Category Archives: Mmamania.com

French phenom Cedric Doumbe was expected to make his cagefighting return as part of the Bellator Paris event on May 17 at Accor Arena, taking on welterweight veteran Derek Anderson in the HBO Max-streamed co-main event.

Less than 24 hours after the announcement, Anderson revealed on Instagram that he was run down by a car and left with a mangled foot, bouncing him from the Bellator card and leaving Doumbe without a date to the big dance.

“Love you all. Hit and run,” Anderson wrote. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t make this fight happen. You have no idea. I will not be getting another bike.”

No word yet on how Bellator officials will proceed but considering Doumbe’s popularity in France, it’s reasonable to assume matchmakers will make the effort to keep “The Best” a part of the Paris fight card against an opponent to be named.

Stay tuned.

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Finally, Conor McGregor’s return is official. The Irish superstar has been away for nearly three years now, but he’ll be back in the cage opposite Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024. Chandler waited an awful longtime for the match up, and his patience is finally paying off.

Perhaps it results in a golden title too?

UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier is in favor of adding some extra flavor to the match up. It’s rare to see a pay-per-view (PPV) headliner without a title on the line — that’s how the BMF belt became a thing! — but Cormier feels this is the perfect moment for UFC to introduce the much-talked about and long-awaited 165-pound weight class, which he’s dubbing “Super Lightweight.” According to “DC,” McGregor is the perfect star, and Chandler is the right opponent at the right time for such a landmark change.

“Here’s my thought process, right? When it comes down to championship opportunities, I have said this time and time again — a lot of times it comes down to being at the right place, at the right time,” Cormier said Good Guy / Bad Guy (via MMAFighting).

“Even going back to me, they had no intent of giving me my first championship opportunity [in 2015]. But then Alexander Gustafsson got hurt, they called me in, I stepped in. I never left the title picture after because I was reliable. They could always call me and say, ‘Hey, do you want to fight this guy for the belt?’ It was also the same way with Dustin Poirier right now, we see it happening [at UFC 302], where, if you’re in the right place at the right time under the right circumstances, sometimes it happens faster.

“I believe that if they’re going to do a 165-pound division, it should have a name attached to the weight class that is so big that it draws people’s attention,” Cormier continued. “Conor McGregor being that name. Michael Chandler, on the other hand, will benefit from being in the right place at the right time, where these guys would then fight for the super lightweight championship of the world, because that’s what I believe it is. Because it’s only 10 pounds heavier than 155, so let’s call it the super lightweight division. Move 170 to 175, move 185 to 195, keep 205, [keep] heavyweight.”

Moving Middleweight to 185-pounds is an unusual twist, but this is hardly the first time an 165-pound division has been proposed. Being that Lightweight and Welterweight are two of the deepest divisions in the sport, it’s reasonable that a three-way split could be introduced without hurting the depth too severely.

One top-ranked Lightweight contender says it’s happening!

Unfortunately, UFC CEO Dana White said years ago that it’s not happening while he’s in charge. Perhaps enough time has passed to shift his opinion? A Conor McGregor triple champ moment would sell a lot of pay-per-views, after all.

Insomnia

After this weekend, I am fully convinced that Ryan Garcia is the main character.

Jiri Prochazka at Middleweight sounds like a terrible idea, but also … I’d watch it.

I would love to hear Bruce Buffer announce Mr. Bipolar, preferably on regular ESPN.

Boxing greats having some fun in front of an adoring crowd — you love to see it!

A quick celebration of UFC pups!

Confirmed: UFC is NOT rebooking Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa after their controversial “No Contest.”

This is what a real CEO looks like. Zuck and Dana could never!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

How many lukewarm Max Holloway impressions will we see in 2024? Dozens and dozens, surely.

Nothing against Kurt Scooby, but upsets are always fun.

Early aggression doesn’t always pay off.

Random Land

Seems like a worst case scenario.

Midnight Music: Pop, 1964

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

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Michael Chandler knows what it’s like to battle back from adversity in mixed martial arts (MMA).

The former three-time Bellator Lightweight champion finally has his long-awaited dream match up against Conor McGregor booked for UFC 303 on June 29, 2024. Chandler, 37, played a risky game holding out for the unpredictable “Notorious” having not fought since November 2022. Ultimately, his patience paid off.

Chandler’s last time out saw him fall short via a third round rear-naked choke loss to Dustin Poirier in their UFC 281 Fight of the Night (watch highlights). Reflecting on the period of inactivity, Chandler recently compared it to a previous gap in his 31-fight career (23-8) when he lost three straight to Eddie Alvarez and Will Brooks (twice) in Bellator.

“I went 688 days without winning a fight, almost two full years without winning a fight,” Chandler told Shawn Ryan. “For a mixed martial artist, this could be a career death sentence. That’s when the doubt from everybody plus yourself continues to compound on itself.

“So, I hired a sports psychologist,” he continued. “I really started realizing I can do all the reps and all the sets and all the push-ups and all the lifts and all the sparring and all the sessions. I can do all the physical stuff, but if I’m not building up the mind, I’m really just making a bigger, faster, stronger more dangerous subpar version of the man that I’m supposed to be if I don’t start doing the work inside my mind.”

Chandler’s hiatus won’t be the only time-related factor in his upcoming match up. McGregor, 35, will also return to action for the first time after an extended break. Like “Iron,” his last fight was also a loss to Poirier when he suffered a first round technical knockout and leg break in their trilogy at UFC 264 in July 2021 (watch highlights).

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Former UFC welterweight bruisers Mike Perry and Thiago Alves will finally collide, taking off their gloves for the bareknuckle arena on Sat., April 27, 2024 at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, topping a stacked BKFC: “KnuckleMania 4” pay-per-view (PPV) fight card that also features former UFC heavyweight hurters Ben Rothwell and Todd Duffee!

Event: BKFC KnuckleMania 4: “Perry vs. Alves”
Date: Sat., April 27, 2024
Location: Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California
Broadcast: YouTube pay-per-view (PPV) for $ 29.99
Start time: 10 p.m. ET Main Card on PPV | 9 p.m. ET Free Prelims on YouTube

BKFC ‘KnuckleMania 4’ PPV Main Event:

185 lbs.: Mike Perry vs. Thiago Alves

BKFC ‘KnuckleMania 4’ PPV Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: Lorenzo Hunt vs. Mick Terrill for BKFC Heavyweight Championship
265 lbs.: Todd Duffee vs. Ben Rothwell
175 lbs.: Alfredo Angulo vs. Jeremiah Riggs
135 lbs.: Crystal Pittman vs. Sydney Smith
175 lbs.: Evgeny Kurdanov vs. Julian Lane
135 lbs.: David Diaz vs. Shane Jordan
155 lbs.: Andrew Angelcor vs. Ruben Warr
135 lbs.: Frank Alvarez vs. Victor Rosas

BKFC ‘KnuckleMania 4’ YouTube ‘Prelims’ Card (9 p.m. ET):

185 lbs.: Fernando Gonzalez vs. Vincent Familari
155 lbs.: Tommy Aaron vs. Richard Brooks
205 lbs.: Keith Richardson vs. Cody Vidal

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

For more BKFC news and notes go here.

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Heavyweight hurters Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento will headline the upcoming UFC St. Louis MMA event, which airs LIVE on ESPN and ESPN+ on Sat. May 11, 2024 from inside Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Now they have an official poster.

Lewis (27-12, 1 NC) continues to struggle in what appears to be the twilight of his cage fighting career. “The Black Beast” has dropped four of his last five, including his decision loss to Jailton Almeida at UFC São Paulo late last year. As for Nascimento (11-1, 1 NC), he’s now captured three straight, having last competed in a winning performance over Don’Tale Mayes back on Nov. 4 in Brazil.

Here’s the current UFC St. Louis fight card and ESPN lineup:

UFC St. Louis Main Event on ESPN/ESPN+:

265 lbs.: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento

UFC St. Louis Main Card, Prelims on ESPN/ESPN+:

205 lbs.: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
170 lbs.: Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset
115 lbs.: Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Torres
145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson
125 lbs.: Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson
155 lbs.: Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics
155 lbs.: Chase Hooper vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
170 lbs.: Trey Waters vs. Billy Goff
265 lbs.: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne
125 lbs.: JJ Aldrich vs. Veronica Hardy
155 lbs.: Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rębecki

UFC

For more on the upcoming UFC St. Louis card click here.

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Johnson will be ‘MMA fighting in a cage’ in preparation to play Mark Kerr in the upcoming A24 movie set to hit theatres in 2025.

Hot off the heels of a headlining role at WrestleMania, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is kicking off an MMA training camp in preparation for his next movie.

Way back in 2019, Johnson announced plans to star in a biopic on NCAA Division I champion turned UFC and PRIDE FC fighter Mark Kerr. The wheels of Hollywood turn slowly, but the project is finally on the verge of filming under the indie production company A24 (Civil War, Midsommar) banner. Benny Safdie (best known for Uncut Gems) will direct, while Emily Blunt is rumored to co-star.

In a new Instagram video, “The Rock” shared his excitement for the project.

“With WrestleMania behind me, my second training camp of 2024 begins tomorrow for my next role in a film titled The Smashing Machine,” he wrote. “My body’s banged up from Mania, but no injuries and feeling great – ready to go. Starting my MMA workouts tomorrow. I’m coming into this in pretty good conditioning and cardio shape, but MMA is a different animal. And Mark Kerr was a ‘one of one’ monster.”

Kerr was a fearsome fighter at his peak who used his wrestling pedigree to put opponents in bad positions and then smash them into a bloody mess. But as he reached the peak of the sport, his struggle with steroid addiction and depression overwhelmed him, costing him several fights and nearly his life.

“I run to this Smashing Machine journey with deep respect and love for all MMA fighters and the culture,” Johnson said. “Especially those who have struggled with addiction. I’ve lost so many friends (wrestlers) over the years from addiction and mental health struggle – from suicide to, it was just their time to go. This is my love letter to them. Let’s get to work.”

It will be interesting to see whether any of Dwayne’s MMA training makes its way onto his social media. “The Rock” isn’t one to let people see him struggle — for years, there have been persistent rumors that he was contractually required to win all his Hollywood fights. That won’t work for a biopic on Mark Kerr, who started his career on a twelve fight win streak but then went 3-11 on the downside of his combat sports days.

The Smashing Machine is currently slated for a 2025 release. Those too impatient to wait can check out the award winning 2002 documentary of the same name which captures Kerr’s tragic implosion in real time.

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John Kavanagh is happy with how things are looking with his star pupil as they head towards a June 28th comeback fight with Michael Chandler.

Following a momentous night of fights at UFC 300, Dana White dropped some equally important news: UFC superstar Conor McGregor would make his long awaited return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler.

The fight announcement has been long awaited, and there were some doubts that McGregor would never sign on the dotted line and step back in the octagon. But with contracts locked in and a June 28th date in place, “The Notorious” is back to training hard at the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin, Ireland.

Head coach John Kavanagh recently spoke with Irish MMA outlet Severe MMA and gave his thoughts on how Conor is performing after such a long layoff.

“He’s looking super slick,” Kavanagh said. “There’s fighters that when they’re not fighting … it starts becoming a job. And it’s hard to keep the level of intensity. Even if it’s not physical, the level of mental intensity to always be thinking about training, always thinking about sequences, always thinking about techniques.

“That’s something Conor’s had naturally his whole career. So even though when there were times where he’s filming and he’s he’s doing this, he’s doing that, we’re still always having conversations back and forward. Whereas some fighters are like, ‘If I’m not fighting, I don’t even wanna look at shows. I’ll just get ready when there’s a fight coming up.’”

“He’s come back on the mats as sharp as ever,” he said. “Of course, we’ve gotta get the rounds in and get the conditioning up so as to be ready for competition, but his technique is as sharp as ever.”

Kavanagh dismissed concerns that McGregor has too much on his plate these days to focus properly on an MMA fight.

“Let’s say he has 20 different areas that he needs to focus on — martial arts will always be No. 1 because it’s because he really enjoys it,” Kavanagh said. “It’s it’s the most fun. Going through the paperwork on a really long complicated property deal, probably not the most exciting thing in the world. But for for martial arts, I feel I I have a trump card. I can always, like, send him a high send him a highlight, send him a technique and I’ll always pop to the top of the list. So I don’t feel I have to compete with those things.”

“Conor’s very good at compartmentalization,” he added. “Training is realistically maybe two 1 hour sessions a day. There’s plenty of other time in the day where he can be focused on other areas. So when you’re in here, you’re on for the hour, you’re on for the 90 minutes, and then when you’re gone, you’re on for whatever it is you’re doing out there.”

While Kavanagh isn’t taking Michael Chandler lightly, he sees the fight playing out like a past McGregor victory.

“I see similarities to the [Chad] Mendes fight,” he said. “I’d be surprised if it can go two rounds. I’d be surprised. He just hits too hard. He’s too sharp. Is there gonna be scrappiness and take down stuff? Maybe. But every round starts on the feet, and his ability to get back there is underestimated. So I I’d be surprised if we see two rounds.”

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McGregor is back in training but still drinking. That could all change in five days as ‘The Notorious’ prepares for his UFC 303 fight on June 28th.

Conor McGregor is back to training in preparation for his UFC 303 fight against Michael Chandler. But he’s not quite done drinking just yet.

Over the past several years, McGregor went from full-time fighter to alcohol empire mogul with a combat sports side hustle. He’s sold stakes in his Proper 12 whiskey business for hundreds of millions of dollars, and he’s currently trying to recreate that magic with Forged Irish Stout. His socials are awash in photos and videos of “The Notorious” enjoying his own wares.

All of that could stop soon, according to the Mac. In a recent Instagram post where McGregor praised his buddy Justin Bieber, he included an interesting suggestion that he’s putting down the bottle.

“Five more nights on the delicious and then that be that,” he wrote.

That would put McGregor’s dry-out date around April 25th, which is nine weeks before he’s set to weigh in on June 27th for UFC 303.

McGregor’s non-stop boozing has been noted by Michael Chandler, who still expects a formidable opponent to step into the cage across from him in Las Vegas.

“Nothing more powerful than hearing a sense of commitment & passion from what the masses consider an uncommitted person,” Chandler said back in August. “Never underestimate the human spirit.”

“I’m on the gargle every night and still gonna smack the s— out of you,” McGregor replied.

Will nine weeks be enough for Conor to shake off the effects of being a booze mascot for the past few years? Will it matter? Ryan Garcia just admitted he was drinking every night en route to his dominating win over Devin Haney. Jon Jones defeated the very best the UFC had to offer while going on fight week benders.

But can McGregor come back from a badly broken leg against a tough opponent while also staying on the sauce? It’s just another troubling factor for fans to worry about as McGregor’s long-awaited comeback approaches.

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“The King” isn’t interested in “Tank.”

Ryan Garcia turned the boxing world upside down last night (Sat., April 20, 2024) when he shocked the previous undefeated Devin Haney by defeating him via a majority decision from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (watch highlights!).

After the fight, during the post-fight press conference, Garcia was asked if he was interested in rematching Gervonta “Tank” Davis, the only person to defeat him.

“I don’t think Tank is going to beat Frank Martin, but if he did, he wouldn’t fight me because I’m moving up. I’m not doing 140 lbs, I’m doing 147 lbs. I can’t make 140,” Garcia said. “I technically next fought at 140. I fought every time at 143. My body literally cannot go lower than 143; it’s impossible. I tried every technique, I can’t do it.”

Garcia’s promoter, Oscar Del La Hoya, added, “The only way he’s going to fight Tank Davis is at a catchweight. Okay? At 145 lbs. Just the way they did it to him. Now he’s the man. Now, he’s the face of boxing. Come on now.”

Garcia concluded with, “I am the face of boxing. Confidently, I know I am.”

Davis vs. Garcia was a blockbuster super fight in 2023, raking in 1.2 million pay-per-view buys. However, the fight came with some controversy regarding the contracted weight and 10 lb dehydration clause.

Garcia revealed he felt weak during the fight but never used the dehydration clause as an excuse because ‘he signed the contract.’ Nevertheless, a vicious body shot stopped Garcia in the second round (watch it).

While a rematch between the two would be epic, Garcia has several options for his next opponent.

For complete Haney vs. Garcia results, coverage and highlights click HERE.

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Ah, it all makes sense now. (Maybe)

Ryan Garcia shocked the boxing world last night (Sat., April 20, 2024) when he defeated the previously unbeaten Devin Haney via a majority decision from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (watch highlights!).

While the fight between Garcia and Haney was unbelievably fun, the lead-up to the fight was what everyone was talking about, as Garcia seemed to be entirely out of his mind.

And now, after the fight, there are some answers: he was drinking … every day.

“I don’t give a f—k what people say about me. I walked through the fire, and still held it down and still beat f—king Devin Haney, and still drank every day and still beat him – I did everything,” Garcia told reporters during the post-fight press conference. “What happened? False reality, right? I drank every single night, went out on the first Monday and Tuesday, and drank, drank, drank. What happened? I won. I’m not necessarily proud of it, but I’m just saying. It was a statement to say you guys can’t really f—k with me. I can do whatever I want.”

Garcia did open up and say part of the reason he drank is because he’s going through a lot in his personal life.

“I was just having fun, man. Look, I’m going through a lot,” Garcia said. “I went through a divorce, and a lot of s—t is happening to me, you know, outside my life, and it lowkey kind of broke me. So, I did what I felt like I needed to do to feel okay. So, I drank every day and did whatever I wanted. I’m not proud of it at all. I just pray for my kids, and hopefully, they are okay. I hope I made them proud.”

If Garcia was indeed intoxicated every day during training camp, it makes sense why he seemed completely unhinged on social media.

Hopefully, the 25-year-old boxing superstar will find peace after proving everyone wrong on 420.

For complete Haney vs. Garcia results, coverage and highlights click HERE.

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