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Renato Moicano: What I learned from the loss to Jose Aldo
“Life is so wonderful that it shows you the right path to go, and sometimes having to take a step back helps you a lot. Jose Aldo is someone I respect a lot, I have no shame in admitting that he’s my idol, but that fight showed me I can stand with him and the best fighters. ... I got a lot of attention from fans, people coming to talk to me all the time, and maybe I didn’t handle that really well. People saying I was going to beat Jose Aldo, maybe I let that carry myself too much and didn’t dedicate to the big task I had ahead of me, which was beating Jose Aldo. I should have gotten more focused. I was fighting in Brazil and everybody talking about me being the betting favorite. I was too calm in there, and we can’t underestimate someone like Jose Aldo, a knockout artist, the best featherweight of all times. I’ve learned that we have to be the same way, no matter who we’re fighting. This is our life. It’s kill or be killed. A loss means a lot, a win means a lot. A... If you win, you’re good. If you lose, you’re bad. I’ve learned to stay focused on myself and not think about others.” Moicano fights Chan Sung Jung at UFC on ESPN+ 12 on 6/22, 2019 at Greenville, South Carolina. h/t MMA Fighting
Christian Lee Is ready for fights In two weight classes
Christian “The Warrior” Lee, 20, who became the ONE Lightweight World Champion, the youngest male world champion in MMA history when he defeated Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki with a swift knockout at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON last May: “It was a surreal experience. The belt has been a dream of mine for a very long time. The moment they put that strap on my shoulder was just amazing. Shinya is a teammate and a friend, and even though we were stepping in there as competitors, I still wouldn’t want any serious damage done to him, so I’m glad the stoppage came. ... going back down to challenge for the belt at featherweight, or they find a top contender to challenge for my belt at lightweight, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I want to stay active. I’m hungry and ready to fight whoever ONE Championship throws at me next. I am still the top contender in the featherweight division. There’s no one else but me, and if I choose to and if everything lines up, I would absolutely be ready for a fight for that featherweight belt.” h/t Low Kick MMA
SBGi's Cian Cowley, Nikolay Grozdev to compete at Brave CF 24 in London
Two of SBG Ireland’s brightest prospects, Cian Cowley and Nikolay Grozdev, are confirmed to compete at Brave CF 24 in London on July 25. Lightweights Cowley vs. Maciej Gierszewski is the first addition to the card. Cowley, a longtime teammate of Conor McGregor, won his first two fights for Brave before dropping his most recent bout via SD to John Brewin at Brave 22 in the Philippines on 3/15.The Moldovan featherweight Grozdev, coming off a third-round armbar win at WWFC 14, also makes his Brave debut; he has signed a multi-fight deal with Brave. Grozdev has been part of many of McGregor’s training camps over the years. h/t MMA Junkie
Brave CF founder comments on #1 ranking for Bahrain in IMMAF
The Kingdom of Bahrain surpassed Kazakhstan, Sweden, Russia, and New Zealand to become ranked #1 in the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation-World Mixed Martial Arts Association world rankings. His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, first deputy president of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, president of Bahrain Olympics Committee, and an honorary president of Bahrain MMA Federation comments: “We are very happy to see Bahrain on top of IMMAF-WMMAA’s ranking. This confirms we are on the right path in the MMA sport as per the vision engineered to develop it, enabling the Kingdom’s champions to make honorable results.” h/t Conan Daily
Heather Hardy on the worst part of a loss
The future of combat sports
Nate Diaz already ripped ahead of fight vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 on 8/17
Dana White signs 10-year UFC deal
“TMZ just got Lorenzo the other day in New York, and Lorenzo confirmed that they are looking at NFL teams. I heard the Panthers, that the Broncos were available, that the Chargers might be up for sale. We’ll have to see how this plays out but yeah, if they buy a team, I’m in. I will partner up with them. We had looked at something a couple years ago, not in the NFL. In the NBA, we looked at a team and we got outbid, me and the brothers. I would love to be back in business with them and do something. Obviously, I’m very busy and very focused over here. Financially, I’d jump in with those guys. I just signed a new 10-year deal with the UFC, so in ten years, I can do something with them every day.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch LVSportsBiz’s Guerilla Cross Radio
ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST main Card highlights (6:18)
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•Bruno Silva OUT Eric Spicely IN vs. Deron Winn at ESPN+ 12 on 6/22 in Greenville
•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
Dana White: I assume Tony Ferguson gets next title shot after Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier
“Khabib is fighting Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi in September. Then I don’t know, we’ll see. Tony Ferguson just came off a great win this weekend over ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and I’m assuming he’s next. ... We’ll see what happens with Conor – what Conor wants to do. Conor is super rich. It’s hard to get guys to fight when they’re super rich.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch LVSportsBiz.com’s “Guerilla Cross Radio”
Wonderboy talks about his father/coach Ray on Father's Day
Stephen Thompson: “Man, my dad is everything to me. I don’t know what I’m gonna do when that time comes. I know a lot of people who don’t spend their time with their dad – my dad was one of them. With grandfather – he died when I was very young – I remember my dad telling me at a young age that his dad would always say, ‘Hey, you need to hang out with your dad – I’m not going be around long enough.' Pops didn’t take him seriously and the next thing you know, he ended up dying in a car accident and that’s something he regrets. I like to consider myself a very observant person and try to learn from that and try to spend as much time with my dad as possible. He’s a very wise dude, and I wouldn’t be the man I am if it wasn’t for him.” h/t MMA Junkie • Image courtesy of IG
Lyoto Machida wants champ Ryan Bader, Gegard Mousasi next
“When I fought both of them it was a couple of years ago so I recognize they improved a lot, they change a little bit of their game. Every fight has their particular way to go, so I believe it’s hard to say now who will be the tougher one, but we’ll see. Bader did a great job in the heavyweight division. He beat Fedor, one of the biggest names in the sport. I was impressed with that, but I would like to fight both [Bader and Mousasi] in different times and I consider Bader now the name that everybody wants to face him.” Machida also expressed interest in a move up to light heavyweight: “I’m pretty open for that. I have to confess that in 205 I felt really good. Back in the day I already fought in 205, I’m the former champion in 205 and in order to not cut any weight for me it’s much better, but I’m pretty open to which comes first, I’ll be ready.” h/t MMA Junkie
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
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
