Tag: breaking

Austin Vanderford says toughest test of career lays ahead at Bellator 234

Austin Vanderford is not lost on the significance of what his fight at Bellator 234 means for his overall career prospects.

[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] understands the significance of what his fight at Bellator 234 means for his overall career prospects.

That’s why Vanderford (8-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is taking his middleweight matchup with Grachik Bozinyan (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) extremely seriously. No one outside the most hardcore of fans know of the Russian, but Vanderford said he’s done his homework.

“I think this is definitely the toughest guy I’ve fought so far,” Vanderford told MMA Junkie. “It’s going to be the toughest fight of my career. He’s a very skilled fighter, a tough fighter and he has a lot of finishes on his resume. I’m going into the fight with that in mind and with that, I’m going to be the most prepared and ready Austin there is.”

Vanderford is the more recognizable name in the matchup with Bozinyan at Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday (and airs via tape-delay Friday on Paramount) from Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. However, he’s also the one with more to lose, and he’s trained hard to ensure a misstep doesn’t occur.

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Thus far, Vanderford’s Bellator run has been smooth. He’s picked up stoppage wins in his two fights since debuting with the promotion in February, and making it 3-0 under the Bellator banner is when some real momentum could start to pick up.

“I’ve had a good couple showings, I’ve got a couple finishes and I’m just kind of looking to go off that,” Vanderford said. “I really just focus on taking it one fight at a time and they presented this fight to me like two days after my last fight and I jumped right on it and I was thankful to make it through my last fight with no injuries and jump right back into a fight camp and start preparing for this fight.”

Vanderford said he’s not sure how close he’d be to a title shot with a win at Bellator 234. He will only have nine total fights after the upcoming bout, and other 185-pound contenders have put in more work. Vanderford will ultimately let his performances decide his path, though, and he anticipates a good one against Bozinyan.

“We just keep going a fight at a time and I think I’ll keep going up in competition,” Vanderford said. “I want to fight for a world title. Every win you rack up I just one step closer.”

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Christian Edwards humbled to see vicious Bellator 233 knockout go viral

Christian Edwards hasn’t fully wrapped his head around the virality of his vicious Bellator 233 head kick.

It’s common practice for 21-year-olds celebrate their birthday by taking shots. Bellator light heavyweight [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag], however, elected to commemorate his by handing out a huge one.

In his second professional bout at Friday’s Bellator 233, Edwards (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who turned 21 on Nov. 5, sent shockwaves through the MMA world when he head-kicked  Cesar Bennett into the shadow realm just 16 seconds into the opening round.

No follow-up shots were necessary, as an unconscious Bennett turned stiff upon impact. His head crashed against the canvas as he toppled backwards.

The knockout appeared everywhere from WorldStar HipHop to SportsCenter and beyond. With one swift punt to the jaw, Edwards achieved internet virality.

Four days later, Edwards still hasn’t fully grasped the scope of his highlight-reel finish. However, the JacksonWink product fully appreciates all of the support he’s received. The recognition is a representation of his hard work and how far he’s come to get to where he is.

“It’s a pretty humbling feeling,” Edwards told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I didn’t really come from much. I grew up struggling a little bit. So it’s nice to actually be recognized for something for a chance. It’s nice. I like it a lot and I think I can get used to this.”

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In his two pro fights, both of which have taken place in Bellator, Edwards has racked up finish victories in a combined 70 seconds. Regardless of whether it’s a quick finish or a hard-fought decision, Edwards’ main goal is to win. That said, Edwards admitted quick stoppages add value to his name.

“I definitely think (they) increase my value as a fighter. Now that I’m 2-0. Both first-round finishes. Both in less than a minute. I think it increases my value as a fighter.”

Edwards hopes Bellator will feel comfortable with allowing him to branch outside of competing strictly in his home state of Oklahoma going forward. With more events for him to potentially compete on, Edwards feels confident the frequency of his fights will increase, too.

“I guess I’d be okay with one more fight in Oklahoma because that is my home state and I love it,” Edwards said. “But after one more, I want to fight somewhere else. I want to travel the world a little bit. Maybe fight wherever they have cards coming up – maybe Hawaii.”

“Ideally, me as a fighter, I want to fight at least three or four times a year,” Edwards continued. “We’ll see what the future holds, but hopefully that’s in the not-so-distant future. We’ll see.”

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Off Guard: Cody Stamann looks to make statement against Song Yadong

Cody Stamann admits that Song Yadong is nasty, but is looking to beat the (expletive) out of him at UFC DC.

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] could break into the top tier of bantamweight contenders as he looks to make a statement on Dec. 7.

Stamann (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]  at UFC on ESPN 7, and while he admits that he’s in for a tough challenge, he’s confident that he has the game plan to beat him.

“I don’t know about excited, that kid is nasty,” Stamann told MMA Junkie. “He’s a nasty little (expletive) for sure but same thing, I got to beat his (expletive) and cut the paycheck. I don’t really see it any different than anything else. I just got to stylistically prepare for what he does well, and I do that really well. I’m good at game planning and scheming and figuring out ways to beat people and things are starting to come together.”

Stamann recently suffered his first setback in almost four years, in a submission loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 228, but was able to rebound with a unanimous decision over Alejandro Perez in his last outing in March.

Yadong (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on the other hand, is off to a 4-0 start in the UFC, notching three performance bonuses in the process. In his last outing, he scored a first round knockout over Perez at UFC 239, the same opponent Stamann last fought.

“I see a lot of guys that rise and fizzle out,” Stamann said. “I’m not saying that he’s that guy, he’s got a lot of really great people around him, he’s a really good athlete but it doesn’t make a difference. Dec. 7, I’m going to beat the (expletive) out of him. That’s all there is to it.”

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And with the recent additions of former champions and future hall of famers Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo to the division, Stamann is excited for the possibility to one day throw down with these legends.

“You got Aldo and Edgar coming down to (1)35 and those are two more legends to add to the already stacked division so it’s insane, and those are fights that I want,” Stamann said. “I’m excited about it, I think a lot of guys are probably shitting their pants because oh no all these really good guys are moving into bantamweight. I’m pumped about it because I do think I can beat those guys, and I think I’m going to peak at just the right time as an athlete to kind of get those legends like Edgar and Jose Aldo, right at the ends of their careers.”

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Jason Knight says he’s getting paid ‘star money’ for BKFC 9 rematch with Artem Lobov

This would not be the case if Knight fought in the UFC.

[autotag]Jason Knight[/autotag] believes there’s no better money to be made for him in combat sports right now than with Bare Knuckle FC, and that includes the UFC.

Knight, a six-fight UFC veteran, rematches [autotag]Artem Lobov[/autotag] on Saturday in the BKFC 9 headliner in what’s arguably the most anticipated rematch in company history.

The first time out, Knight and Lobov engaged in a bloodbath that saw Lobov take a razor-close decision. The rematch is a big fight, and while grueling, Knight said it’s his financially profitable way of competing.

“With Bare Knuckle, they’re just starting out, and they’re still very, very early in their stages,” Knight told MMA Junkie. “They’re not very far along like the UFC is, so they need stars. They need people to go out there and shine, and they’ve got money like the UFC does. They got that star money where they can pay people, and right now I’m one of the big stars, so I love to be getting that big money. In the UFC, even if I was to fight my ass off and make it back to the UFC, I’m making it to the bottom of the totem pole if I get back to the UFC. I’m not one of the big stars. I’m not one of the high-paid guys in the UFC.

“In Bare Knuckle, as of right now, I’m one of the highest paid, and I plan on it staying that way. I plan on the paychecks getting bigger and bigger, and I’m excited about that. I’ve got a family. I’ve got three kids that look for daddy to take care of them and provide for the future. Right now Bare Knuckle is the spot to do that.”

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Knight did not reveal the specifics of what he stands to make, but he will receive a purse for fighting in addition to pay-per-view, which is priced at $29.99 on Fite TV.

The potential gains that could come with this fight made it easy for Knight to prepare. He said he was already motivated to beat Lobov after feeling he got wronged in the decision of the original fight, but now everything is perfectly in line for him to put on the performance he wants.

“Somebody has got to go to sleep, and I’m going to make sure it isn’t me,” Knight said. “I underestimated Artem a little bit last time. I thought I was going to shut him down pretty quick, and I thought I was going to have more heart than him and be tougher than him. I thought it was going to be no problem. But now I know he’s just as durable as I am, so I’m going to make sure I go above and beyond with everything.”

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Triple Take: What makes sense for Rose Namajunas’ UFC return fight?

There are options out there for Rose Namajunas – it’s just a matter of which one makes sense.

Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been out of action since May, when she lost her title to Jessica Andrade by knockout via a devastating slam. In the immediate aftermath, the 27-year-old Namajunas expressed doubt about fighting ever again. But six months later, she’s talking about a return to the cage and says the UFC has even offered her a fight that she’s considering. So what makes sense for “Thug” Rose’s return? Farah Hannoun, Nolan King and Mike Bohn sound off in this edition of “Triple Take.”

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Farah Hannoun: Fight Tatiana Suarez

Now that Rose Namajunas is rejuvenated, it shouldn’t take long for her to climb back to the top, considering her accolades in the division. But since she didn’t determine an exact date for a return, a No. 1 contender fight with [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] to determine the next strawweight title challenger should be next.

Suarez also has been sidelined as she recovers from an injury, but is on the cusp of title contention. With champion Zhang Weili likely to face former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk next, a fight between Namajunas and Suarez to determine who’s next would work out well. Despite losing her last fight, Namajunas was in the middle of a striking masterclass against Jessica Andrade before a pivotal mistake cost her.

While an argument can be made for both Namajunas and Suarez to get the next title shot, neither has given a date for a return, but their timelines could coincide. A very worthy challenger would emerge from such a high-caliber fight, which is why it makes so much sense.

Next page – Nolan King: Rematch Jessica Andrade

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Rich Franklin explains why Demetrious Johnson-Ben Askren trade is still win-win

ONE Championship’s VP isn’t concerned about wins and losses in the cage when assessing the trade with the UFC one year later.

The MMA world was taken by surprise last year when former UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] was “traded” to ONE Championship for former ONE welterweight titleholder [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag].

And just over a year later, many have questioned the UFC for giving up one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time for Askren, who’s had a rough start to his UFC tenure.

Since joining the UFC, Askren (19-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) picked up a controversial submission win over Robbie Lawler in March, and then was brutally knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in record time at UFC 239, suffering his first career loss as a pro. He then faced Demian Maia in a battle between two of the sport’s best grapplers. Askren lost that fight via fourth round submission last month, suffering his second straight loss.

Johnson (30-3), on the other hand, picked up three wins since departing from the UFC, en route to winning the ONE Championship flyweight grand prix.

But former UFC middleweight champion and current ONE vice president [autotag]Rich Franklin[/autotag] says despite how things have transpired for both fighters, he still views the trade as a win-win situation.

“It was a pretty straight forward trade from the business side,” Franklin told MMA Junkie. “Just kind of flip-flopped from one organization to the next, and so nothing tricky about it. And I’ll say this: Askren goes to the UFC, he’s competing against some of the top level guys obviously with Masvidal and what not, and then DJ comes over to ONE Championship and is competing against some of the top guys. People will make a comment like that based on athlete’s performance, but the reality, what you have to ask yourself: What kind of return on investment did the organization get on the trade?”

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For Johnson, who was never a big UFC pay-per-view draw, he wasn’t given his due for his record number of title defenses and running through the flyweight division. Askren, who came out of retirement, never got a chance to show his true personality, which shined since he joined the UFC, making him one of its biggest stars.

That’s why Franklin sees the trade as beneficial for both parties, regardless of whether they’re winning or losing fights.

“DJ, for us, who maybe didn’t get the respect that he deserved in another organization, is going to do really well over here in ONE Championship,” Franklin said. “There are many fans on this side of the planet that gravitate towards the smaller athletes, and he puts on exciting matches. There’s no doubt about that, so for us, regardless if he’s winning or losing, that’s not as important as he’s a big draw. And likewise for Ben Askren moving to the UFC. Regardless of whether he’s winning or losing, he’s a big draw because people are going to be curious.”

“Even though he lost his last match to Demian Maia, when they find him for another match, people are still going to be interested in seeing how he performs,” Franklin added. “To see if, ‘Oh, maybe he had a rough start out of the gates or whatever,’ so they’re still getting a return on investment in that respect, and I think it was probably smart for both organizations because the UFC wasn’t getting a return on investment in Demetrious.”

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Tyron Woodley has ‘perfect scenario’ of fights but might first have to settle for Leon Edwards

Tyron Woodley is on a mission to be the greatest of all time, wants to fight the top welterweights like Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.

[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] is on a mission to become the greatest of all time.

Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC), the former UFC welterweight champion, last competed in March at UFC 235, where he lost his title to [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]. It was Woodley’s first loss in over four years, and during his championship tenure he successfully defended his title four times.

During a Monday appearance on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,” Woodley said he has his eye on the two top 170 pounders, Usman and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], who are set to square off for the title at UFC 245.

“My perfect scenario, to be honest: I want to fight the best the UFC has to offer right now,” Woodley said. “I want to fight obviously Colby, I want to fight Usman, (expletive) I want to fight Israel Adesanya after I wipe out the division. If I can get past that test, I want to fight Khabib (Nurmagomedov).”

Woodley was briefly scheduled to face Covington on numerous occasions, but the fight never came to fruition. With the history of once sharing the same gym in American Top Team and all the trash talk, it would have certainly been a big fight for Woodley, But instead, Usman will get that opportunity Dec. 14.

“I never got showered with the praise,” Woodley said. “I got booed in Madison Square Garden. If I was fighting Colby, I would have gotten the most obnoxious cheer ever, but when you think about it, Colby is an (expletive). He turned down a fight with me three times. Usman should have never fought me first. You’ve got to recognize, Usman was not even the next person to fight me, nor was Darren Till.”

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Right now, it appears all signs are pointing to a potential matchup with Leon Edwards, who has amassed an impressive eight-fight winning streak. However, Woodley is finding it hard to get motivated for Edwards.

While he recognizes his skillset, he’s just not the big name he’s looking for at this point in his career.

“The (expletive) up part is my son was like, ‘Who is that?,'” Woodley said of Edwards. “My kids know everybody. They play the video game, so when you got to explain to somebody who the person is and how good they really are, I have to pump up to the fact, to the people, and to the peers on how dope Leon is, because he is dope. He got super crazy strategic striking, super sharp, great cardio. He has good IQ, switched things around in the (Rafael dos Anjos fight), in the middle of the fight, so he’s dope as (expletive) as a fighter, but I’m going to have to sell the fact on how dope he is.”

Woodley is targeting a January return and has left it up to his management and team to figure out the right opponent. He is not ruling out a fight with Edwards but says the money and stipulations for the fight have to suit him if he were to take the fight.

“Meanwhile, I’m going to have to continue to promote myself. I ain’t getting paid to promote him, so if it makes sense and the UFC makes it make sense with the dollar amount, and my coaches and my team think it’s the best move, then I’m going to go default to them. Because they know me and they know what my end goal is. My goal is to be the greatest of all time, so I’ve got to go and get back my retaliation, the people that defeated me, that I still can. I got to beat Colby’s (expletive) up, because he clearly ran from me three times after making his Instagram page 90% me, extremely unmanly.”

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Jorge Masvidal: Conor McGregor ‘hasn’t said a peep’ to me since I beat Nate Diaz

Jorge Masvidal says it’s been crickets from Conor McGregor since UFC 244.

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] isn’t going to beg anyone to fight him – he’s made that abundantly clear.

However, during a Tuesday appearance on the “Dan Le Batard Show,” Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 14-7 UFC) once again was asked about the possibility of fighting former UFC double champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

In Masvidal’s opinion, McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) might not want the fight. Masvidal pointed out that before his UFC 244 victory against Nate Diaz, the Irishman was hyping up Diaz as if the Stockton, Calif., native was a sure thing to win the “BMF” title.

But Masvidal won the Nov. 2 showdown at Madison Square Garden. And since he defeated Diaz that night, Masvidal said he hasn’t heard a word from McGregor.

“To be quite frank, he was flirting with fighting the winner when the possibility of the winner was Nate,” Masvidal said. “And he kept throwing it out there. He even made his prediction he thought Nate would win. Since I’ve won, he hasn’t said a peep to address me or nothing.”

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If McGregor never mentions Masvidal’s name again, “Gamebred” indicated he’d be OK with that. If McGregor does actually want the fight, though, Masvidal will oblige his request. Either way, Masvidal said the ball is fully in McGregor’s court.

“I’m not a bully, either,” Masvidal said. “I’m not going to be one of these cyber bullies. If you don’t want to fight, I don’t want to fight. If you want to fight, I’m licking my chops. Man, we’re going shopping. We’re going to do it big. You know what I’m saying? That dude don’t want it.”

Whether it’s McGregor or someone else, Masvidal voiced his desire for the biggest money fights available. Since his UFC 244 victory, he’s been called out by various prospective foes. Masvidal said he has plenty of options.

“We don’t know who’s next, but everyone is looking at cash symbols (and) cash money to us,” Masvidal said. “… But the next person is going to be the one who puts the most viewers in the bank account, whoever that is. A lot of people are saying my name now. They didn’t want to fight before, though.

“They didn’t want to fight me a year or two ago. … Everybody wants to call me out now, you know? It’s funny to me. These same guys didn’t want to fight me two or three years ago. I just want the one with the most money.”

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Ibraheem Yazeed, charged in Aniah Blanchard’s disappearance, to be held without bond

Prosecutors argued that Yazeed’s “extensive history of violent criminal offenses” was enough for the no bond.

(Editor’s note: This story first published at the Montgomery Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network.)

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.”

Yazeed, 29, was captured late Thursday evening after he was named a person of interest and a warrant was issued on a charge of first-degree kidnapping. He was the last person seen with Blanchard on the night she disappeared, according to an arrest affidavit.

Yazeed, at a hearing Friday, waived extradition, clearing the way for him to be transported back to Alabama immediately.

Yazeed’s charging documents said blood “indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury” was discovered in the passenger’s side of Aniah Blanchard’s vehicle.

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Days after Blanchard was last seen, her black, Honda CR-V was recovered at a Montgomery apartment complex.There was damage to the passenger side that her family said was not present prior to that day. Police confirmed they suspect foul play based on evidence recovered inside the vehicle.

Yazeed was allegedly seen by a witness “forcing Blanchard into a vehicle against her will and then leaving with her in the vehicle” from an Auburn convenience station, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit, filed for a first-degree kidnapping charge, states the blood evidence was tested by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and confirmed to be Blanchard’s.

There may be more people involved in Blanchard’s disappearance, Auburn police Chief Paul Register said Thursday. Police initially said Yazeed was seen leaving the convenience store in a Lincoln Town car, though Blanchard’s car was driven back to Montgomery.

“We do anticipate other arrests, so we do thing there’s a likelihood someone else is involved in this case and we hope to bring that person to justice as well,” he said.

Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight Walt Harris, was last seen Oct. 23.

Yazeed has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2011 when he was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, according to court records. Those charges were ultimately dismissed by a grand jury, as were two attempted murder charges levied against Yazeed the next year after he allegedly tried to hit two police officers with a vehicle.

In 2013, Yazeed was charged with possession of marijuana, crack cocaine, a pistol without a permit, drug paraphernalia and attempting to elude law enforcement during two separate incidents. He was indicted on those charges in 2015, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced in two separate hearings. The same judge, former Circuit Judge Williams Shashy, sentenced him to serve 13 months in prison during each hearing. Those sentences were suspended, and he never stepped foot in a prison.

In 2017, Yazeed was charged with aggravated assault, battery of a police officer, possession of marijuana and fleeing police in Johnson County, Kansas. He was found not guilty of the battery and assault charges. A Judge in 2018 sentenced him to serve 16 months in prison, but he was released shortly after his sentencing being credited with 8 months while he awaited trial.

Less than a year later, back in Montgomery, Yazeed was then charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery, attempted murder and possession of marijuana after two men were beaten inside a hotel room in January. One victim was nearly beaten to death, according to court records.

Yazeed was released on a $295,000 bond the day after his arrest in connection to the January incident and has been free since. A judge revoked his bond in the cases once a warrant was issued against Yazeed in connection to Blanchard’s disappearance.

3 years ago, Conor McGregor reached the pinnacle. Can he rise from the depths?

Conor McGregor reflects on the anniversary of his most iconic moment, but can he return to glory?

Three years ago today, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] became the first fighter in UFC history to capture two belts simultaneously, but he hasn’t won a fight since.

On Nov. 12, 2016, then-featherweight champion McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated then-lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez via second-round TKO in a flawless performance at UFC 205. McGregor then went on to box undefeated Floyd Mayweather in August 2017, putting on a valiant effort in a 10th-round TKO loss. McGregor reportedly made over $100 million and was later stripped of his 155-pound title because of inactivity.

In October 2018, McGregor returned to action after almost two years away from the octagon and took on undefeated lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. McGregor was submitted in the fourth round, and since then has been involved in an array of legal issues.

Many questioned McGregor’s motivation after making so much money, as his issues outside the octagon began to pile up. From smashing a fan’s phone to sucker-punching a man in a pub to being the subject of two sexual assault investigations in the last year, McGregor has found himself battling many legal issues. But it appears he has diverted his attention back to fighting.

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He recently announced a Jan. 18 return, with all signs pointing to Donald Cerrone, but can McGregor climb back to the dominant and focused force he once was? He took to Instagram to reflect on his special night three years ago at Madison Square Garden, an iconic moment in his career.

3 years ago today I became a multiple time, multiple-weight World champion at Madison Square Garden, New York City.
What a moment in my life.
To capture the double once. Wow!
To do it twice.
Lord have mercy 🙏
I often look at this second picture and imagine how trippy that view must be for my father. Looking up at his son after doing exactly shot for shot what I told him I would do.
I even done it no hands the second time.
I will credit hard work for this moment but it’s not just that.
Hard work alone is not enough.
We can all work hard for a minute. It’s the consistency to do it over and over and over again that will lead you to these iconic moments.
Year after year of focused work!
I worked hard my last two fights. No doubt. But without consistency, I fell short.
All amazing and valuable lessons going forward on this journey that is Martial Life!
Onwards we go…
Happy Tuesday everyone.

View this post on Instagram

3 years ago today I became a multiple time, multiple-weight World champion at Madison Square Garden, New York City. What a moment in my life. To capture the double once. Wow! To do it twice. Lord have mercy 🙏 I often look at this second picture and imagine how trippy that view must be for my father. Looking up at his son after doing exactly shot for shot what I told him I would do. I even done it no hands the second time. I will credit hard work for this moment but it’s not just that. Hard work alone is not enough. We can all work hard for a minute. It’s the consistency to do it over and over and over again that will lead you to these iconic moments. Year after year of focused work! I worked hard my last two fights. No doubt. But without consistency, I fell short. All amazing and valuable lessons going forward on this journey that is Martial Life! Onwards we go… Happy Tuesday everyone.

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on

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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