Tag: Quintet Ultra

UFC Fight Pass therapy: 10 classic events to keep you entertained during the coronavirus shutdown

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head picks out a 10-event UFC Fight Pass watch list to ease your lockdown blues.

With the sporting world at a standstill, resources like UFC Fight Pass are proving essential for MMA fans looking to get their fix during the coronavirus lockdown.

The UFC’s streaming platform’s colossal archive offers a huge range of events to sit back and enjoy. Love the old-school PRIDE shows? They’ve got those. Hankering for the days of the WEC? They’ve got the full archive. And, of course, there’s the entire UFC event archive.

It means you can build a watchlist packed with some of the best MMA you could ever wish to see, and more than enough to last you through the entire coronavirus lockdown.

But if you’re going to dive in, why not dive in with some of the most significant events in UFC history, with maybe a couple of hidden gems thrown in for good measure? Here’s a watchlist to get you started.

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1. UFC 1

You can’t really start a journey like this anywhere other than at the very beginning.

Put simply, the event is iconic. The school sports hall-like surrounds of the McNichols Sports Arena, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace calling the event the “Ultimate Fighting Challenge,” Teila Tuli’s flying tooth and Art Jimmerson’s one boxing glove will all live long in the memory.

But, of course, UFC 1 was all about one man and one discipline, as a scrawny young sibling of the famed Gracie family stepped into the octagon, beat three men in one night and opened the world’s eyes to the wizardry of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Sure, it was crude – the rules were virtually non-existent back then – but it was the start of what the UFC has grown into today. Such has been the evolution of the sport since then, watching the fuzzy UFC 1 footage now is the MMA equivalent of viewing cave drawings of how man first started using tools. But, crucially, it was both eye-catching and entertaining, and it serves as a handy reminder of just how far the sport has evolved since that day.

If you watch UFC 1, you’ll probably want to watch UFC 2, then 3. But we’ll leave that to your own UFC Fight Pass rabbit hole. Instead, we’re jumping forward.

Next up: The first BIG rivalry in UFC history.

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Off Guard: Anthony Smith unsure of next assignment, hopes for eventual Jon Jones title rematch

UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony “Lionheart” Smith says he wants another shot at the 205-pound title, preferably against Jon Jones.

One of the bonus success stories of fight week at UFC 245 was the Quintet Ultra event that took place this past Thursday night at the Red Rock Resort Casino in Las Vegas. It saw a host of stars from the UFC, Strikeforce, WEC and PRIDE go head-to-head in a light-hearted but highly-competitive team grappling competition on UFC Fight Pass.

The event was eventually won by Team UFC, led by current UFC light heavyweight contender [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag], and “Lionheart” sat down for an impromptu chat with MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia the following day to chat Quintet, media punditry and his hopes for his own fighting career.

“I think this is going to age really well,” said Smith, as he reflected on his busman’s holiday at Quintet Ultra. “I keep saying it over and over, but in a couple of years, we’re going to look back at this, and I think it’s going to be a big deal; I really do.”

There was a real spirit of fun that permeated throughout the competition, with banter flying both within and between the teams as the unique mix of retired veterans, young prospects and seasoned vets came together to form teams representing four of the most iconic MMA organizations in the sport’s history.

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Although the event was clearly a lot of fun for the fighters, Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC) admitted the competitive juices were flowing strongly not just on event night, but also the day before, as Team UFC planned their running order for the night.

“There was a lot of strategy,” Smith said. “That was one of the coolest parts. These are four guys that I haven’t spent a lot of time with. I haven’t spent a lot of time with ‘Rumble’ (Johnaon) or Clay Guida or (Sean) O’Malley. It was a lot of fun, and just getting ready in the back, it was like fun competition with no stress. But we were here to win. We really were. It’s a lot of fun, but we were here to win.”

Smith, who has also been spending time as a pundit on ESPN and on radio, says his time in the media is helping make him a “smarter fighter” ahead of his octagon return in 2020. And the Colorado-based Texan says he has been pushing hard to lock in a date for his next outing.

“I’ve been all over the UFC, man,” he explained. “A lot of it is a date and location problem. March-April is where we’re looking. Obviously Glover (Teixeira) and I have been here together all week. He’s in. I’m in. It’s just a case of what the UFC wants.

“There’s a couple of other matches I know people have got their eyes on. There’s the Volkan (Oezdemir)-(Aleksandar) Rakic fight, and I know Rakic is going to get jammed down my throat if he beats Volkan. There’s this Corey Anderson thing going on. I don’t know if they want me to fight around that time in case something happens with that fight and the title fight, too. So I think there’s going to be some jockeying that’s gonna go on, and then there’s a lot of dates and locations. It’s where they want to put me, and when.”

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And although Smith may not be sure of his next assignment, he knows who he eventually wants to face inside the octagon in 2020 as he plots his path back to the title and the man who stands between him and the gold.

“I want it to be (Jon) Jones,” he said. “No matter what, I’m going for the gold. But if I had a preference, I want it to be Jon Jones. I want to right that wrong, and I really believe I was a shell of myself when I was in there and there was some other stuff that goes along with that, but I’m not going to make excuses. But it wasn’t me in there, and I want my chance to go in there. If I go in there and give it everything I’ve got and feel like this is the best I had, and he beats me, that’s just life sometimes. Sometimes you’ve got that one dude you just can’t beat, but I don’t think that’s Jon Jones.”

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Cub Swanson tears ACL, meniscus in left knee during QUINTET Ultra card

Cub Swanson’s knee injury was a reminder that while grappling matchups are relatively safe, it’s still a combat sport.

Grappling matchups have become a popular way for mixed martial artists to stay in shape between fights, keep their competitive instincts sharp, stay in the public eye, and make some extra money while they’re at it.

A big part of the appeal is that, on the whole, these competitions are safer than getting into an all-out fight. After all, you’re not going to absorb dozens of strikes to the head while competing on the mats, as you might inside the octagon.

But grappling is still a contact sport which carries risks, and unfortunately, veteran [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] reminded us all of this the hard way on Thursday night.

Swanson competed in the team-based QUINTET Ultra event in Las Vegas, competing as part of Team WEC. In a matchup with Team Strikeforce’s Jake Shields, Swanson suffered a freak knee injury as the pair became entangled.

Friday, Swanson went on Instagram to report that, in fact, he has a full ACL and meniscus tear in his left knee:

UFC president Dana White, who was present at the QUINTET event, expressed sympathy for Swanson at Friday’s UFC 247 press conference.

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“These grappling things for them are supposed to be fun and go out and you have some of the best in the world grappling against each other,” White said. “These are the type of things can happen. That was a really good submission that he had him and his knee popped out. So, he’s getting an MRI today, and we’ll see where it’s at. Hopefully it will be something that just needs some physical therapy and not surgery. I hate it.”

The 36-year-old Swanson has fought under the Zuffa umbrella since 2007, when he debuted in the WEC. The Palm Springs, Calif. native most recently defeated Kron Gracie at UFC Tampa on Oct. 12, where he earned “Fight of the Night” in a unanimous-decision victory, his eighth UFC postfight bonus.

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Chad Mendes thinks he can compete at MMA’s highest level, but insists he’s done

Chad Mendes thinks he can still compete at the highest level in the UFC, but said he’s done with that chapter in his life.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] does not have the itch to return to MMA.

Speaking at the Quintet Ultra media scrum, Mendes said while he still thinks he can compete at the highest level, he is happily retired.

“I know I could. I just – I’m done with that chapter,” Mendes told MMA Junkie. “I’m excited to be retired and loving my life right now. My little baby girl and the business is going well, so I’m good where I’m at.”

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Mendes is set to compete in the Quintet Ultra grappling competition Thursday as part of Team WEC. The three-time UFC featherweight title challenger will open up the competition by taking on Team Strikeforce’s former Gesias Cavalcante.

Mendes hopes to to remain active by taking part in a lot more grappling competitions in the future.

“I love competing, man. I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid,” Mendes said. “Any chance that I can to get in and do something like this – wrestling is my background, the grappling stuff, so this stuff is super fun for me. I don’t have to get punched in the head, and make a little money and have fun with the boys. It’s something I’m looking forward to and I’d definitely do it again in the future.”

Quintet Ultra takes place in Las Vegas ahead of UFC 245, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The UFC 245 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In an ideal situation, Sean O’Malley hopes he can return by end of January

In an ideal situation, Sean O’Malley hopes to be able to return to action by early next year.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] has been forced to sit on the sidelines with little clarification.

O’Malley (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) initially tested positive for traces of ostarine found in his system in October 2018 and was forced to withdraw from his UFC 229 scheduled bout vs. Jose Quinonez. He received a six-month suspension, and was eligible to return to competition after it was revealed that the traces of ostarine came from contaminated supplements.

He was scheduled to make his return at UFC 239 in July vs. Marlon Vera, but tested positive for ostarine once again stemming from a May 25 urine sample that was conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

In a formal meeting in July, O’Malley saw the commission vote unanimously to extend his temporary suspension, and his return was pushed back to an even later date.

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And while O’Malley can’t say for sure when he’ll be able to return, he hopes to return to action next month.

“Hopefully early next year,” O’Malley told MMA Junkie at the Quintet Ultra scrum. “I’d like to fight January. I think everything’s getting kind of … people are understanding what’s going on a little bit more, so I think end of January would be ideal.”

In the meantime, O’Malley will be competing at the Quintet Ultra grappling competition Thursday representing Team UFC. He will be up first when he takes on Team PRIDE’s Takanori Gomi.

Grappling is an area of his game he’s been consistently working on in his time away from the cage, but O’Malley admitted it’s not the same as getting in a fist fight.

“There’s something different about a fight, preparing for a fight, and being in a fight. But I love to compete, so I’m super excited about this,” O’Malley said. “(I) took it serious. I was going to do No-Gi Worlds, same like tomorrow, but when there’s money involved, you’ve gotta pick the money, so I’m doing this. I train like this – I had a little camp for it and everything, and since I’ve been out, I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu. So I’m excited to go out there and kinda show where I’m at.”

Quintet Ultra takes place in Las Vegas ahead of UFC 245, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The UFC 245 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Quintet Ultra: Team PRIDE looking forward to post-match drinks to ‘bring back PRIDE the right way’

Team captain Kazushi Sakuraba has his sights set on victory, celebration at Quintet Ultra.

LAS VEGAS – PRIDE never die.

Thursday night at Quintet Ultra, five of PRIDE’s most notable veterans will compete against teams representing the UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce.

The openweight elimination challenge takes place at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas and streams on UFC Fight Pass.

PRIDE’s team is comprised of UFC Hall of Famer and team captain [autotag]Kazushi Sakuraba[/autotag], lightweight champ [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag], esteemed Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt [autotag]Gregor Gracie[/autotag], former Bellator middleweight champ [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] and lightweight [autotag]Yves Edwards[/autotag].

Wednesday, the five PRIDE alumni reunited for a media scrum with MMA Junkie. Team captain Sakuraba spoke on the growth of Quintet, his competing future, his PRIDE nostalgia and more.

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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.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full pre-match scrum with Team PRIDE in the video above.

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Anthony Johnson’s UFC comeback update: ‘We’ve got to make sure everything lines up right’

Anthony Johnson provides a minor update on his UFC comeback and says he’s waiting for the right time.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag] wants to make sure he doesn’t rush his comeback.

It’s been almost four months since former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Johnson announced he will be returning to competition at heavyweight. But he not yet entered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool.

At the Quintet Ultra media day, Johnson, who hasn’t competed since his second-round submission loss to Daniel Cormier in April 2017, provided a minor update on his comeback.

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“We’re waiting for the right time,” Johnson told MMA Junkie. “We’ve got to make sure everything lines up right. When I come back, I want to make sure everything is good. I don’t want to try and bend any corners or step over anybody. I’m going to do everything legit and in the right way. So when I come back, let’s play ball.”

Johnson will be competing at the Quintet Ultra grappling competition Thursday as part of Team UFC in what will be the second time he competes in a grappling competition since retiring.

And while this competition is a way for Johnson to keep active, he admitted the comeback is not something he’s constantly thinking about.

“Honestly, I’m focused on the comeback, but it’s not like it’s on my mind 24/7,” Johnson said. “Like, when I come back, I’ll be ready, so I don’t really think about it. I just train, and when it’s time, it’s time. Right now, I’m just having fun, enjoying myself. I’ve been gone for two and a half years. It’s nothing to take serious right now. I’m here to enjoy myself, because before, I took everything so serious. That (expletive) is stressful, so I’m like, ‘(Expletive), I’m going to just have some fun, do what I’ve gotta do, whatever happens, happens.’ So that’s why I’m here.”

The Quintet grappling event coincides with UFC 245, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC 245 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+. Quintet Ultra streams on UFC Fight Pass.