Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video of former UFC champs Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo firing grenade launchers and assault rifles at a special forces facility in Chechnya—a facility that trains Russian soldiers for the country's invasion of Ukraine
@WendyRogersAZ
Indians, Redskins, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's are brands that became outdated. Public pressure led to those brands dying. You're way on the margins w/ this weird take. Also Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were not on the side of the United States. WTF are you talking about?
"I'm retired from the sport of mixed martial arts and frankly, I'm retired from everything."
@Benaskren
cites needing a hip replacement as a factor in his retirement (via
@arielhelwani
)
I did serious journalism about MMA at ESPN -- like legit enterprise reporting that made a difference -- and experienced many of the same things Dana White did to Ariel. I've also been banned from UFC since 2005. This ain't new. White promised to ruin me. This is how he operates.
Update on Mark Coleman from his manager Mike DiSabito:
Doctors removed as much soot as possible from his lungs. They are planning to do the same procedure today. He was somewhat conscious after the procedure and squeezed his daughter Morgan's hand. Still sedated on incubator.
Good grief. Dana White has no credibility to demand anything of the media. White repeatedly bans reporters who do their job, and now he turns on the people he propped up to fill those seats. Absolute clownshow media environment around the UFC is his creation. What a joke.
Judge Boulware did not grant preliminary approval for the UFC class-action antitrust settlement today. I was in the courtroom this afternoon. Boulware expressed several areas of concern and it sure seemed to me that he's leaning toward denying the deal and moving to a jury trial.
No way. It's GSP by a decent margin. Usman has defended his belt against three people. GSP beat nine. 170 has always been filled with killers in the UFC. GSP's resume is clearly more impressive than Usman's. I say all this and fully stipulate that Usman is a bad ass. GSP =🐐
A year ago I received an email out of nowhere to join an amazing team covering MMA for
@TheAthletic
. It was a lifeline, truly. Today that journey ended for me. I'm grateful for the experience working with A+ colleagues and friends. The world moves on. So do I. Stay safe everyone.
@joerogan
@Spotify
Fair statement Joe. A suggestion on the balancing ... bring people with opposing points of views on together. Moderate as you can but let them hash it out. Sincere, honest debate and hopefully a distilling of good information from bad. Just a thought.
Tyron Woodley taps Darren Till with a D'Arce after mauling him for most of R2. A right hand felled Till and he ate a ton of punches and elbows.
The UFC, Dana White and fans everywhere need to give Woodley respect. A great fighter, terrific champion and standup family man.
Dana White offered Fedor a lot of money and even tried negotiating in secret while the supposedly overrated Russian was under contract with Strikeforce. Had Fedor signed with the UFC, the first thing they would've done was market him as the best heavyweight of his generation.
Dana White says it was well past time for Fedor Emelianenko to retire from MMA and he never view him as "one of the greatest of all time."
Full interview:
When I turned down a job offer and a significant raise to work for the UFC, I told Dana I made my decision in large part because it was impossible to do journalism for him. He said he thought I could. I was sure then that he had no idea what journalism is. Not much has changed.
So let's talk about being "scared" in MMA.
UFC is 1) terrified to lose control of its business model; 2) frightened to promote its champs against others and build a true sport; 3) cowering at notion of paying fighters their fair share; 4) petrified of media with backbone.
Capitol Police aren't subject to FOIA, and a congressman charged with their oversight can't get information. Add this to the list of things that needs reform.
@Buckeye_Blue
@timkmak
I don't think anyone is saying it can. What they're saying is that it can limit spread from asymptomatic or ill people. So wearing a mask is about the wellness of society, not the selfishness of individuals.
Safe to presume the UFC will hold Conor McGregor accountable for his actions by giving him a fight and a multimillion dollar payday as soon as possible. Stand strong UFC.
@kylekuzma
Because his words churn controversy -- that is literally what he's paid for. So treat what he says like it doesn't matter. (It doesn't.) The best tactic against Bayless is to ignore him and any media property he's involved with. If enough people do, he'll no longer be protected.
Three UFC vs. Bellator fights that should happen because they'd be competitively awesome:
Kamaru Usman vs. Douglas Lima
Patricio Pitbull vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane
Mark Kerr is a lot of things, including a fascinating person, but "the heavyweight godfather of MMA" isn't one of them. He could have been, which was always the rub with Kerr ... could have been. Mark Coleman actually deserves that kind of accolade much more than Kerr ever did.
An update on "The Smashing Machine" - the Mark Kerr biopic.
@TheRock
begins training camp tomorrow which will include MMA workouts.
Very much looking forward to this especially as it marks his first collaboration with
@A24
.
USADA has conducted roughly 13,000 tests under the UFC antidoping program. Around 100 fighters have tested positive. Half were related to tainted supplements, according to Jeff Novitzky. The UFC plans to unveil an updated policy addressing the issue within the next few weeks.
For the first time since 2008 I'm taking an editor role. Starting in August I'll freelance as editor-at-large for
@sherdogdotcom
, writing bi-weekly columns and collaborating w/ the staff to publish larger stories. Looking forward to reuniting with old friends and making new ones.
I also note David Hogg was a TA for a summer class our younger son attended in Torrance, CA. David moving to FL does not somehow make him a crisis actor. I know folks think CA has lots of actors, but really?
David is not a crisis actor, he is a teen survivor of a mass shooting.
@tonyschwartz
Because presidential approval ratings skyrocket in a crisis. Most people are rooting for him to do the right thing. As they hunker down he's painting a fantasyland picture of the world. Now consider that his 49% is nowhere near W after 9/11. IMO it is actually a damning figure.
In many ways, White got what he wanted but as he knows I'm a stubborn SOB. It's been a struggle for me to stay in the MMA journalism business and make a living. It really has. I'm not alone. White has attempted to drive out many reporters from covering the sport. It's heinous.
Today I asked a 198-lb. Yoel Romero if he could guarantee making weight for Saturday's UFC title fight against Israel Adesanya. He said, "C'mon man," before offering a fun range of facial expressions. Romero was in good spirits and later joked about wanting to eat desserts.
Dana White's argument that fighters who want more money or more control of their careers simply don't have to fight, and that makes them independent contractors, is belied by the fact that UFC can add time to a deal when fighters say no to bouts. This is a common tactic UFC uses.
Big day. Who's back in the game covering MMA full-time? This guy. I'm so fired up to work with the amazing crew
@TheAthletic
assembled. Grab 40% off and sign up for $2.99/mo here: . And please follow us on Twitter
@TheAthleticMMA
to get the latest stories.
By 2007, Dana White would send me ridiculous texts about how rich he was. UFC became a money machine built on the backs of fighters who never got their fair share. Amazing how much a handful of guys made and continue to make off that arrangement. I did what I could to expose it.
In an ESPN interview Lorenzo Fertitta boasted they had paid out $250 million to all the fighters between 2005-2011, during that same time the owners had received almost $1 billion.
The Jones info came out because Nevada refused to license Jon Jones after USADA delivered them an packet showing he had adverse findings for M3 in previous tests over the past six months. After another adverse test on Dec. 9, Nevada said they couldn't license. That's why we know.
Carlos Vela sets MLS record for goals in a season, netting No. 32 with a beautiful shot from outside the box. Vela surpasses Josef Martinez and chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" bounce around Banc of California Stadium. Then bangs No. 33 with a bicycle kick close to goal a minute later.
UFC fighters have not heeded these words. Their situation remains exactly the same. They can, however, still listen to Kobe, learn and do something to improve their lives. Always up to them.
You know, we don't have to wonder if Amanda Nunes checked out against Julianna Pena. She said so right after the fight. We can certainly still want to understand why. Nunes may or may not even be aware of the answer, but either way she knows she quit on Saturday.
Main event for UFC on ESPN 4 in San Antonio finalized: It will be Rafael dos Anjos vs Leon Edwards, five rounds. UFC wanted Blachowicz-Rockhold to move there, but Rockhold is filming a Ralph Lauren Polo commercial that day which couldn’t be moved.
البطل #حبيب_محمدوف لـ #الاتحاد: #الإمارات نموذج للتسامح.. ووطن الأبطال..
#ماكجريجور استفزني فقررت أن ألقنه درساً لن ينساه..
والدي أهم أسرار حياتي وإليه يعود الفضل في كل إنجازاتي
#النسر_الروسي في أول حوار لصحيفة عربية..
رابط الحوار كاملاً
I love fights that get my adrenaline pumping. They happen regularly and it's one reason I remain so interested in MMA. I haven't felt it with McGregor-Cerrone. To me UFC 246 feels like a business meeting.
Should give fighters, trainers and managers pause when UFC asks to step in on short notice. Especially debuts. Who are you serving? MMA fighters aren't selfish enough, and they set themselves up as mere cogs in the machine.
Dan Miragliotta lobbying Stefan Struve to continue because, hey, you're probably winning on the cards and I'll take a point, and, c'mon, just 90 seconds to go to make it out of this round.
That was garbage officiating.
Definitely an
#MMAFans
thing to get on Rose Namajunas for pulling out of a fight card that's being held in the middle of a pandemic, knowing she's been out for a long time due to getting slam KO'd and having neck surgery.
Thanks to anyone who had a hand in making the first
@TheMMAJA
election possible. Here are the results.
President
Ben Fowlkes
Vice President
Ariel Helwani
Secretary
Josh Gross
Treasurer
Marc Raimondi
At-Large Officers
Mike Chiappetta
Dave Doyle
Jeff Wagenheim
During the post
#UFC231weigh
-in scrum Dana White was asked about Greg Hardy by
@shaunalshatti
, who was there as the first pool reporter for
@MMAJA
, and the UFC president went off. Why? Shaun asked Dana if he or UFC had a message for victims of domestic violence. He didn't. Wow.
WME vs. CAA proxy war. If you don't factor this in to the way Dana White is acting towards Francis Ngannou, you're missing a big piece. UFC has always tried to kneecap heavyweight champs with management that push the boundaries, and this time it's personal.
WOW Francis Ngannou just told
@arielhelwani
that he and his team got an email from the UFC as they were on their way to the Honda Center that they were going to be sued after having talks with Nakisa Bidarian who is Jake Paul's promoter about Boxing
#TheMMAHour
#UFC270
The false notion that Francis Ngannou was scared. Or that he didn't deserve to be called the best heavyweight in MMA. All that crap he put up with should teach people something. Fighters should 100% be in control of their careers. Not fight brands or promoters or TV networks.
Miocic vs. DC feels bigger than any of McGregor's fights to me. Doubt many people would agree. I'm not talking $ or buzz. I'm just fascinated in all the right competitive ways by this one.
I favor Miocic. DC presents unique problems that I think Miocic has answers for.
I am not showing any signs of being ill. I feel fine. But why shouldn't I want the option to take a test? My 87-year-old mother lives alone and she needs things because she can't go outside. I have to interact with her. So it would be nice to know if I am healthy or asymptomatic.
Dana: Everybody acts like this is a fucking career. This isn't a career. This is not a career, this is an opportunity. Anything can happen at any given moment. A knee can blow out. Your back. Your this, your that. Covid-19...so you have to take every opportunity that you can get.
Jiri is who we thought Jiri was gonna be. Anyone who watched him before UFC saw his talent and unique style. He didn't come out of nowhere. The guy has 32 fights.
Noticing all these people saying MMA is done for 2020 because UFC wrapped over the weekend. That seems weird since Kyoji Horiguchi rematches Kai Asakura in Rizin on Dec. 31. With an impressive win, add Horiguchi vs. Deiveson Figueiredo to the list of bouts I'd pay to see in 2021.
Fulfilling promises of bringing titles to LAFC, Carlos Vela told me winning MLS Cup freed him up and inspired him to work with a personal trainer for the first time hoping to improve "winning aspects" like finishing games "stronger with more energy."
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje both hit 155 and Saturday's UFC lightweight title fight is official.
Two great pros here. Tremendous bout.
Also good on Mike Chandler for making 155 as an alternate.
This is misinformed. Everyone should help themselves and take the time to understand how elections work. There are many laws that determine this stuff. Many safeguards. Counting votes beyond election day is normal.
It looks increasingly likely that Bellator will run a show Dec. 29 in Japan. Main event being discussed is Rampage Jackson vs. Fedor Emelianenko, and it would be billed as the Russian's final fight in Japan.
Must watch UFC Embedded episode: the Mystic Massacre. Quite an edit of the incident at Barclays. Conor almost went Full Joker. I don't see how anyone can defend him. Khabib was a damn Dagestani superhero with the way he handled it. Feel awful for Chiesa.
I asked around for Fedor stories and got back a dozen accounts of the man. Hope you'll carve out a portion of your time before the fight on Saturday to read these recollections, insights and tales about the Last Emperor. Some amazing scenes shared here:
Silva-Adesanya will do next to nothing to make the younger fighter a better mixed martial artist. This is a play to build Israel's name, not prepare him for what comes next -- which should be the priority. Also if Israel does his thing that means an all time great got used. Blah.
@MichaelBerrySho
Don't you see that Biden supported the kid first? Biden reached out to him. Helped him. Your hypothetical doesn't add up because because Trump wouldn't bother. He'd see the stutter as weak, beneath his scope of interest. He would think the kid had nothing to offer him.