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Has McGregor's market appeal suffered a knock-out blow?
Sports marketing guru Kim Skildum-Reid, who runs Power Sponsorship, with clients including Target, Unilever, Dubai, Qantas, Virgin, Singapore, Mazda, and Estee Lauder: "With his repeated run-ins with the law, all along a similar vein, his brand is turning from 'fearsome competitor in a violent sport' to 'violent, entitled bully.' Some very edgy sponsors may - may - be able to wear that, but he's been getting in the neighborhood of $7m a year from Reebok, Beats, Burger King, and Budweiser. There's a huge chunk of their marketplaces that would view continued sponsorship of someone who is making it a habit of violent outbursts against the public as endorsing that behavior and they would be right. They would have been right 10 years ago, but with toxic masculinity so much at the forefront with consumers, and major corporations undertaking huge staff training programs to stem inappropriate behavior, continuing to sponsor someone who appears not to be able to control his violent impulses is both a marketing and management minefield that few companies would have the stomach to risk." h/t Irish Independent
Rest in Peace Andy Hug, born September 7, 1964 – died August 24, 2000
Bruno Ogro lands KO's of the year contender at Shooto Brasil 94
Titan FC COO Lex McMahon furious with ref Jorge Alonso for laaaaaate stoppage
Scott Coker: Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov winner could get title shot, if ...
Matt Mitrione rematches Sergei Kharitonov on Saturday night at Bellator 225; president Scott Coker says the winner could get a title shot at champ champ Ryan Bader: “That’s not a bad argument, my only thing is: I’m going to wait and see the performance,” Coker said. “Then we’ll decide from there because the last fight ended in 15 seconds with a disqualification so let me just take it all in and see how the fight goes. We’ll go back to the Bay Area in L.A. and we’ll dissect what happened and then we’ll make some decisions from there.” h/t MMA Junkie
Weili Zhang responds to 'mama' Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey: “I feel like a proud mama watching how women’s MMA has grown. Women from all walks of life, from all over the world are rising to the challenge and showing the world what it means to fight like a girl. Weili Zhang is a prime example of overcoming adversity — fighting not just through the ranks, but to also get noticed and stand out. I’ve definitely taken notice, and so should you. Best of luck to the ladies fighting August 31 on UFC Fight Night 157.” • Weili Zhang: “Wow. Idol. I remember the first time I saw you fight in UFC in 2013. I thought you were so cool. Then I was inspired to be like you. In this many-lined UFC star cage to play a part of our women’s territory. You give me confidence and direction. If I want to slack off when I don’t want to train I’ll find you fighting. That gave me a lot of encouragement.” Zhang fights strawweight champion Jessica Andrade on 8/31 in Shenzhen, China.
Jorge Masvidal: Cash, gold, or PPV points, just pay me for Nate Diaz fight
“I want to do it this year. Let’s see how UFC plays it. If they want to play hardball or if they want to give in to what the fans f@$#%ing want. If the fight doesn’t get made it’s not because I don’t want it or Nate don’t want it, it’s because we’re not getting what we want. Which is sad to say because that will be the only way it won’t go down. There is no backup plan. All I know is that I put my ducks in a row and Nate did the same thing and we are on a collision course. We got to get compensated for it. That’s is, that’s all we’re f@$%ing saying. All I am saying is that I want to get compensated for my f@$%ng services. I don’t know if they want to pay me in cash money, or pay-per-view points. I don’t know what we are going to end up doing. Gold, whatever." h/t MMA Mania
Uirjah Faber recalls a time when Henry Cejudo wasn't calling out women
Colombia's Alejandra Lara makes compelling environmental statement at Bellator 225 weigh-ins
Roman Dolidze suspended by USADA before his debut
Undefeated Ukrainian light heavyweight Roman Dolidze, 31, has been suspended for one year after testing positive for clomiphene and its metabolites M1 and M2, as well as a long-term metabolite of dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), 4-chloro-18-nor-17β-hydroxymethyl,17α-methyl-5α-androst-13-en-3α-ol (M3), as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on March 12, 2019. Dolidze immediately came forward with detailed evidence of his use of prohibited substances before entering the UFC Anti-Doping Program and continued to cooperate throughout USADA’s investigation related to his use. Based on the specific details of the case, Dolidze received a reduction from the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility. Dolidze’ one-year period of ineligibility began on March 12, 2019, the date his positive sample was collected. h/t https://ufc.usada.org
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•Khadis Ibragimov IN with Jamahal Hill OUT vs. Da Un Jung at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on 8/31, 2019 in Shenzhen, China
•Movsar Evloev IN with Mike Grundy OUT vs. Zhenhong Lu at UFC on ESPN+ 15 on 8/31, 2019 in Shenzhen, China
•Matt Brown vs. Ben Saunders at UFC 245 on 12/14 in Las Vegas, NV
•Marc Diakiese vs. Lando Vannata at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen, Denmark
•Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Krzysztof Jotko at UFC 244 on 11/2 in New York, NY
•Olympic silver medalist Mark O. Madsen vs. Danilo Belluardo at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on 9/28 in Copenhagen, Denmark
•Magomed Mustafaev OUT, Don Madge IN vs. Fares Ziam at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi to UFC 243 in Melbourne, Aus
•Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, FL
•JJ Aldrich vs. Lauren Mueller at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, FL
•Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva moved from UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi to UFC 243 in Melbourne, Aus
Dustin Poirier vows to finish Khabib Nurmagomedov
Interim champ Dustin Poirier fights champ Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 on 9/7 in Abu Dhabi, and his big question is whether he wins via T/KO or sub: “I keep going back and forth. I feel like I can submit Khabib, but feel like I’m going to stop him. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but I’m either going to knock him out or I’m going to submit him. I’m going to finish Khabib Nurmagomedov. ... Walking into the octagon September 7, I know I need to be at my best. It’s going to take all of me. It’s going to take all of this preparation done the right way to beat Khabib. I understand that. I’m going to do something that’s never been done and I’m treating it that way. This is history. I’m about to make history. ... I’m not worried about his takedowns so much. I need to hurt this guy. That’s a huge part of this training camp. Putting myself in good positions to win the rounds and win the fight. Staying off the fence. Getting up off the ground. But, at the same time, I need to do what I do.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch (5:50)
Jorge Masvidal: Nate Diaz and I have long careers because we don't use PEDs
Nate Diaz beat Anthony Pettis, and immediately called out Jorge Masvidal, who is game. Between them, they have fought professionally for just over 30 years. Masvidal attributes the longevity to shunning PEDs: “Like Nate, I’ve never used steroids. I don’t think that dude has either. I don’t live with him, so I don’t know. But his body hasn’t really changed. He gets in better shape. Some fights, maybe he didn’t take it as seriously and wasn’t in crazy shape. But I don’t think he’s ever done steroids. I’ve never done steroids. That might be a big thing toward the longevity. This what you see here is natural, God given, hard work abilities. Ain’t no f@$%ing bottles, injections in my ass ... I must be doing something right. Or I must have not cheated back in the day, like a lot of motherf@$%ers did when all of you media mother f@$%ers were covering them, knowing these mother f@$%ers were on juice. Not worried about the natural killers, man. The real killers, man. Because when these curtains close, some wild $#!@ on this side bro.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch
Conor McGregor wants 'redemption' fight vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
“In my return fight, I want my world title back. I want that redemption. ... I broke my foot three weeks out from that fight. I dove in on one foot. My foot was a balloon. My toes came out of the socket and a guy had to come into the cage and break them back into place, the thing ballooned out and I hobbled in there and walked him down and did not give two shits. That was with a bad camp. That was with a half-committed camp. ... I was too committed in the gym and not committed enough outside of it. The training sessions were too serious and then when I left the gym, it was gone from my mind. I would go off into the jungle and you cannot do that. You cannot be half in, especially in a game like this and I paid the price for it and that’s it. ... If [the Khabib rematch is] there, that’s what I’ll take. If not, I’ll take whatever’s here and there’s plenty there. Multiple people.” McGregor said he'd hoped to fight this summer, but was delayed until late this year due to surgery on a hand broken during sparring in May. h/t MMA Fighting • Watch ESPN interview
'Old' man punched by McGregor in bar speaks out
In April Conor McGregor was offering shots of his Proper No. Twelve whiskey when an older gentleman declined, pushing the shot glass away. McGregor put the glass back, and the man again moved it away. The man reportedly said “I don’t want to drink that $#!@," whereupon McGregor jabbed him. The man, 50, who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke to the Irish Daily Star, which The Irish Sun transcribed: “I am sitting on the barstool just having a quiet pint with my friend then all of a sudden because I refuse his drink I get a punch, you don’t need that in life. Look-it, I can take a punch. It was sore for about a week. It wasn’t killing me or anything. I don’t like the man. I think he is getting a bad rep. He is a bit of a bully, a bully with money.” McGregor, who has publicly apologized, is to be summoned to appear at Dublin District Court to answer the charge; if convicted, he will be required to pay a fine. McGregor has reportedly been banned from the bar.
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Conor McGregor: I must get my head screwed on
In April, 'Notorious' threw a dismissive jab at an actual geezer in an Irish bar, apparently over disinterest in Proper No. Twelve. No one in the bar batted an eyelash, but the video went viral, and today, McGregor broke his silence: “In reality, it doesn’t matter what happened there. I was in the wrong. That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it end the way it did. Although — five months ago it was — I tried to make amends. And I made amends back then. Still, that does not even matter. I was in the wrong. I have to realize that’s not the attitude or behavior of a leader, of a martial artist, of a champion. I must get my head screwed on, get back in the game and fight for redemption, retribution, respect, the things that made me the man I am. That’s what I will do.” h/t • Watch ESPN interview (7:13)
Spinning $#!@ x Spinning $#!@ = BINK
