MMA news

• UFC 197 media day staredowns

  21-04-2016 23:49
  
  LAS VEGAS -- At UFC 197, the top fighters at this Saturday's UFC event squared off at MGM Grand.
  
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• UFC 197: Jon Jones vs. Ovince Saint Preux staredown

  21-04-2016 23:38
  
  LAS VEGAS -- At UFC 197 media day, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Ovince Saint Preux squared off Thursday at MGM Grand.
  
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• Randa Markos to Meet Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger at UFC Fight Night in Ottawa

  21-04-2016 23:37
  
  Randa Markos will square off against Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger at UFC Fight Night in Ottawa.
  
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• UFC on Fox 20 Update: Felice Herrig, Kailin Curran to Clash in Chicago

  21-04-2016 22:55
  
  A strawweight bout pitting Felice Herrig against Kailin Curran has been added to the UFC on Fox 20 lineup.
  
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• UFC does 2.5 million viewers for UFC on FOX 19 event

  21-04-2016 22:30
  
  Saturday's UFC on FOX show headlined by Glover Teixeira's first round knockout of Rashad Evans did a 1.4 rating and 2,487,000 viewers. The number is along the lines of what a usual UFC on FOX event would do in April, and a positive when you factor in the circumstances.The number was down from a 1.5 rating and 2,745,000 viewers for last year's April show, which had a stronger marquee main event of Luke Rockhold vs. Lyoto Machida, which determined the next middleweight title contender.
  Two years a
  
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• Bellator 153 weigh-in video

  21-04-2016 22:00
  
  At the Bellator 153 weigh-ins, all 30 fighters taking part in Friday's Bellator 153 fights will step on the scale Thursday evening, and we'll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.In the main event, Benson Henderson and Andrey Koreshkov will have to make the welterweight limit of 170 pounds.The Bellator 153 weigh-ins take place at 5 p.m. ET, and the video is above.The Bellator 153 weigh-in results are below.Main card (Spike TV at 8 p.m. ET)
  Andrey Koreshkov vs. Benson Henderson
  Patricio "
  
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• Jon Jones wants to fight Daniel Cormier at UFC 200

  21-04-2016 21:30
  
  LAS VEGAS -- Jon Jones has some work to do this weekend. But, if things break right and the former light heavyweight champion emerges unscathed from UFC 197, he would be more than happy to return at UFC 200.
  "Absolutely," Jones said Wednesday. "I'd totally step in to UFC [200] and fill in that main event."
  Jones is widely considered to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The 28-year-old was initially slated to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier on April 23 at
  
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• Felice Herrig vs. Kailin Curran added to UFC on FOX 20

  21-04-2016 21:28
  
  A popular strawweight with local ties has a date booked at Chicago's United Center.
  Felice Herrig will meet Kalin Curran at UFC on FOX 20 on July 23, according to UFC officials Thursday.
  Herrig, a native of nearby Buffalo Grove, is making her first appearance in the Octagon since losing to Paige VanZant in April, 2015. She's 1-1 in the UFC.
  Hawaii's Curran (4-2) is 1-2 in the UFC, but she righted the ship in her last appearance, with a submission victory over Emily Kagan on Dec. 10.
  This brings
  
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• Report: UFC Officially Calls Off Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz For UFC 200

  21-04-2016 21:11
  
  Well after a lot of back-and-forth, it appears we have our verdict -- McGregor-Diaz II is off ...for now.According to a new TMZ report, the 170-pound rematch between UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor and ranked UFC contender Nate Diaz scheduled for the landmark UFC 200 event in July is officially off.Earlier this week, while making media appearances, UFC President Dana White claimed that if McGregor called him, the rematch could still potentially remain on the card scheduled for 7/9 in L
  
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• All sides should want same result in Conor McGregor high-stakes poker game

  21-04-2016 21:00
  
  Conor McGregor's statements on Thursday made it clear he wants to fight Nate Diaz, and his retirement talk was a bluff that UFC called. Now it's a matter of both sides saving face and the fight being bigger than ever, which isn't as simple as it seems from the outside. We are all witnessing now the most intriguing game of high-stakes poker in UFC history.But the key is that almost everyone, whether it be the UFC, Conor McGregor, and the fan base, all should want the same conclusion: McGregor vs.
  
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• Four Bouts Announced for UFC Fight Night in South Dakota on July 13

  21-04-2016 20:56
  
  The card for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first-ever trip to South Dakota is beginning to take shape.
  
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• Conor McGregor statement reaction: What's next?

  21-04-2016 20:37
  
  LAS VEGAS -- After Conor McGregor's statement Thursday morning, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani, Luke Thomas and Shaun Al-Shatti breaks it down and says if they think McGregor will fight Nate Diaz again at UFC 200.
  
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• Report: Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz Headliner at UFC 200 Officially Scrapped

  21-04-2016 20:11
  
  It appears that there will be no salvaging the original UFC 200 main event.
  
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• Sorting out what’s what in Conor McGregor’s fiery ass statement

  21-04-2016 19:51
  
  Turns out Conor McGregor’s retirement lasted about 45 hours. On Thursday, just a day before the UFC 200 press conference he refused to attend so he could focus on training, McGregor reenlisted himself into the ranks of the active. He put out a declarative statement regarding his stance. Let’s deconstruct that statement, just so we can (hopefully) gain a little perspective. Starting at the beginning, which was loaded."I am just trying to do my job and fight here. 
I am paid to f
  
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• Report: UFC officially pulls the plug on Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 200

  21-04-2016 19:34
  
  The UFC has officially pulled the plug on the Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor rematch at UFC 200, according to TMZ.com.
  UFC president Dana White had hinted during multiple media appearances on Wednesday that if McGregor picked up the phone and called him, the welterweight fight with Diaz, which was scheduled for UFC 200 at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would be back on.
  That was just one day after Tuesday's he said/he said, in which McGregor abruptly declared his retirement and the UFC said
  
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• Does Conor McGregor Have A Point? (Editorial)

  21-04-2016 19:11
  
  Taken at face value, Conor McGregor simply does not want to be told what to do and when to do it. However, beyond the potential labor issues that McGregor may be highlighting (lack of a union, status as an independent contractor, etc. all good issues to discuss another day), the Irishman cites an important issue that perhaps only elite, top level fighters can identify with, media distractions.An apt comparison here is with the one and only Ronda Rousey. Both her and McGregor are comparable in st
  
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• UFC Champion Luke Rockhold Discloses Injury Suffered In Training

  21-04-2016 18:54
  
  While it is nothing to worry about now, UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold did suffer a minor setback in his training ahead of UFC 199.Via Instagram recently, Rockhold disclosed that he suffered a tear in his MCL about a month ago, but added "no worries... I'm back at it."Rockhold will defend his title this June against Chris Weidman from The Forum in California.[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BEcXvFwoaNP/[/embed]
  
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• UFC 197 open workout highlights

  21-04-2016 18:28
  
  LAS VEGAS -- At UFC 197 workouts, Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Ovince Saint Preux and Henry Cejudo participated in the sessions in front of the fans and the media Wednesday evening.
  
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• Teams Selected For The Ultimate Fighter 23

  21-04-2016 17:41
  
  Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha selected their eight fighters during the premier of The Ultimate Fighter 23 on Wednesday night.The episode featured the elimination bouts, which narrowed the cast from 32 down to 16. Each coach selected eight light heavyweights and eight strawweights.Jedrzeczyk was given the first fight selection, tabbing highly-touted prospect Khalil Rountree to meet Cory Hendricks.Below are the rosters for each team. The series airs Wednesday night on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p
  
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• UFC Fight Night 91 Picks Up First Three Bouts

  21-04-2016 17:36
  
  The Octagon will head to South Dakota for the first time later this year with UFC Fight Night 91.Recently, the promotion announced the first three bouts for the event, which takes place July 13 from the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.Kyle Noke meets Keita Nakamura at welterweight, while Scott Holtzman takes on Cody Pfister and Tim Boetsch battles Josh Samman.Noke (22-8-1) has gone 6-4 over 10 Octagon appearances, including a 3-1 record he put together at one point. Nakamura (31-7-2)
  
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• Max Holloway-Ricardo Lamas Scheduled For UFC 199

  21-04-2016 17:31
  
  While most of the MMA talk centers around UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor, two contenders in the division have agreed to meet.Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas will square off this June at UFC 199. The bout was announced during "UFC Tonight" Wednesday.Holloway (15-3) has won 11 of 14 bouts with the promotion, including a division-best eight in a row. His last loss came to McGregor, where he pushed him to the distance in 2013.Lamas (16-4) earned a decision win over Diego Sanchez recently,
  
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• Pros react to Conor McGregor's statement

  21-04-2016 17:22
  
  UFC champion Conor McGregor released quite a statement Thursday morning, saying he's no longer retired and he still wants in for UFC 200. Many fighters quickly expressed their takes on Twitter and check out their reactions below.Someone give Conor McGregor a million dollar box of tissue, he's getting soft!☕️
  — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 21, 2016
  https://t.co/eGkqWeVMSb. What everyone thought . Good insight on how an empire rises and then falls , being aware is key , g
  
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• Jon Jones Seeks Career Longevity, Draws Inspiration from Mayweather, Hopkins

  21-04-2016 17:14
  
  Once upon a time, Jon Jones was tentatively planning an early exit strategy from mixed martial arts.
  
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• Conor McGregor Issues Lengthy Statement, Says He Is Not Retired

  21-04-2016 16:55
  
  As promised, Conor McGregor released a new statement on Thursday and as the MMA world expected, "The Notorious" one is not retired after all.On Thursday morning, the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion issued a lengthy statement, addressing his previous retirement claim, as well as the entire situation that led to Dana White pulling him from UFC 200.McGregor, who was scheduled to headline UFC 200 against Nate Diaz in an immediate 170-pound rematch, was pulled from the event by UFC President Dana
  
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• Conor McGregor: I am Paid to Fight, Not Promote

  21-04-2016 16:49
  
  Conor McGregor released a statement Thursday on his official Facebook account:
  
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• Conor McGregor issues statement, says he's not retired after all

  21-04-2016 16:48
  
  Conor McGregor issued a statement Thursday just days after being pulled from UFC 200. UFC president Dana White said the reason he decided to take the UFC champion off the blockbuster event because he didn't want to do the promotional work this week for the July 9 card. McGregor's full statement is below.I am just trying to do my job and fight here.I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.
  I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting.There comes a time
  
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• Conor McGregor Teasing Another Announcement: “Ok, No More Games”

  21-04-2016 16:05
  
  After announcing his intentions to "retire young," UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor is teasing another big announcement on Thursday."The Notorious" one, who was scheduled to headline UFC 200 against Nate Diaz in an immediate 170-pound rematch, was pulled from the event by UFC President Dana White earlier this week. However on Thursday morning, McGregor already began teasing his next announcement."Ok no more games," wrote McGregor on Thursday morning. "I am going to release a statement s
  
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• In a weird way, all these years later, Jon Jones is ‘happy' Daniel Cormier has a chance to be UFC champion

  21-04-2016 15:00
  
  LAS VEGAS -- Over five years have passed since Jon Jones first planted the seeds of his rivalry with Daniel Cormier. It is a bizarre thought to consider; the idea that a young Jones, months away from UFC gold, could so deeply enrage the unknown Olympian in the hallways of a UFC show in Anaheim, and that those few seconds would linger for more than a half-decade between two of the sport's preeminent alpha males. Neither Jones nor Cormier could have known back in 2010 that they would still be omni
  
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• Morning Report: Luke Rockhold thinks he will force Chris Weidman to move up to 205

  21-04-2016 14:00
  
  UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold believes he is on "another level" from Chris Weidman and will stop him in the second round. Luke Rockhold certainly doesn't lack for confidence.
  In December, Rockhold unseated UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, stopping him with strikes in the fourth round and taking the belt. A rematch was announced as the main event of UFC 199 and as part of their media obligations, the 2 fighters have been doing press appearances together. Wednesday evening Rockho
  
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• Watch Live: Bellator 153 Weigh-in Video (5 ET)

  21-04-2016 09:33
  
  Watch the Bellator 153 weigh-in video here:
  
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• Tina Fey writes about Rousey for TIME's 100 influential people

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  The undauntedI fell in love with Ronda Rousey when she announced to the world that she was not a “Do-Nothing Bitch.” Always a sucker for an elegant turn of phrase, I quickly jumped down an Internet rabbit hole to hear more from this oracle.I watched her tell the hosts of The View, “Pain is just information.” I learned her mother’s mantra, “You’re not training to be the best in the world. You’re training to be the best in the world on your wors
  
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• The Downes Side - UFC 197 predictions

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Think you know more than Dan Downes? Play UFC Pick 'EmThat’s right boys and girls, it’s time for another edition of the Downes Side! I know a lot of you have been worried, but fear not, the Nostradamus of MMA has no plans to leave you anytime soon. In fact, I even show up to events that they expressly ask me not to attend #EmbraceTheGrind.This weekend, you’re all invited to witness UFC 197 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main event of the evening puts the
  
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• Mega Thursday Fight Update

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby have been working overtime to bring fight fans plenty of compelling action this spring and summer, with eight new fights confirmed over the last 24 hours that will hit the Octagon in the coming months.Kicking things off on May 29 in Las Vegas will be a lightweight matchup between the returning Erik Koch and Canadian striker Shane “Shaolin” Campbell. Campbell stepped into the bout against Milwaukee’s “New Breed” after Joe Pro
  
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• Jones is on road to redemption, wants back everything he lost

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  The Jon Jones redemption tour is underway, and it’s the hottest ticket in Las Vegas this weekend. The pound-for-pound king has said all the right things. The community service hours have been logged; the gratitude to fans for continued support has been paid. Hell, Jones took a late notice fight to save the UFC 197 main event, something he has vowed never to do in the interest of his legacy. Legacy, in fact, is the current theme of this tour ahead of Jones’ anticipated return against
  
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• Jon Jones is on road to redemption, wants back everything he lost

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  The Jon Jones redemption tour is underway, and it’s the hottest ticket in Las Vegas this weekend. The pound-for-pound king has said all the right things. The community service hours have been logged; the gratitude to fans for continued support has been paid. Hell, Jones took a late notice fight to save the UFC 197 main event, something he has vowed never to do in the interest of his legacy. Legacy, in fact, is the current theme of this tour ahead of Jones’ anticipated return against
  
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• Family ties: Pettis bros. ready to fight again

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  March 14, 2015 was a date the Pettis brothers, Anthony and Sergio, probably circled on their calendars as a reminder that they were never going to fight on the same card again. On that UFC 185 card in Dallas, Anthony lost his lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos and Sergio was stopped by Ryan Benoit, and you assumed the two wouldn’t want to go down that road again. But here they are in Las Vegas, Anthony fighting Edson Barboza and Sergio taking on Chris Kelades on this Saturday’s UF
  
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• 'Cowboy' helps Pettis find his groove again

  21-04-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Anthony Pettis remembers being the lightweight champion of the world. He also recalls his time as the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds. Today, after two consecutive losses to Rafael Dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez, he says “I don’t know where I am now, I just stopped caring about that.”For the record, “Showtime” is currently ranked third in the world heading into his UFC 197 bout against Edson Barboza on Saturday. And when he says he doesn’t care about his place on t
  
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• Dana White Assures The MMA World That He Is In Charge (Editorial)

  21-04-2016 06:21
  
  Conor McGregor was surprisingly pulled from UFC 200 due to his refusal to commit to do any promotions for his rematch against Nate Diaz. UFC boss Dana White announced the news on ESPN's SportsCenter. White made the announcement after the superstar had this bizarre tweet earlier in the day announcing his unexpected retirement.https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/722492455732584448"Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial and be part of any of the marketing we hav
  
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• Dana White Assures The MMA World That He Is In Charge

  21-04-2016 06:21
  
  Conor McGregor was surprisingly pulled from UFC 200 due to his refusal to commit to do any promotions for his rematch against Nate Diaz. UFC boss Dana White announced the news on ESPN's SportsCenter. White made the announcement after the superstar had this bizarre tweet earlier in the day announcing his unexpected retirement.https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/722492455732584448"Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial and be part of any of the marketing we hav
  
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• Dana White: Conor McGregor retirement would have USADA implications

  21-04-2016 04:30
  
  If Conor McGregor truly plans on retiring, it would set off a domino effect beyond just a change in the main event of UFC 200.
  There would be a new featherweight champion, of course. UFC president Dana White has already indicated that should the reigning titleholder end his career, McGregor's belt will be vacate and awarded to the winner of the Frankie Edgar vs. Jose Aldo fight at UFC 200.
  But there are also implications involving USADA's anti-doping testing that would potentially complicate McG
  
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• UFC 197 videos

  21-04-2016 04:11
  
  UFC 197 videos are for the upcoming UFC 197 event on Saturday night in Las Vegas. In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones squares off against Ovince Saint Preux. At the UFC 197 conference call, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Ovince Saint Preux, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo will answer questions from the media Friday afternoon. The call is expected to begin at 2 p.m .ET.
  
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• Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas, Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard official for UFC 199

  21-04-2016 03:38
  
  A pair of intriguing matchups have been added to UFC 199.
  A featherweight contenders bout between Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas, and a previously reported bout between Dan Henderson and Hector Lombard, have been added to the June 4 event in Inglewood, Calif., the company formally announced Wednesday via UFC Tonight.
  Holloway (15-3) has been the fastest-rising featherweight not named Conor McGregor. Since losing a decision to McGregor in 2013, the 24-year-old from Waianae, Hawaii has won eight c
  
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• Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas Added to UFC 199 in Los Angeles

  21-04-2016 03:28
  
  A matchup of featherweight contenders has been added to the UFC 199 lineup, as Max Holloway will face Ricardo Lamas in Los Angeles on June 4.
  
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• Demetrious Johnson UFC 197 workout scrum

  21-04-2016 02:49
  
  LAS VEGAS -- At UFC 197 workouts, Demetrious Johnson discusses a typical fight week, what Henry Cejudo offers, Conor McGregor's situation, Anderson Silva's record, and much more.
  
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• Ovince Saint Preux UFC 197 workout scrum

  21-04-2016 02:45
  
  LAS VEGAS -- After UFC 197 open workouts, Ovince Saint Preux talks about it being a "blessing" that he only had two weeks to prepare for Jon Jones, his possible prediction on a finish and if he believes Jones is a dirty fighter.
  
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• Jon Jones on Conor McGregor: ‘Fights like this will help fighters in the future'

  21-04-2016 02:38
  
  LAS VEGAS -- It wasn't long ago that Jon Jones was persona non grata in the UFC.
  Just three years ago, Jones felt the weight of the organization come down hard on him for his refusal to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Chael Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151. The UFC ultimately cancelled the event, and in a scathing subsequent media call, UFC president Dana White proclaimed UFC 151 to be "the event Jon Jones and Greg Jackson murdered."
  So it should come as no surprise that Jon
  
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• Jon Jones Was Looking For “Brownie Points” From Fans For Fighting At UFC 197

  21-04-2016 02:02
  
  Jon Jones had a choice to make in the weeks leading up to UFC 151 several years ago.Fight Chael Sonnen after Dan Henderson was forced out and defend his light heavyweight title against a dangerous opponent on short notice.Or decline the contest.
  Jones decided to do the latter, and UFC officials had no choice but to cancel the event completely.
  When the same situation - albeit with a few different circumstances - was presented to "Bones" ahead of UFC 197, he made a different decision.
  Jones retur
  
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• Henry Cejudo UFC 197 workout scrum

  21-04-2016 01:45
  
  LAS VEGAS -- After UFC 197 workouts, Henry Cejudo gave his thoughts on the Conor McGregor-UFC situation, discussed his title fight against champion Demetrious Johnson and broke down his feelings on the Nick Diaz saga in Nevada.
  
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• Jon Jones UFC 197 media scrum

  21-04-2016 01:37
  
  LAS VEGAS -- At UFC 197 open workouts, Jon Jones discussed being back for a UFC fight week, Conor McGregor,  Daniel Cormier, UFC 200, and much more.
  
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• Henry Cejudo on Conor McGregor: 'If you think you're higher than UFC,' then 'maybe you should get pulled'

  21-04-2016 01:24
  
  LAS VEGAS -- Less than a day after the UFC surprised the mixed martial arts world by pulling Conor McGregor off of UFC 200, flyweight title challenger Henry Cejudo took a hard stance in support of the organization's decision.
  "I think it's good for the UFC," Cejudo said Wednesday at the UFC 197 open workouts. "The UFC, they need to start stepping up and doing things like that. If you think you're higher than UFC, if you think you're better than all the other fighters, then maybe you should get p
  
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