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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Derrick Lewis changed things up and he’s feeling better than ever.

On Saturday, Lewis competes for the 41st time as a pro when he fights Rodrigo Nascimento in the heavyweight headliner of UFC St. Louis. “The Black Beast” turned 39 this past February and though he’s mired in a slump following a recent loss to Jailton Almeida, he’s confident the best version of himself will show up in the octagon on fight night.

“I’m feeling great right now,” Lewis said. “I actually really feel like this is my prime. Whenever I was in my 20s, early 30s, I didn’t feel as good. Now, I’m feeling fantastic right now.”

“I felt like I came in in great shape for that fight. The only thing that was bothering me, I tore both my shoulders the week before the fight. After I signed, I said yeah I’ll accept the fight, then a few days later I tore both my shoulders doing stupid jiu-jitsu drills. My rotator cuffs on both sides, so I couldn’t really push off or throw a punch, even throwing an uppercut it hurt. And the week of the fight, that Monday, I had two ear infections in my left ear and my right ear at the same time. I didn’t get over that until three weeks after the fight.”

Lewis took the fight with Almeida at UFC Sao Paulo on less than a month’s notice and went on to lose a dull decision that saw Almeida smother him on the ground for five rounds. By the end, neither man’s stock rose.

Not only is Lewis confident that he’s injury-free heading into the Nascimento fight, he also credits improvements in his diet for possibly extending his career.

“At first I thought it was Popeye’s, but now they’re telling me that it’s not a good idea for me to be eating Popeye’s whenever, I’m almost 40,” Lewis said when asked about the secret to his longevity. “So I don’t know, I don’t know what it is. My nutrition, it’s been a rough road, I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. But I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s just because I’m a big guy.”

In his past five fights, Lewis has scored just one win, with a 33-second knockout of Marcos Rogerio de Lima preceded by a trio of setbacks to Serghei Spivac, Sergei Pavlovich, and Tai Tuivasa. Lewis did not make it past the second round in any of those losses.

Though Lewis has given no indication that he plans to retire anytime soon, he is keeping an open mind when it comes to what’s next for him, including possibly working with the UFC’s sister company, WWE.

“We actually in talks right now,” Lewis said. “We’ve been talking for a few months now. I was supposed to go down there in February to check everything out.”

When asked what his signature move might be in pro wrestling, he made a reference to retired WWE big man Rikishi, who was famous for rubbing his behind in his opponents’ faces.

“It would have to be something like Rikishi,” Lewis said. “You might see it. Somehow, I like taking off my shorts, so you might see something like that.”

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Determined
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Art “One Glove” Jimmerson died on Wednesday at age 60.

The former professional boxer, who amassed a record of 33-18 with 17 knockouts, was perhaps best known for kicking off UFC 1 opposite jiu-jitsu phenom Royce Gracie. Jimmerson became the first person in UFC history to lose by submission after tapping to the Brazilian at 2:18 of the opening frame.

“Dear Friends and Family, It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Art Jimmerson,” his family wrote on Facebook. “Art was known for his love of God, family, and boxing. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

“A funeral service to celebrate Art’s life will be announced. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. Please keep Art and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

According to former UFC executive producer Campbell McLaren, Jimmerson only wore one glove so that referee “Big” John McCarthy could see him tap. The Missourian was afraid that not tapping would have resulted in a broken arm … or worse. Gracie went on to defeat Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau to win the UFC 1 tournament.

A Gracie vs. Jimmerson rematch was rumored for Aug. 2011 but never materialized.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Paul Hughes barely had time to enjoy being one of the most sought after free agents in MMA before he had a new fighting home.

The former Cage Warriors champion won his most recent fight on April 6, entered free agency, and within days signed a contract to become the latest addition to the PFL roster. The entire process played out in rapid-fire fashion, but Hughes was appreciative that so many promotions showed interest and his new manager Tim Simpson, who also works with fighters such as Israel Adesanya and Leon Edwards, got a deal done rather quickly.

“It has been a whirlwind,” Hughes told MMA Fighting. “Probably the busiest few weeks of my life. Even the week prior to my fight in Cage Warriors, I had four opponent changes. Even before I became a free agent, it was hectic, never mind getting to fight night and doing the business and what comes with that. But then entering negotiations right after the fight, it’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been one of the best times of my life, to be honest.

“Look, Tim is the man, so I had full faith in him. I’ve known him for a few years now and I know that he’s one of the best. That’s why we work together now. I knew I was in the right hands. When it came to the Monday morning, it was just a case of, ‘Tim, go do your business,’ and I’m going to sit back and see what comes to the table.”

Hughes says he received multiple offers from promotions, but undoubtedly the two most intriguing options came down to UFC and PFL. Many immediately assumed Hughes would jump at the chance to join the UFC roster, because it’s undoubtedly the biggest MMA promotion in the world. But that’s not how things played out.

Instead, Hughes chose to sign an exclusive deal with PFL, and he argues it wasn’t really a difficult decision to make.

“It’s pretty simple — they had the best offer,” Hughes said of PFL. “I had offers from every major organization you can think of, UFC obviously included, but the PFL’s offer was just the best. It was something that, yes, we signed the deal just one week after free agency, but I had received an offer from the PFL six months ago. So I had a long time to think about this potential avenue, and to do my due diligence and really think about it on all levels.

“When it came to the negotiation stage, it wasn’t just purely a financial thing. It was a case of, I want to be active. I’m coming into the prime of my career. If there’s other promotions out there that want to sign me, they need to have a good plan in place, because I want to be active in this game.”

As far as passing on UFC’s offer, Hughes admits his plans for the future just didn’t align with the promotion’s, especially his hopes to compete multiple more times before 2024 is done.

Of course, there’s a financial factor in there as well, with the UFC rarely putting down a sizable investment into any prospect, which seemingly included Hughes.

“I wasn’t that surprised by the offer that came in with the UFC,” Hughes said. “Because I’ve done my due diligence. I study this game and I study the industry, and I think just the model of the UFC now is a little different than what it used to be. It’s not as enticing to young prospects coming up, like myself.

“If you don’t have the opportunity to potentially capitalize in the next couple of years, it’s just not as enticing. That’s where I’m at with it.”

On the flip side, Hughes already has his first fight booked under the PFL banner — he’s set to compete at the upcoming Bellator Dublin card in June. He’ll serve as the co-main event and have a chance to fight in front of a home audience.

From there, Hughes plans on staying busy for the remainder of the year, then enter the 2025 PFL lightweight season in pursuit of the $ 1 million grand prize. Hughes promises the money wasn’t the only driving factor behind his decision to sign with PFL, but he certainly won’t discount how much financial security that kind of payday provides.

“PFL, they came in with the best offer, they said they were going to keep me active,” Hughes said. “I’ve got a fight sorted already. But probably the main driving factor behind that is the million-dollar tournament. To have the opportunity to do that, in my opinion, the ultimate form of competition. Four fights in eight to 10 months against some of the best fighters on the planet is the ultimate competition for me, and it’s for the ultimate prize — a million dollars.

“To be a 27-year-old kid with a million dollars in the bank sounds pretty good to me and sounds like a pretty good start to my career.”

Because there was so much attention paid to his free agency and eventual PFL signing, Hughes knows there’s a whole lot of expectations heaped upon his shoulders moving forward. Truth be told, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Nobody puts more pressure on me than I do myself,” Hughes said. “Now it’s time to deliver on the things I’ve been saying. I have delivered my whole career so far. I’ve won the world titles and cleared out all the best guys in Cage Warriors, but now it’s time to continue that, and most importantly to prove it to myself. Because I’m out here right now telling people I’m the best in the world.

“I left the cage after my last fight saying, ‘I’m the best in the world,’ and I saw the comments. ‘Who the f*ck does this kid think he is? He’s fought nobody. Does he really think he could stand in there with [Islam] Makhachev and [Charles] Oliveira and all these people?’ I’m like, ‘Damn, f*cking right I do!’”

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Rivalries in the world of hip hop are nothing new.

Ever since the genre exploded during the 1980s, diss tracks have been an integral part of the industry for rappers looking to bounce Sucker MCs out of the rap game. Some of the most iconic rivalries in hip hop history include Ice Cube vs. his former group, N.W.A.

Nas and Jay-Z went toe-to-toe in the 90s while Eminem’s protege 50 Cent took his two-decade-long feud with Ja Rule public after both hit it big in the 2000s with a series of hit singles.

Of course, you can’t talk about hip hop rivalries without mentioning the beef between Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. East Coast vs. West Coast was a defining moment in hip hop history. Sadly, both artists lost their lives as a result, each being gunned down in separate drive-by shootings between September 1996 and March 1997.

Oddsmakers weigh in on Hip Hop’s Latest Conflict Drake vs. k-Dot

Today, we have a new beef lighting up social media. Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been dominating headlines and playlists with a series of back-and-forth diss tracks — the most recent being Lamar’s commercially released and critically acclaimed Not Like Us.

If you want to dive deep into where all of the drama began, The New York Times has got you covered, but just know that things are getting pretty serious between the two modern-day rap gods. So much so that BetOnline.ag is offering odds for a potential boxing match between the Canadian actor-turned-rapper and the Compton, California native.

As it stands, Drake and Lamar are sitting at an even -120, meaning a $ 100 bet on either fighter could net you $ 120 in a hypothetical fight.

They’ve also been offered the opportunity to settle things in the wrestling ring, courtesy of an invite from ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ himself.

“A little Sweet Chin Music goes a long way,” former WWE champion Shawn Michaels wrote on X. “Kendrick Lamar, you and Drake are formally invited to WWE NXT to settle this thing. I’m even offering my services to mediate.”

If they were to compete under the WWE banner, Drake would be a -200 favorite while Lamar sits as a +150 underdog.

LowKickMMA.com

When Dustin Poirier makes the walk to the octagon to challenge champion Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title on June 1, it will be the first time the new UFC Official Fight Gloves will be used in a championship bout.  

In early April, the fight promotion unveiled the new gloves during UFC 300 fight week.  The UFC Official Fight Glove will debut at UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.  The lightweight title bout headlines the fight card.      

“We have been working on these gloves over the past few years with the best designers, engineers, and athletes in the world,” said UFC CEO Dana White said at the time. “This redesign will truly be a game changer for the entire sport of MMA. These gloves will feel lighter, fit fighters’ hands better, prevent injuries, and provide maximum flexibility during the fights. You’ll start to see these in competition this summer.”

Poirier has tested the gloves and likes the new product.  Comparing them to the older gloves, Poirier stated much of what White said.  They’re lighter, softer, and fit better, according to Poirier.    

“I like them.  They’re a lot easier to make a closed fist,” Poirier told The MMA Hour.  “The problem with the old UFC gloves, they were kind of built flat.  We’d have to roll them up in the back and make it easier because your forearm gets full of blood.  It’s like you’re straining to make a closed first with those other ones.  

“These are a lot softer.  I know that they’re lighter.  They’re just easier to make a closed fist,” Poirier continued.  “I like them better.”      

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