Cody Garbrandt had some thoughts on Henry Cejudo’s new targeted matchup.
Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] has some thoughts on [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]’s new potential matchup, and he hasn’t been shy about sharing them.
Reigning UFC 135-pound champ Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was initially scheduled to face Jose Aldo at UFC 250, but travel ban restrictions in Brazil due to the coronavirus outbreak forced former featherweight champion Aldo out of the fight.
Instead, Cejudo diverted his attention to another former champion, [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag], who like Aldo also is coming off a loss. Cruz hasn’t competed since losing his UFC bantamweight title to Garbrandt (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in December 2016, and Garbrandt posted an image, sharing his thoughts on the matchup.
“Here’s is what I think of Dom fighting that ““@HenryCejudo sit the fuck down! @ufc @danawhite @AliAbdelaziz00”
Cejudo responded by throwing shade toward Garbrandt, who recently suffered back-to-back losses to T.J. Dillashaw, whom Cejudo stopped in just 32 seconds to defend his flyweight title.
“Just a little reminder Cody “no Chin” Garbage. I kill the killers! #bendtheknee @Cody_Nolove”
After Cejudo relinquished the 125-pound title, the title remained vacant. Deiveson Figueiredo’s knockout over Joseph Benavidez did not crown him champion due to missing weight.
A complete halt of UFC action means plenty of decisions to make once cleared to again start hosting live events. We discuss many of them.
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” break down what the UFC’s upcoming schedule might look like once the promotion returns to action.
SHOW RUNDOWN:
[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] recently hinted at a potential September return to action. If he’s right, what do you want to see happen in the UFC’s lightweight division in the meantime? Should [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] wait, or should he fight [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] in between? And what about [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]?
[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] was supposed to challenge [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] for the UFC bantamweight title before the travel ban ruled him out, at which point [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] agreed to step in. With the schedule currently on hold, the UFC has options, so who should get the fight Cejudo?
With UFC 249 scrapped, most discussion has centered around Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. But outside of that, what other fights need to stay together when cards are rescheduled?
Most major sports leagues right now are talking about coming back without a live audience. The UFC had one closed door event in Brazil, but what impact will several months worth of shows like that have on the sport?
It might seem entirely impossible to predict, but let’s answer the big question on everyone’s mind: When will we see another live UFC event, and where will it be?
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 24 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz recently revealed he wanted to face Petr Yan, but Yan doesn’t share the same sentiment.
[autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] recently said he wanted to fight [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], but Yan doesn’t share the same sentiment.
Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who hasn’t competed since losing his UFC bantamweight title in December 2016, is prepping for an octagon return in 2020 and told MMA Fighting that he liked the idea of facing Yan as a fast track to a title shot, but Yan was already booked against Marlon Moraes.
However, Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is happy with his matchup with Moraes and thinks Cruz needs to prove he’s still got it after a layoff of more than three years.
“To be honest, I thought he retired and became a TV commentator already,” Yan told MMA Junkie through an translator. “He was a great fighter and the champion and I respect that, but we don’t know at what level he is right now.
“I won’t say no if UFC offers the fight against him, but I prefer if we fight after he proves that he can have a fight camp without being injured and that he can still win at the top level. Reality is that I have more UFC wins than him and I’ve been in this organization less than two years.”
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Current bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo is scheduled to face Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in Brazil, but with travel ban restrictions all over the world due to the coronavirus outbreak, the fight may not materialize.
So Cejudo called out Cruz as a potential backup, and Yan said he sees right through Cejudo’s recent choice of opponents.
“I think Cejudo made it clear to everyone that he thinks that Cruz coming off a long layoff is an easy fight for him – that’s why he wants to fight him,” Yan said. “I don’t really need to say much about ‘Triple Clown.’ Everything he says and does discredits him enough.”
With UFC 249 potentially in jeopardy, Henry Cejudo has decided to take precautionary measures for UFC 250 by calling out Dominick Cruz.
With UFC 249 seemingly in jeopardy, [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] has decided to take precautionary measures regarding his next fight, as well.
UFC bantamweight champion Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is scheduled to take on [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in the UFC 250 headliner on May 9 in Sao Paulo, but with the travel bans implemented globally due to the coronavirus outbreak, Cejudo suggested that the event might be moved to the U.S., and Aldo might be unable to leave Brazil.
So Cejudo decided to take matters into his own hands by ensuring a backup opponent is available for his first title defense, calling out former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag].
“Since #UFC249 is in jeopardy because we can’t get Khabib out of Russia. So Just in case we can’t get Jose Baldo into America soil, make sure to bring your untailored tuxedo that you wear every Saturday long with yours balls! Because you’re on deck sweetheart. @DominickCruz”
Since #UFC249 is in jeopardy because we can’t get Khabib out of Russia. So Just in case we can’t get Jose Baldo into America soil, make sure to bring your untailored tuxedo that you wear every Saturday long with yours balls! Because you’re on deck sweetheart. ❤️ @DominickCruzpic.twitter.com/1LaGGavqe2
Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in December 2016 and has been sidelined due to a myriad of injuries. He was briefly linked to a fight with Cory Sandhagen for the UFC San Diego card on May 16, but the fight never materialized.
Former dual-champ Cejudo recently recovered from shoulder surgery of his own and hasn’t competed since last June.
A look at the stakes in the Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone headliner at UFC 246.
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, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze,” John Morgan, and guest Mike Bohn preview UFC 246 and more.
SHOW RUNDOWN:
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is back and feeling as confident as ever, saying he could beat [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] with the flu at UFC 246. McGregor’s team also says this is the best he’s ever looked. So imagine if McGregor loses to his hand-picked opponent for his comeback fight. Then what?
As for Cerrone, he’s a big underdog for a reason, but there is a potential path to victory. Will Cerrone be smart about this matchup, or will he simply look to trade hands and give fans what they want? And what would a victory actually do for “Cowboy”?
As much as it doesn’t like it, UFC 246 is more than just McGregor vs. Cerrone. The guys share which other fights they’re looking forward to.
Outside of UFC 246, an unfortunate story developed between [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. The former UFC title challenger says she’s facing a potential four-year suspension while vehemently claiming her innocence. At 36, she says the ban would effectively end her fighting career. What do we make of this mess between Penne and USADA?
UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] is all about legacy, which is why he’s been calling out Jose Aldo (or “Waldo,” as he called him). But wait a minute. From out of nowhere, here comes [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] drawing a line in the sand on how Cejudo can attain GOAT status. What should be next for the “King of Cringe”?
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 11 of “Spinning Back Clique.”
Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in December 2016, his longest layoff to date. But despite all this time away, he’s still being constantly called out by the likes of Cejudo and rising contender Cory Sandhagen.
And Cruz, who’s been sidelined due to a shoulder injury, says if Cejudo wants to call himself the greatest, he has to get through him.
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“Well, I’m kind of in a Diaz situation, Nate Diaz situation, where I’m like, ‘You got Henry Cejudo calling me out, why would I want to fight anybody else?” Cruz told Brendan Schaub on the latest edition of “Food Truck Diaries.” “He’s the title holder, he’s got an Olympic title and thinks he’s a ’25-pound and ’35-pound champion. That’s the guy to beat, and he wants to say that he’s the GOAT; you’ve got to beat me, bro. It’s plain, simple, period.”
“It’s just like, let’s do this. I’m right here, I’m finally healthy. We’re both coming off shoulder surgery, we’re both from Arizona, we were both on the same national wrestling team. I know his style. I know everything about him, I know his background. I know how he grew up.”
But Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has recently diverted his attention to another former champion, longtime UFC featherweight king Jose Aldo, who recently suffered a loss to Marlon Moraes in his 135-pound debut.
And while many are baffled as to why Cejudo would target someone coming off of a loss, Cruz thinks Cejudo is going after the easier choice in Aldo.
“Realistically, fighting me makes you the best in the division if you can beat me, but I think you know the truth; that’s why you’re going towards an Aldo that lost to Moraes, who you beat,” Cruz said. “That gives some comfort, where you got me you could face, after a three-year layoff, where I’ve looked very good before in the past, and I fight a little unconventionally, but the way I see it is we’re both coming off shoulder surgery and so that makes this an even fight to have.”
Plagued with injuries throughout his career, Cruz has proven that ring rust does not always exist. He was able to return from an almost three-year long layoff in 2014, taking out Takeya Mizugaki in just over a minute. He was then forced to sit out once again for almost 16 months before returning to dethrone then-champ T.J. Dillashaw, reclaiming his bantamweight title.
He’s spent his time off working as an analyst and commentator for the UFC, a gig that has kept him busy and financially sound, but Cruz said he is ready to step back in the cage.
Hopefully in the first half of 2020.
“Within the next six months,” Cruz said. “I’m healthy. This year, I will fight as long as everything stays in line like it has, and I learned that a lot of what was stopping me has just been keeping focused on the now and not worrying about things you can’t control.”
Some of the most significant in-fight moments and records in UFC history have occurred and been etched in stone over the past decade.
The past decade of UFC action has seen a lot unfold, and it is arguably the most important in the organization’s history from in terms of evolution.
Only within this era have statistics truly come to the forefront. After so many years of fights, the groundwork for what’s viewed as meaningful and the history attached has finally been laid out. The athletes and techniques have evolved, too, meaning new methods of causing damage and finishing fights are attempted and pulled off with a higher rate of frequency.
That evolution is apparent in the history books, because some of the most significant moments and records in UFC history have occurred over this past decade.
Let’s dig into the archives.
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EVENT FEATS
Sajik Arena in South Korea
The UFC held 363 events in 159 difference venues across 26 countries over the past decade.
“UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in October 2019 had the highest announced attendance in company history at 57,127.
“UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor” in November 2016 sold a largest live gate in company history at $17.7 million.
“UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” in November 2017 had the most total fight time of any event in company history at 3 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.
“UFC Fight Night 55:: Rockhold vs. Bisping” in November 2014 had the least total fight time of those events at 1 hour, 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
The UFC canceled four events over the decade: UFC 151 in September 2012; UFC 176 in August 2014; UFC Fight Night 97 in October 2016 and UFC 233 in January 2019.
Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 199
“UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping” and “UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington” in May 2018 each featured 11 stoppage results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez” in April 2013, “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in July 2014, “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2,” in June 2016 and “UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2” in December 2017 each featured eight knockout results, the most of the decade.
“UFC on FUEL TV 10: Werdum vs. Nogueira” in June 2013 featured eight submission results, the most for any card in company history.
Seven events each featured 10 decision results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 134: Shogun vs. Smith” in July 2018 and “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” each featured nine consecutive decision results, the longest streak on a card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal” in November 2015 and “UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” in March 2018 each featured five split-decision results, the most for any card in company history.
Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238
“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” in June 2019 featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta” in April 2018 featured seven fighters who landed 100 or more significant strikes, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” in June 2016 featured 15 knockdowns, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor” in July 2015 was the only event in company history to feature two knockouts stemming from flying knee strikes.
“UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till” in September 2018 was the only event in company history to feature two kneebar submission results.
“UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre” in November 2017 marked the only event in history to feature three title changes.
The past decade has proven incredibly intriguing for the sport of mixed martial arts, and these moments explain why.
The past decade has proven incredibly intriguing for the sport of mixed martial arts.
While organizations continue to come and go across the global scene, the UFC remains the dominant brand, but the changes even the sport’s leading promotion has undergone over the 10-year span stand testament to how much the landscape continues to evolve.
In 2011, the UFC was still partnered with Spike TV for its U.S. broadcast deal, and prelim broadcasts bounced around between the likes of Facebook, Ion Television and UFC.com – if they aired at all.
The entirety of the UFC’s next broadcast deal, which saw the promotion move to network television courtesy of FOX, ran its course during the decade. And as the 10-year span closed, the UFC signed on with ESPN, one of the most recognized brands in sports and a leading digital distributor in the space.
And that’s without even speaking of what happened in the cage.
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The decade started with the UFC hosting fights in five different weight classes. Ten years later, that number has grown to 12. Promotional stalwarts such as [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] and [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] gave way to names like [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]. Women stepped into the octagon for the first time, and new markets around the globe were visited.
We could probably list 20 of the biggest moments from each year along the way, but you don’t have time for that, so here’s a sampling of 20 defining moments from 2010 through 2019.
Without further ado …
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July 3, 2010: Brock Lesnar defeats Shane Carwin at UFC 116
Brock Lesnar at UFC 116. (Associated Press)
Whether it’s boxing or MMA, there’s just something special about a heavyweight title fight. In MMA, you don’t get much heavier than [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] and Shane Carwin. Say what you will about the WWE star’s skills as a martial artist, the man moves the needle, and this was the absolute peak of his popularity, with Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena absolutely buzzing for this battle of behemoths.
After a tense opening minute, Carwin hurt Lesnar and sent him toppling to the canvas, seemingly destined to wrap the belt around his waist. But Lesnar was able to stay just busy enough for referee Josh Rosenthal, somehow lasting until the bell. Carwin was clearly gassed, and Lesnar capitalized on it in the second, taking his opponent to the floor and cinching in an arm-triangle choke, scoring the submission win and adding to his legend – though it would be the last time he ever proved victorious in the octagon.
Aug. 7, 2010: Anderson Silva defeats Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
Every great fighter needs a rival to be pushed to the limit, and for longtime UFC middleweight champion and future Hall of Famer Anderson Silva, that man was very clearly [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag], who in just four UFC appearances – and some 13 years into his professional career – went from relative journeyman to absolute star through an incredible ability to promote fights through his quick with and sharp tongue. Sure, it was his wrestling that helped propel him to victories in the cage, but it was his mouth that made him a star.
Sonnen went hard on Silva, bordering, at times, on a line of indecency, as he helped first to book the fight, then to promote it. Still, few thought he had a real chance to unseat the reigning pound-for-pound great. Then the unthinkable happened: Sonnen’s aggression saw him walk forward and take Silva down, time after time for four-and-a-half rounds. Then the really unthinkable happened, and Silva pulled off one of the most miraculous comebacks in UFC history with a fifth-round triangle armbar. The fight was one of the biggest of the year and made stars of both men.
Oct. 28, 2010: Dana White announces UFC-WEC merger
Old school fans will tell you all about the fantastic fights that took place on the blue canvas of the WEC, both before and after the promotion was purchased by the UFC’s parent company in December 2006. But running a secondary MMA brand proved to be only so effective. The real value of the company came when UFC president Dana White announced the brands would be merged, adding both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions to the UFC ranks.
Of course, this would later open the door to the addition of flyweights, as well. But the initial run saw [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] crowned the UFC’s first featherweight champion, while [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] earned the first UFC bantamweight belt. Both remain marketable commodities to this day. So do names like [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag], [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag], [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag], Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis, Dustin Poirier, and Cub Swanson, who all came over as part of a massive talent migration to the UFC.
Feb. 5, 2011: Anderson Silva defeats Vitor Belfort at UFC 126
It’s a highlight that is still played ad nauseam, and it isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Anderson Silva’s front-kick-to-the-face knockout of [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] was one of the most stunning finishes in UFC history, and it had lasting ramifications. First, while front kicks had largely been used as pushing strikes and range setters, Silva showed what an effective concussive blow it could be. But the impact on the global MMA scene was massive as well.
This bout is largely recognized as the moment MMA gained modern mainstream notoriety in Brazil, one of the UFC’s biggest markets in terms of financial revenue, as well as talent creation. Consider this: Prior to this fight, the UFC had held one event in Brazil, a 1998 card that marked the organization’s only visit to South America until the octagon returned to Brazil six months after UFC 126. In the time since Silva’s iconic KO, Brazil has hosted 35 UFC cards, with the promotion also visiting Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
March 12, 2011: UFC purchases Strikeforce
While the UFC has been the dominant name in MMA since the promotion’s launch in 1993, Strikeforce had acquired an impressive amount of talent despite operating on a much tighter budget. As the UFC looked to ramp up the number of events it was producing for prospective TV partners, the organization needed as many marketable stars as it could find, and the promotion’s parent company, Zuffa, made a major play.
Buying Strikeforce, which was shuttered less than two years later, gave the UFC access to a stunning number of athletes, including future UFC champions such as [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]. It also shut down the company’s chief rival at the time.
How did we reach our overall list, and did we get it right?
In pitching the MMA Junkie staff on coming up with a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the 2010s, I had people asking me about the criteria. My answer was simple: There is no criteria. Whatever you think it means to be among the 10 greatest fighters of the last decade, that’s the criteria.
To me, it’s better this way. I could’ve emphasized in-cage results, in which case No. 1 ends up being [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] without question. Same for emphasizing impact on the sport: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes out on top easily. But what fun would that have been? There’s so much more to consider when trying to pick the top 10 fighters of the last 10 years among a pool of talent that never has been better.
The beauty of our list is that all 14 MMA Junkie staff members, who’ve spent so many years covering the sport, submitted individual top 10 lists. No discussion, no debate, no one person’s bias determined our final rankings. We all had a say in this. From there, it was a matter of mathematics – add up points for each fighter ranked and divide by 14 to determine the final rankings.
For reaction to our top 10, watch the roundtable discussion video above with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Below is a ranking of all 26 fighters included, as well as notes about our list.
26 different fighters were included in at least one staff member’s top 10
8 different fighters were included in only one ranking
Individual No. 1 rankings: Jon Jones (7), Demetrious Johnson (3), Georges St-Pierre (2), Daniel Cormier (1), Ronda Rousey (1)
Cormier was the only fighter to be included in each of the 14 rankings.
Jones and Conor McGregor each were excluded from one staff member’s list.
Of 8 fighters included in only one ranking, Cain Velasquez was highest (No. 3); Eddie Alvarez was lowest (No. 10).
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Mike Bohn, senior reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Anderson Silva
6. Conor McGregor
7. Max Holloway
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier
Dave Doyle, senior editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3, Jon Jones
4. Anderson Silva
5. Georges St-Pierre
6. Cris Cyborg
7. Jose Aldo
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. Conor McGregor
10. Eddie Alvarez
Matt Erickson, assistant managing editor
1. Daniel Cormier
2. Demetrious Johnson
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Conor McGregor
5. Max Holloway
6. Patricio Freire
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Georges St-Pierre
9. Ryan Bader
10. Jose Aldo
Brian Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov
7. Stipe Miocic
8. Amanda Nunes
9. Max Holloway
10. Ryan Bader
George Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Conor McGregor
10. Henry Cejudo
Farah Hannoun, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Conor McGregor
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Max Holloway
9. Stipe Miocic
10. Henry Cejudo
Ken Hathaway, senior video editor
1. Jon Jones
2. Amanda Nunes
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Max Holloway
5. Conor McGregor
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Georges St-Pierre
8. Anderson Silva
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Cris Cyborg
Simon Head, reporter
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Jon Jones
4. Amanda Nunes
5. Donald Cerrone
6. Georges St-Pierre
7. Conor McGregor
8. Douglas Lima
9. Cris Cyborg
10. Michael Bisping
Nolan King, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Max Holloway
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Georges St. Pierre
8. Jose Aldo
9. Conor McGregor
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov
John Morgan, lead staff reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Conor McGregor
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Demetrious Johnson
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Jose Aldo
9. Michael Bisping
10. Donald Cerrone
Simon Samano, managing editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Conor McGregor
9. Ronda Rousey
10. Max Holloway
Danny Segura, reporter
1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jon Jones
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Jose Aldo
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Conor McGregor
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier
Abbey Subhan, video editor
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Conor McGregor
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Anderson Silva
9. Carlos Condit
10. Ronda Rousey
Dan Tom, fight analyst
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Conor McGregor
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Max Holloway
10. Tony Ferguson
With the Frankie Edgar fight falling through, Cory Sandhagen has diverted his attention to Dominick Cruz.
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] has moved on to bigger and better things.
His scheduled opponent, Frankie Edgar, opted to step in on short notice against Chan Sung Jung at UFC on ESPN+ 23, one month before Edgar was supposed to meet Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25.
Sandhagen (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) doubted Edgar would come out his new fight unscathed, which came to pass when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Jung, which put him on medical suspension.
Now Sandhagen is left scrambling for a new fight, and it won’t be on Jan. 25. If it was up to him, Sandhagen would meet another former champion, former 135-pound king [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag].
“Ideally, me and Cruz fight in first week of March,” Sandhagen told MMA Junkie. “Ideally I fight on that date against Dominick Cruz, if that doesn’t happen then I’m likely going to have to wait until later March or April when this second round of bantamweight fights comes up and I can snag one of those top five guys.”
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Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt almost three years ago at UFC 207, as a string of injuries have kept him on the sidelines. Sandhagen says he heard Cruz is looking to return in the first quarter of 2020, but won’t hold his breath waiting.
With that in mind, Sandhagen sees benefits in fighting any of the top-ranked 135-pounders.
“I’m not going to try to chase a fight with Cruz too much because I think that the division is in a spot right now – all of the fights I feel like are going to do similar things for me so for example, if I fight Moraes, or if I fight Yan or if I fight Cruz, or Sterling or Aldo, or whoever else there is to fight in that top five area, fighting either of those guys isn’t a ticket to a title shot. There’s still no clear contender, I just don’t want to be left in the dust.”
After the Edgar fight fell through, Sandhagen was contemplating staying on the UFC Raleigh card, which is headlined by teammate Curtis Blaydes, but wasn’t presented with any offers.
“They didn’t give me any options for that same date,” Sandhagen said. “They gave me the option to fight Pedro Munhoz in February but I mean that feels a little bit like a step back especially because I don’t think it would be on any card where I was co-headlining the card so once they told me it wasn’t Jan. 25, I kind of made the decision of like, I’ll wait until a really big name, or someone that’s going to do a lot for me.”
“Not that Pedro won’t, Pedro’s a great fighter but that’s the nature of the beast. I could just wait probably another month or two months in March or April and fight someone that has a lot of noise buzzing around them like a (Marlon) Moraes or a (Petr) Yan or Cruz or even (Jose) Aldo now if he doesn’t go fight Cejudo – or Aljamain (Sterling), I don’t know when he’s coming back but those are kind of like, my top choices.”
While he hopes that the UFC makes up for what happened with his scrapped fight with Edgar, Sandhagen thinks the withdrawal of Edgar may be a blessing in disguise after all.
“I think I’ll be ok, maybe even worked out in a better situation for me where instead of fighting Frankie, maybe I’m going to fight one of these top five guys which is still awesome for me as far as getting my name out there and stuff because it seems like that’s kind of where I’m lacking right now. I just need people to – I need like the fanbase and I need people following me so that when it is time to fight for a belt, people will tune in.”
“@HenryCejudo sit the fuck down! @ufc @danawhite @AliAbdelaziz00”
#bendtheknee @Cody_Nolove”
