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Aljamain Sterling was extremely disappointed about his recent loss against Kevin Dantzler at Fury FC and didn’t hesitate to let the world know about it.

Looking to keep busy and enjoy some healthy competition while he recovers from the vicious knockout he suffered at the hands of Sean O’Malley, Sterling has been fairly active in the grappling scene. Back in September at Polaris 25, the ‘Funk Master’ defeated Mike Grundy via unanimous decision.

Aljamain Sterling looked to keep his newly found winning streak alive at Fury FC against Dantzler but went to another decision, and this time it did not go his way.

Aljamain Sterling Blasts Kevin Dantzler for his ‘Disgraceful’ performance

John Morgan would be the one to conduct Aljamain Sterling’s post-fight interview, and let’s just say Sterling was extremely frustrated.

“I don’t even know how they score that,” Sterling began (H/T MiddleEasy). “Another man can’t drag his ass cheeks on the mat and think that’s a win, doing absolutely nothing. I guarantee you, if that was a street fight, my man would never do that shit.”

Anticipating a more fiery contest, it makes sense that ‘Aljo’ would be disgusted with not only the judges’ decision but also his opponent’s lack of desire for an exciting match.

The crowd was enthused now, and a loud menagerie of boos and cheers could be heard wafting from the stands as Sterling continued: “Why are we turning the sport into some type of weird a weird spectacle where you could win a match off of your back doing absolutely nothing? If I did nothing, what the f*ck did he do?”

“I’m just saying, I want to have a fun match,” Sterling shouted. “I told you guys beforehand, I’m trying to get in his head a little bit. Maybe he’ll engage, pull guard from standing up. Don’t just start the match on your butt. That should be deducted a point right out of the gate. Am I wrong? Am I wrong?

The anger was palpable as the ‘Funk Master’ continued: “Let another man drag you by your ankles in front of your loved ones and friends because that is a disgrace!”

What do you think about Aljamain Sterling’s reaction to his loss at Fury FC?

LowKickMMA.com

• The biggest prize pool tournament in Europe where the winner gets 300 000€ – Tipsport Gamechanger • The biggest MMA event in German history (Oktagon 49 in Koln) • The first two-day tournament in Prague (Oktagon 45) • Expansion to UK • Nominations for the best MMA organization of the year and the submission of the year (reverse omoplata) in MMA awards • 7 second KO by Karlos Vemola (mostly ground based figher with poor boxing :D), the fastest in the history of org • Aaand bunch of sold out epic tournaments submitted by /u/textorix [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Pat Sabatini is making a habit of taking out his fellow UFC fighters on the grappling mat.

While his most recent octagon outing may have ended in defeat, Sabatini can confidently say he’s entering 2024 on a high note after scoring an amazingly brutal submission at Cage Fury FC’s Fury Pro Grappling 8 event Saturday in Philadelphia.

A little over three minutes into his match with UFC welterweight Niko Price, Sabatini took Price’s back and then took his leg before falling to the mat to complete a Suloev stretch.

Watch the submission finish below.

Sabatini had the hold cinched in perfectly, to the point that the inside of Sabatini’s right knee was almost touching his shoulder. In other words: OUCH.

Fury FC’s year-end grappling event has proven to be a fortuitous occasion for Sabatini, who submitted another UFC fighter, Alex Caceres, on this same date last year at Fury Grappling Pro 6.

In MMA, Sabatini went 1-1 in 2023, scoring a submission win over Lucas Almeida this past June before losing via knockout to Diego Lopes at UFC 295.

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Conor McGregor had the majority of the mixed martial arts world waiting in anticipation for his return to the octagon. While 2024 was always the likely destination, there was no confirmed date or opponent for the Irishman, until now.

‘The Notorious’ still remains the UFC’s biggest star and has been pushing for his return to the sport for some time now. With the setbacks finally behind him, the former two-division world champion announced when he’d make his much-anticipated comeback.

During a short video shared on social media, Conor McGregor revealed exactly what date he would return and who he would be competing against.

“Ladies and gentlemen, a happy new year to you all,” McGregor said to begin his announcement. “I’d like to announce the return date for myself, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. For the greatest comeback of all time will take place in Las Vegas, for International Fight Week on June 29.”

“And the opponent? Michael Chandler. And the weight, Mr. Chandler? 185 pounds.”

pic.twitter.com/Jje2yYoQoE

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023

International Fight Week often features some huge matchups with the headliner usually being one of the promotion’s biggest names. 

Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Daniel Cormier are just some of the significant athletes who’ve headlined the yearly event.

This won’t be the first time Conor McGregor has been the main attraction during International Fight Week. Back in 2015 amid his rise to superstardom, the brash featherweight managed to knock out Chad Mendes and get his hands on gold for the first time under the UFC banner.

Related: Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence on his awkward Conor McGregor interaction

How did Michael Chandler react to the Conor McGregor fight news?

After months of pressuring Conor McGregor to face him, the news of the fight would undoubtedly be welcomed by Michael Chandler.

‘Iron’ has been an exciting addition to the UFC roster since his debut but has now not fought for over a year while waiting to get his hands on the Dublin native.

If all goes to plan, McGregor and Chandler will finally lock horns on June 29 at International Fight Week. Responding to the news, Chandler seemed excited for the bout to be taking place at 185 lbs.

I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best. 185 would look good on me.

— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) December 31, 2023

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of our favorite fighters in MMA history. On this episode, the MMA Fighting staff takes a deep dive into the legendary career of Mirko Cro Cop.

Making a name for himself in kickboxing as one of the most exciting fighters in K-1, Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA in 2001 and quickly became one of the standout fighter in Pride FC. Leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in his wake thanks to his devastating left high kick, Cro Cop became one of the most accomplished and beloved heavyweights in history, most notably winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix in 2006 and serving as one-half of the Fight of the Decade against Fedor Emelianenko. A disappointing sting in the UFC followed but Cro Cop then found new life with a late career resurgence that saw him claim a K-1 world title and win the RIZIN Openweight Grand Prix in 2016 before hanging up the gloves for good in 2019 following a stroke.

What were the most iconic performances and what were our favorite memories from Cro Cop’s career? Listen in as the MMA Fighting crews remembers remembers one of the most devastating strikers in MMA history.

New episodes of the DAMN! They Were Good podcast come out biweekly and are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. This week’s episode can be heard below.

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UFC

Chandler is ready to fight McGregor on June 29th, regardless of what weightclass their bout ends up being held at.

It’s official: Conor McGregor will return to action after a nearly three year break to take on Michael Chandler on June 29th. The match-up, a part of the UFC’s big International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been building since McGregor and Chandler coached a season of The Ultimate Fighter together over summer 2023. Now we finally know when it’s going down.

“The Notorious” announced the fight on his social media accounts, and also included an interesting curveball: he claims the bout will take place at middleweight, two weight classes up from where Chandler normally competes. If that’s supposed to bother “Iron Mike,” it hasn’t.

“I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best,” Chandler wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “185 would look good on me.”

“Any weight is good with me,” he added when speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

McGregor started his UFC career as a featherweight, making his way through the ranks to become undisputed champion in 2015. He then fought Nate Diaz twice at welterweight before dropping to lightweight and snatching the 155 pound belt off Eddie Alvarez in 2016. After losing the title to Khabib Nurmagomedov, he’d move back up to welterweight against Donald Cerrone, and then back down to 155 for his two losses against Dustin Poirier.

During the two and a half years he’s spent out of action rehabbing a horrific leg injury, McGregor has packed on pounds of muscle. Whereas past welterweight bouts were contests against puffed up lightweights, he may now be a legitimate 170 pounder. That gives him the size advantage over Chandler, who has stuck to 155 pounds for over a decade.

Chandler clearly isn’t too bothered by the whole situation. He probably thinks any benefits McGregor gains with size will be negated by a loss in speed. As if there weren’t already a ton of unknowns regarding Conor’s comeback, we now have to wonder how he’ll operate as a … middleweight? Win or lose, it’ll be fascinating to watch when it goes down on June 29th, 2024.

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