Trending Content
Rodriguez destroys Milstead's liver on Fight Pass prelims
Jessica-Rose Clark statement on weight-cut medical issue
Bisping: I'd still be fighting if I didn't win title
On the JRE: “I wouldn’t have retired, I wouldn’t have retired yet. I’d know I could still do it. I could still fight now, but the time was right. I started having issues with my good eye as well after the Gastelum fight, so I’m like, ‘this isn’t worth it.’ I see a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny bit [out of my right eye].' I don’t really see out of it, and the vision’s very blurred. I mean, I was able to pass the tests. To be able to be cleared by a commission to fight, you’ve got to 2200 vision, which I was able to scrape by with the skin of my teeth. My doctor was always amazed that I could see to that amount. If I squinted in the right direction and I turned here *gestures* and the light was just right, I could just about make 2200.” h/t BJPENN.COM • Watch
ONE chairman explains importance of Turner deal
Chatri Sityodtong recently completed an eight-figure deal with Turner Broadcasting's B/R Live, a first for an American broadcaster purchasing Asian sports content: "It is no secret that One Championship has dominated UFC in Asia, and we are taking the fight to America now. But the significance of this partnership with Turner is far greater than just One Championship going into America. Turner Sports, ESPN, and Fox are the three giants in sports broadcasting in America, so this is a huge validation of everything One Championship has been doing in the last seven years . ... In the past, distribution meant carriage agreements with pay TV broadcasters. However, over time, that dominance is reducing as more people watch content online ... You need to build awareness first, in order to find an audience that is prepared to pay for your content and find it online. Finally, to succeed in MMA, you need to achieve critical mass. This can generate a virtuous circle - lots of fans means more income, which means you can pay to attract the best fighters, which in turn attracts more fans. Having the right distribution arrangement in a large market like the US can be the catalyst needed to start that virtuous circle. The US market is the biggest sports market in the world so obviously, it gives tons of exposure for our athletes." h/t Straits Times
A.J. McKee breaks a record
UFC 25h Anniversary Bobblehead is $45 (with delivery before Christmas)
Dominick Cruz couldn't be cooler, seriously
Benavidez is back up for ‘Cejudo vs Dillashaw’ at UFC on ESPN+ in Brooklyn
Joseph Benavidez is not fighting undefeated division phenom Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 233, and will instead serve as back-up for the Henry Cejudo vs. TJ Dillashaw 125-pound title fight in the main event of the UFC's debut on ESPN+ on 1/19: “I would rather fight than just weigh in, but that’s a whole other thing. I don’t wish ill will on anyone in the title fight, either, because I know how hard they worked to get there. If someone falls out then I get that opportunity, as well. There’s a ton of options on the table, and I’m ready for all of them. I’ll be in Brooklyn ready to fight for the title.” h/t MMAMania
Iaquinta not focused on Project Spearhead
The fighter organizing effort Project Spearhead’s main goal is to gather signed union authorization cards from 30 percent of the UFC’s roster so the NLRB can determine whether fighters are employees or, as they are currently classified, independent contractors. One of the notable supporters, Al Iaquinta, is otherwise engaged: “I guess when you don’t complete a goal, it’s always somewhat of a disappointment. But I think there’s still a lot of work to be done in that area, and I think it just has to be gone about the right way and everyone can be happy. ... My head’s been totally in a different realm. I’ve got houses to sell, I’ve got people trying to kick my ass, Kevin Lee’s trying to send me to the prelims – I’ve got a lot of things to think about, and there’s an order of priorities right now. I haven’t heard any new updates [about Project Spearhead]. I have been in contact with Leslie [Smith] a little bit, but I know where their head at right now. A lot of fighters, they take what they get. They don’t fight as hard outside of the cage as they do inside.” h/t MMAjunkie
Cat with a ball
It's Bellator time in Hawai'i
UFC re-signs with BT Sport for UK/Irish broadcasts
UFC parent company Endeavour holds a minority stake in Eleven Sports UK & Ireland which had secured OTT right for UFC event in the UK and Ireland, but was unable to secure distribution via pay-TV platforms including Sky, Virgin Media and BT, which triggered an exit clause for the UFC, before the deal even began (Jan 2019). The UFC then successfull entered into talks with the previous rights holder BT about a new broadcast deal, which is multi-year. h/t The Guardian
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Andrea Lee fight is off
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Andrea Lee at UFC on FOX 31 in Saturday night has been canceled, due to complications from Clark's weight cut. The fighter has been released from the hospital, but the fight is off. The good news is Clark did not die. The bad news is the culture of extreme weight cutting in MMA is not being taken seriously enough by industry stakeholders. h/t MyMMANews
Frankie wants to tell his grandkids he fought Conor
”I’m hoping I get Max. I’m hoping Max [Holloway] sticks around at 45, and we get to finally get to square up. I think it makes the most sense. We were supposed to link up, and I think a lot of people talk about that matchup. I don’t think he’s fought someone like myself. I could definitely do some different things in there that Ortega can’t. So that’s what I’m gunning for. [If not Holloway], maybe Conor’s free. Conor wants to get down and fight. We were supposed to fight a long time too. If I’m not fighting for the belt, then I guess Conor’s the next best thing. He’s the most popular guy of my era. Let’s be real, he is. It’ll be a shame if I retire down the road and I get my kids and grandkids ask me if I ever fought Conor McGregor and I get to say no. I wanna say yeah.” h/t The Mac Life • Watch
