Slated to make another return to the Octagon in just a months’ time at UFC Abu Dhabi, former undisputed welterweight title challenger, Nick Diaz took part in no training regime for five years ahead of his clash with former champion, Robbie Lawler back in 2021, according to Jake Shields.
Diaz, a former welterweight title challenger under the banner of the UFC, is slated to make his comeback at UFC Abu Dhabi next month in the United Arab Emirates, taking on welterweight contender, Vicente Luque over the course of five rounds.
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC
Sidelined for the last three years, Nick Diaz snapped a six-year hiatus at UFC 266 in a rematch with former gold holder, Lawler, dropping a third round TKO loss to the former undisputed champion in the pair’s second time to share the Octagon together.
Mandatory Credit: Icon Sportswire
And despite appearing in much better shape – physically at least this time around for his return bout with Luque, which has been scrutinized by many within the community – including his former head coach, Cesar Gracie, Diaz at least had enjoyed some training for this return.
Nick Diaz had no training for 5 years ahead of Robbie Lawler rematch
And according to the above-mentioned, Shields, a long-time training partner of the Stockton veteran, who will train with the former WEC and Strikeforce champion in the coming weeks, Diaz didn’t train for over five years for his matchup with Lawler.
“He (Nick Diaz) didn’t train at all for the (Robbie) Lawler fight,” Jake Shields said on the JAXXON podcast. “That fight shouldn’t have happened in my opinion, I’m not gonna get into too many details, but I wasn’t very happy. I think he was kinda pressured into that so people could make money.”
“…I mean, the fact that he fought Robbie Lawler with zero training in five years, and like, I was freaked out watching that, I thought he was gonna get embarrassed, and he put on freaking war. He lost – but for a second, for two rounds I thought he might even come back and win, like holy sh*t – with no training. I think he can still go out there – it shows that he has the heart still and now he’s training – I can’t say how hard – I know that he’s training now. Hopefully I’ll get out there next week and push him.”
Are you excited for Nick Diaz’s return next month?
Expected to make his comeback to the Octagon at the end of the year in a blockbuster headliner at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Jon Jones has revealed he currently weighs 260lbs ahead of his clash with veteran ex-champion, Stipe Miocic.
Jones, a former two-time light heavyweight champion and a current heavyweight titleholder, has been out of action for over 500 days since his most recent return to the UFC – without a fight since March of last year.
Sidelined through injury setbacks, Rochester native, Jones most recently snatched the then-vacant heavyweight crown in a dominant opening round guillotine choke submission win over former interim champion, Ciryl Gane.
And currently awaiting bench trial after he was charged with two misdemeanors amid an alleged incident with a drug-testing agent at his residence back in March, Jones has since pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and also interfering with communications.
Mandatory Credit: Patrick T. Fallon – AFP
Jon Jones reveals massive weight ahead of UFC 309
Previewing his comeback fight against Miocic later this annum in a first outing in ‘The Big Apple’ for the New York native, Jones has revealed he is weighing a whopping 260lbs as he continues training for his return to combat sports.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be 37 years old!!” Jon Jones posted on his official X account. “I’m 260 pounds 16 weeks away from fighting the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history. I feel like I’m in a great spot right before training camp ramps up. My form is far from perfect in these videos, but I’m happy with it considering the surgeries I recently had. 16 more weeks to become the beast, that’s exactly what I will do. #Champion2024”
Tomorrow, I’ll be 37 years old !! I’m 260 pounds 16 weeks away from fighting the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history. I feel like I’m in a great spot right before training camp ramps up. My form is far from perfect in these videos, but I’m happy with it considering the… pic.twitter.com/kpns3gJOk4
— BONY (@JonnyBones) July 18, 2024
Issued a stark warning by fellow former two-weight champion, Randy Couture ahead of his fight with Miocic, Jones has been warned the veteran Ohio has likely the best chance amongst other competitors of beating the former at UFC 309.
Who do you think wins at UFC 309: Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic?
Former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has previewed a potential fantasy fight with current featherweight titleholder, Ilia Topuria – particularly if both end up in the BKFC in the future, claiming he would “slap” around the unbeaten striking sensation.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the UFC banner, attended a BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) in Marbella, Spain – helping to promote an October even in the region alongside promotional boss, David Feldman.
Striking a partnership with the North American-based glove-less organization earlier this annum, McGregor was slated to make his own return to competition at UFC 303 last month, seeing a scheduled fight with former lightweight title challenger, Ilia Topuria fall to the wayside.
Fracturing a toe on his left foot, McGregor withdrew from a set welterweight return against Topuria as a result, failing to snap a now-three-year plus hiatus away from the Octagon since he fractured his left tibia and fibula against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in the pair’s trilogy rubber match.
And alongside his deal with the BKFC, McGregor has played up a potential move to the potential in the near future, confirming he retains just a pair of fights on his current UFC contract.
Conor McGregor vows to “slap” around Ilia Topuria in potential fight
Weighing up potential matchups at today’s pre-event press conference in Malaga, ex-champion, McGregor claimed he would “slap” around Topuria if they shared the ring in the future in the BKFC.
“You know, Ilia (Topuria) – a Spanish-Georgian lad, he’s not bad,” Conor McGregor told assembled media. “He’s a boxing-heavy style. He would certainly lend well in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – I’d slap him around, he’s too small. I’m a big lad compared to Ilia, but he’s not bad. He’s a current UFC world champion. …So, if you’re asking – I’d beat King Kong if you’re asking me, you know what I’m saying?”
As for what’s likely next for Topuria, the undisputed featherweight champion is expected to headline UFC 307 in October, taking on would-be common-foe, Max Holloway in his first defense of the divisional title.
Would you like to see Conor McGregor fight Ilia Topuria in the future?
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal appears have to been a financial disaster.
Five years removed from their BMF title clash under the UFC banner, Diaz and Masvidal ran it back inside the squared circle on July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Their 10-round scrap was an entertaining affair that ultimately saw the ‘Stockton Samurai’ score a majority decision victory over Masvidal.
Unfortunately, nobody paid to see it.
“It did horrible on pay-per-view, it did TNA numbers,” Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer reported. “I’m not exaggerating. I knew it would not do well, but I was absolutely stunned how poorly it did. Nobody bought the fight. People are sick of seeing MMA fighters boxing” (h/t BJPenn.com).
For reference, TNA wrestling’s PPV numbers range anywhere from 5,000 to 60,000. If those numbers prove to be true, it’s safe to say that Fanmio’s venture into combat sports pay-per-view is an unmitigated disaster.
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal scored a solid $ 1.25 million gate in Anaheim
It wasn’t all bad news for Fanmio as the event hosted a sell-out crown of 18,040 per a post-fight press release, generating a solid $ 1.25 million gate according to the California State Athletic Commission.
Unfortunately, that’s not going to be anywhere close to what they allegedly promised to pay Nate Diaz for his participation in the evening’s headliner.
Less than two weeks removed from the fight, Diaz filed a lawsuit against Fanmio and CEO Solomon Engel for fraud and breach of contract, claiming that he is still owed 90% of a promised $ 10 million purse.
Engel has since released a statement responding to the allegations and Diaz’s lawsuit.
As of this writing, official pay-per-view numbers for the event have not been released to the public.
According to his long-time City Kickboxing training partner, Dan Hooker, former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has ballooned up to 230lbs ahead of his title fight at UFC 305 next month – and his putting some serious power behind his shots in sparring.
Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight gold holder, is slated to make his return next month in the main event of UFC 305, taking on arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis in his quest for a third title reign as he features ‘Dowunder’ for the second straight fight.
Last time out, the Nigerian-Kiwi headlined UFC 293 in September of last year, dropping a one-sided unanimous decision loss to the outspoken current number one contender, Sean Strickland, in a massive upset victory for the now-former champion.
Israel Adesanya gains huge weight pre-UFC 305
Returning to action next month in tandem with Hooker – who is booked to take on Polish lightweight star, Mateusz Gamrot at the RAC Arena, Israel Adesanya has put on huge size ahead of his return in a championship setting, according to the Kiwi.
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC
“Israel (Adesanya) is – I can’t even bother sparring him at the moment,” Dan Hooker told Submission Radio. “Like the way he’s hitting me, I think he’s like 105 kilos (230lbs). “I’m just like, ‘F*cking just kick like, just kick me in the leg’. And I was like, ‘Ah get f*cked’. I was just like, nah. Yeah, like that. He’s had some time off, he was carrying some injuries. He spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength, bro.”
“And he’s just hitting like a truck, man” Hooker continued. “Yeah, I can’t even be bothered sparring him, like he’s hitting too hard. So, I can’t wait until he can get out there. So if you think you can just walk in his front door and raid his fridge, I think you’re in for a rude awakening.”
Who do you think wins at UFC 305 next month: Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya?
It should come as no surprise that Conor McGregor is backing Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s golden boy Mike Perry to come out on top in his highly anticipated clash with YouTube sensation Jake Paul.
On Saturday, July 20, ‘Platinum’ will strap on the 10-ounce gloves for a boxing match with Paul at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. It will be Perry’s first traditional boxing match in nearly a decade.
Since then, the Flint, Michigan native has made a name for himself in both the UFC and as the premiere bare-knuckle brawler for BKFC, securing wins over a slew of former world champions, including Eddie Alvarez, Luke Rockhold, and Thiago Alves.
McGregor, who shocked the combat sports community in April by announcing that he’d purchased a piece of the BKFC, offered his support to ‘Platinum’ on social media while sharing a clip from Perry’s face-to-face interview with Jake Paul from earlier this week.
“@bareknucklefc in the house!” McGregor wrote on his Instagram stories.
Conor McGregor and ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson see their summertime returns delayed
Originally, ‘The Problem Child’ was scheduled to square off with former unified heavyweight world champion ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. Unfortunately, Tyson was forced to bow out of the bout due to a medical emergency during a cross-country flight in May.
Luckily, the medical issue turned out to be nothing more than an ulcer flare-up. Still, Tyson was advised to discontinue training for the time being, forcing the pair to push their fight to November.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is still on a quest to take his “greatest comeback in combat sports history” from fantasy to reality. The former two-division titleholder was booked to headline UFC 303 on June 29 against former Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler. However, McGregor withdrew from the bout after suffering a broken pinky toe in training.
Only needing a few short weeks to heal, McGregor suggested an August or September return date would be optimal. But with the UFC’s dance card pretty much full for most of 2024, who knows when or if we’ll actually see ‘Mystic Mac’ meet MMA’s version of ‘Iron.’
Former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington has been urged to call time on his mixed martial arts career by rival, Belal Muhammad ahead of his own title charge at UFC 304, claiming there is nothing left for the outspoken veteran in the sport.
Muhammad, who currently boasts the number two rank in the official welterweight pile, returns next weekend at UFC 304, taking on incumbent division champion, and common-foe, Leon Edwards in a title rematch in Manchester.
Himself sidelined through injury since December of last year, Covington most recently took on Birmingham star, Edwards in his third undisputed title fight under the banner of the UFC, suffering a one-sided unanimous decision loss.
And linked with a slew of potential opponents in his return to action, Clovis native, Covington has remained non-receptive to a showdown with unbeaten Dublin striker, Ian Garry, even off the back of his decision win over Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 303 last month.
Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC
Belal Muhammad urges Colby Covington to retire
Sharing his thoughts on the immediate fighting future of Covington – who has campaigned for a future rematch with Edwards, was urged to just retire from mixed martial arts instead by Muhammad.
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC
“Honestly, Colby Covington just needs to retire, there’s literally nothing left for him,” Belal Muhammad told The Schmo. “He’s still trying to attach his glory days to three or four years ago when they thought he was good, but I think everyone figured out now that he sucks and I think that right now he’s just trying to figure out who’s gonna be the next person he can beat up and then he can on the mic and talk trash.”
“He’s kind of like Sean Strickland where he doesn’t have the belt anymore no one cares what he has to say,” Belal Muhammad continued.
Do you agree with Belal Muhammad’s take on Colby Covington’s future?
While many have claimed the likes of current champions, Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall would prove a significant threat to heavyweight kingpin, Jon Jones, former titleholder, Stipe Miocic is the most likely to beat the Rochester native, according to former champion, Randy Couture.
Jones, the current heavyweight champion and a former two-time light heavyweight titleholder, is expected to make his return to action in November in the main event of UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden taking on the above-mentioned Miocic in a rescheduled paring.
First set to deal with two misdeameanor charges in relation to an incident with a drug-testing agent earlier this year in a virtual court hearing later this month, Jon Jones has been sidelined for over 500 days from the Octagon.
In his last outing, Jones landed the vacant heavyweight crown with a blistering first round win over former interim gold holder, Ciryl Gane, finishing the Frenchman with an early guillotine choke.
Stipe Miocic tipped as biggest threat to Jon Jones
And linked with huge championship fights against interim kingpin, Aspinall as well as former two-weight champion, Pereira, who currently holds light heavyweight spoils, Jones would be doing well enough alone to beat Miocic in November, according to sport icon, Couture.
Mandatory Credit: Patrick T. Fallon – AFP
“I think right now, because of experience, Stipe’s probably got the best shoting at beating Jon,” Randy Couture told InsideFighting. “Aspinall has that raw physical ability and is still green enough and young enough that he’s going to be tough for Jon to deal with, especially if Jon waits any longer because he’s getting stronger and stronger each time out.”
“And I think the longer Jon waits, the better he’s going to be, he’s going to be in full stride so it’s interesting,” Couture continued. “Pereira has some things to prove, moving up is no easy task. It’s one thing to cut weight and move down and there’s still some questions there even, but moving up and dealing with the bigger guys, and Jon’s answered that question already dealing with the bigger guys, it’s a different thing. …”
Do you think Stipe MIocic has what it takes to beat Jon Jones?
Months after UFC was nearing a deal that would potentially free them from facing accusations of antitrust practices in a legal setting ever again, they will soon find out if that beneficial agreement will actually come to fruition.
Earlier this year, the promotion was ready to cut a check worth $ 335 million and agree to some contractual changes in exchange for eliminating a pair of class action lawsuits representing groups of fighters. This deal, while in the nine-figures, was significantly less than the potential billions of dollars that a lawsuit would cause in damages. And due to a waiver in newer UFC contracts that prevents fighters from ever entering into class action lawsuits, the payment would mark an end to the possibility of fighters banding together to challenge the MMA goliath’s power.
The agreement was seen as the possible end to a decade-long battle in the sport. But in recent weeks the deal has seemingly come close to falling apart, as signalled by comments made by U.S. Nevada District Judge Richard F. Boulware.
Despite the settlement from the UFC being agreed upon by both plaintiff classes—the Cung Le et al. group representing talent from 2010 to 2017 and the Kajan Johnson et al. group for fighters who competed from 2017 to 2023—and the UFC, an important third party must also sign off on a class action deal in American court cases: The Judge. And in this scenario, Judge Boulware has shown significant concern about the deal.
Alarm bells first sounded in June, when the Nevada judge first voiced his “serious concerns” about the agreement. Some alterations were made to the deal later that month in hopes of appeasing the judge, who mentioned that the Le class was not getting enough in comparison to the $ 800 million to $ 1.6 billion they looked to earn in damages from a trial.
As reported by John S. Nash, the adjusted deal would give the Le group 90 percent of the cash damages, up from the 75 percent they were guaranteed in the previous deal. This seemingly did little to impress Judge Boulware, who appeared in a courtroom once again last week to list off a series of qualms he had with the proposal.
After a few weeks of discussion between the judge and the parties involved, Josh Gross is reporting that we’re expected to hear his decision on the deal this week. The ruling is a turning point in the legal battle, either putting an end to the saga or simply beginning a new chapter.
The Judge Doesn’t Seem Convinced
Due to both the financial details and the brief injunctive relief that is placed into the agreement, Judge Boulware has explicitly shown significant hesitancy. Canadian lawyer and Combat Sports Law writer Erik Magraken said while we don’t know what the Judge will decide, it’s not entirely shocking that he has given some pause regarding the deal.
“The judge is of a very strong view that the UFC is operating as an illicit monopsony,” Magraken said. “And now he’s being asked to approve a settlement that’s gonna resolve two class actions, which basically are gonna lock in the UFC into a position of power. The judge is struggling with that outcome. So to me, it’s not terribly surprising that he’s hesitant to sign off on it.”
Judge Boulware has expressed concern about the contractual changes that UFC is forced to abide by in the agreement, arguing it might not be enough to clamp down on the promotion. Courthouse News reported that he specifically said “It is difficult for me to understand why, if Johnson were settling separately, that class members would agree to this amount of injunctive relief.”
When asked about the reason for Judge Boulware’s concern about the changes, Magraken explained how class action cases look not just at the past but toward the future. He highlighted that the importance of a class action case is to bring relief to those wronged in the past while also setting up safeguards that stop the issue from happening again in the future.
HOUSTON, TX – AUGUST 07: The UFC Heavyweight title belt awarded to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 at Toyota Center on July 7, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images )
“One of the purposes of antitrust litigation is not just to compensate people that are harmed by the bad behavior, but it’s to then disrupt that bad behavior,” Magraken explained. “To make it so it can’t be done moving forward. I think the court is simply concerned that once the money changes hands, the UFC is free to keep doing this monopsonistic behavior. And since the fighters have given up their rights to participate in a class action moving forward [due to the class action waivers signed], there’s not going to be a challenge from the labor side of things.”
Revisiting The Possibility of a Trial
Prior to the settlement, the Le class was just weeks away from heading to a jury trial against the UFC. The Johnson case was still looking for class certification, a crucial step needed before heading to trial.
If Judge Boulware decides to reject the settlement, discussions about a possible trial in the future will re-emerge. Magraken explained that this is a potentially riskier scenario for everyone involved: The damages could be higher, including the trebling of financial payouts which is seen in antitrust cases. But also high is the possibility that no money could change hands.
“What’s a good day in court look like [for the fighters]? We’ve got the numbers: $ 1.6 billion being the plaintiff’s high-end estimate of damages, and then that gets tripled … The bad day in court is it gets dismissed. You’ve got 10 years of litigation and the jury for whatever reason doesn’t buy it, or gives very very low numbers.”
Jury trials are, as Magraken described, unpredictable. It takes just one jury member to throw everything off-course, causing a result that might be unexpected. This explains why jury selection can often be picky by both sides of a lawsuit. Take for example the recent high-profile case where Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records. In that specific scenario, the lawyers looked at 96 New York citizens before finalizing their seven-person jury.
“It’s really tough to know what a handful of strangers off the street in Las Vegas will think of all of this. It’s a complicated case. You’re getting into contracts, you’re getting into economic evidence, you’re getting to a lot of stuff that people don’t deal with in their day-in-day-out lives.”
A decision from Judge Boulware, which reportedly is set for next week, will answer the long-awaited question of whether a settlement can be possible. The deal could get approved, which Magraken said would “lock in UFC’s position of power.” Or the agreement could get called off, putting the fate of a couple of thousand fighters back into the courtroom.
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev was spotted with a brace on his wrist.
Makhachev was in attendance for the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain and was in a box with James Cordon and Harry Styles among others. However, the noticeable thing about the photo was the fact that Islam Makhachev had a brace on his wrist, which would imply the champ was dealing with an injury.
Islam Makhachev sitting next to James Corden and Harry Styles is the strangest crossover ever pic.twitter.com/cdpkt1Pi2r
— OOC MMA (@oocmma) July 15, 2024
What type of injury or how serious it is, is uncertain, but the hope for many fans it isn’t serious and he can fight again this year. Makhachev nor his team have commented on the photo or the potential injury he is dealing with.
Islam Makhachev Wants Second Belt
Islam Makhachev is coming off a fifth-round submission win over Dustin Poirier to defend his title for the third time.
After the win over Poirier, Makhachev said he wants the opportunity to go up to welterweight and fight for a second belt to try and become a champ-champ.
“I don’t follow the [people who say I] beat some record or something like this. If you want a great legacy, you have to get second belt. It’s my opinion,” Makhachev said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference (via MMAFighting). “Who doesn’t want to be double champion? This is history. How many double champs [do] we have? This is a dream for all fighters to get [a] second belt. This is my dream.”
Whether or not Makhachev will get a chance to fight for the welterweight title is uncertain, but he also isn’t ruling out the rematch with Arman Tsarukyan.
“Dana has my number. Just call me and put some new challenge [in front of me],” Makhachev said. “It [doesn’t] make sense when you have rematch, I need some new challenge. But if Dana wants [the Tsarukyan rematch], let’s do it. No problem.”
Makhachev is 26-1 as a pro and is on a 14 fight winning streak.
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