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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal feud is as heated as it’s ever been.

On Thursday, Diaz and Masvidal met for the final time on the media tour promoting their boxing showdown on July 6. While the other pre-fight press conferences have been largely uneventful, that changed this time around when Diaz and Masvidal got into some heated exchanges, and then a brawl broke out between their two teams after Diaz exited the event early.

Shortly after the brawl finished, Diaz spoke with Fight Hub TV about what happened, and he offered his reaction to everything that unfolded.

“I didn’t see [what happened],” Diaz said. “I was already gone. I heard his coach got beat up. That’s f*cked up…

“I’m a real fighter. I’m not going to sit here and argue and talk shit with people unless they’re going to do something, unless we’re going to fight for real. I’m not going to sit here and talk shit with each other and look at each other. It was time for me to go.”

And then, as if to prove his point, Diaz noticed Masvidal’s team on the other side of the hallway where he was standing, which nearly set off a second round of brawling as the two groups moved towards each other.

“What the f*ck are you looking at?!” Diaz shouted. “Come down and get your f*cking asses whooped again! Sorry motherf*ckers! Yeah, turn around, bitch! P*ssy-ass, bitch!”

Diaz’s teammate Chris Avila, who faces former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on the same card, was also present and shouting at Masvidal’s team during the incident.

Fortunately, things did not escalate any further this time around as security frantically intervened, preventing any more mayhem from unfolding.

Diaz and Masvidal face off in a 10-round boxing match on July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Things turned chaotic at the final press conference for Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2.

The UFC veterans face each other in a 10-round, 175-pound boxing match on July 6 in Anaheim, Calif. The first couple of press conferences to hype the fight were relatively uneventful, but when the rivals met on Thursday for the final event during the media tour, all hell broke loose when a brawl erupted as Diaz was leaving the press conference.

This event was more tense than usual as Diaz, who has largely been uninterested in engaging for most of these events, was more aggressive than usual. Diaz and Masvidal got into several back-and-forth arguments about their MMA careers, grappling, and their previous fight, before Diaz went off on the entire presser.

“Not this f*cking press conference,” Diaz said when asked what he cares about. “I’m sick of sitting here, I’m sick of looking at all these motherf*ckers, I’m sick of of looking at you, too! [directed at emcee Brian Campbell]. I’m sick of of this whole shit. I’m done with this whole press conference shit. I’m glad we’re here to promote these great fights that are happening. That’s cool as f*ck. But besides that, I think my work here is done. I’m done doing all this shit. No more press conferences until my next fight.

“F*ck this ugly motherf*cker [to Masvidal]. Man, I hate to disrespect you, but I’m sick of seeing you, too [to Campbell]. I’m out. I’m good. See everybody. Peace out.”

Diaz then stood up to leave the presser and while producers frantically asked him to square off with Masvidal one more time, Stockton’s finest came to the front of the stage, posed, and then grabbed a microphone to say, “Square off with yourself, motherf*cker!”

Masvidal came around the stage as the fighters continued jawing at each other until Diaz finally turned to walk away.

After Diaz exited, the crowd in front of Masvidal remained, and that’s when the brawl broke out.

Masvidal got shoved during the melee as the mayhem erupted but he eventually stepped out of the fray. While it was tough to see exactly what happened after that initial altercation, it appeared at least some members from the fighters’ camps were involved in the brawl.

The action went on for some time but ultimately security was able to restore order.

Diaz and Masvidal face off on July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

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Attention seeker
| BJPenn.com

Super (un)necessary.

Former UFC welterweight rivals Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will stage a special pre-fight press conference this afternoon, LIVE at 3:30 p.m. ET in the embedded video above. Diaz rematches “Gamebred” under boxing rules on Sat., July 6, 2024 from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., a pay-per-view (PPV) spectacle greedily-priced at $ 79.99.

Today’s press conference also features two-time world champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs and “Sweet Science” rival Shane Mosley Jr., who meet in the “Last Man Standing” co-main event. Devin Cushing, Manuel Correa, and former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis are also scheduled to take the stage for Thursday’s media festivities.

“He won the first fight but I’m back for more, so that’s what’s popping,” Diaz said at their kickoff press conference earlier this year. “This is a new fight and I’m here to win. I expect him to do what he’s gotta do in there. He’s got a good coach and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do in training, but I’ve been doing this a long time. We’ll see how it goes for him.”

Tickets for “Diaz vs. Masvidal 2” are currently on sale through Ticketmaster starting at $ 55 (plus applicable fees and taxes). A limited number of VIP packages are available which include the ringside seats, all-inclusive hospitality in Honda Center’s exclusive Impact Club, the opportunity to step into the ring after the fight, VIP access to the weigh-ins, and more.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Conor McGregor shares at least one trait with “The Greatest,” according to Dana White.

The UFC CEO was a guest on the Flagrant podcast where he covered a number of topics, including questions about McGregor’s outside-the-cage behavior. McGregor was recently seen partying hard ahead of his comeback fight against Michel Chandler, which is scheduled for UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas, and White was asked if he is concerned about McGregor’s focus and level of preparation.

While White couldn’t speak to McGregor’s exact mental state (it should be noted this podcast was recorded prior to McGregor recently canceling a press conference appearance in Dublin, Ireland), he believes there’s a chance that everyone is seeing what McGregor wants them to see. White went as far as to say that the UFC star’s antics reminded him of one of the most popular athletes in history, boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

“I will tell you this and I don’t ever like to compare people to Muhammad Ali because to me he’s the f*cking, you know, and f*ck what he did in fighting, just as a human, what that guy accomplished,” White said. “But I don’t give a f*ck what anybody says: Ali, Conor, both level when it comes to mental warfare. The two best of all time when it comes to mental warfare.”

During McGregor’s rise as a two-division UFC champion and global supetstar, he developed a reputation for delivering on the mic as much as he did on fight night. Memorable wins over Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, and Nate Diaz were preceded by some of the most talked-about pre-fight builds in MMA history, which led to enormous success for McGregor and the UFC.

Ali is widely hailed as one of the best and most revered heavyweight boxers ever, and his virtuoso promo and interview style was the precursor to how McGregor and many modern fighters build their feuds today. In White’s eyes, the two combat sports stars are at the same level when it comes to getting inside their opponents’ heads.

“If you look back at Ali and you look at what he did to George Foreman in Africa, you look at what he did to Joe Frazier, I mean, throughout his entire f*cking career,” White said. “Joe Frazier f*cking hated Muhammad Ali so f*cking badly. He’d show up at his camp outside and f*cking do all this shit, he would predict rounds, he would come up with f*cking incredible poems and sayings and things that he would do leading up to the fight.

“Then you look at Conor McGregor. He’s picked rounds. The mental warfare that this guy had on so many of his fighters. A hundred percent [McGregor got in Jose Aldo’s head], and he would make these guys play into his game, get into their heads, f*cking embarrass them, and outwit them in every way, shape, and form. The Eddie Alvarez fight going into Madison Square Garden. He is literally at Ali’s level when it came to mental warfare.”

McGregor is also well-known for his wild lifestyle, which has led to legal repercussions as well as questions about his dedication to fighting. Since beating Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016 to become a two-division champion, McGregor has competed just four times in MMA along with one high-profile crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Those outings ultimately yielded just one victory.

As it stands, White is treating any in-cage appearance from McGregor as a luxury.

“I’m in a place right now with the Conor McGregors and the Jon Jones’ where they’ve sort of laid the foundation of their legacy and what they have and they’ve made a shitload of money,” White said. “It’s at the point now where when these guys do show up and fight, it’s fun. It’s fun when they show up and fight.”

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Michael Bisping commended Cory Sandhagen’s willingness to “risk it all” in a fight with rising contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

Sitting in the No. 2 spot in the bantamweight rankings courtesy of a trio of victories over Song Yadong, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, and Rob Font, ‘Sandman’ should be the next man in line for a shot at the 135-pound crown — once reigning champion Sean O’Malley handles some business with Merab Dvalishvili. But instead of sitting back and waiting for his turn, Sandhagen is putting it all on the line against one of the division’s most feared contenders.

Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov will headline a massive Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi on August 3 with the winner securing themselves a guaranteed shot at the bantamweight title in late 2024/early 2025.

Speaking with TNT Sports, UFC Hall of Famer and former middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping applauded Sandhagen’s bravery, saying:

“When it comes to contenders, Cory Sandhagen is right there. He has proven himself as the worthy guy, but he’s got to continue fighting to establish himself and get that shot.

“There is no one better, no one hungrier or undeniable than Umar Nurmagomedov of course with that name, that resume. The undefeated record and the well-rounded skills. We know the wrestling is there but the man is a kickboxing phenom as well. This is a tremendous fight, of course, it’s the main event and whoever wins this has to be next for Sean O’Malley.”

Bisping Believes it’s a ‘Bad situation for both’ Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov

Recognizing the stakes at play, Bisping suggested that as exciting as the fight is on paper, it puts both fighters in a bad situation — particularly in the case of Cory Sandhage who, by all accounts, has already earned a title shot.

“It’s a bad situation for both of them. On paper, they are both right there. Sandhagen has earned a title fight. Remember that absolute washout he had of Chito [Marlon] Vera. No disrespect to Chito, he’s a good friend of mine.

“Sandhagen was just one step ahead. He’s a beautiful striker, he’s got great submission. He’s excellent at wrestling. He’s very tall and long for the division. He’s beaten some great competition and now he’s going to take on the undefeated Dagestani. I feel for Sandhagen but credit to this guy because he’s willing to do it and risk it all to go up against Umar Nurmagomedov, it’s a sensational fight.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts