MMA news

• Stipe Miocic's manager: 'A champion shouldn't pick and choose opponents'

  25-01-2016 23:44
  
  Stipe Miocic thought he struck gold in the UFC's heavyweight division.
  When Cain Velasquez pulled out of his Feb. 6 main event against heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, Miocic was quick to respond. The UFC slid him into place against Werdum, and suddenly the 33-year-old Ohioan secured the title shot he so vocally requested after his knockout victory over Andrei Arlovski at UFC 195 earlier in January.
  That change of fortune ultimately proved too good to be true, however, as Werdum announced M
  
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• Fabricio Werdum Pulls Out of UFC 196 with Back Injury

  25-01-2016 23:00 via sherdog.com
  
  UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has withdrawn from UFC 196.
  
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• Fabricio Werdum pulls out of UFC 196 with injury

  25-01-2016 21:59
  
  Fabricio Werdum is also out of UFC 196.
  The UFC heavyweight champion was initially scheduled to face Cain Velasquez on Feb. 6, but the former titleholder pulled out of the bout with a back injury.
  A day after the announcement that Velasquez would be replaced by Stipe Miocic, the Brazilian told MMAFighting.com he will also pull out of the event with an injury.
  "I was already injured," Werdum told Brazilian journalists on Monday. "I have a foot injury, and haven’t been able to throw kicks in
  
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• Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown Added to May 14 UFC Fight Night in Brazil

  25-01-2016 21:32 via sherdog.com
  
  World-ranked welterweights Demian Maia and Matt Brown will collide in May when Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its return to Brazil.
  
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• Luke Rockhold on Cain Velasquez injury: 'He’s had a bad back for a while now'

  25-01-2016 21:22
  
  The MMA world released a collective groan Sunday, as former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez pulled out of his scheduled Feb. 6 title fight against Fabricio Werdum at UFC 196 with a back injury.
  Velasquez – no stranger to suffering injuries and needing to pull out of fights – was replaced by Stipe Miocic at the event.
  While Werdum would later pull out of the fight with an injury as well, much doubt and criticism lingers toward Velasquez and toward his camp, San Jose's American Kic
  
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• Matt Brown vs. Demian Maia added to UFC Fight Night event in Brazil

  25-01-2016 20:44
  
  Two top welterweights are set to collide at the upcoming UFC card in Brazil.
  UFC senior vice president Giovani Decker announced on Monday that Demian Maia and Matt Brown will collide on May 14. The promotion has yet to announce the location for the event.
  Maia (22-6) enters the match-up coming off four straight dominant victories over, capped off by a decision over Gunnar Nelson at UFC 194.
  Brown (20-13), who pulled out from a bout with Kelvin Gastelum with an ankle injury in November, hasn&rsqu
  
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• Rafael dos Anjos: ‘Cerrone & Henderson Are Better Fighters Than McGregor’

  25-01-2016 20:15 via sherdog.com
  
  UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos discusses his UFC 197 bout Conor McGregor, the company’s preferential treatment toward McGregor and why he will never train with the Irishman.
  
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• Lightweights Ross Pearson, Abel Trujillo Matched for UFC Fight Night in Brisbane

  25-01-2016 20:10 via sherdog.com
  
  Two fighters searching for stability in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division will meet in March when Ross Pearson clashes with Abel Trujillo.
  
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• Videos: Road To The Octagon: UFC On FOX 18 – Johnson vs. Bader (Full Episode)

  25-01-2016 20:04
  
  UFC has released the complete "Road to the Octagon" special for this Saturday's UFC On FOX 18 event, headlined by the title eliminator bout between Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Ryan Bader.Featured above is part one of the special, which the UFC released in three parts on their official YouTube channel. Below are parts two and three, which focus on the Josh Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell and Iuri Alcantara vs. Jimmie Rivera fights, respectively.
  
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• Manager: Jose Aldo willing to sit out a year and wait for UFC title fight

  25-01-2016 17:00
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO -- Jose Aldo suffered his first defeat in 10 years against Conor McGregor at UFC 194, and he won’t accept a return to the Octagon in a non-title fight.
  Aldo, who was once the best featherweight on the planet,defended his WEC and UFC 145-pound title nine times, and isn’t happy with the UFC’s decision to let McGregor move up to the lightweight division without vacating his featherweight belt.
  Right after his 13-second loss in December, Aldo says was promised a titl
  
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• Ross Pearson vs. Abel Trujillo set for UFC Fight Night 84 in Brisbane

  25-01-2016 16:12
  
  Ross Pearson makes a quick return to the UFC Octagon, as he's set to take on fellow lightweight Abel Trujillo March 20 at UFC Fight Night 84 in Brisbane, Australia.What started in on @TwitterAU will end in the Octagon at #UFCBrisbane - @RossTheRealDeal v @KillaTrujillo is BOOKED! https://t.co/CMmc2RjHlx
  — UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 25, 2016Pearson (18-10, one no-contest) recently dropped a unanimous decision to Francisco Trinaldo (19-4) at UFC Fight Night 81, while Trujillo (
  
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• Velasquez Out, Miocic In Against Werdum For UFC Heavyweight Title On 2/6

  25-01-2016 15:21
  
  It looks like Cain Velasquez will not be getting the next shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship.UFC President Dana White announced via social media on Sunday that Velasquez is out of his scheduled rematch against Fabricio Werdum.Additionally, White announced that UFC Heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic has been selected as the man who will replace Velasquez and challenge Werdum for the UFC Heavyweight Title on February 6th.White tweeted the following:https://twitter.com/danawhite/status/691400
  
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• UFC on FOX 18: Road to Octagon video

  25-01-2016 15:00
  
  Watch UFC on FOX 18: Road to the Octagon for FOX's preview of the latest UFC event on Jan. 30 in Newark, N.J.. In the main event, UFC light heavyweights Anthony Johnson and Ryan Bader will square off. UFC heavyweights Josh Barnett and Ben Rothwell battle in the co-main event.
  Josh Barnett vs. Ben RothwellIuri Alcantara vs. Jimmie Rivera
  
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• The MMA Hour with Luke Rockhold, T.J. Dillashaw, Miesha Tate, Tony Ferguson, Paul Daley, Aaron Simpson

  25-01-2016 14:00
  
  The MMA Hour is back in your life. Below is a rundown of Monday's show:
  1:00 p.m. ET -- Miesha Tate will talk about her UFC 197 title fight against Holly Holm.
  1:25 p.m. -- UFC middleweight king Luke Rockhold will talk about life as champion and what's next for him.
  1:45 p.m. -- Paul Daley will look ahead to his Bellator 148 fight against Andy Uhrich
  2:05 p.m. -- Power MMA head coach Aaron Simpson will preview Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Johnson and more.
  2:25 p.m. -- T.J. Dillashaw will look back at
  
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• Morning Report: Floyd Mayweather responds to Conor McGregor, takes passive shot at Dana White

  25-01-2016 14:00
  
  Floyd Mayweather thought he had escaped his beef with MMA superstars when Ronda Rousey was KO'd by Holly Holm at UFC 193.
  With Rousey taking a step back, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has filled right in.
  McGregor has been chirping at boxing's biggest star for a while now, but things kicked up when GQ magazine featured the Irishman in a piece titled, 'Conor McGregor: 'I'm going to be worth more than Mayweather.'
  Earlier this month, Mayweather told Fight Hype that he believes rac
  
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• UFC Continues Efforts to Bring Live Events to New York State

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  “We are disappointed by the District Court's denial of our motion for a preliminary injunction and its effort to redirect the litigation to the state courts,” UFC COO Lawrence Epstein said. "One thing, and one thing only, prevents Madison Square Garden and other New York venues from hosting UFC events that are allowed in the other 49 States in the Union -- that is the New York law that we believe violates the federal Constitution. Today's decision, while disappointing, only underscor
  
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• Rob Font talks delivering pizza and who he wants next

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  Every fighter has a story about their introduction to the sport and when they first got the MMA bug. Some are straightforward and common – collegiate wrestlers or athletes from other sports chasing a new competitive dream – while others are unexpected and unique.Rob Font’s story falls into the latter category.The bantamweight prospect, who picked up his second consecutive stoppage win two Sundays ago in his adopted hometown of Boston, was a pizza delivery guy and brought a pie
  
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• Pearson, Trujillo Head Down Under

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  Lightweight bangers Ross Pearson and Abel Trujillo are expected to put on a show "Down Under" on March 19, when they square off in a UFC Fight Night bout at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia.In the five-round main event, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir faces Aussie favorite Mark Hunt.Looking to bounce back from a decision loss to Francisco Trinaldo on January 17, former Ultimate Fighter winner Pearson will be making his third appearance in Australia, where he ha
  
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• Maia vs. Brown Set for May 14

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  Two of the top welterweights in the world will collide in Brazil on Saturday, May 14, as number five-ranked Demian Maia battles number six-ranked Matt "The Immortal" Brown in a UFC Fight Night bout televised by FOX Sports 1.The card, which takes place at a site to be named shortly, is headlined by the middleweight showdown between Vitor Belfort and "Jacare" Souza.Sao Paulo's Maia, 38, is showing the best form of his UFC career at welterweight, as the former 185-pound title challenger has won fou
  
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• Fatherhood changes everything for Ellenberger

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  For a veteran who has been squaring off with the best fighters his division has to offer for the past six years, welterweight Jake Ellenberger is acutely aware that anything can happen when the Octagon door closes. It’s a reality he’s experienced from all angles, and his ability to stay on the plus side of such a curve has allowed him to retain elite status in a weight class that has long been considered the most competitive under the UFC banner.Nevertheless, it wasn’t somethin
  
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• Dustin Ortiz ready to cement comeback in Newark

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  Fresh from an impressive third-round knockout of Willie Gates in August and eager to add to his win total this Saturday in Newark against Wilson Reis, flyweight contender Dustin Ortiz has a simple mantra for 2016 and beyond.“Sign me up for five fights a year,” he said. “Let’s do it.”He’s not kidding either, and he has the track record to prove it. In the Franklin, Tennessee product’s first year as a pro in 2010, he fought six times, and if you’re g
  
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• Dustin Ortiz ready to cement comeback in New Jersey

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Fresh from an impressive third-round knockout of Willie Gates in August and eager to add to his win total this Saturday in Newark against Wilson Reis, flyweight contender Dustin Ortiz has a simple mantra for 2016 and beyond.“Sign me up for five fights a year,” he said. “Let’s do it.”He’s not kidding either, and he has the track record to prove it. In the Franklin, Tennessee product’s first year as a pro in 2010, he fought six times, and if you’re g
  
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• Dos Anjos vows to show McGregor 'bad side' of fighting

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO After an intense opening press conference in Las Vegas filled with a few more-than-expected barbs from Conor McGregor, UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos landed in Brazil for a media tour and tirelessly discussed his upcoming fight with the Irishman at UFC 197. With a little less than two months of buildup before the March 5 event, dos Anjos was grateful that he won't be subjected McGregor's antics for long. But dos Anjos also made it very clear that the challenger's sharp
  
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• Barberena Happy to Derail Super Sage's Rise

  25-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Bryan Barberena can’t deny that there is an added element of excitement for his next trip into the Octagon.The MMA Lab representative has always been wired to fight and loves to mix it up under the bright lights, therefore an upcoming scrap on the biggest stage in the sport isn’t what is pushing his anticipation to new levels. Instead, it’s an energy created because his next outing will come against highly touted prospect Sage Northcutt - a fighter who has been all the rage as
  
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• Anthony Perosh announces retirement from MMA

  25-01-2016 04:00
  
  UFC light heavyweight Anthony Perosh has formally announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition. The Australian made the announcement official through his website and social media on Sunday.
  "I'm retiring from fighting in MMA. I‘ve had a great career in MMA spanning 12 years, 25 fights, 15 wins & 5 wins in the UFC all by stoppage and 3 by Rear Naked Choke. I always went out for the win by stoppage and I am proud of what I have achieved in my career," Perosh said.
  "I
  
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• Carlos Condit says Robbie Lawler rematch 'only fight that raises my pulse'

  25-01-2016 03:00
  
  When last we heard from Carlos Condit, the JacksonWink fighter was pondering retirement after a razor-thin decision didn't go his way in his thriller of a UFC 195 main event against UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
  Two weeks removed from the early leader for Fight of the Year, Condit has yet to make up his mind.
  But on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, he said a rematch with Lawler would be the fastest way to get him back in the Octagon.
  "An immediate rematch with Lawler is about the onl
  
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• Cain Velasquez issues statement on withdrawal from UFC 196 main event against Fabricio Werdum

  25-01-2016 02:00
  
  If Cain Velasquez fought in two weeks at UFC 196, he might have sustained long-term damage, the former UFC heavyweight champion wrote Sunday on Facebook.
  UFC president Dana White made the announcement via Twitter just a few minutes earlier. Velaquez had to pull out of his main event title fight with Fabricio Werdum due to a back injury. Stipe Miocic will be the new opponent for Werdum, the UFC heavyweight champion, on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas.
  In a statement on Facebook, Velasquez wrote that it was a
  
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• Cain Velasquez Injured; Fabricio Werdum Faces Stipe Miocic in New UFC 196 Main Event

  25-01-2016 01:24 via sherdog.com
  
  Two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez has withdrawn from the main event of UFC 196, citing a back injury.
  
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• Cain Velasquez injured, Stipe Miocic steps in to challenge Fabricio Werdum at UFC 196

  25-01-2016 00:53
  
  Cain Velasquez is once again out of his title fight with UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Stipe Miocic will replace Velasquez as the heavyweight crown will still be up for grabs at UFC 196. UFC President Dana White announced the news on Sunday via Twitter.Cain Velasquez is out with a back injury. Stipe vs Werdum for the heavyweight championship February 6th. pic.twitter.com/vPRJYJvOjL
  — Dana White (@danawhite) January 24, 2016The two heavyweights were scheduled to fight for a
  
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• Cyborg On Rousey’s SNL Appearance: “Looks Like She Still Needs Help On Her Standup”

  25-01-2016 00:39
  
  While many have been complimentary of Ronda Rousey's performance as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend, one longtime rival was less than impressed with "Rowdy" Ronda.Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino took to social media early Sunday morning, almost immediately after SNL concluded, to blast Rousey just days after seemingly "taking it easy" on Rousey when discussing her during a recent media interview.Cyborg, who related to Rousey dealing with the public reaction to her first pro MMA loss to Holly
  
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