Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Daniel Cormier won’t be on the call for UFC 298 and instead Michael Bisping will join Jon Anik and Joe Rogan as cageside commentators.
The second numbered UFC event of 2024 is rapidly approaching with UFC 298 on Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.
Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the show have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.
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Hyder Amil seeks the opportunity to avenge Gilbert Melendez’s loss to Arnold Allen.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag] seeks the opportunity to avenge [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag]’s loss to [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag].
Amil (8-0) earned a UFC contract Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 58 when he defeated Emrah Sonmez (14-5) by unanimous decision.
An El Nino Training Center fighter, Amil knows he still has ways to go, but hopes to climb the ranks someday and face top featherweight contender Allen, who’s the last man to defeat his mentor Melendez.
“Give me one or two fights, and then I want Arnold Allen,” Amil told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I want payback.”
Amil remained unbeaten, but was disappointed not to get the finish.
“I’m going to finish the next guy, OK?” Amil said. “And my next fight, I’m really going to put on a show and that’s not happening again.”
Amil admits he was nervous that his performance wasn’t enough to earn him a contract, but was grateful that White recognized his talent.
“If you’ve seen my other fights, I put on a show every fight,” Amil said. “I usually finish people and stuff like that, so going forward, expect more from me, expect me to start putting on some shows and finishing people.”
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For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 58.
Joe Rogan will not be on the call for the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2023 in Brazil.
The first numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 283 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.
Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.
Gilbert Melendez still in awe of how Nate Diaz’s UFC exit played out.
[autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] is still in awe about how [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag]’s exit from the UFC played out.
The former Strikeforce champion and teammate is happy to see Diaz walkout and finish out his contract with the UFC on a high note – something that’s hard to do for many stars and former champions.
The 37-year-old Diaz, who was on a 1-3 run entering his final fight on his UFC contract, was given unbeaten 28-year-old UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev in the main event on last Saturday’s UFC 279 in Las Vegas. It was a difficult matchup and a fight that Diaz didn’t want.
However, a day before the event, Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds and UFC shuffled to give Diaz fellow veteran Tony Ferguson as a replacement opponent. Diaz ended up winning the fight by fourth-round submission.
“It is crazy, and I don’t know if the UFC has ill intent or they’re just hardcore business, they’re like, kill the competition,” Melendez told Submission Radio. “No matter how good you are or what you’ve done for the company, they want to make sure you get sent out – and no disrespect to everybody – but they want to try to send people out in body bags, so they don’t have a career ahead of him, you know?
“But Nate was up for the challenge and it didn’t matter the opponent. Nate was going to come and deliver and it was great seeing him get a victory in such a great fashion. And even to see the respect that Dana gave him and the respect that Nate gave the UFC after that win, someone in that position could’ve really dug it into the UFC or played it differently. Just everything that worked out, it was amazing.”
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Chimaev, who ended up fighting and beating Kevin Holland in the co-main event of UFC 279, missed a big opportunity, as he was supposed to headline his first UFC event and against one of the sports’ biggest names.
Melendez, who’s seen plenty in his decades of being in the sport, was shocked to see Chimaev not make weight for what could’ve been easily the biggest fight of his career.
“Of course we were surprised,” Melendez said. “We couldn’t believe it. We couldn’t believe that he missed the weight. What an opportunity this man missed to fight Nate Diaz, the biggest draw in MMA right now.
“And when he stepped onto the scale not even sucked up, not even trying or stumbling onto the scale. Every fighter knows you have to give it your best. If you walk to that scale you have to try, running with your sweatsuit on if you’re over, and jumping on and running some more. But this guy stepped on the scale, eight pounds over, and looked fresh as hell. He looked like he just had a steak dinner, and then he smirks and laughs at it. … A lot of respect lost for him in that aspect.”
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Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez hasn’t fought in more than three years, but admits he could be lured back.
[autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] turned 40 earlier this year, and hasn’t fought in more than three years.
But given the right opportunity, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion and two-time UFC title challenger can’t rule out the potential for a comeback fight.
“I will always be a fighter, and I try to be as optimal as possible. I know I’m moving on as a professional fighter. I’m no longer focused on being a prizefighter. I’m focusing on my gyms and producing athletes and staying in shape,” Melendez recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “But of course, it’s hard to completely hang it up. If there’s a great opportunity out there and it’s the right fight – I’m not into fighting youngsters who want to stick and move and kick my leg and run, but I do love fighting and I could definitely be enticed to come back. There’s that fight in me.”
From 2009-2012 in a stretch of more than three years, Melendez won seven straight Strikeforce title fights that included victories over Jorge Masvidal, Josh Thomson (twice) and Shinya Aoki.
After Strikeforce was absorbed by the UFC, he moved over and had a title shot against then-champ Benson Henderson, but lost a split decision. After a bonus-winning decision over Diego Sanchez, he got a second UFC title shot against Anthony Pettis, but Pettis submitted him in the second round. On Melendez’s 30-fight MMA resume, Pettis remains the only fighter to stop him.
But that Pettis loss started a stretch of five straight setbacks to close out his career, and Melendez eventually quietly retired after his release from the UFC following a loss to Arnold Allen.
These days, along with running gyms and helping train a new generation of fighters, he’s been a regular in the announcing booth on LFA broadcasts. He seems to be OK if his fighting career indeed is over.
“I do recognize that time of my life is over, or damn nearly over,” Melendez said. “So I have been trying to move on and focus my energy in other places. My 100 percent focus isn’t my training. It was great when you could wake up, train, everyone takes care of you because you’re on this mission, you train again, and everyone takes care of you some more and they’re just supporting you along the way. Right now, it’s just like I’m getting my training in as much as possible and supporting everyone else and trying to run business and do a lot of other things.”
That said, if he made a comeback, he certainly wouldn’t be the first fighter to hang up the gloves and get talked into a return down the road.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC promotion is out there, as is Bellator, which has as its president Scott Coker, his former boss at Strikeforce.
“I love fighting, and if I were to fight (again) … Eagle FC, great organization. I think if there’s anyone who really promoted me well, it was Scott Coker. And I am interested in maybe even boxing – some of that stuff does interest me. And I do get hungry,” Melendez said.
Check out the full “El Niño” interview with MMA Junkie Radio below.
Joe Rogan won’t be in the commentary booth with Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik at UFC 266.
The UFC’s September schedule comes to a close this week with UFC 266 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.
Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.
Former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez receives USASA suspension.
[autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] has been served a suspension for an anti-doping violation.
The former Strikeforce lightweight champion was given a two-year suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the UFC’s anti-doping partner, after testing positive for GHRP-6 and its metabolites GHRP-6(2-5)-OH and GHRP-6(2-6)-OH in a urine sample collected in an out-of-competition test on Oct. 16, 2019. The news was announced by USADA on Monday.
GHRP-6 is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
Melendez (22-8) was unable identify the source of the prohibited substance, but did challenge USADA’s jurisdiction to conduct the test. An independent arbitrator deemed that USADA did have jurisdiction to both conduct the test and allege an anti-doping policy violation in the event of a positive sample.
The suspension is retroactive from Nov. 1, 2019, making him eligible to return in November 2021.
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Melendez was released from the UFC in November after going 1-6 in the promotion. The 38-year-old most recently competed against Arnold Allen in July 2019. He lost via unanimous decision, extending his losing skid to five in a row.
Although Melendez is no longer with the UFC, athletic commissions in the U.S. usually honor USADA suspensions. Melendez hasn’t been active in a year, but hasn’t announce retirement from the sport.
Melendez is considered one of the best 155-pound fighters of his time, having defended the Strikeforce lightweight title four times from 2010 to 2012. Melendez holds notable victories over Jorge Masvidal, Josh Thompson, Diego Sanchez, Clay Guida, and Shinya Aoki.
He challenged then-UFC champ Benson Henderson for the title in 2013, losing a decision many scored in his favor.
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Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”
There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?
“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.
So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:
Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.
Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”
There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?
“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.
So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:
Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.
Thursday night at Quintet Ultra, five of Strikeforce’s most notable veterans will compete against teams representing the UFC, WEC and PRIDE.
LAS VEGAS – Strikeforce is back. Well, sort of.
Thursday night at Quintet Ultra, five of Strikeforce’s most notable veterans will compete against teams representing the UFC, WEC and PRIDE.
The openweight elimination challenge takes place at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas and streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Strikeforce’s team is comprised of lightweight champ (and team captain) [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag], welterweight champ [autotag]Jake Shields[/autotag], light heavyweight champ [autotag]Muhammed Lawal[/autotag], light heavyweight champ [autotag]Renato Sobral[/autotag] and lightweight [autotag]Gesias Cavalcante[/autotag].
Wednesday, the five Strikeforce alumni reunited for a media scrum with MMA Junkie. The Strikeforce group of five fighters declared themselves the “best looking team,” joked about having to go up against Team WEC’s [autotag]Mark Munoz[/autotag], and reminisced on how far they’ve come.
The tournament will first pair Strikeforce up with WEC. In the opening round, Cavalcante will face off with former UFC title challenger Chad Mendes.
Roster orders are selected by each team behind closed doors and submitted simultaneously. Not knowing the orders of other quintets, each team will have to stick to its order if members of its team get eliminated.
In addition to the team competition, Quintet Ultra will feature singles matches. Gordon Ryan meets Aleksei Oleinik, while Cynthia Calvillo – who replaces a previously announced Pearl Gonzalez – takes on Danielle Kelly. A prelims single match between Craig Jones and Fredson Paixao also is set.
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