dana white

UFC: Could Khamzat Chimaev fight again next weekend?

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One of the more dominating victories that came out of the two fight nights this week from the UFC‘s Fight Island was the victory from Khamzat Chimaev (7-0).

The Swedish born fighter has drawn comparisons to UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, with his mauling style. One thing the promotion already loves about him is his hunger. Apparently, Chimaev envisions a quick turnaround.

“He asked me that night for another fight,” UFC president Dana White said this weekend. “I said why not? Yeah. All right. Let’s do it… So Mick (Maynard) is working on that now.

UFC’s Next Mauler

Chimaev’s debut was something to behold. John Phillips is a tough guy, but Chmaev ragdolled him like it was nothing. The striking numbers were one of the more lopsided in MMA history. Chimaev scored a 10-7 round in the first round of their fight.

The UFC will have their work cut out for them in finding Chimaev a fight on such short notice. I’m not sure who is on Fight Island already, but with only six days to go, the UFC will have to work quickly.

Chimaev strikes me as the kind of guy who really does not care who the UFC puts in front of him. Much like Nurmagomedov, Chimaev’s style is going to be extremely difficult for people to deal with.

His style is also one that could fight anyone at anytime and be very effective. I’m very excited to watch Chimaev fight next. We could be looking at the UFC‘s first Swedish born champion in Khamzat Chimaev.

Dana White: August events might have to move to Fight Island

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UFC, Dana White

The UFC is getting ready to host their second event on Fight Island, but Dana White is concerned about the promotions return to the US.

With the ongoing pandemic, restrictions are starting to be enforced again in Las Vegas where the UFC APEX is located. When asked if he was concerned about the August events, White simply responded with, “Yes.”

Reporters at today’s media scrum followed up asking White about potential backup plans if the promotion was not able to host events at the APEX.

“My backup plan would be Fight Island. We might be living here. If Nevada shuts down and doesn’t allow us to have fights, I’m going to be spending a lot of time in Abu Dhabi,” White said.

UFC’s resilience is astonishing

On July 24th, Bellator will be hosting it’s first show since February. The UFC has been cranking out shows since the beginning of May. No matter what has come their way, the UFC has continued to figure things out.

If Nevada shuts down completely, this will just be another hurdle that the promotion has to overcome. However, they already have the infrastructure in place to make it happen. The UFC‘s partnership with Abu Dhabi is keeping the promotion going.

White has alluded to the fact that the UFC would have burned through US talent without Abu Dhabi. Since the launch of Fight Island, the UFC has a place they can host fighters from all over the globe.

The UFC was planning on making a return to Fight Island later in the year after the August events. However, they might be forced to stay put if the pandemic shuts down Nevada once again.

Dana White following UFC 251: “Does anyone think that Volkanovski won that fight?”

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UFC, Dana White

One of the things that’s going to be talked about after UFC 251 is the decision in the Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) and Max Holloway (21-6). The fight was razor close with many in the media scoring the fight for Holloway.

In our live recap on ESM, I personally scored the fight for Volkanovski, but the third round could have gone either way. Holloway out-landed Volkanovski slightly in the third. UFC president Dana White gave his thoughts on the decision.

“We’ve got some bad judges. I’m sure Max is devastated. Does anyone think that Volkanovski won that fight?” White said to the media in the post-fight press conference.

UFC title won in that third round

The fight really came down to that third round. The first two round were clearly Holloway’s rounds while the last two were the UFC champs. Michael Bisping who was commentating told Volkanovski in the post-fight show that the stats would indicate that Holloway won the third.

“It is what it is. He made good adjustments, but I made good adjustments on the fly. Max’s is tough… I thought I won the last three rounds,” Volkanovski said to Bisping in response.

It’s going to be very interesting to see where the UFC goes from here. It’s hard to give Holloway a third fight with Volkanovski after losing two decisions. However, it’s clear the company thinks he won the fight.

Volkanovski said that he wants to fight at the end of this year in the post-fight press conference. Maybe it’s time for Holloway to move up to lightweight because I’m not sold that the UFC will give him a shot against Volkanovski anytime soon.

 

BREAKING: Venum to be the UFC’s new Exclusive Global Outfitting & Apparel Partner

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UFC, Dana White

It has been known that the UFC‘s deal with Reebok was set to expire at the end of this year. The Reebok era ushered the UFC into more of a mainstream sport look and feel with fight kits. The deal created a lot of animosity due to sponsor money, and the deal has received criticism from many pundits. With the deal coming to an end, we’ve been wondering who would take over after the deal expires. We got our answer today.

UFC-Venum Deal starts April 2021

The UFC announced this morning that the combat sports apparel company, Venum, will be taking over for Reebok in April of next year. The Reebok deal will continue through March of 2021. Many people, including myself, figured the UFC was going to be going to one of the big dogs like Nike after the deal expired.

The Schmo was the first one to suggest Venum on his recent Schmozone Podcast with Dana White. When you think about the history of the sport, Venum is the best choice. Venum is a combat sports brand that has sponsored fighters for years. It’ll be interesting to see the numbers, but early indications are that this is a great deal for the fighters.

Fighter pay has always been a question with the UFC, and the Reebok deal didn’t help things. Fighters saw their wages slashed when they lost sponsorship money with the Reebok deal. Instead, they received a very small portion of Reebok kickbacks. With a combat sport company like Venum, one has to believe that the fighters are going to be taken care of.

UFC: Dana White on Conor McGregor: “He’s got a few fights left”

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard that the UFC‘s biggest star, Conor McGregor (22-4), retired just over a month ago. Most, if not all, people believe that this will be another short-term retirement for the former two division champion. UFC President Dana White appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd where he was simply asked if McGregor will fight again.

“What’s going on with Conor McGregor is what goes on with all professional fighters when they become extremely wealthy…he gets to pick and choose what he wants to do. He’s got a few fights left, I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out and wanted to fight somebody next year after all these fights play out,” White told Cowherd.

Does the UFC need Conor McGregor?

Let’s be clear about something, the UFC has never needed Conor McGregor. Yes, McGregor is the biggest star the sports history by a long shot. However, the UFC was successful before McGregor, and they will be successful after McGregor is officially retired.

On the other hand, the UFC really wants McGregor to fight a few more times. He generates more money than the next two biggest draws combined. He transcends the standard MMA fan and his reach stretches around the globe. That’s how big of a star the Irishman is in the UFC.

Conor McGregor hasn’t stopped training since he announced that he was retired. He’s constantly staying sharp in the gym. If you see Jorge Masvidal win this weekend at UFC 251, I wouldn’t be shocked if you see McGregor make a play to fight Masvidal for the welterweight title. Imagine McGregor coming back to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold a belt in three weight classes.

I think in the next couple of months you’re going to see momentum towards another Conor McGregor fight. There is no way that he’s done fighting. I think there are a couple of more things he wants to accomplish before he hangs it up for good.

UFC: A Masvidal win at UFC 251 could mean a quick retirement for Conor McGregor

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Conor McGregor, UFC

The UFC has been on fire when it comes to news over the past couple of days. Less than a week ago, Gilbert Burns was getting ready for his shot at the title while Jorge Masvidal was working out at home in Miami.

Three Day Fury

Friday night, Burns tested positive for COVID-19. By Saturday, talks had begun for Masvidal to replace Burns and by Sunday the fight was official. Now, Masvidal is fighting UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman (16-1), on Fight Island. If Masvidal is able to win on Saturday, the biggest draw in the sport could be lured out of retirement.

Conor McGregor (22-4) shocked a lot of people when he made the announcement that he was retiring (again). McGregor returned back in January and promptly finished Donald Cerrone in under one minute. McGregor looked to be back, and said in his post-fight interview that anyone could get it next. One of the guys sitting in the front row that night was the BMF, Jorge Masvidal.

Masvidal vs McGregor is a UFC dream

There is no question that Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the history of the UFC. Right now, Jorge Masvidal’s star stock is shooting through the roof. If Masvidal is able to win on Saturday, the UFC could choose to make arguably the biggest title fight in the history of the sport. McGregor retired due to a lack of opponents and frustration with the UFC. In Masvidal, McGregor would find a very willing dance partner.

You would love for a fight between the two men to be held with fans, but even with none, you could be looking at the biggest UFC PPV of all time. The fight doesn’t have the personal heat the McGregor/Nurmagomedov did, but you could make the argument that Masvidal will be a bigger star than Khabib if he’s able to win Saturday. On top of that, McGregor would be aiming to become the first three division champion in the history of the sport.

Of course these are big ifs because there is a massive hurdle standing in the way of Jorge Masvidal. Usman is one of the very best fighters in the world, and he presents a very tough matchup for Gamebred. For now, fans can dream about the Masvidal/McGregor matchup, but the UFC welterweight divisions boogieman will be a major roadblock in the potential dream matchup.

UFC: Colby Covington tells Dana White he’ll “Take care of Street Judas Masvidal”

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UFC, Colby Covington

Former UFC interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington (15-2), isn’t shy about calling out anyone in the UFC. Covington has made a name for himself over the last few years as someone who talks a lot of trash, but he goes in and backs it up. Covington was recently interviewed by BJPenn.com and he was very open about calling out another top welterweight.

“I know Dana’s having a dispute with ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal right now… Hey Dana, you know who to call. Call me, bro. I’ll finish ‘Street Judas’ off. I’ll send that dude to the morgue, he won’t ever fight again. He’s got the BMF title but that’s not even a real title, it’s a participation trophy. He’s really got the SMF title right now. The saddest motherfcker, or the scaredest motherfcker. It wasn’t a money issue, it was a scared issue.”

The trouble between Masvidal and the UFC

It’s been no secret that the UFC has been having trouble with the BMF, Jorge Masvidal (35-13). Masvidal was originally slated to fight Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title next week, but he’s been in a public dispute with the company regarding revenue sharing. Gilbert Burns was able to get the title shot due to the failed negotiations.

Now, Masvidal is sitting on the sidelines with no opponent. Recently, I wrote about a few possible fights for Masvidal as he sits on the sidelines. The fight that makes the most sense for the division is Covington. The two men were once as close as brothers, but they have turned bitter rivals. Both taking every chance they get to throw shade at the other.

The Perfect Matchup

After Covington lost his title fight to Usman in December, he has yet to find an opponent. Masvidal is looking to fight someone who will generate a nice payday for him. This sets up perfectly for the two of them. Masvidal/Covington would be a big fight that the UFC could make for later in the summer. If the fight were to take place, it would setup the winner to fight the winner of the July title fight between Usman and Burns.

The more personal a fight is, the more it sells. Masvidal has developed into a star over the last year, and you know that Covington knows how to sell a fight. Not sure if the fight will actually come together, but it would solve a lot of problems that are currently going on in that division. I believe the UFC is going to figure everything out, but this would be a great place to start.

UFC: John Kavanagh on Conor McGregor; “As for now, he’s retired”

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Conor McGregor, UFC

It has almost been a month since the UFC‘s most popular fighter of all time, Conor McGregor, took to Twitter to announce that he had retired. This is not the first time or the second time that McGregor has done this. Counting this occurrence, McGregor has retired three times. Because of that, many (including myself) doubt the sincerity. McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, was recently asked about his star’s retirement.

“Is Conor retired?” Kavanagh said. “Yes, he is as far as I can tell. That’s what he said, isn’t it?” When pressed by another who asked him to convince McGregor to fight, Kavanagh followed with, “I can’t convince Conor to do sh*t.”

The reality is that Conor McGregor is going to do what Conor McGregor wants to do. Do I believe that he’s retired? Absolutely not. However, until he says he’s coming back, you have to assume he’s not. I think that’s what Kavanagh is doing at the moment. McGregor is the type of person who is filled with surprises, so no one should be surprised by anything from the UFC‘s first double champ.

Status of McGregor and the UFC

There are several big fights waiting for McGregor if he decides to continue fighting. He is likely the next guy in line to fight for the UFC lightweight championship following the title fight in September. He could also fight Nate Diaz or Jorge Masvidal. McGregor is frustrated right now because he wants to stay active, but the UFC is not giving him the chance.

The UFC does not want to lose out on a Conor McGregor gate which usually double anyone else’s. UFC President, Dana White, came out and said that it’s tough to lose out on a McGregor gate. Now, it’s not been made public why McGregor wasn’t given offers, but it’s easy to make the connection. The UFC does not want McGregor to fight without a crowd. McGregor wants to fight now, and because of the disconnect, he’s “retired”.

UFC: What’s next for Nate Diaz?

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There might not be a bigger anomaly in MMA than the UFC‘s Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz has blossomed into a superstar over the last couple of years after his two fights with Conor McGregor. Diaz marches to the beat of his own drum, and he’s uncensored at all times. He’s even been awarded the chance to slap UFC President, Dana White. The last time we saw Diaz, his fight with Jorge Masivdal was getting called off due to a cut. Since then, we haven’t heard much. So what is next for the 35-year-old from Stockton?

UFC’s next steps with Diaz

Diaz is on the shortlist for the biggest stars in the sport. However, he’s notoriously difficult to make a deal with from the UFC‘s side of things. Diaz knows what he’s worth, and he’s not afraid to just walk away from the table if he’s not paid. Most of the time, they find some middle ground, but if it favors anyone over the last couple of years, it favors Diaz.

Diaz has said that he would prefer to stay at 170 pounds if he does fight again. He said that he wasn’t interested in cutting the extra weight to lightweight. However, there is one fight on this shortlist of matchups I have that would have him return to lightweight, and I think it’s one fans would love to see.

Tony Ferguson

This one is a little outside the box, but how much fun would this be? This is a matchup that many in the media have floated around for the last couple of years. Both are two of the most entertaining fighters in the business with endless cardio. Ferguson (25-4) is coming off of a UFC interim title loss to Justin Gaethje, and he needs another opponent when he’s ready. Some have suggested Dustin Poirier, but I’m thinking of someone with a little more star power.

This fight would such a fun fight to promote. Two extremely interesting personalities, and two guys who are not opposed to going to war with the other. Again, Diaz has said he doesn’t want to cut back down to lightweight which makes this one less likely, but I think Ferguson is the type of opponent that he would do it for.

Jorge Masvidal

It’s no secret that there’s a contract dispute with Jorge Masvidal and the UFC. Masvidal (35-13) was supposed to fight for the title, but contract negotiations have nixed that. Masvidal beat Diaz last November for the BMF title, but fans were robbed of a definitive ending when a doctor called the fight off due to a cut over Diaz’s eye. Prior to the fight being called off, Diaz had some of his better moments in the fight.

A fight with Diaz would pay Masvidal what he wants. A fight with Masvidal would also get Diaz motivated to get back into the cage. If the UFC wants to make a big-time fight later in the fall, I think they could run back the BMF title fight. Hopefully a rogue doctor at ringside wouldn’t call this one off before the fans could get the ending that they deserve.

Conor McGregor

If you want a fight that makes 100% sense on all sides, look no further than this one. Conor McGregor (22-4) and Diaz have fought twice with each fighter gaining a victory. Diaz shocked the world back at UFC 196 when he submitted McGregor in the second round. McGregor won the rematch by majority decision at UFC 202 later that year.

The two men are two of the biggest stars in the sport. They are 1-1 in their head-to-head matchups, and they need a conclusion to the rivalry. McGregor has “Retired” for now due to the lack of fights that were being offered to him. Let’s be clear, McGregor is not actually retired, but more frustrated with the current situation. Diaz is just waiting on the UFC to call him and offer him something worth fighting for.

An easy fix to everything would be pairing the two men up for the fall. Will it happen? I personally don’t think so. I think it’s more likely that Diaz and Masvidal fight again before McGregor and Diaz. The reasoning is that I think the UFC is likely going to give McGregor the winner of Khabib/Gaethje for the lightweight title near the end of the year. If Diaz still hasn’t fought by the time McGregor gets his shot, I think the trilogy fight likely becomes his next fight.

Imagine if McGregor wins the title back in late 2020. If he does it against Khabib, the UFC could either conclude that trilogy, or the UFC could give Diaz a title shot concluding the McGregor/Diaz trilogy. All of these are fun possibilities to think about. I’m not sure who Diaz is going to fight next, but I know for a fact it’s going to be someone with some name recognition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3moBU-ax_M

UFC: Jon Jones is willing to sit out to benefit other fighters

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UFC, Jon Jones

UFC light heavyweight champion, and the GOAT in many pundits’ eyes is willing to walk away from the sport for a considerable amount of time. Jon Jones is back in the news today after he appeared on Steve-O’s Wild Ride Podcast. Jones was asked about his feelings on the UFC and Jones stated, “I have no interest in fighting for the UFC.” When asked some follow-up questions, Jones talked about being willing to sit out to benefit fighters down the line.

Where does Jones and the UFC stand?

The short answer is not in a good place. After all of his ups and downs, Jones returned in December of 2018. Jones fought four times in fourteen months leading many to believe Jones was back for good. It was the most active we had ever seen Jones in his career. When the pandemic hit, a lot of things changed with Jones and the UFC. By all accounts, Jones and the UFC were on good terms. That is until Jones started asking for a raise to fight UFC heavyweight contender, Francis Ngannou.

When Jones went to the UFC and asked for more money, he was shut down immediately. Jones claims he never asked for a specific dollar amount while Dana White claims that Jones’ demands were astronomical. Following White’s comments, a very public back and forth began between the two men. Jones went as far as to demand a release from the UFC.

Where do we go from here?

Now, we are in this weird spot. Things have seemingly calmed down, and Dana White has sounded more optimistic lately even saying that they would, “Work it out.” However, Jones’ appearances on Steve-O’s podcast would seemingly indicate otherwise. Jones continues to reiterate that he wants no part of the UFC, and he feels that sitting out now will move the needle more in the direction of the fighters.

I really think they will get this worked out eventually. The UFC has had a long history of making deals with fighters that are difficult. However, Daniel Cormier brought up a good point recently when he talked about the fact that Jones being out for a long time made him realize he’s able to live a life outside the UFC. Jon Jones doesn’t need the UFC. He’s made enough money to retire. If he walks away now, many people would label him the greatest to ever do it. It’ll be facinating to watch this continue to play out. I think it’s going to simmer down for a while, but I think Jones could be approached by the UFC after the August title fight between Cormier and Stipe Miocic. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Jon Jones in the UFC, but I’m not sure when he’ll be back.