Category Archives: Mmamania.com

Rousey’s screenplay for a biopic on her life has been picked up by the streaming giant, but don’t expect her to appear in the film as an actor.

Ronda Rousey’s story is being turned into a movie, and “Rowdy” doesn’t have to worry about what that story tells because she’s the one who wrote the script.

Deadline broke the news that Netflix has closed a deal with Rousey to distribute a film based on her two memoirs, My Fight / Your Fight and Our Fight. Chernin Entertainment — known for the Planet of the Apes series, The Greatest Showman, and other major films — will produce.

This is the second kick at the can for a Rousey biopic. Paramount snapped up the rights to Ronda’s first book in 2015 but let the rights lapse. Now Netflix has stepped in, and the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion has streaming exec Michelle Evans in her corner as a major fan.

That allowed Rousey to force through an unusual demand regarding the project: that she be allowed to write the script herself (along with her sister Maria Burns Ortiz). During her promotional blitz for Our Fight, Rousey revealed that she had been getting mentored by various Endeavor executives and agents who were helping her brush up on her screenwriting skills.

When they ‘challenged’ her to write a script for her life story, she cranked it out in seven days and reportedly left everyone who read it ‘blown away’ by the quality.

While Ronda Rousey may have skills as a writer, her past acting gigs haven’t led to more starring roles. That includes this movie. The decision has been made to hire an actor to play Rousey, with casting to take place over the coming months.

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Conor McGregor is no longer a fan of “King.”

Ryan Garcia scored a massive win against Devin Haney two weeks ago (watch highlights); however, on May 1, 2024, he tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug (PED), Ostarine, in two Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) tests before and after his win.

Garcia denies he took anything, blaming it on Ashwagandha root.

McGregor, who has heavily supported Garcia since his first professional loss, gave his thoughts on the failed drug test, which aren’t good.

“Cheated the weight and was juiced, lifetime ban,” McGregor wrote in a deleted Twitter post. “Sad to see, sad to say. Sad and a bit sick. Don’t come near me if I see you ever Ryan Garcia. I am actually disgusted. This ostarine it reminds me of Sean O’Malley was on that as well. I don’t like this, I’ll bust yous both up, do yous want a spar. I will set flights right now for you both for a full on spar each. Hotel, black forge inn the lot. #letssparomalley and #garcia two little ostarine heads l’ll ride you both like yous are ostriches.

Wtf is up. What do you think you are at? If I was Haney’s dad, you’re dead no matter what for doing that. Crazy. What the f—ck happened to you, you little fool. Get your head together cos I gonna smash it in with elbows if you don’t. Fair play Devin well done. Your performance has just become even more heroic! Bravo. GET YOUR HEAD TOGETHER OR KILL YOURSELF”

McGregor has vehemently been against fighters using steroids in combat sports and always calls it out, especially when USADA was still in the picture.

Although it is still unclear what McGregor took when he excused himself from that program.

Nevertheless, McGregor is clean now because he returns to action next month against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.

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Jiri Prochazka might not have to wait very long for another shot at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gold.

Alex Pereira, 36, made more history at UFC 295 this past November 2023. Battling for vacant gold against the former Light Heavyweight champion, Prochazka, Pereira became a two-division champion with his second round technical knockout win (watch highlights) after previously holding the Middleweight crown.

Both fighters returned to action at UFC 300 this past month (April 13, 2024). Before Pereira successfully defended his title with a first round knockout of Jamahal Hill (watch highlights) in the main event, Prochazka provided a rude welcome back for the perennial contender, Aleksandar Rakic, with a second round technical knockout (watch highlights). Despite the win getting Prochazka back on a one-fight winning “streak,” it appears to have been enough to put him in title fight consideration.

Sorry, Magomed Ankalaev.

“Breaking news,” Pereira said at a UFC 301 media scrum (h/t MMA Fighting). “I think if I wait for that fight it will take too long. I want to fight earlier than that and I think, as far as we know, most likely the next in line is going to be Prochazka. Ankalaev is going to have to wait a little bit. I know Jamahal Hill’s been talking some trash, but is also going to have to wait a little longer. I think Prochazka’s the next one.”

Few fighters have been as unlucky as the top Light Heavyweight, Ankalaev, in recent years. Holding a 10-1-1 (1 no contest) record in UFC (18-1-1, 1 no contest overall), the Russian has been undefeated since his promotional debut in March 2018. Unfortunately for him, his lone bid for gold against Jan Blachowicz resulted in a split draw at UFC 282 in December 2022. He’s been stuck dealing with Johnny Walker ever since.

Ideally, Pereira hoped to make a ridiculously quick turnaround after his recent win by fighting at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this weekend (Sat., May 4, 2024). Unsurprisingly, nothing came together for the event and the headliner remains the Flyweight title clash between the champion, Alexandre Pantoja, and challenger, Steve Erceg.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card on fight night, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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UFC fighters seem to have a fascination with doing “weird sh*t” in the desert.

Today’s offering comes from No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili, who is challenging reigning 135-pound titleholder Sean O’Malley to a “Sphere” title fight to commemorate Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16 in Las Vegas.

“Sean, I know you wanna fight in September,” Dvalishvili said. “Let’s make this fight happen for my people on Mexican Independence Day, cabron. Let’s go.”

Fortunately, O’Malley’s body double wasn’t buried in the name of the skit.

O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) captured the crown by stopping Aljamain Sterling in the UFC 292 main event last August, then returned at UFC 299 in Miami to whoop Marlon Vera. As for Dvalishvili (17-4), he’s coming off a dominant performance against Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 last Feb. in Anaheim, which also came with a pre-fight lesson from the inimitable Professor Merab.

UFC is expected to announce a date and location in the coming weeks.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight strikers Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez will collide this weekend (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 301.

It’s been almost two years since Aldo suffered a competitive defeat to Merab Dvalishvili and opted to walk away from UFC competition. Dedicated fight fans may remember that Aldo should have gotten a title shot against Aljamain Sterling instead of floppy-shouldered T.J. Dillashaw, but instead Aldo walked away in disappointing circumstances.

Perhaps he’d like to leave on a higher note?

As for Martinez, “The Dragon” rides a six-fight win streak into the biggest fight of his career. Aldo may not technically be ranked at the moment, but a victory here would easily be the most notable of Martinez’s career.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Aldo Vs. Martinez Betting Odds

• Jose Aldo victory: +130
• Jose Aldo via TKO/KO/DQ: +700
• Jose Aldo via submission: +2500
• Jose Aldo via decision: +200
• Jonathan Martinez victory: -155
• Jonathan Martinez via TKO/KO/DQ: +350
• Jonathan Martinez via submission: +1400
• Jonathan Martinez via decision: +140
• Draw: +5000
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Aldo Wins

Aldo is quite simply one of the greatest fighters of all time. The Brazilian legend is a tremendous striker with a deep skill set on the feet, an underrated grappler, and he remains the greatest counter wrestler in MMA history.

This is a great match up for Aldo, who has the tools to take away Martinez’s greatest weapon: his power kicks. Aldo has a long history in Muay Thai, and defense has developed into one of his most primary skills. Notably, Aldo is one of very few MMA fighters genuinely great at checking kicks.

A hard check can easily break a foot. At the very least, it will discourage his opponent from trying again. If Aldo can start to take away his opponent’s kicks via checks, cut kicks, counter punches, trips — all standard weapons in his Muay Thai arsenal — then it’s going to really mess up Martinez’s flow.

If this fight becomes a boxing match, Aldo has a significant edge in fluidity and power.

How Martinez Wins

Martinez has the best left leg in the division … if not the sport. The Southpaw kicks through his opponents, breaking apart their legs and livers alike. He uses his footwork and feints to manage distance really well, and he tends to time hard counters on opponents who really try to press him.

Martinez’s great advantage in this fight is that he’s almost a decade younger and has far fewer miles on him. In general, Martinez operates at a slightly higher volume than Aldo, which is an important factor in a possible kickboxing match likely to go to a decision.

The most notable adjustment Martinez must make here is being sure to set up his kicks. Generally, Martinez times his kicks cleanly by hiding them behind movement and feints. That’s good strategy, but Aldo’s kick defense is simply better than average. To ensure that his left leg is landing and doing damage, Martinez has to establish the threat of his hands and hide those kicks behind his punches.

Generally, if Martinez’s kicks are landing, he’s winning the fight.

Aldo Vs. Martinez Prediction

This card on the whole may leave something to be desired, but this is a great fight.

I am wary of picking a 37-year-old Bantamweight against a genuine ranked contender. Statistically, the odds are not great in that kind of match up. Yet, Aldo was fighting tremendously well when he walked away two years ago. He was absolutely still a Top 5 fighter, doing better than Dvalishvili than almost anyone else (at elevation no less). Last year, he competed three times in boxing, so clearly the Brazilian hasn’t gotten fat in his time away from the cage.

Furthermore, it’s a great style clash for Aldo. A fellow Muay Thai striker? Martinez kicks real hard, but his game isn’t something new to Aldo. He doesn’t hold a significant edge in height, reach or speed. He’s going to fight Aldo on Aldo’s terms, which rarely ends well for anyone.

Prediction: Jose Aldo via decision (+200)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Earlier on Wednesday (May 1, 2024), news released that Ryan Garcia flunked two separate Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) drug tests, which took place before and after his boxing match with Devin Haney. Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that helps build muscle. He’s not the first in combat sports athlete to pop for Ostarine, joining combat sports stars like Sean O’Malley. In Garcia’s case, he still can request his B sample be tested.

“King” went online almost immediately after news broke to declare his innocence, cite a grand conspiracy, and generally label the tests fake news. Now, Haney has also issued a statement, and he’s understandably bothered to lose his undefeated record (for now) to an allegedly juiced up opponent.

“We learned about this situation not too long ago,” Haney’s statement to ESPN reads. “And it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice. I’ve always been an advocate for clean fighting and this is an example of such. Ryan owes the fans ana apology, and by his recent tweet, he still thinks this is a joke. We pput our lives on the line to entertain people for a living. You don’t play boxing.

“This puts the fight in a completely different light. Despite the disadvantage, I still fought on my shield and got back up! People die in this sport. This isn’t a joking matter.”

In addition, the New York Athletic Commission issued its own statement, signaling that the commission was in touch with VADA and would review the findings as the situation continues to develop.

Before fully throwing Garcia under the bus, it’s important to note that Ostarine has been found in tainted supplements before, and there’s always the chance that his B sample comes back clean. Until then, however, the situation doesn’t look great for Garcia, who might see the biggest win of his career overturned.

Insomnia

Kurt Holobaugh fights are usually pretty fun.

Alright, I’m now fully convinced Merab Dvalishvili is Mexican after all.

Sean Strickland hates flags.

I specifically remember being like 13 years old and having a really hard time opening a coconut with a hammer.

Did I stumble back into 2011? Since when does Nick Diaz look so fit? Book him versus Tony Ferguson before reality returns.

Some throwback scrambles between Diego Sanchez and Karo Parisyan:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

The elbow giveth, the elbow taketh away.

I would agree with Frank Mir here. That’s a solid knockdown, but Reece seemed to still be aware enough to defend himself and was working to stand.

It’s always interesting when an MMA fighter who wasn’t particularly good at boxing in the cage transitions to actual boxing.

Random Land

Pushing someone and then standing there with your hands down is asking for a concussion.

Midnight Music: Indie, 2006

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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More fuel has been added to the whacky and wild saga of Ryan Garcia.

Garcia, 25, reportedly tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug (PED), Ostarine, in two Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) tests before and after his recent boxing match with Devin Haney, according to Dan Rafael. Per the report, Garcia’s positive tests state that he failed two urine tests on April 19 and 20, 2024. The latter of which came after his majority decision victory over Haney that day (watch highlights). The April 19 sample via a VADA letter read that it was “screened positive but was not confirmed for 19-Norandrosterone pending IRMS (Isotope ratio mass spectrometry) analysis currently being run.”

The boxer will have a 10-day window to have his B sample tested should he so choose. After seeing the report, Garcia denied any foul play and responded in the embedded video that can be seen above.

“What’s up, everybody? I came on here to address this bull f—king s—t claim that I cheated,” Garcia said in an X video. “Everybody knows that I don’t cheat. What can I say, you know? Why didn’t they come out with this before [the fight] if they found it before? Why would they let me step into the ring as a cheater and then come out with a victory then they post this?

“These are people that are trying to attack me for whatever reason,” he continued. “No weapon against me shall prosper. I never taken a steroid in my life — I don’t even know where to get steroids. I barely take supplements. They’re saying it’s coming from the ashwagandha. That’s f—kin’ r—arded. Big lies. I beat his ass. F—k outta here. F—k the haters!”

Garcia’s win over Haney was the 25th of his 26-fight career and a massive upset in sportsbooks. The build up to the fight drew concern throughout the combat sports world thanks to Garcia’s erratic behavior, including a weight miss (and beer chug) before fight night. Ultimately, he looked arguably better than ever when finally under the lights.

A Twitter tirade from Garcia followed his video response. Amongst the comments, he stated he doesn’t have interest in running back a match with Haney.

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Jose Aldo is not just here to collect a paycheck.

The former UFC featherweight champion is FIRED UP for his UFC 301 return, where “Junior” will throw down against rising bantamweight sensation Jonathan Martinez in the pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, scheduled for this Sat. night (May 4, 2024) at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Watch them come face-to-face in the embedded video above.

“I think that’s every fighter’s goal, to fight for that championship,” Aldo told CBS Sports. “I needed my time off and had my time off. I recovered and now I’m back. Fighting for the belt and becoming the champion, becoming the best, that’s of course what my goal will be. This is the last fight on my contract. When I started talking to Sean [Shelby] and Dana [White] in January, we talked about signing a new deal. But I decided against it because I want to go in there and I need to show them, myself and everyone where I’m at, what I can still do and how I can still perform.”

Aldo (31-8) turns 38 in September.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight standouts Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith will go to war this weekend (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 301.

Smith, 35, is having a rough go as of late. The former Light Heavyweight title challenger has lost three of his last four, getting stopped twice in that span. His split decision win over Ryan Spann is doing a lot of the work in preventing a free fall down the rankings, but it’s really been a while since “Lionheart” looked particularly sharp. Petrino, conversely, is an undefeated (11-0) up-and-comer. The 26-year-old Brazilian has scored four straight wins and two stoppages to jumpstart his UFC career, earning him a big step up in competition here.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Petrino Vs. Smith Betting Odds

• Vitor Petrino victory: -570
• Vitor Petrino via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Vitor Petrino via submission: TBD
• Vitor Petrino via decision: TBD
• Anthony Smith victory: +355
• Anthony Smith via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Anthony Smith via submission: TBD
• Anthony Smith via decision: TBD
• Draw: +5000
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Petrino Wins

“Icao” isn’t doing anything wildly complicated in the cage. If you take a really athletic prospect and teach him good fundamentals, however, that’s a strong recipe for success. Petrino has come up quickly thanks to a well-rounded game and good physical attributes, namely his conditioning and strength.

He’s stopped seven foes via knockout.

The great thing about fighting a veteran like Smith is that the path to victory has already been written out and defined by a bunch of other fighters. Indeed, Smith doesn’t deal well with calf kicks or take downs. Petrino has the tools to attack his calf and wrestle him to the floor. Isn’t it nice when everything lines up so simply?

Really, the risk to Petrino in this fight is volume. He’s not the most active striker, and Smith can put up numbers. Takedowns and calf kicks are typically a great answer to activity, but a couple well-placed counter shots could also remove some of the wind from Smith’s sails.

How Smith Wins

Smith is an absolute veteran of the game. He’s been fighting forever, relying on grit, high-volume Muay Thai, and an underrated submission game to keep him near the top of the heap.

I alluded to his path above, but this is not an impossible match up for Smith. He perhaps cannot match Petrino in pure pop in his punches, but Smith has a more varied stand up arsenal. He has the technical kickboxing to win this bout on the feet, particularly if he’s able to extend the fight into the second and third.

It really comes down to defending low kicks and stopping takedowns. Smith has to get a bit lighter on that lead leg and be ready to check. If and when he’s dragged to the floor, “Lionheart” also has to do a better job of using his guard to stand rather than simply hang on and mitigate damage.

If Smith can make this a grueling fight that rewards technique rather than athleticism, he has a chance at scoring the upset.

Petrino Vs. Smith Prediction

I’m feeling like a broken record, but for the third time in three fights, the huge favorite is justified.

Is Petrino relatively unproven at this level? Definitely. He’s got some okay wins, but this is the first time he’ll be locked in the cage with a ranked veteran. There’s always the chance that he implodes when unable to impose his will like usual. However, he’s faced some adversity in previous fights and handled it well enough, so there’s no reason to believe he crumbles here.

Furthermore, Smith just hasn’t been fighting that well. He’s 35 and has been doing this for decades. Slowing down is reasonable, and it doesn’t help his chances that everyone knows his weaknesses.

One man is going up, and the other is going down. Without a strong reason, it’s hard to go against the current trends.

Prediction: Vitor Petrino victory (-570)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

It’s been just over two months since Ilia Topuria flattened Alexander Volkanovski (watch here) with a massive right hand to claim the Featherweight crown. As a result of that victory, the Spanish fighter has options. The frontrunner for the next title shot is Max Holloway, who delivered his own tremendous knockout just a couple weeks ago at UFC 300 to seemingly solidify his position as the top contender in whatever division he wants!

Topuria, however, is a bit less enthused. He’s also talked about rematching Volkanovski next, though the Australian’s return to competition timeline is uncertain. He’s also mentioned Brian Ortega as an option, and he dares Bantamweight king Sean O’Malley to step up to his weight class.

Safe to say, Topuria has options.

He might want to fight all of them in short fashion if he’s to make his 2025 goal a reality, however. In a recent interview, Topuria revealed his goal and belief that by the end of 2025, he would be the best paid athlete in the world.

“Look, I can tell you that I have no doubt that in 2025, I will be the highest paid athlete in the world,” Topuria told Webpositer. When told Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make $ 130 million this year, Topuria promised, “I’ll be there. I’d be surprised if I didn’t do it” and “I have no doubt, really.”

Perhaps that’s why Topuria is insistent that Holloway put his BMF belt on the line as well? If Topuria is targeting absolutely massive paychecks, he’ll need every bit of fame and prestige possible. The problem is that standard UFC championship purses will not get him that many zeroes, so he’ll also need his own Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather moment to really explode onto the Forbes list. It doesn’t sound likely or even all that possible, but Topuria has walked the talk thus far.

He might want to hurry up and book a title defense though.

Insomnia

What new information is likely to come to light that NSAC couldn’t just settle on a length of suspension now?

Muhammad Mokaev reacts to getting leapfrogged in the rankings by the man he just beat:

Speaking of Alex Perez, he’s taking a quick turnaround against tough competition. Hopefully, he’s able to stay active now, because his fights are usually fun.

Looks like Petr Yan vs. Marlon Vera isn’t happening as soon as hoped … or maybe at all.

Is this the 2.0 version of foot stomps? MMA innovation!

I never learned this finish to the head inside single leg.

The spin move seals it.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Usually, it’s hard to kick the liver when two Southpaws face off, but kicking as the other man punches is one workaround.

Fire a head kick to convince them to swing, then stand ground with a counter punch:

Double jab and a whipping overhand! That punch reminds me of Chuck Liddell’s demonstration of how to throw an overhand: loose arm with a rock at the end.

Random Land

Gecko lunch.

Midnight Music: Soul, 1970

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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