MMA news

• Georges St-Pierre, four other UFC stars announce launch of MMA Athletes Association

  30-11-2016 23:26
  
  Five of the most well-known fighters in the UFC are starting a fighters association.
  The group, headlined by all-time great Georges St-Pierre, will be called the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association and will focus on evening the playing field between fighters and the UFC, it was announced on a media conference call Wednesday.
  St-Pierre was joined on the call by Tim Kennedy, Cain Velasquez, Donald Cerrone and T.J. Dillashaw. Those five fighters will make up the association's first board. Forme
  
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• Sage Northcutt raises bar in his crushed apple craze for celebrity

  30-11-2016 22:30
  
  Forget a boring birthday card, or simple birthday tweet, when you can crush an apple with your bare hands.
  UFC welterweight and lightweight fighter Sage Northcutt took to Twitter to wish a happy birthday to American model Chrissy Teigen. Northcutt sent the 31-year-old IMG model an impressive video of himself crushing an apple with his own hands.
  Below is the video of Northcutt crushing the poor apple, along with Teigen's response:This is for Chrissy Teigen's Birthday! Who can crush an Apple like
  
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• MMA Athletes Association Officially Announces Formation on Conference Call

  30-11-2016 22:22
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yia7p-RhnPc&t=4sTo kick off a conference call that apparently has over 100 media members on the line, UFC middleweight contender Tim Kennedy officially announced the formations of a union/fighters' association for MMA Fighters, the MMA Athletes' Association. Attorney Jim Quinn was announced as the head of their legal team, with Kennedy remarking that he's the best there is in the field of athletes' associations. Quinn is also the lawyer for Georges St-Pie
  
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• Eduardo Dantas aims for second Bellator belt after Joe Warren rematch

  30-11-2016 20:30
  
  Eduardo Dantas will put his Bellator bantamweight title on the line at Bellator 166 against Joe Warren, and he wants to make history right after.
  "Dudu" will try to avenge the only loss he ever suffered under the Bellator banner on Dec. 2, facing the only man to ever win titles in two different weight classes, but the Brazilian wants to hold two belts at the same time.
  "That’s my only loss in Bellator, and I couldn’t be more motivated than I am now," said Dantas, who bounced back fro
  
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• Welterweights Paul Daley, Brennan Ward to Clash at Bellator 170 in Los Angeles

  30-11-2016 18:12
  
  A battle of welterweight sluggers has been booked for Los Angeles, as Paul Daley and Brennan Ward will lock horns at Bellator 170 on Jan. 21.
  
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• Kelvin Gastelum Pays $2K Fine, Avoids Suspension from New York Commission

  30-11-2016 18:01
  
  The path has been cleared for Kelvin Gastelum to compete at UFC 206.
  
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• Max Holloway’s reaction to interim title shot and featherweight shake-up: ‘Whole lot of sh*t’

  30-11-2016 18:00
  
  Of all the players that may have benefitted from the UFC’s recent decision to strip featherweight champion Conor McGregor of the title and award it outright to interim champion Jose Aldo, perhaps none did so more than Max Holloway.
  The soon-to-be 25-year old Holloway didn’t have a very clear path back to a title shot, despite winning nine straight bouts. He lost to McGregor back in 2013 via unanimous decision. And Aldo, whom he’s been calling out for the last few months, has tu
  
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• Goiti Yamauchi vs. Valeriu Mircea Added to Bellator 168 Lineup

  30-11-2016 17:40
  
  California-based fight promotion Bellator MMA announced on Wednesday that a lightweight battle between Goiti Yamauchi and Valeriu Mircea has been added to next weekend’s Bellator 168 event.
  
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• Bjorn Rebney Owns Domain Names For ‘MMA Athletes Association’

  30-11-2016 17:02
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z05OQMZjBb4When it was announced on Monday that former Bellator MMA frontman Bjorn Rebney would join some disgruntled big name UFC fighters for an "industry redefining announcement" on Wednesday, November 30th, the consensus was they were unveiling a fighters' union. Late Tuesday, Deadspin's Kevin Draper found the definitive proof: Rebney owns multiple domain names for a "MMA Athletes Association," and while most are inactive, one, TheMMAAA.com, has a lo
  
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• Tonya Evinger appealing controversial Invicta title loss with Missouri commission

  30-11-2016 16:32
  
  The fight has continued for Tonya Evinger.
  The former Invicta FC women's bantamweight champion is appealing her title loss to Yana Kunitskaya from Invicta 20 earlier this month after an incorrect application of the rules by the referee.
  Evinger told MMA Fighting that she filed her appeal with the Missouri Office of Athletics this week and that she was told she would hear a response back in a few weeks. An MMA Fighting request for comment from the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Insti
  
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• Live Chat: Conor McGregor's titles, Bjorn Rebney's return, AKA criticism and more

  30-11-2016 15:42
  
  This is the Promotional Malpractice Live Chat.
  It's hard to know where to start, but the biggest news this week is very likely Conor McGregor having his featherweight title being taken away by UFC (although their version is he relinquished it). The circumstances behind it are even sketchier where it appears it was done to "save" UFC 206, although such a thing isn't even possible. We'll go in depth on this topic today to discuss its merits and lack thereof.
  Speaking of those injuries at American
  
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• Daniel Cormier responds to AKA injury criticism: ‘It was my fault’

  30-11-2016 15:00
  
  Daniel Cormier was questioning himself at UFC 200.
  Moments before walking to the Octagon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Cormier was wondering if he had put the preparation to get the job done against Anderson Silva, his late fill-in opponent.
  "I was like worried," Cormier told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "Like, man did I run enough? Did I put enough miles in? Did I spar enough rounds? And you don't want to be questioning yourself. That was supposed to be Jon Jones."Cormie
  
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• Morning Report: Cody Garbrandt says he deserves Fighter of the Year after he 'dismantles' Dominick Cruz

  30-11-2016 14:00
  
  UFC bantamweight title challenger Cody Garbrandt says he deserves the Fighter of the Year award after he "dismantles" Dominick Cruz at UFC 207. Recently, Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt added yet another log to the fiery back and forth that they've been engaging in all year.
  It all started when Cruz posted a video of Garbrandt's most recent loss, an amateur KO, to his Instagram on Thanksgiving. Garbrandt's girlfriend responded by posting a photo of Cruz tapping to Urijah Faber to which Cru
  
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• The Ultimate Fighter 24: Episode 12 Recap

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
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  Demetrious Johnson has a new challenger ready to fight for his flyweight title. Tim Elliott has earned the right to face Johnson with the championship up for grabs after he beat teammate Hiromasa Ogikubo in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions.Elliott and Ogikubo were training partners all season long before meeting in the Octagon, and the fight didn't disappoint, as they went back and forth for 15 minutes to determine a winner. Before the fight started this week,
  
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• The Ultimate Fighter 24: Ep. 12 Preview

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
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   It all comes down to this. After 14 fights involving 16 of the world's best flyweight fighters, The Ultimate Fighter will determine a new title challenger at 125 pounds this week, as Tim Elliott meets Hiromasa Ogikubo in the finals of the Tournament of Champions, with the winner moving on to face champion Demetrious Johnson.When the tournament started more than 12 weeks ago, Elliott entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed overall, while Ogikubo came in at No. 5, with both fighter
  
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• The rise of the 'Strange Little Men'

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
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  Joseph Benavidez laughs when I ask him about the training team he’s put together for his Friday bout against Henry Cejudo.“Strange Little Men,” he calls this squad. And while he leaves it at that, a quick run through the world of social media sees the No. 1-ranked flyweight contender working with several other 125-pound standouts, including members of the team he coached on season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as longtime teammate and former 135-pound champion TJ
  
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• Sage Northcutt sends special birthday wish to Christy Teigen

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Sage Northcutt is busy in Texas these days preparing for his fight on Dec. 17 in Sacramento against Mickey Gall. But the welterweight took time out of his schedule this week to put out a challenge to all of his followers on Instagram: who could break an apple in half with their bare hands like “Super Sage” himself?Check it out! I want to see who can Rip some Apples! #SuperSageA video posted by Sage Northcutt (@supersagenorthcutt) on Nov 29, 2016 at 10:46am PSTWell, superstar mod
  
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• Gastelum-Kennedy Bout Official for UFC 206

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  The UFC 206 middleweight bout between Kelvin Gastelum and Tim Kennedy is now official for Dec. 10 in Toronto.After Gastelum's suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission was lifted this week, the way was cleared for Gastelum to be licensed by the Ontario Athletic Commission, which approved the middleweight main card matchup between the former Ultimate Fighter winner and perennial 185-pound contender Kennedy.UFC 206 is headlined by the interim UFC featherweight title bout between Max Hol
  
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• Elliott talks fight with Johnson on Facebook Live

  30-11-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Fresh off his historic victory on the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter season 24, Tim Elliott went live on Facebook to talk about the season and his title shot Saturday night in Las Vegas against Demetrious Johnson.Elliott talked about his matchup with the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet and how he plans to beat “Mighty Mouse.”“I’m gonna try to hit him in the face more than he hits me in the face. Get awkward, get funky and make it ugly,” Elliott sa
  
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• Bellator 166 Flashback With Joe Warren (Video)

  30-11-2016 05:18
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6eXBd85w6Q[/embed]Before he takes on Eduardo Dantas for the bantamweight title at Bellator 166 Friday night, relive the first meeting between Joe Warren and Dantas in this Bellator: Flashback.Warren picked up a decision win over Dantas back at Bellator 128 in 2014. He has gone 2-2 since, including a September finish of Sirwan Kakai.Dantas, meanwhile, is 2-0 since that loss to Warren, topping Mike Richman and Marcos Galvao for the title in June.
  
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• Paul Daley to face Brennan Ward at Bellator 170

  30-11-2016 05:00
  
  Bellator's big show to start 2017 has added some hitters.
  Paul Daley will take on Brennan Ward in an important welterweight bout at Bellator 170 on Jan. 21 in Los Angeles, it was announced by promotion president Scott Coker on ESPN. That event is headlined by a matchup between MMA legends Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen.
  Daley (38-14-2) is coming off a loss to now-welterweight champ Douglas Lima in July. Before that, the English knockout artist had won five in a row. He was supposed to face Der
  
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• Kelvin Gastelum-Tim Kennedy Cleared For UFC 206

  30-11-2016 04:56
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTGgLKF1FUs[/embed]Tim Kennedy once again has a fight set up.According to a report by MMA Fighting, Kelvin Gastelum has been cleared to face Kennedy next month at UFC 206. The hold up was that the Ontario Athletic Commission planned to fulfill the suspension handed down by the New York Athletic Commission to Gastelum for missing his weigh-in earlier this month.Gastelum, though, settled on a $2,000 fine with the New York Athletic Commission and will be allow
  
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• Three Very Interesting Non-Title Fights In Store From UFC Still This Year (Editorial)

  30-11-2016 04:50
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOUk55moWZc[/embed]Sure, Ronda Rousey's return will be hyped to the brim.And the upcoming interim featherweight title fight between Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway is sure to be fireworks.Oh, and Cody Garbrandt challenging Dominick Cruz for bantamweight supremacy is awesome.But there fights that have no title on the line are really ones that I am looking forward to before we close the door on this very interesting 2016 calendar year.- First up is Donald Cer
  
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• Cole Miller Sounds Off On Cancelled UFC Event, Time Wasted

  30-11-2016 04:26
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_OH7yQBX-8[/embed]Cole Miller is a veteran of the sport and understands that things outside of his control happen.
  However, Miller believes recently things could have been handled much differently by the UFC after they cancelled an event set for the Philippines last month.When BJ Penn was forced out of the planned main event for the card, the promotion decided to scrap plans completely. That left fighters like Miller without a bout - and without a paycheck
  
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• Kelvin Gastelum free of suspension, will face Tim Kennedy at UFC 206

  30-11-2016 04:03
  
  Kelvin Gastelum is good to go for Toronto.
  The UFC fighter has been cleared of his suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) and will face Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 on Dec. 10.
  Gastelum was suspended six months for not showing up to weigh-ins before UFC 205 in New York, but the commission and Gastelum settled on a $2,000 fine instead prior to an appeal hearing, per New York State Department spokesperson Laz Benitez.
  MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani reported the news earlier Tuesday
  
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• Paul Daley Returns At Bellator 170, Meets Brennan Ward

  30-11-2016 03:50
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFPaTnImzD8[/embed]A welterweight contest between Paul Daley and Brennan Ward has been added to Bellator 170, according to a report by ESPN.Daley, who turns 34 early next year, had his five-fight win streak snapped by Douglas Lima in July. Lima went on to reclaim the Bellator welterweight title.Ward has gone 5-1 over his last six, suffering only a submission loss to Evangelista Santos in April.
  Bellator 170 takes place January 21 from The Forum and airs on
  
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• UFC 207: Nunes Vs. Rousey “She’s Back” Video Promo

  30-11-2016 03:11
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9wi2mMbs0[/embed]The first promo for UFC 207 has been released, entitled "She's Back."Featured are UFC female bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and former titleholder Ronda Rousey. The two meet on December 30 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.Nunes won the belt with a finish of Miesha Tate at UFC 200, while this is Rousey's first fight back since dropping the belt to Holly Holm last year.
  
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• Chris Weidman: One Wrong Shot Led To Yoel Romero Loss

  30-11-2016 03:07
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfdHEUxOS2c[/embed]Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman appeared well on his way to a victory over Yoel Romero earlier this month at UFC 205.And just like that, Weidman was on the ground and left with a stunning loss.Romero, who is expected to challenge for the title next year, landed a flying knee as Weidman missed on a shot attempt. The former wrestling standout discussed the fight with "The MMA Hour" recently."I just felt like there's no way I'
  
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• Holloway Says ‘Murky’ Featherweight Division Now Clear Heading Into UFC 206

  30-11-2016 02:05
  
  Max Holloway isn’t too fond of current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and he has no desire to speak about former king at 145 pounds, Conor McGregor.
  
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• Anthony Pettis: It's not like Jose Aldo 'sucks' because he got KO'd by Conor McGregor

  30-11-2016 01:55
  
  The UFC's decision to strip Conor McGregor and award Jose Aldo the promotion's featherweight title ahead of UFC 206 was a polarizing one, alternately drawing scorn and celebration from fight fans on both sides of the aisle. But the move also put the featherweight division in an unquestionably awkward spot, as it is now reigned over by a champion who memorably got knocked out in 13 seconds just 11 months ago, and has since threatened to retire from the sport entirely.
  But regardless of the public
  
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• Eric Shelton vs. Alexandre Pantoja Set as TUF 24’s 3rd Place Fight on 1/28 in Denver

  30-11-2016 01:46
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4AAEbzNS-AWhile rarely if ever billed as such, the UFC often runs unofficial "third place" fights on The Ultimate Fighter's live finale cards. For season 24, possibly because of the different format from the norm, there's no such fight scheduled for this coming Saturday's finale. However, the UFC has in fact booked a fight between the losers of the semi-final bouts...just for the January 28th Fox Network special in Denver, Colorado:https://www.instagram.com/p/BNZ
  
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• Anthony Pettis Focused on Max Holloway, Not Aldo or McGregor

  30-11-2016 01:32
  
  Anthony Pettis is on a quest to eventually reclaim a world championship in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  
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• UFC Announces Ticket Information For Denver Card, But No Fights Revealed

  30-11-2016 00:49
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfyGYsn2lCM[/embed]In an interesting turn of events, the UFC has announced ticket information for the upcoming return to Denver, but no fights.The main card is slated to air on FOX, though in a press release, the event is titled "Fight Night: Denver."
  Below is the complete release with information regarding ticket sales. It does state fights will be announced "in the coming days and weeks."Continuing with a tradition of events filled with world class talent
  
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• UFC 206 Free Fight: “Showtime” Takes Out Joe Lauzon

  30-11-2016 00:42
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhqCJ5CFld0[/embed]Before he faces Max Holloway next month at UFC 206 for the interim featherweight title, check out a fight replay featuring Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon.The bout took place back in 2012 at UFC 144 when "Showtime" was still competing as a lightweight.
  It marked just the third appearance for the eventual UFC lightweight champion.
  
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• The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale: Ultimate 8 With Demetrious Johnson

  30-11-2016 00:40
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWt9lRBRMZU[/embed]Eight is a perfect number for Demetrious Johnson right now.The reigning UFC flyweight champion has made eight successful title defenses of his belt, tying him for third on the UFC's all-time list.This Saturday night, "Mighty Mouse" can move one step closer to Anderson Silva's record of 10 when he headlines The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale. His opponent will be officially revealed Wednesday night on The Ultimate Fighter.In the video above, J
  
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• Anthony Pettis Trained Exclusively At Roufusport For UFC 206

  30-11-2016 00:37
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQUkSUzheA[/embed]Before making his featherweight debut earlier this year, Anthony Pettis decided to train at Jackson-Wink MMA in New Mexico, splitting time from his home base of Roufusport in Milwaukee.For UFC 206 and his interim featherweight title fight vs. Max Holloway, "Showtime" stayed with Duke Roufus and company.The former lightweight champion also believes those who question his decision to cut to 145 are mistaken."Definitely exaggerated," Pettis
  
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• Max Holloway Completely Focused In On Anthony Pettis

  30-11-2016 00:34
  
  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQUkSUzheA[/embed]As much as Max Holloway would love to avenge his loss to Conor McGregor, "Blessed" is only focusing on his current opponent.Holloway meets Anthony Pettis next month at UFC 206 for the interim featherweight title. The winner is slated to unify the belts with Jose Aldo in early 2017."I've been telling you guys," Holloway said when asked about McGregor during a conference call Tuesday, "I got Pettis in front of me. I'm not trying to think pa
  
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• The MMA Hour - 358 - Daniel Cormier

  30-11-2016 00:20
  
  Daniel Cormier explains why he had to pull out of the UFC 206 main event.
  
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• The MMA Hour - 358 - Cat Zingano

  30-11-2016 00:16
  
  Cat Zingano talks about a feature about her on The Audience Network.
  
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• The MMA Hour - 358 - Chris Weidman

  30-11-2016 00:11
  
  Chris Weidman breaks down his UFC 205 loss.
  
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• The MMA Hour - 358 - Anthony Johnson

  30-11-2016 00:04
  
  Anthony Johnson talks about Daniel Cormier dropping out of the UFC 206 main event.
  
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• The MMA Hour - 358 - Tony Ferguson

  30-11-2016 00:02
  
  Tony Ferguson breaks down his latest win and what's next.
  
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