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Marcel Adur extends sincere condolences to Shorty Torres
Jose “Shorty” Torres and Marcel Adur fight for the inaugural BRAVE CF flyweight world title on Friday in Bahrain. During his camp, Adur learned Torres had lost his father, which evoked deep empathy as Adur lost his older brother, the source of his inspiration to start fighting, while training for his Brave debut in Mexico in 2017. “Torres is a very professional fighter but only when the fight starts he'll see if the grief will help him or be against him. For me, when my brother died it just made me more eager to fight in his honor. Let's see what the grief of his dad's loss does to his fighting. But I'd like to send my condolences to him and his family, regardless if we're fighting or not, MMA is a big family. I just can't promise he will be able to dedicate a win for his dad." The event headlines the historical 2019 BRAVE International Combat Week, which also features the prestigious KHK World Title, a one-night, four-man Openweight tournament awarding the winner $100,000 and the provisional possession of a 14-pound solid-gold belt, the most expensive prize in sports.
Kevin Lee: UFC won't let me get with 10' of Conor McGregor
“A lot of people wrote me off. They took me out of some conversations that I definitely should have been a part of ... But it’s my job to go out there and keep reminding people every single time I fight. ... They’re still trying to find an opponent for Conor McGregor on Jan. 18. I know they’re talking about Cowboy, but there’s no contract signed there. If he’s a little bit like me, if he’s a competitor at his heart, then he’s going to want to take on the tough wrestler. He should if he wants to get back to Khabib and really wants to get back into title contention. ... I’ll be real. It’s not going to happen. They’re not going to let me within 10 feet of that man. ... I don’t think he’s willing to take on the guy who’s on the up and up. You’ve got your back up against the wall, and he’s trying to make a name off of you. ... I think they’ll avoid me, they’ll avoid Gaethje, they’re going to avoid some of these other guys who can really give him a challenge.” h/t MMA Fighting
How Rose Namajunas found my passion for fighting again
'Thug' Rose lost her passion following the loss of her title to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 in May, but found it after a visit: “It’s like I lost the passion for martial arts and fighting – mainly for fighting. I found my passion again. I went back to Minnesota to see one of my former coaches from earlier on in my amateur career, Greg Nelson. He’s just like a huge inspiration for me. ... I made [being champ] into everything I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want the belt to define me and all I did was make it define me. ... It just consumed my every thought. It turned into a shackle and chain rather than just loving fighting. Do I want to be the best? Of course. But I don’t need a belt to tell me that I’m the best. I already know. It was like, weird. It was all of my fears and all of the things I didn’t want to happen ended up happening by just fearing it so much.” Namajunas says she has about 3 years left in the Octagon, and has a bout offer on the table, but hasn't yet decided whether to take it or not. h/t MMA Junkie • Watch Ariel Helwani's MMA Show (23.18)
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IMMAF head lauds role of Bahrain in MMA growth
he 2019 IMMAF World Championships are underway during BRAVE International Combat Week, and president Kerrith Brown, himself a former Judo Olympic medalist, offered thanks to Brave Combat Federation founder Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa: “Shaikh Khalid’s passion for sports, especially mixed martial arts, has been key to the spread of the sport in Bahrain as well as the rest of the world. His contribution is enormous. The growth of mixed martial arts post-2012 has been marvelous and Bahrain has made a great contribution to it. With the support of countries like Bahrain, mixed martial arts will conquer greater heights. More exciting days are ahead." h/t GDN Online
Stipe Miocic wants Tyson Fury, not DC trilogy fight
“I saw Tyson Fury is coming into the mix now here. I like a new challenge… With DC, I didn’t fluke knock him out – I beat him. I decisively beat him. ... [Fury] is a talented fighter, so he’s definitely going to have good striking. But anyone can make a highlight reel. It’s still good, but I can do that too. … Definitely if he wants to step into the Octagon, I’ll love it. I’ll step in the ring. I’d love to box him. I would love to box him. He’s a great fighter. He’s a good dude and we’d put on a good show. It’s something new – something different. In mixed martial arts, there’s a lot more to go with. You’ve got a bunch of martial arts to work with. In boxing, we’d just go toe-to-toe and slug it out.” Miocic plans a return in 2020, and has undergone eye surgery to repair a retinal tear. h/t MMA Junkie
Jorge Masvidal management responds to Nick Diaz callout
Nick Diaz wants a shot at Jorge Masvidal
Nick Diaz hasn't fought since Jan. 31, 2015, when Anderson Silva failed a PED test, and Diaz failed for the demon weed marijuana. However, Nate Daiz lost recently to Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt, and Masvidal referenced "baptizing" Nate, which didn't set well with big brother, who plans to return early in 2020: "You don't talk about baptizing my younger brother, so you're already in a f@$%ed position if you fight with me. You don't f@$%ing talk about baptizing someone's younger brother. That's my baby brother. You don't talk like that to nobody." h/t ESPN • Watch Ariel Helwani's MMA Show
Gil Melendez released by the UFC
Melendez debuted in the UFC with a title shot, following six successful defenses of the Strikeforce lightweight title. 'El Nino' lost via SD to Benson Henderson, bounced back with a win over Diego Sanchez. Next fight was another title shot, vs, Anthony Pettis, but Melendez came up short, and then lost the next four fights, most recently to the unheralded Arnold Allen at UFC 239 in July. It's not clear whether Melendez will fight on for another organization, or will instead focus on his El Nino Training Center in San Francisco. h/t FightBookMMA
Israel Adesanya wants Yoel Romero, says UFC is meh to the idea
Adesanya beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 and became the undisputed MW champ, and was supposed to defend first vs. fellow undefeated Paulo Costa who was cageside, but 'The Eraser' is out with an injured arm until April, so Romero and 'The Last Stylebender' want to fight next but: "The UFC don’t think that’s going to sell, but f@$% records, I just want to fight. I want Yoel. ... I want to beat all the greatest of this era. I’ve taken Whittaker, I’ve taken Gastelum, I’ve taken Silva... So hopefully ... I’ll see you soon, boy. ... [Jon Jones] will face me eventually but I’m going to do what got me to the dance which is honor the game and defend my belt. I mean, he didn’t jump up to heavyweight right after he won the belt. ... If he wants to come down, come see me boy. If not, shut the f@$% up and wait ’til I come see you." h/t MMA Fighting • Watch TMZ Sports interview (2:48)
Cris Cyborg wants UFC vs. Bellator Amanda Nunes rematch
Cyborg debuts in Bellator vs. FW champ Julia Budd on 1/25, and has high hopes thereafter: “Cris Cyborg, Amanda Nunes – she’s the UFC champion, and I hope in the future [UFC] vs. Bellator champion, maybe the fight will happen. Scott said yes, we can do that. Dana White to call him and make this happen, and I think everybody would like to watch. One-fight deal – just call Scott.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch TMZ Sports interview (1:17)
ONE Championship 102 main card highlights (3:55)
Worst Question of the Year award goes to unnamed reporter in Moscow
Q. “The UFC used to say they would never have women fighting. Now they have women fighting sometimes on the main cards. So will there ever be kids fighting in the UFC? Because there are kids fighting in other challenges.” A. by UFC SVP David Shaw “Children fighting in the UFC? No, we won’t have children fighting in the UFC.” h/t MMA Mania • Watch
What Alexander Volkov wants next
“I was very, very cautious because Greg was very hard and tough. He ate a lot of my punches and didn’t flinch and I know that while his style is very unorthodox, I have to be careful and work my way without any chance for him to win. My first goal was to stop his way of fighting, because usually that’s what I do with my opponents. I make them to go with my game. It’s not that he wanted to stand there and bang with me, he had too. All I worked before the fight was to make him stand there and fight with me. I know there my class is much higher than his. I returned to the title race. I want to be at the top. I will be the best. … I want as fast as possible. I have unfinished business with ‘JDS’ and Overeem. Both of them is good choice.” h/t MMA Junkie
He's right you know
Zion Clark is doing Jiu-Jitsu
Bellator 233 Highlights (8:40)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk: ‘I want to be strawweight champ again’ and ...
Jedrzejczyk lost her SW belt to Rose Namajunas, and the rematch, bounced back with a win vs. Tecia Torres, then lost a FLW challenge vs. Valentina Shevchenko, and bounced back with a win vs. Michelle Waterson at SW but reportedly struggled to make weight to the point the fight was in jeopardy. Now she wants a shot at SW champ Weili Zhang: “Yes of course [I’ll return to flyweight], but right now we’re at strawweight, and I want to be the champ one more time my life. I want to be strawweight champ again. The weight cut went smooth and easy, and I’m very excited to step into the Octagon with Weili Zhang. I’m super excited about that.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov details retirement plans
“My retirement is coming. A couple of fights more. I don’t want to leave my belt for any Tom, Dick or Harry. I want the succession of generations to happen. I want to leave the belt and Islam Makhachev to take it. It would be great if my retirement coincided with Islam’s title shot. ... We're in talks now [to fight Tony Ferguson]. They suggested having it in Vegas in March, but [the Nevada Athletic Commission] have to issue me an official apology for fining me for the incident on 6 October 2018. If they apologize, I'll fight. If not, we'll pick another venue. I’ll fight in April in New York. I’ll be ready in April – March if Vegas apologizes or gives me back my money. Those are my conditions." h/t The Express
Brave returns to South Africa with inaugural title fight
BRAVE Combat Federation returns to South Africa for BRAVE CF 31, as SA's Chad Hanekom aims to become the first-ever BRAVE CF middleweight world champion vs. Brazilian KO artist Daniel "Gaucho" Souza, who is coming off one of the most impressive knockouts of the year vs. former top contender Bruno Assis at BRAVE CF 25 on 8/3 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Hanekom is coming off two impressive wins of his own for BRAVE CF. BRAVE CF 31 takes place in Durban, South Africa, on December 7th, and it marks the return of the fastest-growing MMA promotion in the world to the continent. Last year, BRAVE Combat Federation became the first global organization to hold an event in Africa.
