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Daniel Cormier: Stipe Miocic rematch will likely be my last
“I think he’s going to be upset. I think he’s going to be little emotional. I truly believe that he’s going to be a better version of himself. I don’t think for a second that he’s going to make the same mistakes that he did this time. I think it’s going to be a much more difficult fight. ... I always said that I was going to fight until I turned 40, which would have been March at a card March 2nd, but I couldn’t make that one. If I hold true to what I was saying then this would be the final one. I don’t anticipate fighting much past this. I just want to go out there and do my thing.” Cormier fights Stipe Miocic at UFC 241 on 8/17 in Anaheim, California. h/t MMA Mania • Watch TMZ Sports
Boxing promoter promises Heather Hardy six figure purse
Heather Hardy declared herself done with boxing, expressing a preference to stay in Bellator MMA going forward. However, on Friday she lost to unheralded 2-4 Taylor Turner, showing a pronounced lack of ground skill. But boxing promoter Lou DiBella says he will get Hardy her due: "Tough night for Heather Hardy, but I’m proud of her for giving it a go in Bellator MMA. She is a World Boxing Champion, but was willing to start from scratch and try a new discipline. Now it time to focus on boxing. It’s my job to get her the 6 figure payday she deserves. ... If female boxing champions were paid appropriately and given fair opportunities to shine, I’m not sure she would ever have participated in MMA (though I know she doesn’t regret trying). You will get that boxing mega match, Heather, and soon. You have my word." h/t TTwitter
Stamp Fairtex aims for historic third world title in three different sports
Thailand's Nong 'Stamp Fairtex' Stamp, 21, entered ONE Championship via Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series, then won the ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship in her debut, and then became the first promotional two-sport champ, taking the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai world championship. Fairtex successfully defended her Muay Thai belt in Saturday at ONE Championship: Legendary Quest, and now aims to win the MMA belt: “I do have plans of getting the third belt, the mixed martial arts World Championship. This third belt will be the most difficult belt for me to get because there are many great fighters in ONE. Mixed martial arts is not my strong point, so this is where I have to improve my wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and mixed martial arts. If I fight in mixed martial arts, I know that everyone will try to take me down and fight on the ground. I will have to try harder and harder to climb up and get some experience before I fight for the belt. If I win the belt, it will be my greatest achievement.”
‘Panda’ Xiong Jingnan is coming for Angela Lee’s ONE atomweight title
ONE atomweight champion Angela ‘Unstoppable’ Lee moved up and challenged strawweight champ ‘Panda’ Xiong Jingnan at ONE Championship: A New Era on 3/31 in Tokyo, but came up short. Now 'Panda' plans to drop down for a challenge, and is training at Evolve MMA with Miesha Tate: “I am always waiting for the chance to challenge Angela, especially now in her weight class. It’s definitely happening. I don’t mind going down a weight class as long as I can have this fight. Every athlete should challenge themselves and I need atomweight to challenge myself. That’s how you improve, that’s how you grow. I’ve been in Singapore for a month, training and learning different skills. The gym has a huge reputation so there are lots of things I can learn. Miesha has worked with me for a week and already I feel a difference. She is teaching me grappling and new techniques." h/t SCMP
T.J. Dillashaw breaks silence in Chael Sonnen interview
'A good friend comes in with a flying kick' - Renzo G
UFC VP explains new double paywall in the UK
US MMA fans were not impressed when PPVs were put behind a double paywall - you first had to buy the ESPN+ app and then the PPV. It just got worse in England. Fans there bought the BT sports app which included big UFC events, but starting with UFC 239, there is an extra £20 ($25) fee, possibly for at least four events a year. Senior VP of International and Content Dave Shaw explained the league's thinking: “As part of the renewal and part of the rebuild of the partnership with BT Sport was giving them the ability to have a limited number of events on pay-per-view. For us, it seemed to, on paper, make a lot of sense. The UK is historically a pay-per-view market with sports, especially with combat sports. BT Sport has a lot of experience in that, most recently with Fury and Wilder match which I think was pay-per-view. There's still a number of details that need to be sorted out. There's more information coming in the next couple of weeks. Everything else will be available on the BT Sport package as normal. I don't want to say it's necessarily a test period, we just don't know yet what strategy they're going to pursue. But certainly, the lions share of numbered events and contest are going to continue to be offered on broadcast.” h/t The Express
Rory MacDonald reveals timeline for return to fighting
Douglas Lima wanted a September Bellator welterweight GP final vs. MacDonald for the million dollar payout, but that's not happening. “I have to take some time and heal some things up after back-to-back fights and training camps. [September is] not realistic for me," said MacDonald. "I mean I wish I could make it come true. I had a feeling they would want that but it’s just not possible with what’s going on in my life right now. I need to take some time to heal from these fights, from these training camps, so I can be ready for a guy like Douglas. Like December maybe November. When you’re training every day, you kind of have to have the eye of the tiger. It’s like eat, sleep, you’ve got to be like chewing on steel kind of thing for six weeks. It hardens your body, hardens your mind. Something about that just gets you in that mind frame of just being able to push through low points where if you were just kind of training so-so, in good shape, you might slack off a little bit.” h/t MMA Fighting • Watch post-fight press conference
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•John Phillips OUT newcomer Wellington Turman IN vs. Karl Roberson at UFC on ESPN+ 13 on 7/13 in Sacramento
•Sergio Pettis OUT vs. Ricardo Ramos at ESPN 3 on 6/29 in Minneapolis
•Marina Rodriguez vs. Tecia Torres at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on 8/10 in Uruguay
•Veronica Macedo vs. Rachael Ostovich at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on 8/10 in Uruguay
•Enrique Barzola s. Bobby Moffett at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on 8/10 in Uruguay
•Cyril Gane vs. Raphael Pessoa at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on 8/10 in Uruguay
•Geraldo de Freitas vs. Chris Gutierrez at UFC on ESPN+ 14 on 8/10 in Uruguay
•Uriah Hall vs. Antonio Carlos Junior at UFC on ESPN+ 16 on 9/14 in Vancouver
•Rafael dos Anjos vs Leon Edwards to headline UFC on ESPN 4 on 7/20 in San Antonio
•David Branch vs. Andrew Sanchez at UFC on ESPN+ 16 on 9/14 in Vancouver
Lyoto Machida took no joy in retiring 'legend' Chael Sonnen
“I feel it’s an honor for me to be part of his history and to share the cage with Chael Sonnen, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, because I consider those guys are legends in the sport. To be part of their story, for me, I’m so grateful for that. ... If Chael thinks that he has to retire then we just have to respect his decision and appreciate what he has been doing for the sport. He’s considered one of the best in the sport, so you have to respect that.” h/t MMA Junkie
The Last Emperor fights on
The greatest heavyweight of all time is not retiring. At the Bellator 222 post-fight press conference, president Scott Coker said that he signed Fedor Emelianenko to another multi-fight contract, and that this will be his farewell tour. Coker named Rampage Jackson and Josh Barnett as potential options for Fedor on his "retirement tour." Coker said his next fight will be November or December.
Chael Sonnen retires from fighting
Karate is still back
Dillon Danis joins Raptors in surviving the Drake curse
Juan Archuleta mighty walk away KO over Eduardo Dantas, pushes streak to 18
Adam Borics flying knee KO over Aaron Pico, moves to 13-0
Rena Kubota vs. Lindsey VanZandt: No tap, nap
Renzo's Gracie's younger brother Robson Jr with brilliant armbar
Yaozong Hu receives 10 month suspension for doping violation
Yaozong Hu, 24, of Beijing, China, has accepted a 10-month sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione (arimistane) and its metabolite 7β-hydroxy-androst-3,5-diene-17-one as the result of a urine sample provided out-of-competition on March 9, 2019. Following an investigation into the circumstances of Hu’s case, USADA concluded that Hu’s positive test was caused by his use of a dietary supplement and that he was eligible for a minor reduction to the otherwise applicable one-year period of ineligibility for a doping offense involving a Specified Substance. The minor reduction is based on Hu’s cooperation throughout the results management process and efforts made to investigate the safety of the supplement prior to use, even though he subsequently realized that the product listed a prohibited substance on the label. Hu’s 10-month period of ineligibility began on March 9, 2019, the date his positive sample was collected. h/t USADA
