 29, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. After the fights, Tuff-N-Uff is hosting an AFTERFIGHT party at Hooter's Casino at which ladies can drink for free, and men can purchase UNLIMITED DRINK WRISTBANDS for $30. CEO Jeff Meyer: "The fans are the reason we exist and we want to do our best to show as many of them as we can that we appreciate every one of them. Tuff-N-Uff's 6th annual 'Pack the Mack' is our way of giving back to the MMA fans & community of Las Vegas which has been so good to Tuff-N-Uff for so long." h/t Broadway World
Jimmy Smith to commentate at Titan FC 55 on Friday on UFC Fight Pass
'Mighty' Johnson and Eddie Alvarez next ONE fights on 8/3
Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez will make their second promotional appearances at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes on Aug. 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. In the co-main event, “The Underground King” will look to claim his first win under the new banner following a KO loss in his debut vs. Timofey Nastyukhin. This time around, Alvarez fights former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, who was dethroned in his last outing vs. Shinya Aoki. Johnson fights Tatsumitsu Wada in the flyweight World Grand Prix semifinal. Johnson advanced to the semis after a second-round submission in his promotional debut over Yuya Wakamatsu. Super Series Muay Thai flyweight champion Jonathan Haggerty puts his title on the line vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the main event. h/t MMA Fighting
AZ AC cracking down on unregulated events
The Boxing & MMA Commission has been cracking down on unsanctioned combat sporting events throughout the state. There are still instances where individuals attempt to hold events that do not follow the guidelines set forth by the commission; these unsanctioned events often lead to charges with the possibility of jail time and hefty fines. Director Francisco Meneses reports that from September 2018 to May 2019, three unsanctioned events allegedly hosted by the same two individuals took place, including Mesa. Roland Sierra and Todd Whitmoyer, both of whom were previously licensed with the Boxing & MMA Commission, have been charged with six class-2 misdemeanors for hosting the illegal fights. According to the ADG, class-2 misdemeanors in Arizona can carry a maximum fine of $750 and four months in jail, per charge. Meneses: “They are avoiding some of the costs to make more of a profit. However, they are losing that health and safety standard. It isn’t worth it, it’s not safe for the fighter or the public. We want Arizona to be one of the top states for this sport as a spectator, competitor, and someone associated in this industry.” h/t EVT
