Category: Featured

What we know about the case of UFC fighter Walt Harris’ missing stepdaughter

Here’s what you need to know about the case of Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of the UFC’s Walt Harris, who went missing on the night of Oct. 23.

Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag], was reported missing on Oct. 24.

Blanchard, a 19-year-old college student, is described as light in complexion, 5-foot-6, 125 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black dress, tan duck boots, and black stockings.

Here’s what we know based on a timeline of developments.

(Editor’s note: This will continue to be updated as events unfold.)

Oct. 23: Blanchard last seen and heard from

Blanchard is last seen in a convenience store at a Chevron gas station making a purchase and had communication with a friend just before midnight.

Auburn (Ala.) police later released surveillance video of Blanchard at the store.

Oct. 24: Harris pleads for help

News of Blanchard’s disappearance becomes public after Harris pleads for help on Twitter and Instagram.

Initially, police do not suspect foul play.

Oct. 25: Blanchard’s vehicle located

Investigators locate Blanchard’s black 2017 Honda CRV at an apartment complex in Montgomery, Ala. The vehicle sports damage not present at the time of her disappearance.

Oct. 26: Harris and his family issue video PSA on Instagram

Oct. 30: Alabama governor, Dana White kick-start reward money

Alabama governor Kay Ivey issues a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) responsible for Blanchard’s disappearance. UFC president Dana White steps up with a $25,000 contribution. Others, including UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, also step up. In total, reward money eventually reaches more than $100,000.

Any donations towards efforts to locate Blanchard are encouraged to be made via PayPal to FindAniahBlanchard@gmail.com.

Oct. 31: Police suspect foul play

Police say evidence found inside Blanchard’s vehicle indicates she is a victim of foul play. A social media message sent by Blanchard to her roommate indicated she might have been with a male before she disappeared, according to her mother.

“There are just a lot of things that don’t add up for us as parents,” Harris said. “We just really, really want to know.”

The next day, MMA Junkie learns Harris has withdrawn from his scheduled Dec. 7 headline fight at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

Nov. 6: Police seek person of interest

Police release footage from the same store around the time Blanchard was last seen of of a man they consider a person of interest. He is a black man in his 20s, believed to be between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10 and approximately 200 pounds. He was described as leaving the area in a Lincoln Town Car, which appeared silver or gray.

Blanchard’s father reacts to the news.

Nov. 7: Person of interest identified

Per the City of Auburn website:

The Auburn Police Division has identified the person of interest as Ibraheem Yazeed, 30 years of age from Montgomery, Alabama. A warrant has been obtained for his arrest for the charge of kidnapping in the first degree. Currently, the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Taskforce along with other agencies assisting in this investigation are actively searching for Yazeed. Yazeed is currently out on bond for the charges of kidnapping and attempted murder from another jurisdiction. He should be considered dangerous and potentially armed.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Yazeed has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to April 2011.

Nov. 8: Yazeed captured in Florida

Yazeed, the man identified as the suspect in Blanchard’s disappearance Blanchard, is arrested in Florida at 2:32 a.m. ET and jailed in Escambia County. He is held without bond because he is an out-of-state fugitive.

Nov. 8: Warrant affidavit gives more details; DNA test matches Blanchard; Yazeed charged with kidnapping

According to a report from Pensacola News Journal, investigators have said in a warrant affidavit “blood evidence was discovered in the passenger’s compartment of (Blanchard’s) vehicle (was) indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury.”

The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences ran tests on the blood and determined the sample positively matched Blanchard.

Additionally, the affidavit indicates there was an eye witness who saw Yazeed force Blanchard into her vehicle, get in the car, and drive off.

Friday afternoon, Yazeed was formally charged with kidnapping and will be extradited to Auburn.

Blanchard still has yet to be found.

Nov. 10: Holloway’s mother joins search

Beth Holloway, whose daughter Natalee Holloway went missing 14 years ago on a high school graduation trip to Aruba, joins the effort to find Blanchard by teaming up with non-profit Texas EquuSearch.

Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes confirms to AL.com that a gag order has been issued in the case against Yazeed

Nov. 11: Petition for legislative change reaches 25,000 signatures

A petition started Nov. 7 in Aniah Blanchard’s name has reached 25,000 signatures. The “Violent offenders are not let out on bond” petition was created to prevent just that. The signatures goal is currently set at 35,000.

The petition’s mission statement reads:

“(Yazeed) should of never been released on bond, or even walking the streets after he attempted to murder an officer in 2012, and continued his violent path after being released from those charges, went on to victimize more people, including but not limited to, Aniah Blanchard.

Something MUST be done!!! We need more stricter programs for violent offenders, we cannot allow this to happen!

A repeat  violent  offender should not have an option for bond,  a first time  violent offender must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before giving a bond, or being released. and a repeat violent offender must serve 100 percent of their sentence!! And should not, and cannot be eligible for parole, or probation Until they have done so. The sentence served should be mandatory, and an offender with a violent offense should not be released on ‘good time’.”

Any law created as a result of the petition should be named “The Aniah Blanchard Law,” per the write-up by its creator, Amy Crum.

Nov. 12: Yazeed to be held without bond

A judge rules that Yazeed is to be held without bond. Details from the Montgomery Advertiser:

A Lee County judge has ruled Ibraheem Yazeed, charged in 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard’s disappearance, to be held without bond.

According to court records filed Tuesday morning, prosecutors argued that Yazeed’s “extensive history of violent criminal offenses,” the fact he was on bond at the time of Blanchard’s alleged kidnapping and that he fled to Escambia County, Fla., as evidence for the no bond.

District Judge Russell Bush agreed, according to the order.

In the same filing, Bush also ruled that “the parties and any potential witnesses” in the case are “prohibited from making any statements to members of the media, or directly discussing their involvement in this case or any current or future trial proceedings with members of the media.”

Nov. 14: Walt and Angela Harris appear on ‘The Dr. Phil Show’

Walt Harris breaks his silence when he and his wife, Angela, appear on the nationally syndicated television show “Dr. Phil.”

As would be expected, the Harrises are distraught over the loss of Blanchard but hold out hope that she will be found alive. They also believe Blanchard’s kidnapping was set up by someone she knows, not simply a random happening.

“There’s a lot of things that don’t make sense to us. It seems like it was actually set up, and it was something that was planned,’’ Walt Harris said.

Nov. 20: Yazeed denied bond; attorney upset

A Lee County (Ala.) judge denies Yazeed’s request for bond and orders him to take a DNA test after a prosecutor said a DNA profile was found in Blanchard’s car.

Yazeed’s attorney, Elijah Beaver, questions the credibility of the witness who claims to have seen Yazeed force Blanchard into a car on the night she went missing. Beaver also objects to the Harrises appearing on “Dr. Phil,” arguing that speaking out on a national TV show could hurt Yazeed’s chances at a fair trial.

“They went on ‘Dr. Phil’ talking to a nationwide audience, potentially tainting every juror in the state of Alabama,” he said.

Frankie Edgar views Cory Sandhagen as opportunity to climb bantamweight rankings quickly

Frankie Edgar sees the upside in his matchup with Cory Sandhagen.

[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] will be introduced to the bantamweight division by a hungry rising contender.

Edgar is set to fight [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] on Jan. 25 at UFC Raleigh, and he sees the matchup against a top-ranked contender as a good opportunity for a fast climb up the division.

“He’s very dangerous. He’s No. 3 (in the official UFC rankings), and I still want to fight the best guys in my career, and I feel like fighting No. 3 is a good way to debut at this new weight class,” Edgar said in the latest episode of “UFC Unfiltered”.

While many are viewing the matchup as a prospect vs. veteran fight and a way for Sandhagen (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) to build his name, Edgar (23-7-1 MMA, 17-7-1 UFC) believes he also has a lot to gain.

“For a guy like Cory to come in and fight someone like myself is definitely good for him, but to me I’m looking at it (like) he’s No. 3, and it’s definitely a good way to get myself on a ladder in the 135-pound division,” Edgar said.

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For years, Edgar has been pestered by those around him to make the move down to 135 pounds. Always undersized, the former UFC lightweight champion decided that he might as well oblige, considering that he has fallen short on numerous occasions in pursuit of the featherweight title.

“I don’t know, man. Everyone’s been telling for years to go down,” Edgar said. “My coaches were telling me for a while, and I fought for the ’45-pound belt a couple times, came up short. I felt like now’s the time if I’m going to do it ever.”

However, Edgar’s introduction to bantamweight will be against a 5-foot-11 and long Sandhagen, which once again would put Edgar at a sizable height and reach disadvantage.

Edgar doesn’t expect the transition to be that easy, but hopes that in some matchups down the line, he won’t be as undersized.

“Hopefully you don’t fight guys as long and tall. This guy I’m fighting is just as tall, so it don’t matter, but maybe I can be the bigger guy,” Edgar said. “Although I don’t think I’ll be the biggest guy at bantamweight, but I’m not going to be giving up as much size as say, 145, but I mean you got to take into consideration the guys are going to be quicker down at bantamweight, as well. So it doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing 100 percent. Of course, each weight class has their own challenges.”

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Spinning Back Clique: Thoughts on Ben Askren retirement, potential Nick Diaz return, and more

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze touch on the biggest storylines around the world of MMA and take a quick look back at a lackluster UFC on ESPN+ 22 show.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] announced his retirement from MMA on Monday after an eventful UFC stint in which he went 1-2 with the promotion. What does this mean for the former undefeated Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion’s legacy? Is there more to judge than just his win-loss record inside the octagon?
  • [autotag]Nick Diaz [/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: Buying or selling? And should Diaz even return to the cage after such a long absence?
  • MMA vs. Boxing: We’ve got Masvidal not backing off his callout of Canelo Alvarez. We’ve got Tyson Fury training MMA with Darren Till and apparently wanting to fight UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. And there’s continued talk of Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields fighting UFC champ-champ Amanda Nunes. What the heck is this all about?
  • UFC Sao Paulo was, well … it was not the most memorable evening in MMA history. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] won. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] fought to a split draw. It’s no surprise there wasn’t a “Fight of the Night” bonus handed out. But, hey, at least there was [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] scoring another finish. What was the biggest takeaway from the card?
  • Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] returns this week to headline Bellator Europe 6 in London, and he’s facing … a newcomer. What is Bellator doing here? Will it let “Venom” face real competition or not?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 3 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.

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MMA rankings report: Does Jan Blachowicz deserve bump after UFC Sao Paulo?

MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George and John Morgan walk you through all the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings changes.

It wasn’t the most eventful weekend in MMA history, but nonetheless, UFC on ESPN+ 22 and Bellator 234 are in the books, and there were some items of note:

  • [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] earned a victory over [autotag]Ronaldo Souza [/autotag] in the UFC light heavyweight main event in Sao Paulo. What does that mean for his spot in line hoping to meet champion Jon Jones?
  • What do you do with “Jacare” after his unsuccessful light heavyweight debut? (Spoiler alert: Continue ranking him at middleweight).
  • Over at Bellator 234, [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag], who was an honorable mention at heavyweight, was upset by [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag].

What does this all mean for our weekly USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through the changes in the video above.

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A longtime fan, Cory Sandhagen thinks Frankie Edgar should have retired before UFC Raleigh booking

“Not to sound punny, but I don’t think ‘the answer’ for (Frankie Edgar) was to come down in weight”

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] isn’t going to lie.

He’s always been a [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] fan, which makes things difficult when he thinks about their Jan. 25 matchup in the co-main event of UFC Raleigh.

As much respect as Sandhagen (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has for Edgar (23-7-1 MMA, 17-7-1 UFC), it doesn’t change his fight night expectations. In a sense, Sandhagen sees the pairing as an unfortunate matchup for a man he calls a “legend.”

“It’s a bummer almost for me because I really like Frankie,” Sandhagen told MMA Junkie. “I’ve always been a really big fan of Frankie and I don’t want to be the one who puts the stamp on his career. But that’s kind of what my job is. That’s what I’m going to do. Not to sound arrogant. But he has to fight me on his first fight coming down to 135? That kind of sucks for him.”

Edgar’s drop to bantamweight comes on the heels of his fifth straight title-fight defeat. At UFC 240 in July, Edgar suffered a five-round, unanimous decision loss to UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway.

Despite Edgar’s attempt to reinvent himself in a new weight class, Sandhagen doesn’t think anything will change. Weight isn’t Edgar’s issue, but Father Time is, assessed Sandhagen.

“Not to sound punny, but I don’t think ‘the answer’ for him was to come down in weight… I think Frankie will feel a little bit better at 135 if he loses weight the correct way… (But) I also don’t think it’s going to be the easiest thing in the world for him.

“If he is going to do it right, he’s not going to have as much energy through training camp, which is going to be detrimental, too. Fighting me, I think that I’m kind of a nightmare of a fight for almost anyone in the division.”

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Sandhagen said he watched Edgar’s fight against Holloway and was impressed by some of the tools the former UFC lightweight champion brought to the table. That said, Edgar’s body language at the end of the fight provided insight into the insurmountable challenges he faces, according to Sandhagen.

“I’m obviously catching him on the tail end of his career,” Sandhagen said. “That being said, I didn’t think he looked too bad against Max. I think the problem with Frankie — and I watched this in his post-fight interviews after Max — he looked really broken and confused as to why he wasn’t winning anymore. He was kind of looking for a solution.

“As much as I kind of hate to say it, I think that solution is you had your reign in the UFC. You did really good. You became a legend. You beat a lot of really tough guys and were the champ for a little bit. Like, that was your time. When I was watching him do that, as sad as it is, I wanted to be like, ‘It’s someone else’s time now.’ You don’t get to fight forever.”

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After listening to Edgar’s post-fight interview, Sandhagen believes Edgar should have retired. As tough as it is to walk away from the sport, Sandhagen would have liked to see Edgar make that decision.

“I know that we all love fighting,” Sandhagen said. “I dread the day that I’m going to have to make the decision to retire as well. It’s going to be a very hard one. That was kind of the feel I got when I was watching those post-fight interviews.

“That was a guy who needs to call it on the sport. He’s done everything he needs to do. So why need to do this? Him coming to 135 won’t do a ton for him. He’s still going to be facing guys who have a lot of high-level skills and newer skills who are doing things differently. Like myself. It’s just tough for him.”

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Greg Hardy, four others face lengthy medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 21

Greg Hardy is potentially out up to 180 days after injuring his hand at UFC Moscow.

[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] is one of five fighters facing lengthy medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 21.

The event took place Nov. 9 at CSKA Arena in Moscow and streamed on ESPN+.

One half of the co-main event, Hardy (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) dropped a three-round, unanimous decision to heavyweight contender [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]. As speculated on the broadcast, Hardy injured his right hand/wrist and faces a 180-day medical suspension as a result.

Additionally, four other fighters have been handed out six-month suspensions. [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag], [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag], and [autotag]Grigorii Popov[/autotag] were also handed 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective losses.

Check out the entire UFC on ESPN+ 21 medical suspension list below (acquired via MixedMartialArts.com):

  • [autotag]Grigorii Popov[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by ENT physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Alexander Yakovlev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until left elbow x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 14 days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Karl Roberson[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eyelid laceration with 21 days no contact
  • [autotag]Rustam Khabilov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Sergey Khandozhko[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by OMF physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for nasal laceration with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for hard bout with 21 days no contact
  • [autotag]Zelim Imadaev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right temple laceration with 21 days no contact
  • Alexander Volkov: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • Greg Hardy: Suspended 180 days or until right hand/wrist x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest
  • [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for hard bout with 21 days no contact

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Cris Lencioni challenges A.J. Agazarm to fight at Bellator Hawaii

Bellator featherweight Cris Lencioni issues a challenge to grappling superstar A.J. Agazarm.

If you ask Bellator featherweight [autotag]Cris Lencioni[/autotag] to describe his past few months, the word “frustrating” comes to mind.

In October, Lencioni (5-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) declined to fight at Bellator 232 after former GLORY kickboxing champion Robin van Roosmalen missed the featherweight limit by nine pounds.

One month later, Lencioni still doesn’t have a fight booked. He’s hoping that changes soon. It’s been a frustrating experience, especially because he’s trying to map out plans to turn his gym, Sunshine Athletics & Fabiano Scherner Jiu-Jitsu in Canby, Ore., into a nonprofit organization.

“I don’t want to just be put on the bench and sitting around like a lot of my teammates,” Lencioni told MMA Junkie. “A lot of teammates just sat around for most of their contracts. Some of these other gyms, they get offers every (expletive) month. I’m not trying to be rude or anything like that. I just want one more opportunity. That’s all.”

With his Bellator contract expiring at the end of December, Lencioni is hoping to squeeze in one more fight. Hawaii, Japan, wherever: Lencioni just wants on a card. And he has a specific opponent in mind for his return.

“I think [autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] is the best matchup to make,” Lencioni said. “Everyone thinks I’m this grappling submission guy. I don’t know his grappling credentials, but I know he’s pretty high up in the jiu-jitsu community for good and bad reasons.”

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The idea of trash talk delights Lencioni, although he doesn’t really consider himself a trash-talker. The American Top Team Portland product admitted he enjoys having fun in the build-up to the fight and said Agazarm (2-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) would bring just that.

“I just like to joke around. I just like jokes,” Lencioni said. “I wouldn’t call me a (expletive)-talker, you know? I like to have fun. Some of these guys come in way too serious. We’re going to fight each other anyways. Why are we getting all uppity like we’ve got sticks up our butts?”

Agarzarm’s grappling credentials are well-documented, having won numerous national and international grappling tournaments from 2013-2017. In MMA however, Lencioni believes he could hang with Agazarm on the ground.

“All day,” Lencioni said. “Let’s take it to the ground. I’m not worried about it one bit. We come from the same style of jiu-jitsu. He’s not going to show me anything I haven’t seen.”

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Three fights into his MMA career, Agazarm is riding a two-fight winning streak. However, the 29-year-old hasn’t faced an opponent with Lencioni’s experience.

What’s the best direction for Agazarm? How about a fight to determine the “best hair in Bellator?” That’s what Lencioni is proposing.

“Are they trying to build him as contender or ‘Mr. Cool, everyone watch me?'” Lencioni asked. “Because everyone likes watching me. We’re not fighting for a belt, but we’re going to be (expletive) exciting dude.

“We could be fighting for the best hair in the featherweight division. I think my hair game is on point. I think his hair is pretty wild, too.”

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Paulo Costa calls UFC champ Israel Adesanya a ‘p—y African,’ alleges media bias in Twitter rant

Paulo Costa had some choice words for UFC champion Israel Adesanya in an online rant posted Tuesday.

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] is charging full force at UFC champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].

On Tuesday, middleweight contender Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) took to Twitter to bash Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC). The Brazilian fighter, who currently is sidelined with a shoulder injury, questioned Adesanya’s willingness to fight him.

“Borrachinha” even went as far as to call Adesanya “afraid,” “skinny and fragile,” and a “(expletive) African.” Check out Costa’s tweet, which has since been deleted, below:

In a follow-up tweet, Costa clarified that he holds nothing against the entire continent of Africa, just Adesanya. That tweet also has since been deleted.

When responding to a commenter, Costa said he wanted to “kill” Adesanya.

Before he stepped to Adesanya, however, Costa called out the media, which he indicated is biased against him. The tweets (which have since been deleted) translated as follows (via Twitter translate):

“Funny to see this 3D issue now,” Costa wrote, in Portuguese. “When I fought with Romero my D’s didn’t tell anyone. They didn’t take into account that I dominated and caused more impact (damage) for most of the 2 rounds. Brazilian and hard!

“I despise commentators and newsboys drooling gringos egg. I will be champion just for me and my fans, don’t feel champions with my belt just for being Brazilian.”

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After Adesanya knocked out then-champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October, Costa appeared to be next in line. But he required surgery on his shoulder and Adesanya’s focus turned to Yoel Romero.

Despite Costa’s claims he’ll be healthy and ready to go in early 2020, UFC president Dana White said the fighter’s physicians are telling him otherwise.

“Well, Costa tore his bicep, so he had to have surgery,” White said in an interview in early November. ” He’s claiming he’ll be back sooner than he will be. That’s not what the doctor is telling me. So that’s not true.”

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk? Dana White digs it

After Dana White chimed in expressing his interest, it appears all that’s left in making a big strawweight grudge match is figuring out the details.

They don’t have a date, time, or place yet, but UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] clearly want to fight each other.

And their promoter has made it just as clear it’s a fight he wants to see.

Jedrzejczyk, who earned her way back into the 115-pound title discussion with a recent and impressive five-round victory over Michelle Waterson, made waves recently when she told the South China Morning Post that she’s ready to fight, and that if it means she’ll get a title shot, she’s willing to fight Zhang, the first Chinese-born UFC champion, on her home turf.

“Anywhere, anytime,” she told the Post. “Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Warsaw, Toronto, it doesn’t matter where. For me, it doesn’t matter. I will make my way. Even if we have to take a canoe, I will make it to China and beat the (expletive) out of her.”

Wang, for her part, responded on her Instagram page that she is “ready now.”

A red-hot current champ has beef with a rebounding former champ? Is that … do we hear … yes, that’s Dana White’s music.

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The UFC president made it clear on his Instagram on Monday that this is a fight he’ll make as soon as he can. 

View this post on Instagram

This is going to be a VERY fun fight!!!!!

A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite) on

Sounds like we know what one of the first hot fights of 2020 will be.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Paulie Malignaggi open to Jason Knight fight – with a couple conditions

Paulie Malignaggi is willing to come out of retirement to face Jason Knight – with a couple conditions.

[autotag]Paulie Malignaggi[/autotag] has responded to [autotag]Jason Knight[/autotag]’s callout for a boxing match, and says only one thing can lure him out of retirement.

He has to be compensated correctly.

Malignaggi recently announced he was done with bare knuckle boxing following his unanimous decision loss to Artem Lobov at BKFC 6, where he suffered injuries to both of his hands.

Knight, on the other hand, was able to avenge his loss to Lobov this past weekend at BKFC 9 with a fifth-round TKO. Malignaggi praised Knight for his calculated performance over Lobov, saying he’d consider fighting him if he was compensated well – and perhaps with a change in ruleset to fight in boxing gloves to avoid further damage to his hands.

“Well done Jason, solid adjustments Saturday night. I have not yet seen the fight but saw higlights and your sense of timing and disciplined game plan was very impressive to notice. You def caught onto a few tactics from my fight and fought smarter. I wish my hands could survive the impact again cause truthfully I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t have minded facing you after your display. However I have a career history of hand problems and I cannot keep risking them or I’m gonna wind up with permanent damage to them. If there are interested parties that are willing to put up enough money I am not against regular boxing though where some protection for my hands is there. Maybe David can do a card where you and I glove up but instead of a ring we can fight in the bkfc squared circle with our undercard consisting of bare knuckle fights. Again its dependant on the compensation. After all, we are prizefighters. Once again though, well done and congrats on an impressive display.”

Knight responded to Malignaggi in the comments section of his Instagram post, and they briefly went back and forth.

“Thanks brother, I’d love to make this happen… and it’s not a disrespect thing either, I’d just like the test against a real boxer and see where I stand skill wise,” Knight posted.

“No disrespect taken at all,” Malignaggi said. “You are a competitor and I respect that. If someone compensates us well for the fight I can def consider it and we can go from there. This forum is public so people can see the interest in making this possibility a reality is there from us both. I have also given a possible way we can do it with bkfc still promoting it if they have this interest 🥊💯”

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