CombatSports.org

Jorge Masvidal is no stranger to fighting, whether that be whilst locked inside the cage, in a boxing ring, or otherwise. Despite his passion for combat, the former UFC title challenger sprung into action, playing the peacemaker amid a potential fight breakout.

Since leaving combat sports last year following his fourth straight defeat, Masvidal has been working hard to build his unique fight promotion, Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA. The one-of-a-kind fight company has featured some huge names and continues to grow with each passing event.

The latest Gamebred Promotions event featured a headlining bout of former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos taking on former BKFC heavyweight champion Alan Belcher. In the build-up to the card, Jorge Masvidal was forced to separate two fighters who got heated backstage.

Fan-favorite Charles Bennett can be seen engaged in a war of words with what looks like his opponent, Joe Penafiel. The Miami native can be heard urging the two fighters to save their animosity for the cage, while fellow fighter Anvar Boynazarov too tried to calm the proceedings.

Charles Bennett, better known for his ‘Krazy Horse’ alias, was later defeated late into the third round during the opening bout of the March 2 event. 

This was the 44-year-old’s 21st straight loss across numerous combat sports. Sensationally, his most recent win came against the debuting Minoru Kimura in Rizin almost eight years ago.

Related: Jorge Masvidal went to Nate Diaz’ gym looking to ‘make this fight happen’

What’s next for Jorge Masvidal?

At UFC 287 on April 8, 2023, Jorge Masvidal called an end to his fighting career and hung up the gloves after competing for 20 years professionally.

However, his retirement didn’t last too long, and ‘Gamebred’ has now confirmed that he will be returning to action in just two months.

On June 1, Jorge Masvidal will collide with former opponent Nate Diaz. The two will run back their ‘BMF’ bout from 2019 which ended controversially, this time in a boxing ring.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jorge Masvidal (@gamebredfighter)

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

submitted by /u/skatetexas [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Mark Coleman is headed to UFC 300.

In March, nearly died from smoke inhalation after saving his parents from a house fire. The UFC Hall of Famer ultimately pulled through that and a subsequent bout of pneumonia to make a full recovery.

Now, to honor “The Hammer,” the UFC is bringing its first-ever heavyweight champion to the biggest card of the year.

On Tuesday, Coleman posted to his Instagram account revealing that the UFC is bringing he and his daughters to UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas.

“I’m so excited today. The UFC is bringing me in giving me and my daughters tickets to the biggest show ever UFC 300 in Las Vegas. So stoked let’s go. The BMF belt that’s the one I’m excited about. The main event is huge as well. The whole card is sick. See you there. What a great day to be alive. Be the best version of yourself you can be you never know when you’re gonna need it. Sober is cool, carnivore diet, nine ancestral tenants, hammer House for life.”

Coleman is feeling so good after his ordeal that he joked about stepping in as a late replacement if needed.

“What’s up everybody,” he said in the video. “Good afternoon! I’m so excited. UFC is bringing me into UFC 300. I’m in training. I’m the backup for every fighter. Let’s go!”

UFC 300 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill. The card also features a strawweight title bout between Weili Zhang and Yan Xiaonan and the first ever “BMF” title defense when Justin Gaethje faces Max Holloway in a featured main card fight.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

submitted by /u/rmma
[link] [comments]
MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker looks to shatter Khamzat Chimaev’s confidence in the octagon.

During an appearance on the Mighty video podcast, Whittaker told ex-UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson that he accepted Chimaev at UFC Saudi Arabia to see whether the Chechen fighter’s hype is real.

“I think impressed is the wrong word,” Whittaker said. “I think he’s a good fighter, and I think he’s got a great headspace for the craft, and he knows what he does well, and he goes out there with undoubted confidence in what he can do. And that makes a very dangerous recipe.

“But it also something that, if it gets shaken, then you don’t know which way the cards are gonna fall. So I’m looking forward to testing that, to see how big the hype is.”

It’s not the first time Whittaker has found himself in this position. Prior to outpointing Paulo Costa at UFC 298, he took on Dricus du Plessis, who was then a fast-rising contender untested against championship-level opponents. Du Plessis stopped him in the first round of their UFC 290 showdown and went on to defeat Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 297.

Despite Chimaev’s middleweight debut win over ex-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, UFC commentator Joe Rogan called Whittaker a “real fight” for the unbeaten fighter.

At the very least, Whittaker said he presents a different set of challenges to contend with in the octagon.

“I’d like to think that I’m going to go in there with a speed advantage and a striking advantage,” he said. “One of his greatest strengths is the fact that he can force the wrestling on people, and I think it’s going to be a little harder to force the wrestling on me, just because of my distance, because of my control of spacing.

“I’m really looking forward to this fight. I think it’s going be a hard fight. I want to take that same mentality into this fight, and look to take him to war, and just earn this win. I’m going to earn this win, and this puts me in perfect direction for a title shot and condition for a title shot, which has always been the goal.”

Whittaker’s prospect for another title run brightened considerably when two-time opponent and former champ Israel Adesanya was defeated by Strickland. Prior to that, Whittaker faced the possibility of serving as a gatekeeper for the division.

If Adesanya defeats du Plessis in a title fight expected to take place at UFC 305, a win over Chimaev could give Whittaker the argument to take a third fight against “The Last Stylebender.” Whittaker believes he is a better fighter than the ex-champ despite his dual setbacks.

“You put the fact that it’s against Chimaev, who’s got a lot of hype, he’s going to bring a lot of eyes,” Whittaker said. “He is the boogeyman in the division at the moment – nobody wants to fight him. No one wants to have a go with him. So I get to have that run at him, which will be fun. I think they’re the fights that excite me, because they’re the tests. They’re the type of fights I get a lot of honor and pride out of.”

So far no one has been able to solve the puzzle of Chimaev in the octagon. Whittaker doesn’t promise an easy night of work – only the willingness to test his opponent at his best.

“Whenever you’re preparing for a fight, the version of your opponent in your head is always way worse than the version you actually fight, excluding [my] last fight [against du Plessis], because dude was way better than I thought he would be,” he said with a laugh.

Whittaker’s full interview is below.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Before the main event announcement, many expected UFC 300 to be headlined by the defending champion Dricus Du Plessis, and former king of the middleweight division Israel Adesanya.

Unfortunately, the grudge match never came to fruition and fans were instead treated to an Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill matchup on April 13. News surrounding ‘The Last Stylebender’s return to the octagon has been scarce of late, but that may have now changed.

In a post on social media, Dricus Du Plessis potentially confirmed his first middleweight title defense is set to take place on August 18 at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. According to the South African, Israel Adesanya will return to the octagon and try to recapture a throne that he held for so long.

“Looks like someone wants another beating in Australia,” Du Plessis teased on Instagram. “I’m in. I also wouldn’t want to fight the king of Africa on home soil. Manifestations working good for you AGAIN!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dricus du Plessis (@dricusduplessis)

Long before he climbed the ranking and became the UFC middleweight champion, Du Plessis had been angling for a fight against the kickboxing superstar Israel Adesanya.

Following his win over Sean Strickland to capture gold last time out, ‘Stillknocks’ set his sights on Adesanya. Ideally, the titleholder wanted to bring the UFC over to Africa for the very first time, though that plan seems to have lost traction.

Related: Israel Adesanya claims Dricus Du Plessis rejected UFC 300 main event slot

The middleweight division is stacked with viable options for whoever comes out on top between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis, should the bout eventually take place.

Former champion Sean Strickland is keen on getting another crack at the title after controversially coming up short in his last outing. 

Both Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev are eager to get their hands on the belt. Whoever finds themselves walking away the victor when they meet in the UFC’s debut Saudi Arabia card on June 22 will likely have a strong case at a title opportunity.

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

Doctor stoppage
| BJPenn.com

UFC

“Big” John McCarthy wasn’t amused by Brendan Fitzgerald’s recent slip-up at UFC Atlantic City this past weekend (March 30, 2024).

UFC went away from the comfort of its APEX Facility for the luxury of New Jersey’s Boardwalk Hall and featured a women’s Flyweight main event between top contenders, Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot. However, before that, there was a factual error noticed by the godfather of mixed martial arts (MMA) officiating.

UFC play-by-play commentator, Fitzgerald, stated at the event’s start that New Jersey was the first state to regulate MMA. This didn’t sit well with McCarthy, who clarified the history.

“Really? What a bunch of horses—t that line is,” McCarthy said in a video clip on Twitter. “How many times do you see people talking about commentary, and, ‘Hey, do your homework,’ and stuff like that? If you’re gonna put that out, you better make sure it’s right.

“No,” he continued. “There was quite a few states that regulated MMA, okay? The first state that regulated MMA, if you’re really gonna look at it, was Mississippi. Billy Lyons was the commissioner of Mississippi. He’s the first one that ever issued me a license as someone that worked for the state athletic commission, okay? How about Iowa, was another. New Jersey was done before the Fertittas were ever owners of the UFC.”

McCarthy, 61, retired from his in-cage referee work years ago, but has remained a fixture in the community as a representative and commentator for Bellator before it was acquired by Professional Fighters League (PFL) last year.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

submitted by /u/TheBigRedHalfrican [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts