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Khabib's manager: 'Money' Mayweather out of money, begging for a fight
Ali Abdelaziz: “Floyd Mayweather, to this day, keep begging to fight Khabib; begging. Floyd run out of money. I’m telling you, people reaching out to me every week about Floyd to fight Khabib, but at the end of the day, we’re not interested… for now. The lightweight champion Nurmagomedov fights interim champ Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242 on 9/77 in Abu Dhabi. h/t MMA Weekly • Watch TMZ interview (1:10)
Roxanne Modafferi at 36: ‘I’ve unlocked my next power level’
"my impression of that [first] fight was very even, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if I won and I wouldn’t have been surprised if I lost. We just went to battle, so I wasn’t sure about it, but this time it shall be different because I have grown and I have achieved. I’ve unlocked my next power level, so it should be an amazing performance in my next fight. I have a great team and a great set up right now in my career. I have coach John Wood – the head coach at Syndicate, Mike Pyle is my head grappling coach, Lorenzo Pavlica is my strength and conditioning coach, so I feel like the three of them are really guiding me very, very well. I started working with Lorenzo for about three years ago, right after my fight with Maia. ... I really feel like I have a hard time building muscle, like my body type doesn't put up muscle and strength easily, so I think finally after a few years of working with him the results are finally starting to become more apparent than in the past. ... I feel like I’m the best version of Roxy, the strongest version of Roxy, the healthiest version of Roxy. I just feel great.” 'The Happy Warrior' rematched Brazilian striker Jennifer Maia at UFC on ESPN 4 on Saturday. h/t MMA Fighting
MD has no scientific explanation for how 'Marreta' fought Jon Jones with injured knees
Thiago Santos undergoes surgery on both knees today, following his SD loss to LHW champ Jon Jones at UFC 239 on 7/6: “It was already certain that I’d have to operate one knee, but the doctor gave another look on the right and said I’ll have to operate that one as well on the meniscus." The surgeon has no explanation for how 'Marreta' was able to go 5 rounds given the extent of the injury: “This is not normal. This was his mind. I don’t have a scientific explanation for that.” h/t ESPN (original Portuguese) • Greg Rosenstein
Michael Bisping: What Luke Rockhold has to do to earn my eternal respect
"Everyone seems to think that I’m gonna take pleasure in seeing Luke knocked out like that, and it’s the opposite. I really feel for the guy. I do. I feel bad for him. Not only did he get his jaw broke, but he’s now been knocked out cold, viciously, in three of his last four fights. And I can’t help but think that he’s done. Now that doesn’t mean that he’s going to be. What he could do is come back and prove everybody wrong! Prove me wrong. That’s what I would’ve done. That’s kind of what I did. And, if he does that ... Then my god! He will have my respect forever! ... It looks like his career is over. It is not only the fact that A, he’s been knocked out three times out of his last four. It’s not only the fact that he’s got a broken jaw, and that’s going to take some time to heal back from. It’s also the fact that it’s one thing getting knocked out cold once and coming back from that. But when you’ve been knocked out cold three of your last four, I mean, that is some psychological demons to overcome.” h/t BJPenn.com • Watch Believe You Me podcast
Dana White: Why Jorge Masvidal is NOT getting Conor McGregor fight
Trailer: Above the Shadows with Tito Ortiz releases on Friday
Jon Jones aims to expose Corey Anderson's @$$
How many can you get?
Chinese Communist Party prohibiting fighter tattoos
The Chinese Communist Party campaign to clampdown on “bad influencers” in the media, last year widened to include sport. First, the Chinese Football Association delivered a “no visible ink” order to teams in China’s three professional leagues; players covered visible tattoos with athletic tape. Those same rules have expanded to include MMA, across China’s largest TV network CCTV and major cable networks. CCTV has cut most of its ties to MMA, lessening the impact, but it will be hard for the more popular sports of boxing, Sanda, Wushu, and Muay Thai. The move in China is not dissimilar to Korean TV standards, which frowns down on tattoos, knives, and cigarettes; ROAD FC rookie Hwang In-su, for example, is often required to cover his extensive tats when competing. h/t The Fight Nation
Why Dana White won't make Georges St-Pierre vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
“There’s two things. First of all, who doesn’t love Georges St-Pierre? Love Georges St-Pierre, the best ever as far as human beings, great guy, love him. Georges St-Pierre and I had a deal, he was going to fight Bisping at 185 pounds and if he won, he would defend the title. He bailed on that. Didn’t do it. So you can’t just come out and handpick fights that you want for titles. He made this deal with me that he would defend the title. He went in and he saw Bisping as an easy fight. He fought Bisping and then you look at the guys that are behind Bisping and they’re ... all literally killers. But now to come back and he wants to fight at 155 for the title. We’re not doing a goofy 165 whatever, that’s not going to happen. ... I guess if I get into a position where Khabib the champ wants it bad enough, we’re going to have to talk about it but at the end of the day it doesn’t make sense to me. ... There’s guys backed up that want to fight in that division. You can’t come back out of retirement and handpick fights that you want when you didn’t even keep your word with me on defending the [185] pound belt. Have I made that clear?” h/t MMA Fighting • Watch TSN interview
Former UFC fighter Ericka Almeida accuses ex-coach of assault
The former Jungle Fight strawweight champ who fought twice for the UFC in 2015 has accused her ex-coach Herman Gutierrez of assault. Further, Almeida’s sister, Ellen Almeida, has also pressed charges against Gutierrez for assault. In 2007, Ericka was 17 when she began working as a receptionist at Gutierrez’s gym in Sorocaba, Brazil as a receptionist in 2007; Gutierrez, who was 38 at the time, was married to another woman when they started a relationship. Ericka reports that Gutierrez would verbally and physically assault her with kicks of elbows for trivialities like wearing makeup. Ericka's sister, not knowing about the relationship, started dating the coach after joining the team, and likewise was subject to abuse. Now living in Curitiba and engaged to another man, Almeida decided to press charges against Gutierrez. Almeida’s lawyer wants Gutierrez to be charged with attempt murder. Gutierrez denied the assaults; after hearing a recording of a phone call during which he asked Almeida when she didn’t “deserve” to get hit, he covered the camera and ended the interview. h/t MMA Fighting • Globo (original Portuguese)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk signs with The Ballengee Group
Zoila Frausto, 35, aims to inspire in Combate Americas run
“I just like the fact that I’m older and I’m still doing this at a high level. I want to be able to inspire people, especially women, to be able to do that. A lot of people think your professional career is done in your 20s. I’m halfway to 40 now and I want to be able to inspire the little older ones or even the younger ones that you can do this for a very long time if you take care of yourself, your body, your mind. You can have a long and successful career. I want to be able to show people that I’m just as strong. I’m better and faster as an athlete. I’m smarter. I want to inspire people and become a bigger name and do things with that.” Frausto fights Reina Cordoba in the main event of Combate Fresno on 8/2, live on DAZN. h/t Cage Side Press
MMA movie 'Mickey Kelley' to star Sean Patrick Flanery, Dennis Quaid, and Renzo
The MMA drama MICKEY KELLEY features a cast that includes Sean Patrick Flanery and Dennis Quaid, alongside fighters Renzo Gracie, Edson Barboza, and Mickey Gall. Executive Producers are Forrest Lucas and Sean Patrick Flanery, who teamed with Alex Ranarivelo to co-write the screenplay. In 1990, Mickey Kelley (Flanery), one of the first American BJJ black belts, gets pulled into an unsanctioned MMA tournament, where his hopes and dreams of providing for his family come to a halt with a single, life-altering, split-second decision, as Marco Blaine (Edson Barbosa), controversially plows his way to victory. Later, Blaine has become a champ in the now sanctioned sport of MMA, while Mickey Kelley has become a shell of a man, making ends meet to support his wife and son by sweeping floors at a karate studio. But when a secret video of their tournament goes viral the internet, fans see Blaine’s claim of being “undefeated” as hollow and everyone clamors for a rematch. What no one knows is that Mickey hides a secret that could risk the few precious things that remain in his life ...
UFC on ESPN 5 poster drops
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•Kai-Kara France vs. Mark De La Rosa at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on 8/31 in Shenzhen, China
•Alen Amedovski vs. John Phillips at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Brian Ortega vs. Chan Sung Jung in the works for UFC on ESPN+ 17 on 9/21 in Mexico City
•Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. OSP official for UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Alessio Di Chirico vs. Peter Sobotta at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Askar Askarov Faces Brandon Moreno at UFC on ESPN+ 17 on 9/21 in Mexico City
•Ion Cutelaba vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Macy Chiasson vs. Lina Lansberg at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen
•Li Jingliang vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on 8/31 in China
•Cub Swanson vs. Kron Gracie at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in San Francisco
Dana White: Why Henry Cejudo's next fight isn't Urijah Faber
"You'd have to look at Joe [Benavidez, at flyweight]. Next, [Cejudo] should defend title - he would go to 125, defend that title, then we would decide who he would fight next. I think that as long as Cejudo is willing to defend both titles, I think he's the guy that could carry both [flyweight and bantamweight divisions], by both I mean both divisions". h/t Watch TMZ interview
Manager: Jorge Masvidal will fight for title or Conor McGregor and that's it
DC: With 2nd win vs. Stipe, I'm the heavyweight G.O.A.T.
“I can’t do this better than I did the first time. I’m not gonna knock Stipe Miocic out in four minutes. He’s got a great coach, and he’s a good fighter that’s gonna make adjustments to not get put to sleep. But that does not mean he’s gonna win the fight. I’m gonna win the fight. And I get to go out there and defeat the guy that people thought is the best of all time again. .. The more I do in this division, the more it cements a legacy in this division. Because after this, beating the guy that supposed to be the greatest of all time twice and never losing in this division ever, they gotta start to put me atop those leaderboards of the greatest heavyweight of all time.” Daniel Cormier and Stip Miocic fight in the main event of UFC 241 on 8/17. h/t Sherdog • Watch ESPN interview
Kajan Johnson: Ryan Hall is the evolution of MMA
“I’m not saying [Hall] is going to go on and be a champion for 25 years, although he very well could ... His approach to mixed martial arts is so far out of the box of what everybody else is doing. When we start seeing more and more people that are thinking outside the box, asking different questions, addressing positions in different ways and creating different theories and principals — we are going to see a huge f@$%ing jump in skill level. ... I think it’ll take time for us to get outside of this box. We know that this works so it is hard to go to something that we don’t know will work. I spent six-months training Wing Chun because I have theory all martial arts will eventually go back towards traditional martial arts like karate and Kung Fu. I think it’s quite possible there are other truths that we don’t know yet that still exist in older martial arts... It’s going to take creative, ballsy people to go and explore it. To bring back the data and prove it in the fight.” h/t BE • Watch Pull No Punches podcast
ATT owner Dan Lambert comments on departure of Robbie Lawler
"Fighters come and fighters go. We focus on the fighters that are at the gym, not fighters who have left. I don’t have anything bad to say about Robbie Lawler. Even if I did, he’d be the last person I’d say something bad about, I mean look at the guy. Look at the guy and look at his status in the sport. You’re going to try and get into a PR battle with that guy? You’re going to lose that one every time but you know, we focus on people that are at the gym. Try to make them better, get them to fight. Colby is at our gym, Robbie is not so we’re focusing on Colby.” Colby Covington fights Lawler in the main event of UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3. h/t MMA Junkie
Maia vs. Modafferi: She who sheds her blood with me today ...
Roxanne Modafferi lost to Jennifer Maia via SD in 2016 at Invicta FC 19 for the flyweight belt in the fight of the night. The pair rematch at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on Saturday, and the Brazilian is a model of respect, in a league where trash-talking puts asses in seats and thus dollars in pockets: “I’ve evolved since we last saw each other, and so has she – a lot. ... The more improved fighter will win. It’s been a while since I’ve won by KO or submission. I’ve been winning by points lately. This time, I’d love to get a finish before the final buzzer. I’m training hard to put on a great show for the fans. [I] enjoy Roxanne’s positive style. We have zero rivalry outside the cage. We chat. We message each other sometimes. I like Roxanne’s harmonious nature. In the cage, we try to finish each other, but when it’s all done, we’ll hug. We both have the same dream, and we depend on each other to make it happen." h/t MMA Junkie
Dan Hardy mulling return to the Octagon
Dan Hardy, 37, hasn't fought since 2012, as he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a genetic condition causing most patients to have heart palpitations and a rapid heartbeat. Hardy, however, is symptom-free, with a resting pulse rate of 42, and a maximum of 200. 'The Outlaw' decided to forgo surgery, but commissions and his employer feared for his safety in the absence of surgery. “I’m always mulling a return. ... There’s no point I’ll be able to take my gloves off and leave them in the Octagon, especially because I want to come and hang them to the wall in my gym as well. I never leave gloves behind. Yeah, I would love to fight again. I absolutely would. I’ve got ideas in my head of who I would like to fight and where I would like to fight, but none of that’s relevant right now. What I need to do is get myself into a position where my body’s moving well over a couple of months, and the USADA testing pool will give me that time. I just gotta jump in instead of dipping my toe in the water every now and then when I see [UFC anti-doping czar] Jeff Novitzky." h/t MMA News • The MMA Hour
