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Choose the GREATEST Brave 23 KO of the Night 1-4
Tom Lawlor has a really good question for USADA
Latest 10 UFC fight announcements, today's in bold
•Siyar Bahadurzada OUT vs. Nordine Taleb at UFC on ESPN+ 9 on 5/4 in Ottawa
•Devin Clark vs. Darko Stosic at UFC on ESPN+ 11 on 6/1 in Stockholm
•Priscila Cachoeira IN for Yanan Wu vs. Luana Carolina at UFC 237 on 5/11 in Rio
•Molly McCann vs. Ariane Lipski at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in 6/22 in Greenville
•Ivan Shtyrkov ill, fight vs. Devin Clark canceled at UFC on ESPN+ 7 on 4/20 in Saint Petersburg
•Jessica Penne OUT, Angela Hill IN vs. Jodie Esquibel at UFC on ESPN 3 on 4/27 in Miami
•Deron Winn vs. Markus Perez at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in 6/22 in Greenville
•Cole Smith vs. Mitch Gagnon at UFC on ESPN+ 8 on 5/4 in Ottawa
•Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz 3 at UFC on ESPN+ 9 on 5/18 in Rochester
•Danny Roberts vs. Michel Pereira at UFC on ESPN+ 9 on 5/18 in Rochester
Alan Belcher launches Combat Business Tribe consulting service
Retired UFC fighter Alan 'The Talent' Belcher, 35, is venturing into the world of business consulting through his own company, Combat Business. His business revolves around consulting for martial artists to help them master business skills apart from working on their MMA careers, or as he dubbs it “hustlejitsu.” Since its launch two year ago, Combat Business has served more than 1,000 clients. 90% of the customers are from the MMA industry, and most are looking forward to selling their skills as instructors through online training materials, while some are trying to acquire customers for their training gyms. There are also clients who use Alan’s consulting service to make their existing training gyms a franchised property where they can expand in various areas in the country. Belcher is also active in doing several kinds of consulting. There are programs specific to gym owners, and then there are clients who do not want to operate a brick-and-mortar business. Instead, these clients want to focus on online businesses. Contact Belcher HERE.
Black breaks down historic Submission of the Year contender
Why Roxy smiles
Demetrious Johnson: Henry Cejudo doing a great job
The future of the UFC flyweight division is in doubt, and the new division champ Cejudo fought first vs. 135 champ T.J. Dillashaw, and now moves up to fight Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 for the vacant bantam belt. Inaugural flyweight champ and G.O.A.T. contender Johnson, now signed with ONE Championship, has no problems with the matchmaking: “I think the division is doing great, [ I think Henry Cejudo is doing a great job. I think the division is in a great spot. At the end of the day, the athlete’s got to make as much money as possible. I’ve been there before. I’ve been defending champion 11 consecutive times, but I still wasn’t getting the pay I wanted. Maybe if I had went up and fought at bantamweight, a dual-weight champion, maybe I would have had more say, so that’s probably what Henry Cejudo’s thinking. You can’t tell an athlete what’s best for his career, because he knows. He knows what he’s [getting paid] and he knows where his heart lies. It’s a very short amount of time he has in his career, and he wants to make the best of it.” h/t Sherdog • Watch
PFL's Louis Taylor wants to win $1 million again, at welterweight
Taylor, 40, won $1 million in the PFL middleweight belt, and wants to do it again, at welterweight, because a million dollars isn't what it used to be: “I’m hoping I win it this year so I can get something special. I’ll tell you honestly, a million’s not that much money. It’s not chump change, but once you get done paying $400,000 to taxes, $200,000 on your home, you’ve got to pay your manager $100,000, your camp another $50,000, you’re left with, like, one investment. That’s where I’m at now. I’ve got a chance to make one good investment, and I’m not even mentioning retirement and this and that that I need to put away. So he’ll be cutting down to 170 pounds for the first time since high school for his season-opening fight with Chris Curtis on May 9. h/t MMA Fighting
Gymkata eclipsed, Sage Northcutt, Seth Petruzelli to appear in Street Fighter: Genesis
Jeff Novitzky: USADA still evaluating Paulo Costa
Paulo Costa was recently fined by the NYSAC for use and disclosure of non-performance enhancing substances while licensed, which would put it at UFC 217 in November of 2017; the fighter has said it was something in a common stomach medication in Brazil. However, UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky says USADA also has an ongoing investigation: “I don’t have any comment on that. My understanding is that New York has issued him a fine or a sanction and that USADA is still evaluating this. It’s not until cases are adjudicated and resolved that we comment on them. So I’m not gonna comment on that one right now.” h/t MMA Fighting • Listen to UFC Unfiltered Podcast
Four fighters suspended 6 months for trace elements of Ostarine
Nicco Montano, Sean O’Malley, Augusto Mendes, and Marvin Vettori have each been suspended for six months by USA for historical, trace elements of ostarine, consistent with a contaminated supplement, rather than intentional use: “The trace amounts of ostarine found in each of the athlete’s samples was made possible by sensitive laboratory detection capabilities. However, as detection windows increase and the potential time between ingestion and detection lengthens, it has become more difficult for athletes to identify a contaminated product that may be the source of their positive test. As a consequence, the investigation period in ostarine cases is frequently relatively long, as has been the case in each of the cases announced today.” Montano is eligible to return to on 5/15, O’Malley on 9/19, Vettori can fight immediately, and Mendes can fight immediately, but is longer with the UFC. h/t USADA
Stephen Thompson not pushing return: ‘You can’t condition the brain’
Wonderboy was knocked out for the first time ever at UFC on ESPN+ 6 on 3/23. He had hoped to headline UFC on ESPN+ 12 in his hometown of Greenville, SC on June 22, but wisely isn't push it: "I’ll be able to have some contact with sparring at the end of June. I’m staying in shape, but I still want to keep this [brain] right. Where I can get some good sparring in and a good training camp, possibly August I’m thinking. Michael Bisping, in one of his last fights, he stepped out there too soon. He had a brutal fight with Georges St-Pierre and then real quick jumped in against Kelvin Gastelum and just got put away. If you do that, if you step out there too soon... this is your livelihood. If you want to do this for years to come, you have to take care of yourself. You can’t condition the brain. You can condition the body, but you can’t condition the brain. You have to take it slow.” h/t BE • Watch interview
Paulo Costa: I never used PEDs in my life
osta was pulled from a fight and fined by the NYSAC, over what he said was a stomach medication; the middleweight says he has never used steroids: “It’s not true. I never used steroids in my life. I never used anything to cheat the game. ... I’m ready to fight in May or June or July. But I want to fight as soon as possible. I’d like to fight against Romero, but man Romero don’t want to fight against nobody I think. Because he’s number one, he will sit there and wait for I don’t know what. He’s 40 years old and he don’t fight against nobody. I don’t understand what’s happening in his mind.” h/t MMA News • Watch ESPN’s Ariel Helwani MMA Show
Jon Fitch wants yellow cards implemented in Unified Rules
Under the PRIDE Rules developed by now ONE VP Matt Hume, if a fighter is stalling, the ref issues a yellow card, a warning that 1. He must begin working and, 2. His pay has been docked 10%. Bellator's Fitch wants to see them in his new home: “I think it’s a fantastic idea because a lot of times the guy on top gets blamed for slow-action. But if the guy on bottom is closed guard and holding onto his opponent and is not actively trying to get-up, sweep, or submit, what’s he doing? He is the guy in boxing that’s hugging and holding the whole time. Well, in boxing that guy gets a warning. After a while he might get a point taking away. Let’s bring that back in.” Fitch fights Rory MacDonald at Bellator 220 on 4/27 live on DAZN. h/t BE • Watch
Combate Americas announces South American debut, in Peru
Salsa outsells catsup, and Combate Americas is crushing North American based events. Now the promotion is moving into Lima, Peru on May 31, with that nation's biggest fight card ever, and the first for Combate in South America. The event will stream live on DAZN for North American fans. Rolando Bedoya vs. Daniel Zellhuber • Marlon Gonzales vs. Pablo Villaseca • Maria Paola Buzaglo vs. Alitzel Mariscal • Andres Ayala vs. Renzo Mendez • Eduardo Torres vs. Rodrigo Vera • Dana Zighelboim Grau vs. Jennifer Gonzalez • Kevin Moreyra vs. David Martinez.
Poirier, Jouban auctioning off UFC 236 fight kits for @thegoodfightfoundation
Dustin Poirier and his wife, Jolie, through their Good Fight Foundation, are auctioning his fight kit to build a playground for disabled children in Lafayette. That was the dream of a Lafayette boy named Aaron Hill, who died of a rare brain disease before the playground could be built. “Aaron had this dream and we’re going to make sure that dream comes true, even though he didn’t live to see it." Alan Jouban is also auctioning off his fight kit for the cause. Bid HERE on Poirer's fight kit • Bid HERE on Jouban's fight kit
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ONE doing massive things in May
Andrei Arlovski knows window closing, but ...
“My first jiu-jitsu coach, Dino Costeas, told me discipline is remembering what you want. F***, every day when I wake up, I remember what I want, why I am doing this f***ing over and over at age 40 and one of the oldest guys in the UFC still in this, still going. … I’m pretty much one of the first guys who comes and pretty much one of the last ones who leave the gym, I have at least two or three workouts a day. ... In boxing, George Foreman became champion at age 46, of course, and Randy Couture, it didn’t matter that he was fighting at 40 years old. Dan Henderson. It’s just a number. Age is f***ing just a number. It depends how you feel inside, and I’m a happy guy. I love this. I’m doing what I love to do and my wife lets me do what I love to do. She supports me all the time, she’s an [incredible] lady, so I’m a happy person, fighter, and father.” ... Now I just understand that I have a short window of a few more years, and it’s very nice of the UFC and actually Dana White to give me all this time in the UFC to do [what I love]. I’m happy that I’m still [here] and still alive. ... I remember when this started. I didn’t start right at the beginning — it was like 1994, I started [a few years later] — but now it’s like, the sport is growing with mainstream sports and the world is [paying attention], and now we’re on ESPN. It’s crazy. It’s f***ing fantastic.” h/t MMA Fighting
Invicta's Ediane Gomes struggled with feelings of suicide
Gomes, who fought Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey and beat up a man, hasn't fought since defeating Pam Sorenson at Invicta 23 on 4/20/2017 and recently suffered a car accident: "It’s a miracle I’m still here. After that collision, the other driver chased after me and my wife. He was trying to purposefully crash into us. Thankfully, my car was fast enough and I was able to evade him. ... I would love to be in the mix at 155 pounds. But to do that, I need more media coverage. Unfortunately, some organizations don’t help promote their fighters. Or they put their efforts into building up other girls, giving them favorable opponents. ... I went through some difficult moments some months ago. I had been considering suicide. But God gave me strength and lifted me up again. God is very good. I think that when you are born to be warrior, you are destined to go through many hardships. Look at Cris Cyborg. The system has been very tough on her. We do have a great rivalry, but on a personal level, she’s a special person. The MMA world is a big mafia. Cris agrees with me. If you don’t corrupt yourself to fit into the system, the system will screw you in every way possible. I know good things will still happen. What matters is having a goal, and having heart. If you are well trained, and if you want it bad enough, you can tear off the head of any opponent." h/t MMA Junkie
