MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through our latest MMA rankings.
Bellator Europe 6 is in the books, and we’re about to come up on a brief period of inactivity from the major promotions. But one thing of note took place this past Saturday:
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] won again at Bellator Europe 6, giving him two straight since the lone loss of his career. Yet it’s still not enough for the 16-1 fighter to crack our welterweight list. Why is that?
Plus, who’s coming up on two years of inactivity – and ready to fall out of our rankings?
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.
Chris Weidman is not done yet and is looking to make a quick turnaround in early 2020.
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] is not ready to back down from his recent setbacks.
Despite being stopped in five of his past six fights, most recently a first-round knockout loss to Dominick Reyes, Weidman (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) reiterated he has no plans of retiring. In fact, he’s looking to make a quick turnaround and hopes to compete in early 2020.
“In a perfect world – I mean, I’m healthy already – February, March, something like that,” Weidman said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “Yeah pretty quick. Listen, I know it sounds crazy: ‘You just got knocked out, what are you coming back quick for?’ But it wasn’t like I got knocked out cold. Literally, like, legs went out from underneath me, he was hitting me with shots, and I remember the whole thing. I had no concussion symptoms like I’ve had concussion symptoms over the years from some of my fights. And you know when your brain needs a rest. This time, it wasn’t that situation at all.”
Weidman, a former UFC middleweight champion, failed to make good on his light heavyweight debut against Reyes in October, and admitted he’s not sure if he’ll remain at 205 or go back down 185 pounds.
“I could make (1)85 again,” he said. “205 was fun. It was less stressful, and I feel like I could beat anybody up , but we’ve just got to look at the divisions and figure it out. So I’m not sure if I’m going to go back down to ’85 or stay at 205.”
With an array of accolades on his resume, the man who once shocked the world by dethroning one of the greatest fighters of all time in Anderson Silva still believes he has some magic left in him.
And he’s not ready to walk away just yet.
“(I’m) definitely continuing to fight – that’s not a question at all,” Weidman said. “I feel great. You know, I’ve been through (expletive) in this career. At the end of the day, when I do retire, I know I gave everything to this sport. I gave everything to the sport of wrestling. I’ve been through hell. From my body, I’ve had 23 surgeries – but I feel good right now. That sounds crazy, but I feel really good. My body feels good. The fact that I could get right back to training and do what I love to do, I just feel like I’m still capable of some big things.”
A featherweight matchup between Josh Emmett and Arnold Allen is the latest addition to the UFC Raleigh card.
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A pair of rising featherweight contenders will square off on Jan. 25.
[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will face [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC Raleigh, the promotion announced Wednesday morning.
The event is scheduled to take place at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., and is expected to stream on ESPN+.
Since moving down to 145 pounds, Emmett has won four of five fights and is coming off back-to-back knockouts over Michael Johnson and, most recently, a “Performance of the Night” over Mirsad Bektic in July. The Team Alpha Male fighter will look to make it three in a row when he takes on the streaking Allen.
Allen has not yet lost in the UFC, going a perfect 6-0. The 25-year-old Brit is coming off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision victory over former Strikeforce and WEC lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez at UFC 239 in July.
Michael Page picked up another win this past Saturday – but was it enough to get him into our welterweight rankings?
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] picked up another win this past Saturday – but it came with some controversy.
There wasn’t controversy over how Page (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) beat Giovanni Melillo (13-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) – by first-round knockout. But instead, the Bellator welterweight continued to take criticism for the level of opponents he’s been in the cage with so far in his career.
Page has been in the cage with some standouts like Paul Daley and David Rickels, and has wins over them. But his resume also includes names like Melillo, Richard Kiely and Jeremie Holloway who are unheralded, to put it mildly.
Page’s lone loss came by knockout against Douglas Lima in Bellator’s welterweight tournament. Lima went on to win the tournament and the title. And before that, his win over Daley was a unanimous decision, and some had Daley winning.
So with his latest win at Bellator Europe 6 at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London, has Page done enough to break into our USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings?
Check out the latest rankings in the drop-down menu above.
Nordine Taleb apparently has decided when his MMA career will come to an end.
It appears [autotag]Nordine Taleb[/autotag] will soon hang up his gloves.
The 38-year-old UFC welterweight announced Tuesday on Twitter that he is retiring after his next fight. Taleb (15-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is not currently booked, but he recently competed in September where he suffered a first-round knockout to Muslim Salikhov.
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Taleb has been fighting professionally since 2007. The Frenchman holds notable wins over Pete Sell, Li Jingliang, Erick Silva, and Danny Roberts. Taleb, who also competed under the Bellator banner, has been in the UFC since 2014.
Hi everyone, after thinking for a while about it, I took the decision that my next UFC fight will be my retirement fight. It was a hell of a ride and I’m very grateful for it! See you soon for the last ride.
.Hi everyone, after thinking for a while about it I took the decision than my next @ufc fight will be my retirement fight, it was a hell of a ride and I'm very grateful for it ! See you soon for the last ride 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/NbL1Tr6kZF
Here’s hoping the “games” – whatever they might be – stop, everybody gets what they want, and this fight gets finalized.
On Monday, UFC broadcast partner ESPN cited Dana White in reporting that the promotion is targeting a planned April 18 pay-per-view card in Brooklyn to book a highly anticipated title fight between lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag].
Not long after, Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, posted a photo on Instagram of a purported signed bout agreement by the champ.
As for Ferguson, we heard nothing from him directly. But when MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn reached out to his management group, he was told both parties are “in late stages of negotiations.” Now, that could mean just about anything, but one thing was looking likely: One side wanted to put pressure on the other.
You see where this is going?
Fast forward to Tuesday evening, nearly 24 hours after the news put out there by White and Abdelaziz, and we finally heard from Ferguson himself on Twitter.
No more games. I’m open for business. Time to give the fans what they want 🕶 Champ Shit Only™️ 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 @danawhite @ballengeegroupmma # makeufcgreatagain pic.twitter.com/HxVb1c9mXX
There’s no question we want to see this fight finally happen after four previously failed attempts. We need to see this fight happen. So here’s hoping the games – whatever they might be – stop, everybody gets what they want, and this thing gets finalized.
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.
Add [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] to the mix of fighters who want to square off with Floyd Mayweather.
Speaking to ESPN on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dillashaw, who’s currently serving a two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO, said he’s not looking for any tune-up fights upon his return.
And with Mayweather announcing he will be coming out of retirement in 2020 with plans to work with UFC president Dana White, Dillashaw thinks he has enough time to prepare for a boxing match, considering that he will be eligible to compete again on Jan. 18, 2021.
“Mayweather wants a UFC star thats good at striking,” Dillashaw said. “I’ve got a whole year to reinvent myself to become a boxer. I’ve got the who’s-who in the boxing world. I can train with the Lomachenkos, Terence Crawfords – he ain’t going to be able to wear me out and finish me because of my cardio. I think that’s a very intriguing fight. I’d love to get that Mayweather fight, not even for the money – just for the fact of proving us UFC fighters (have) got what it takes to get in that ring.”
Dillashaw, who’s been seen training with boxing world champ Vasyl Lomachenko on numerous occasions, thinks he has the access to fully prepare for a boxing match, and is confident that he would do well.
“I think Conor McGregor did a great job of showing what we can do, and that our movements are awkward and that it’s tough for (boxers) to deal with, and I’ve seen it myself in the boxing world,” Dillashaw said. “I go and train out at Joel Diaz’s in Indio, (Calif.) I’m going to train with the Lomachenkos. I’ve seen Terence Crawford’s camp. I think that would be a super intriguing thing to get involved in, and I’ve got the time to do it.”
MMA Junkie’s Simon Head takes a look at the UFC’s new anti-doping changes and breaks down the specifics.
On Monday, the UFC and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency jointly announced a set of revisions to the UFC’s anti-doping policy following a lengthy behind-the-scenes review of their previous anti-doping rule book. But what does it all mean for the fighters? Here’s an explainer:
Why has the policy changed?
The issue of contaminated supplements has become a hot-button topic over the course of the last few years, with a host of UFC fighters being flagged for positive tests after unknowingly ingesting banned substances contained within contaminated supplement products. It has robbed fighters of valuable career time as they serve out suspensions, and has also cost athletes time, stress and money as they go through the legal channels to ensure their names are cleared.
The changes announced by the UFC and USADA attempt to improve the situation surrounding the issue of contaminated food, drink or supplements and reduce the number of these cases moving forward, while also providing products and information to help ensure athletes are taking supplements that are less likely to be contaminated.
What changes have been made?
The UFC and USADA have created a definitive list of banned substances, called the “UFC Prohibited List,” which specified not only the banned substances themselves, but also “decision concentration levels” for each substance. These are the threshold limits that denote the amount of a banned substance an athlete would need to have in their system in order for it to offer a performance-enhancing effect.
In addition, the UFC and USADA have compiled a list of approved supplement certification companies, and have strongly recommended athletes only use supplements that are certified by one or more of the listed companies.
The UFC will also make approved certified supplements available to their athletes via the UFC Performance Institute, with supplement company Thorne chosen as the official supplement provider to the UFC PI.
Nate Diaz was outraged when a pre-UFC 244 drug test turned up with an atypical finding. He was later exonerated and cleared to fight.
How does this affect the athletes?
Previously, if a fighter unknowingly ingested a banned substance via a contaminated supplement, he would be flagged as having a failed test. For a substance like Ostarine, that could see him hit with a two-year suspension. However, if the fighter could then prove that the substance was unintentionally ingested, and prove that it came from a contaminated supplement, based on past cases (including those of Tim Means and Yoel Romero) he could have his suspension reduced to six months.
Under the new UFC Anti-Doping Policy, an athlete’s initial test result for levels below the newly-instituted thresholds would not automatically be flagged as a failure. Instead, it would be marked as an “atypical” result, with no sanction given unless there is additional evidence of an anti-doping violation.
It should mean fewer cases of fighters being initially flagged for anti-doping violations after unintentional ingestion of banned substances via contaminated supplements.
Does this mean athletes can’t take their own choice of supplements?
Not exactly. Just like food, athletes can put into their bodies whatever fuel and supplements they choose, providing they are not intentionally ingesting banned substances. However, the UFC and USADA has stated that supplements certified by companies on their approved list are “… the ONLY dietary supplements that should be used by UFC athletes.”
Of course, this is unenforceable in reality – you can’t force athletes to take a specific brand of supplement – but by stating in such strong terms that athletes should only use those certified products from companies listed, they’re offering a clear statement that they don’t want their athletes taking uncertified products.
With that said, if you’re an athlete and deciding which supplements to take, choosing ones on the UFC’s certified list certainly seems to make a lot of sense.
What will the changes achieve?
In theory, the changes should help reduce the number of unintentional positive results from contaminated supplements by addressing both ends of the equation.
On one end, athletes are now strongly guided towards only taking certified supplements, which should reduce the possibility of taking contaminated products. And on the other end, the introduction of decision concentration levels for banned substances should help reduce flagged tests to only those which are deemed to contain enough of the banned substance to produce a performance-enhancing effect.
What other changes are there?
In addition to the new rules around banned substances, decision concentration levels and certified supplements, the new UFC Anti-Doping Policy also includes the addition of new rules regarding IV infusions, and has specified a shortlist of instances where IVs are now permissible without the need for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).
Per the UFC’s athlete guide, IVs are allowable under the new UFC Anti-Doping Policy under the following circumstances only:
Those received in the course of hospital treatments, surgical procedures, clinical diagnostic investigations
Those received by a licensed medical professional after a licensed physician determines that they are medically justified
IVs of less than a total of 100 mL per 12-hour period
In addition, all IV use during fight week is subject to approval by the athletic commission, with athletes required to receive permission beforehand, and report back once the IV has been administered. And if IVs are administered during fight week for medical reasons, the athletic commission retains its right to pull a fighter from an event if it sees fit.
Mickey Gall won’t fight at UFC on ESPN 7, after all.
[autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] won’t fight at UFC on ESPN 7, after all.
Gall (6-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) originally was scheduled to meet Carlos Condit (30-13 MMA, 7-9 UFC) in a welterweight bout on next week’s card, but the former interim UFC champion had to pull out of the matchup because of an eye injury.
There were discussions about finding a replacement opponent for Gall, but ultimately it didn’t come to fruition. A UFC official on Tuesday told MMA Junkie that Gall will not compete at the event.
UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Dec. 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The card airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.
With Gall off the card, the revised bout order for UFC on ESPN 7 includes:
Darren Till, who recently trained with Tyson Fury, believes there’s a 70 percent chance we see the boxing star compete in MMA.
[autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] made headlines when he announced that he’d like to make the transition to MMA, and [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] believes he’s pretty serious about it.
The heavyweight boxing world champion has recently dabbled in just about every part of the combat sports world, with his recent appearance at a WWE event, as well as his trip to Liverpool, to train with UFC middleweight contender, Till at Team Kaobon.
And Till, who was impressed by Fury during the training session, thinks there’s a pretty big chance we’ll actually see Fury compete in MMA someday.
“I think it’s about a 70-30,” Till said in an interview with BT Sport. “Seventy yeah, thirty no, we’ve got to remember boxing to MMA is very different as well with a lot of things, especially pay. He’s in WWE, he’s making a lot of money there, he’s making a lot of money – he’s a top, top three heavyweight. I’d love to see it, I’d love to see it for the entertainment factor. It’s all about the entertainment and he’d probably do well, whoever he gets.”
Till ran Fury through an intense training session which included hitting pads, wrestling techniques and more, and Till says he was surprised at how committed Fury was to the whole thing.
“I had a terrific chat with him after we trained but I thought to myself, he’s going to come down, he’s going to lay in a few techniques and that’s it,” Till said. “He said to me when we were starting, I’ve come to train you know. I was like what do you mean, he was like I’ve come to train hard, and I was like ok, let’s crack on and I had just fought, even my knee was a bit niggling.”
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“Collin was like give a proper training session, make sure he knows so I said Tyson, I’m going to teach you about what I think you need for MMA. If you’re considering this, I’ll teach you what I think you need so we started off, we ran around, we done warmups that coach Mike, the wrestler always teaches us and then I got him involved in some sprawls, some shadow boxing and then we went straight into sparring, pads.”
Fury had initially thrown a few names such as UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes as potential opponents, and all three automatically agreed to fight the boxing superstar. But with Fury’s rematch with Deontay Wilder imminent, we may have to wait for Fury’s octagon debut.
