Watch UFC fighters take a stand against racism and police brutality in support of “Black Lives Matter.”
The death of George Floyd impacted and inspired many to take a stand against police brutality and racism not just in America, but also around the world.
Floyd’s tragic death in the hands of Minneapolis police last month has sparked protests around the country and has been the center of news media around the world.
Many organizations and prominent figures in politics, entertainment, sports, and several other sectors have backed the “Black Lives Matter” efforts to push for a change in police reform in America and end racism.
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Many UFC athletes have been seen individually protesting and taking a stand against racism in the world. In a recent video, several UFC fighters rallied together to abolish racism and police brutality, and show solidarity and support of “Black Lives Matter.”
Among the fighters included on the video are UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag], [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag], former strawweight champ [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] and many others.
Below is the video UFC fighters put together in support of the movement:
On this day in 1987, Boston’s Larry Bird went shot for shot with Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins in that year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
On this day, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird went basket for basket with the Atlanta Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins in the final frame of Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Boston would squeak out a 118-116 win despite the Human Highlight Film — as Wilkins was called — scoring 47 points, while Bird logged 34 — 20 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
“The basket was like a well, I couldn’t miss,” recalled Wilkins via the NBA. “He couldn’t miss. That’s the greatest game I’ve ever played in or seen played. It was two guys who just did not want to lose.”
The Celtics won the series against the Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals, but would fall to longtime rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
What happened after The Last Dance? This oral history looks back at the 1998-99 Chicago Bulls team that ushered in a new post-Jordan era.
After winning six championships in eight seasons, the Chicago Bulls’ dynastic run came to an end in the summer of 1998. Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler and Luc Longley left. Only seven players from the previous season returned in 1998-99. After totaling 62 wins (the most in the NBA) and getting their third-straight championship, the Bulls won just 13 games (the third-lowest in the NBA), joining the 1969-70 Boston Celtics as the only defending champions to miss the playoffs.
HoopsHype talked to several players from that 1998-99 Bulls squad and three writers who covered the team to discuss that difficult season, what it was like trying to fill such big shoes, the end of the dynasty and more. This story begins right where “The Last Dance” ends.
Dickey Simpkins, Bulls forward from 1994-2000: “That offseason, we saw that the transformation was starting. For us returning veterans, we kind of had to embrace it. We had a new coach coming in from college basketball and we knew we’d have a lot of young guys. We knew the rebuild was starting. It was hard to fully process the sudden change from a championship-caliber team to a rebuilding team.”
John Jackson, Bulls beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1994-1999: “[General manager] Jerry Krause was ready to break up the team at that point and [owner] Jerry Reinsdorf didn’t want to bring back the team because the Bulls’ payroll in 1997-98 was around $61.3 million and to bring the team back, it would’ve been at least $80 million. Winning championships was great for Reinsdorf, but considering the revenue they brought in in 1997-98, that wasn’t one of their more profitable years. The 1998-99 season was probably their most profitable year ever because the payroll was around $28.6 million and their revenue was roughly the same. So, Reinsdorf wasn’t opposed to breaking up the team either.”
Jud Buechler, Bulls forward from 1994-1998: “If you’re a champion, you kind of feel like you’ve earned the right to come back and try to win another one. Until someone knocks you off the top, you try to keep going and win more. Looking back, it’s kind of disappointing that we didn’t get to keep going until someone knocked us off the top.”
Scott Burrell, Bulls forward from 1997-1998: “We all wanted new contracts. I mean, I’m sure people would’ve loved to stay in Chicago. Mr. Reinsdorf had a lot to do with the team breaking up as well. Everybody blames Jerry Krause, but the owner [played a big role]. Like, you would never see [George] Steinbrenner break up the Yankees if they won five of seven World Series. They would just find a couple guys to help reload; they’d never break it up.”
Sam Smith, columnist for the Chicago Tribune from 1987-2008: “This was actually the end; unlike last time. Last time, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant were still around with Phil Jackson. In 1998-99, we were sure this was going to be a losing season.”
Rusty LaRue, Bulls guard from 1997-2000: “There were so many unknowns. We get into camp and there’s a whole new system, new players, a shortened camp, a coach who never coached in the NBA coming from the college setting. It was just a totally different feel altogether in regards to the day-to-day, what was expected and the competitiveness of the team.”
Corey Benjamin, Bulls guard from 1998-2001: “They called us the Baby Bulls. We lost Michael, Scottie, Dennis, Phil, but we were still ‘the defending champions.’ I had always wanted to be a Bull and to be like Michael Jordan, so it was a dream come true when they drafted me.”
Kent McDill, Bulls beat writer for the Daily Herald from 1988-1999 (the only beat writer who covered all six titles): “Entering the year, there were no expectations. There was no reason to think the Bulls would be anything. Some people may have held out hope for a playoff bid. But, other than that, there were no expectations for that team at all.”
Kornel David, Bulls forward from 1998-2000: “Everybody knew that the big-name players had left, so the expectations were lower. It was more like people were wondering, ‘What is this team capable of doing?’”
There was a lockout during the summer of 1998, pushing the start of the 1998-99 season back to February and shortening the campaign to just 50 games.
Kent McDill: “The ingredients that went into the 1998-99 season were: decimating a championship team, getting rid of the head coach, losing the star players, starting four months late, playing 50 games, getting used to a new coach with absolutely no NBA experience and playing a majority of players who are extremely young. That’s the worst collection of ingredients I can imagine if you want anything resembling success.”
John Jackson: “For the players, it was tough – particularly since they were a young team. Once the season started, there was almost no time to practice. In a normal NBA season, there are very few days where you can have hard practices; in that 50-game season, there was almost no practice time.”
Corey Benjamin: “It made it hard. Training camp was really fast. We were running the triangle offense; I’m coming from college and they throw a 200-page book at us and tell us to learn it. We had to learn 200 pages in so little time. It was hard for us. We had back-to-backs every week and we were the defending champs, so we played on Christmas Day and were still on national television a lot.”
Due to the condensed schedule, the Bulls played 14 back-to-backs that season as well as two back-to-back-to-backs (three games in three days).
Kornel David: “There was a short preseason, a lot of back-to-backs and a new coach in Tim Floyd. Even though the system was similar (since we still played the triangle), a lot of guys were being asked to play a new role in that system and step up since MJ, Scottie and Dennis weren’t there to carry the load anymore. There was a lot of pressure. There were so many things that made that season very difficult.”
Sam Smith: “Tim Floyd was badly overmatched. He’d clearly set a goal to get an NBA head coaching job and had obviously worked Jerry Krause for years with that in mind, inviting him to practices, calling him. Krause didn’t have a lot of friends in basketball due to his nature and he tended to, understandably, gravitate to those who embraced him. Tim was like the Robert Redford character in the old movie ‘The Candidate’ where they scheme to get the job and the last scene is Redford asking, ‘What do we do now?’ Tim sought the glamor, fame and money of an NBA coach, but he really hated the NBA. It seemed obvious he’d never watched NBA games and even when he became coach, he was still talking about college games all the time. Krause’s theory was right in preparing for teenagers with the direct-to-pros era, so you want to get a college coach. He just got the wrong one.”
Dickey Simpkins: “Tim had one of the hardest jobs that a rookie NBA coach could ever have. He was coming in after a championship and taking over the best team in NBA history after they lost the best player in NBA history and the best coach in NBA history! It wasn’t fair for him to have to come in after that. That’s like someone trying to perform after Michael Jackson. But you’re an up-and-coming artist, so you do it because you want people to embrace you and recognize that you’re on the rise. But I felt for him having to follow a superstar act. I thought he did a very good job. Coach Floyd came in very humble; he didn’t come in with an ego.”
Chicago Bulls head coach Tim Floyd
John Jackson: “That was an impossible situation. I like Tim Floyd a lot. I got to talk to him away from the [basketball] setting a lot. He was a good coach, a sharp guy, and a really nice guy. But he was in an impossible spot, having to follow Phil Jackson. It would be bad enough to follow Phil if you had a roster of All-Stars. But following Phil when you have a young, talent-challenged team? Nobody would look good in that situation.”
Kent McDill: “Phil was such a strategist and I didn’t get the sense that Tim was. I’m still not entirely sure what Jerry saw in Tim that caused him to make that move – other than the fact that Tim was nice to Jerry and went fishing with him and that sort of thing (which mattered to Jerry a lot). Taking a college coach who had never coached in the NBA and giving him a team that represented a franchise that had one six titles in the previous eight years and decimating the roster the way it was, it was as close as you can get to a no-win situation. And it was made worse by the fact that Tim wasn’t prepared for the job. But it was a bad situation and I don’t know anybody who could’ve made it better. I don’t know that Phil could’ve even manufactured anything out of that team.”
Kornel David: “He had so much weight on his shoulders to produce somehow. He would always have a bunch of papers in his hand and he’d roll them up and bounce them against his head; he seemed nervous.”
Rusty LaRue: “I’m sure there were days when he wished he would’ve stayed where he was because it probably would’ve been easier.”
Kornel David: “I think it would’ve been better if he had just started with a team that had more young guys, less vets and less pressure – maybe in a different place. There were such big shoes to fill in Chicago; that put a lot of pressure on him.”
Corey Benjamin: “The only thing Tim could do is teach the young kids because he can’t tell Ron [Harper] what to do. Ron had been in the NBA for 13 years, so Ron is going to tell Tim what to do and how to do this or that. None of the veterans disrespected Tim or anything, but Tim was a rookie like us.”
Kent McDill: “Tim Floyd was very much involved in the nightlife in Chicago. There was a place in Chicago called The Lodge and it was very popular. If you were the sort to be out at night, you would run into Tim there all the time. One time early in the season, Tim got kicked out of a home game for yelling at the refs and someone told me that before the game was over, Tim was at The Lodge. I thought, ‘That’s interesting.’ Well, beat writers meet with the coach before every game. Maybe a month later, during our pregame meeting, he was sitting in his office, his feet were up and he said something that [made me think], ‘He’s going to get thrown out tonight.’ After the meeting, I turned to another beat writer and predicted it. And he got thrown out that night! I don’t usually predict things like that, I just had a weird sense. It turned out he had party plans and he was, again, seen having a very good time at The Lodge that evening. Then, it happened a third time. Each time he was ejected, it was at home. The third time he got kicked out, we all just looked at each other like, ‘They must be having a drink special or something.’”
John Jackson: “I’ve been to The Lodge with Tim a few times. (laughs)”
Corey Benjamin: “I don’t think Tim had full control over our team. Phil had full control of his team. It was kind of like Tim was being dictated and told what to do. I don’t think Tim had full control of that team. He’s a great person, but I don’t think Tim was able to be Tim.”
Kent McDill: “It was so weird because Tim Floyd was Jerry Krause’s guy, and it was really hard to understand who was in charge of things… Jerry was around more [that season] and he had a smile on his face the whole time.”
John Jackson: “Krause was looking forward to the rebuild after the championship run just to prove how valuable he was… Krause was a hands-on guy; he went on a lot of road trips, he always made sure he was on the team bus and the team plane. He was around all the time that year. To be honest, Krause was around more that year because he didn’t have Jordan and Pippen needling him every time he came around.”
Corey Benjamin: “I believe Jerry wanted control. He didn’t have control during those dynasty years. Without Michael and the other stars, Jerry had control. He had Tim Floyd, who was his fishing partner, and Tim would do as he asked. He had young players who would do as he asked. I think teams should be teams and management should be management, and you should separate the two. Jerry always wanted to come to practices and be around the team and talk to the players. A lot of GMs don’t do that, they keep their distance. But Jerry just wanted control, and he was able to get it during those years. With the dynasty teams, he was basically told to stay upstairs. But once those guys were gone, Jerry would show up all the time.”
Dickey Simpkins: “Jerry was definitely around the team more. I could see that being challenging for the young guys who had just gotten drafted, feeling like they were under constant evaluation, but that’s part of the business. I don’t think it affected our performance.”
Corey Benjamin: “When your GM or owner is around all the time, the team isn’t comfortable. You’re always looking over your shoulder. At the end of the day, you report to the coaches, but now you’re thinking, ‘Okay, well, I have the coaches’ boss here too.’ For us, we were very uncomfortable having Jerry around all the time – riding on the bus with us, riding on the plane with us, walking around at practice. Tim was supposed to be our leader. But, to me, it looked like Jerry wanted control, and he got it. But you have to choose: do you want to win or do you want control?”
Kornel David: “I remember our first game of that season; it was in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz. As were standing in line and listening to the national anthem, I looked across the court at Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton – almost the same team that had just played the Bulls in the Finals. I looked at them and said, “Oh my God, I have to play against these guys who I just watched in the Finals?!” That was my first game, so that moment stands out for me.”
Corey Benjamin: “For the first half of the season, it was great! We got chaperoned around by police escorts because we were still that team. As a 20-year-old kid, it was unbelievable. We were getting police escorts and security was ushering us around everywhere, but then that stopped because we weren’t winning. (laughs) We didn’t win much…”
Rusty LaRue: “Losing sucks. Fifty games feels like a long time when you aren’t winning. And not only were there back-to-backs and back-to-back-to-backs, everyone was excited to give it back to the Bulls since they had been giving it out to teams for years. We got beat by 47 points or something when we played Orlando! Teams felt like, ‘Hey, those guys aren’t here anymore, so it’s time for you guys to take a hit.’”
Corey Benjamin: “There were times when we were playing against veteran teams and they’d be beating us and they’d say, ‘You guys beat us for so many years, so we’re gonna step on your necks.’ We were kids, a bunch of 20-year-olds, but they were getting revenge for what the champions had done for the past seven or eight years. They were taking their anger out on us.”
Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc
Kornel David: “Obviously, the team wasn’t really good; actually, it was bad. Toni Kukoc was the best player, by far, on that team. Toni was absolutely fantastic. He was already my favorite player before I went to the Bulls and then he was incredible that year. Ron Harper was still on the team, but he was going downhill [toward the end] of his career and he was hurt, so he wasn’t the same as before.”
Dickey Simpkins: “Toni was the most underrated complementary star in the NBA, and then he transitioned into being ‘the man’ for us in the latter part of his career. Toni was an unbelievable player and talent, and he was an unbelievable teammate off the court.”
John Jackson: “Kukoc was the leading scorer and he’s a good, solid guy in the locker room, but he’s not someone who would step up and take the reins to the team. Brent Barry, who was a free-agent signing, was probably the closest thing they had to a leader at that point. But there wasn’t really a lot of strong leadership.”
Sam Smith: “The Bulls did make one significant free-agent acquisition that summer with Brent Barry. Jerry Krause had this thing where he always fell in love with certain players, like Dan Majerle, and talk about them all the time, which didn’t help them playing against Michael Jordan. Brent was one, but he was so turned off by the amateurish mess that this Bulls team was that he sort of checked out.”
Rusty LaRue: “We had a bunch of guys who were fighting for their NBA future; we didn’t have a ton of established guys. A bunch of us – me, Corey Benjamin, Corey Carr – were just fledgling NBA guys who were trying to figure it out. And with a new coach, it was difficult.
Dickey Simpkins: “It was tough losing so much, but the fans understood and were still great.”
Kornel David: “We played in front of a full house – a sold-out arena – for the next two and a half years. The United Center was sold out every night.”
Sam Smith: “The reaction from fans was mostly acceptance and appreciation of what the team had accomplished. You could never get tickets to Bulls games in the championship years, so people were thrilled just to come to the United Center to get a look at where it all happened.”
John Jackson: “The fans were as positive as could be that year because for the previous eight seasons – even in the year and a half that Jordan didn’t play – it was tough to get into the Chicago Stadium and then it was tough to get into the United Center when they moved there. That season, they still sold out every game and every crowd was enthusiastic. A lot of people who didn’t have a chance to see a Bulls game in person during the championship run were finally able to get into the building, so the atmosphere was just as electric as it was during the previous eight years. Everyone was surprisingly positive, considering how much they struggled.”
Corey Benjamin: “The fans weren’t used to us losing, so we did get booed at times. I mean, we were getting beat by teams that hadn’t beat the Bulls in, what, seven years?”
Kent McDill: “If you showed that team to a bunch of NBA experts and there was no reference whatsoever to the team they were replacing, it still would’ve been embarrassing. Who was supposed to score on that team? There was nothing that they could point to [as a bright spot]; it was ridiculous. I don’t have another word to describe it other than ‘embarrassment.’ There were so many factors that made the 1998-99 season a train-wreck.”
On April 10, 1999, the Miami Heat defeated the Bulls, 82-49. To this day, Chicago’s 49 points is an NBA record for the fewest points scored by an NBA team in the shot-clock era.
Corey Benjamin: “I remember it was very cold in that gym. It seemed like we couldn’t get anything going. Pat Riley didn’t stop it; he just let them manhandle us. I didn’t get hot; nobody got hot. I don’t know if they had ice under that court or what, but it was so cold. We got a whoopin’. It was very embarrassing. It was like they were toying with us. They put it on us. The veterans were there to pick us back up, but it was hard for them too. And it was their last season or close to it. They’d already put their retirement papers in, probably, so they were on vacation.”
Sam Smith: “It was such a mismatched and overmatched team. It was like a G League team against an NBA team by then. Miami was good, with tough interior guys like Alonzo Mourning and PJ Brown. The Bulls had zero inside presence. Brent Barry had checked out by then. I was surprised there weren’t more games like that. It was such an unusual season, with 50 games rushed, that it was difficult to take it seriously.”
Kornel David: “That was terrible. Terrible. (sighs) That was maybe our lowest point of the season. But it wasn’t just that game. There were a lot of games like that – obviously not 49-point games, but we had a lot of bad games and bad losses. It was tough. When the team is falling apart, everyone tries to put themselves in front. A lot of players in that situation think, ‘At least I can show what I’m able to do.’ We had a number of players who felt that way, especially the rookies and some of the vets. We didn’t have a team that played together. It was bad.”
Kent McDill: “The wheels came off way before that game. But what kind of coach is going to see their team go through something like that and not make some kind of changes at halftime? The whole season was an embarrassment. We were only saved by the fact that the season was half as long as it should’ve been thanks to the lockout.”
Dickey Simpkins: “I hope somebody breaks that record, so we don’t have to be known as that team. (laughs)”
Rusty LaRue: “I don’t remember much from that game, probably because I’ve blocked it from my memory. I’ve tried to forget it.”
Kent McDill: “So many people would ask me, ‘What’s it like having covered all the championship teams and now having to cover this crap?’ There were a lot of questions like that. Honestly, it almost felt like the Bulls should have folded after ‘98 because of the product they were putting on the floor.”
Dicky Simpkins: “When the season was over, it was a relief. It was almost like when you change schools and you get through that first year at the new school. You get through the ups and downs – you get through the adjustments that come with a new school, new students, new teachers – and you’re like, ‘Whew! Glad that’s over!’”
Chicago Bulls guard Corey Benjamin
Over the next few summers, Krause and the Bulls tried to attract star free agents to Chicago, but they didn’t have much luck. Instead, Krause continued to build through the draft (selecting players such as Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Marcus Fizer and Eddy Curry in the years to come).
Dickey Simpkins: “During that 50-game season, Jerry had opened up a lot of cap space and the plan was to sign two big free agents. Based on what I heard in the media and the talk around the Berto Center throughout that offseason, he was trying to get two big free agents.”
Corey Benjamin: “I had Arn Tellem as an agent and Arn represented a lot of star players. The Bulls were trying to sign free agents. I hosted Tracy McGrady, Tim Thomas and Jermaine O’Neal when we brought them in. I was there personally for those [meetings] because we were all represented by the same agent (Arn). I remember Jerry Krause told me, ‘If you can get them to sign, I’ll renew your contract.’ I don’t remember Tim Duncan coming in, but I know we wanted Duncan. But we weren’t offering them the money that other teams were offering. I remember Tracy and Jermaine telling me, ‘They’re offering me peanuts.’ They weren’t trying to max these guys out; they were trying to give these guys smaller contracts.”
Kent McDill: “That sounds right. The Bulls organization – whether it be Krause or Reinsdorf – thought that you would take a pay cut in order to be a member of the Chicago Bulls, that being associated with a franchise this successful is worth more than the money you can make elsewhere. Nobody, nobody, was buying that argument.”
John Jackson: “Those were the main guys that they were talking to; that’s who they wanted. But their free-agency plans never produced anyone and they didn’t land a superstar through the draft, so they couldn’t rebuild or even become a serious playoff contender at that time.”
Kent McDill: “I remember them going after Grant Hill, which made all sorts of sense because they needed a really good citizen and Hill was maybe the best citizen in the NBA at that time. The one thing that we heard at that time – and, amazingly, we still hear it more than 20 years later – is that nobody wanted to come in and try to follow a six-time championship team. Not only are you trying to follow in Michael Jordan’s footsteps, you’re having to follow [a dynasty]. The invitation to join the Bulls was not an attractive one, which is why nobody ever came.”
Dickey Simpkins: “I know Jerry talked to one of my former college teammates, Austin Croshere. He was trying to sign Austin, but Austin ultimately ended up signing back with Indiana on a big deal. I had direct contact with Austin [about it] since we had a relationship after playing together at Providence.”
Kent McDill: “They could’ve gotten some guys – and eventually they did – but if there’s such a thing as ‘A players’ and ‘B players,’ they were getting a lot of B- players. There was no attempt to build a cohesive unit; it was just gap filling. The pressure that Krause put on himself to create a new championship-level team caused him to make decisions that weren’t viable.”
Since the premiere of “The Last Dance,” there’s been a lot of discussion about whether the Bulls would’ve won their seventh championship in nine years had the team stayed intact for the 1998-99 season. The players believe the team would’ve won it all, while the writers believe Chicago’s run was over.
Sam Smith: “Would they have won again? No. Because that’s like saying, ‘If he hadn’t fallen off that building, he would be alive!’ Pippen was estranged for a year; heck, he had a half season sit-down strike. Rodman was melting down and did so in Los Angeles. Phil was one step into a sabbatical for a year. Michael clearly was burned out, as he was seen telling Ahmad Rashad in the documentary. Pippen had back surgery after the 1997-98 season and was never again close to the player he’d been. Also, Jordan sustained a severe cut on his shooting hand that offseason from a cigar cutter and could no longer grip the ball and would have trouble shooting. How would his legacy have looked trying to come back without any preseason or camp under those circumstances? Plus, all those Bulls reserve guys like Luc Longley, Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler got long-term contracts from new teams that I am certain all their teams regretted and made no sense for the Bulls to match. This another-year thing is so pathetic. It’s like a teenager dreaming for years about the girlfriend who dumped him. If only… Move on!”
Kent McDill: “The only thing that would’ve stopped them would’ve been Michael’s motivation. But part of Michael’s motivation (that hasn’t been mentioned in the documentary) was that number: 6. Six titles is a lot of titles. The idea of having back-to-back three-peats was the motivation that got everybody through 1997-98.”
John Jackson: “One thing that people don’t realize is that Jordan didn’t wait until the summer to make his decision about whether he was coming back; that happened pretty soon after the championship series ended. I think he was just mentally and physically exhausted and he knew that he needed a break at that point.”
Dickey Simpkins: “During the 1997-98 season, we knew that was going to be the last time that we ever played together. Phil’s approach was for us to be mentally calm, embrace the moment and cherish that last season, so we had time to process it. I don’t want to compare it to losing somebody close to you, but it’s kind of like when they’re going through something and you know at some point soon, they’re going to be gone; it wasn’t sudden. We had time to process it. Do I wish everybody could have come back again? Yeah, I wish. Do I feel like we could’ve won another championship? Yes. I believe we could’ve, especially in a 50-game season. I would’ve loved to have one more year together as a group.”
Corey Benjamin: “Yes, we would’ve won it all if those guys returned! It would’ve been a breeze, especially in a shortened season. Even in a regular season, it would’ve been a breeze! They were at the point where nobody could touch them. There was nothing missing from that team. I’m 100 percent sure we would’ve won it all that year, and Vegas will tell you that too.”
The closest that Jordan came to donning a Bulls jersey again was the time he returned to the Berto Center in November of 1999 to teach Corey Benjamin a lesson.
Corey Benjamin: “Randy Brown, Ron Harper and Dickey Simpkins were Michael’s close friends. Those guys would always talk to Jordan on the phone and Jordan would always have stuff to say. I remember there was one particular moment when MJ said something to me and I told him, ‘I can get that.’ I was saying I could beat him one-on-one. We went back and forth, talking trash with each other for a month or two. Ron gassed it up a lot like, ‘He said he can get you, Mike! He thinks he can beat you!’ One day, Mike told Ron that he was going to come to our game [in Atlanta] and he told me, ‘I’m about to come see you.’ We’re at the game and they showed Mike walking into the game [on TV] and I knew right where he was headed. I’m in the training room with Ron and Randy, and MJ walks in there. He comes right over to me and says, ‘What did you say?!’ Remember, this is my childhood hero. I man up and I say, ‘I think I can get that.’ He told me, ‘I’ll be at your practice in a few days and we’ll see if you can get that.’”
Rusty LaRue: “I was just shaking my head. Everybody thinks they can beat the man until they get a chance to beat the man. Corey was a good guy and a good player. I don’t know if he really thought he could beat Michael or if he just wanted a chance to play against him.”
Corey Benjamin: “We fly back to Chicago and at our next practice, I’m looking over my shoulder but I’m also thinking, ‘Yeah right, he’s not going to fly to Chicago just to play me.’ After practice, I’m walking off the court when MJ walks into the gym. He said, ‘I’m about to give you your chance.’ As a basketball player, it was the best feeling in the world to play one-on-one against Michael Jordan in front of everybody. The score was 11-9, just to let you know. Everybody says it was 11-0 or 11-1 or 11-2. He did get up to 7-0 pretty fast and I was amazed; I had never seen anything like that in my life. But the final score was 11-9 and it was the best one-on-one game I’ve ever played. It was like a dream come true.”
Kornel David: “MJ showed up and he just schooled him. Corey was a high-flying athlete who could jump out of the gym; he had incredible athletic abilities. But it’s MJ! There’s a video of it on YouTube! You have to watch it. The next day, the Chicago Tribune ran a double-page [spread] showing all of MJ’s buckets. It was incredible. (laughs)”
Rusty LaRue: “I remember them playing one-on-one; of course, Mike put it on him. (laughs)”
Jordan trash-talked throughout the game.
“Look around you,” Jordan said at one point, looking at the six championship banners hanging in the gym. “What do you see all around you? You didn’t have anything to do with those!”
After scoring the winning basket, Jordan spanked Benjamin and yelled, “Sit down!” With a smile, Jordan added, “Don’t call me out of retirement again.”
Three-time NBA champion Jud Buechler was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. He talked about playing alongside Michael Jordan, being part of the Chicago Bulls’ three-peat, “The Last Dance” documentary, the Bulls’ internal battle (Phil Jackson and the players vs. Jerry Krause and management), becoming a coach for the New York Knicks and more. You can listen to the conversation or above or read a transcribed version below.
You were interviewed for “The Last Dance.” Are you enjoying the documentary so far?
Jud Buechler: Oh, I’m loving it. It’s been so great for myself and my family. I’m at home in San Diego with my family and my dad; every Sunday night, we can’t wait for 6:00 out here on the West Coast. It’s just been such a great walk down memory lane for me. I mean, it was 22 years ago and that was such a huge part of my life. It changed my life, really. It’s just so enjoyable for me.
When Adam Silver pitched this idea to Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson back then, he told them, “You’ll have the greatest set of home movies for your kids ever created.” How cool is it to have that terrific run immortalized in this documentary?
JB: It’s just incredible because, for one thing, I have two daughters and they were both born during the four years that I was in Chicago. So, they were born in Chicago and obviously they were babies, but for them to get to see this is amazing. If you would have told me 22 years ago, “Hey, we’re gonna document all these incredible things – this incredible time in our lives – and then play it on ESPN 22 years later,” I would have been like, “Well, that’s gonna be super cool!” It’s just been a great experience. And, like I said, I really am enjoying it; I look forward to every episode.
During that 1997-98 season, NBA Entertainment had a camera crew embedded with the team and they shot over 500 hours of footage. What was it like having cameras around on a daily basis?
JB: Well, I think we were just used to having so much attention. With Michael and Scottie [Pippen] and Dennis [Rodman] and Phil, they were kind of bigger than basketball (and still are). They weren’t just All-Stars, they were superstars and just so well-known. So, leading up to that final year, we’d all been around cameras and crowds, so we were kind of used to it. And we were very comfortable with Andy Thompson, who was the guy that was in charge and kind of the main guy. They just became part of the traveling party. They were with us all the time – in the locker rooms, on the planes, doing interviews with guys in hotel rooms. Like I said, they just became kind of part of the traveling party and we just became super good friends with them.
You joined the Bulls in 1994-95 after Chicago’s first three-peat. Michael Jordan had left to play baseball that season and then announced his return in March of 1995. How did you react when you learned that Jordan was returning to your Bulls?
JB: Well, that was an incredible moment for all of us. Most of the guys on that team, we weren’t around [for the first three-peat]. There weren’t too many holdovers from the first three championships in the early ‘90s, so all of us had been in the league for a while and played against him and seen his greatness. On one hand, it was so exhilarating to know that we get to play with the greatest basketball player in the world. And, on the other hand, it took some time to kind of adjust to playing with him because I think we all just kind of stood around the first week of practice when he came back and just watched him. (laughs) We just gave him the ball and watched him, so it took some [time for] cohesiveness and team jelling and to figure it out. Phil always said, “Don’t stand around and watch him. Play!” It took us a while to make that adjustment. (laughs)
You played with Jordan for four seasons. What was it like witnessing his greatness night after night?
JB: I know the guys who were part of that second group that won those three championships in the late ‘90s, we all really appreciated it. I had been in the league for four years and I had been on some really bad teams that hadn’t won a lot of games. We were winning and witnessing Jordan’s greatness along with Scottie’s and Dennis’ and being coached by Phil, and I think we all appreciated it. No one took it for granted. We were like, “This is incredible!” All of us just felt so lucky to be there. And I think with this documentary right now, it’s just a reminder to me; I mean, I just feel so fortunate that I was there during that run, for sure.
I’ve talked to players about how intimidating Jordan was in his prime. One player referred to him as “the boogeyman that everyone feared.” He would play mind games with his opponent and get in their head.
JB: Yeah, well, the thing that I don’t think a lot of the younger-generation players (who didn’t have a chance to see him play) understand about Michael is that people feared him. There was fear. As great as the players are in today’s game, I don’t know if anyone’s really feared like Michael was. I mean, opponents really didn’t want to play against him. And then you add Scottie into the mix, and those guys were just relentless on defense. But especially MJ, he just had this aura about him. And he was mentally so tough and obviously such a gifted player and athlete that a lot of guys didn’t want any part of him, didn’t really want to step up to that challenge because he embarrassed a lot of guys. There was just this fear factor with him, unlike any other player I’ve ever seen.
Jud Buechler with teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Jordan was known for being very hard on his teammates and if you couldn’t take it, you were off the team. I recently talked to Scott Burrell on this podcast about how MJ pushed him really hard during that 1997-98 season. What was it like to play with someone so demanding?
JB: Well, I just call that leadership. I think we all understood that he was going to test all of us every single day in practice. I mean, you really couldn’t take a practice off, you couldn’t really relax, and that was great. That’s what a leader does, he pushes the team. He was always testing every guy to know if he could trust them down the stretch. I think Michael, by then, realized that while he could do a lot of stuff out there, he needed the other guys to help out. So, he was constantly pushing us in practice, testing us – especially Scotty Burrell that one season. And it made us all better players. I don’t think anybody had any problems with it at all, because we all wanted to be the best players we can be and we all wanted to make sure that he knew we were there when he needed us.
Could Jordan’s style of leadership work in today’s NBA? You’re now an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, so you work with today’s players. If MJ acted the same way in 2020 – with today’s players, with social media and everything – would that be accepted or effective?
JB: I think it would be, I really do.Man, the social media thing is a whole ‘nother animal, but I think inside the walls of a practice facility, it’s super important to have that type of leadership from your best player. He was one of the hardest working guys; he was one of the first guys there and the last to leave. And if the best player on your team is doing that – the best player in the world is doing that – it makes everybody else work that much harder, so I think he could definitely be super effective right now.
When Ethan Sherwood Strauss was on the podcast, we talked about how social media provided a unique challenge for the Golden State Warriors in recent years. These days, something as minor as a liked tweet or video of a player’s facial expression can become a story and start drama. Do you ever think about how different things would’ve been if social media was around during the Bulls’ dynasty?
JB: Well, the Dennis Rodman deal would’ve been crazy, that’s for sure. (laughs)
Dennis would’ve given us some amazing videos for Twitter and Instagram.
JB: I know! You know the deal with social media, the phones, the cameras… Now, I mean, everybody has a phone and everyone has a camera all the time. Even though those guys (MJ, Scottie, Dennis, Phil) were such mega-stars and our team was so popular, there was a chance to kind of get away from it a little bit because they didn’t have the phones that they have now, they didn’t have social media like they do now. Now, every single move by the stars in today’s game is getting judged and getting evaluated – every little thing. With Twitter and Instagram and everything, their lives are like an open book. There’s very little privacy for these guys. I can’t imagine it because our team was so popular and, especially when you have a guy like Dennis on social media, it would have just been crazy.
I’m sure you saw some crazy fan interactions in your four seasons traveling with Jordan. How did people respond when they’d meet Jordan or see you guys out in public?
JB: Well, there were always huge crowds, as you can see in the documentary. There were huge crowds all the time. I think because there wasn’t social media, when you had a chance to see Michael or the team, I mean, people went absolutely crazy. They went bananas! All of these stars in today’s world, they’re on your Instagram and you can see them every day on social media. But back then, you only had a few chances to see them when they came to your city or whatever, so people went nuts. As I said before, Michael wasn’t just an All-Star, he was an icon. I mean, he was the most popular person in the world during that time, so any kids or even parents who got a chance to even see him back then, they just went nuts. They just ate it up.
Based on tweets I’ve seen from young NBA players, it seems like some of them didn’t know the details of Jordan’s career until “The Last Dance,” which surprised me. When you interact with today’s players, how knowledgeable are they when it comes to Jordan and ‘90s basketball?
JB: You know what, that’s a great question. That’s another reason why I think this documentary is so impactful. This younger generation – the 19-year-old, 20-year-old, 21-year-old kids – I think their heroes are usually Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. I think they really looked up to those two and can relate to those guys, right? When I’ve talked to young players and I’ve asked them, “Who do you think is the greatest basketball player of all-time?” I get one of those two – Kobe or LeBron – and Michael’s name isn’t really ever mentioned. I’m so happy that they can witness in this documentary just the total domination, physically and mentally, and what he did during his career.
I think it’s also super important for them to see that he never missed any games. A lot of guys miss games now for little injuries or whatever and sit games out, but Michael never missed a game. He had that one foot injury during his career where he missed a certain number of games, but over his career, he always played. He always got out there, regardless of what the situation was – even if we were playing against a poor team. The games meant something to him. He always tried to go out there and put on a show, and I think it’s great for these young guys to kind of see his greatness.
During that 1997-98 season, there was this internal battle of Jerry Krause and management vs. Phil Jackson and the players. The documentary does a good job of depicting that, but how tense were things behind the scenes and what was it like to be in the middle of that?
JB: Yeah, it was super tough. I mean, we all knew from the start of the year that this was going to be it. I mean, they had kind of managed to [end] all the contracts; everyone – basically the entire team – was going to be a free agent because their contract was up and they did it that way. There were only a couple of guys that had one or two more years on their deal – I think Bill Wennington, Toni [Kukoc], maybe Randy Brown – but everybody else was done. So, from the start of that season, it was made perfectly clear that this is “the last dance,” that this is going to be it. It was hard. We kind of kept our head down and just focused on the basketball, but you could feel the tension between management and some of the players and obviously Phil and Jerry Krause. That part was just unfortunate, but it did fire us up to make sure that we finished it off the right way, which obviously we did.
I’ve talked to many players on this podcast about how frustrating it is when management breaks up a championship team and the players feel like they could’ve continued their run. Was it frustrating to be part of this dynasty and then have it come to a premature end thanks to the front office?
JB: Sure. I think being on [championship] teams, especially on that team, if you’re a champion, you kind of feel like you’ve earned the right to come back and try to win another one. Until someone knocks you off the top, you try and keep going and win more. There was a shortened season the next year [due to the lockout] and I don’t know… We don’t know what would have happened, but looking back, it’s kind of disappointing that we didn’t get to keep going until someone knocked us off the top.
Buechler is now a coach for the Knicks (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
I think you guys would’ve won it all in 1998-99, but it was obviously an amazing run while it lasted. What was it like playing for Phil Jackson? And how did your experience with Phil help you when you eventually made the transition to coaching?
JB: Phil basically saved my career. I was in a tricky spot. I had been in Golden State for three years and I was kind of almost out of the league. When I got there, the triangle offense and the way Phil coached was just so different than any other coach that I’d ever played for. He just really knew how to manage people. He knew how to handle and manage superstars as well, but I just really loved his style. He cared about you as a person a lot. He was very interested in your life and your off-court stuff, not just the basketball part. Seeing how Phil kind of handled that stuff, when I got back into coaching, I tried to carry some of that with me. He was just so calm and he was so great at just managing people, and I’ve tried to use that in my coaching.
Dennis Rodman is a very interesting guy, and I loved the Rodman episode of the documentary. How was Rodman as a teammate?
JB: He was an incredible teammate. When the lights came on, he went crazy, he went nuts; he was a showman and very flamboyant and everything. But I think the one misconception about him is that [he’s always like that], but behind the scenes, he was actually quiet. He was super nice and he was super generous with all of us, just a great teammate. In practice, he just worked as hard as anybody. But he was actually borderline shy; like, he wouldn’t even talk that much. I don’t think the rest of the world would ever think that because of how he acted when the lights came on during our games and stuff, but he was one of my most favorite teammates. When he got inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Steve Kerr and I went, and I was really happy to be in the crowd and see him there and to be there for that moment, for him. So, he’s one of my favorite teammates. I played 12 years in the NBA and I would say he’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with.
There’s this debate about how Jordan would fare in today’s NBA. Since you played with Jordan and you’ve coached in this era, how do you think MJ would fare if he played in the league right now?
JB: Oh, he would completely dominate. (laughs) The rules have changed so much and the changes would probably even help him. I mean, in the game now, they don’t allow you to be as physical and that was one thing that was obviously documented in the [series] – how tough the Pistons were on him, the ‘Bad Boys.’ That type of physical play isn’t allowed as much; you can’t put your hands all over people and use that anymore. In his prime, if you put him in the NBA right now, he’d be the best player still. He could probably average way more points – he’d probably average about 45 points per game or whatever. In today’s game, I think he would really thrive, for sure.
I feel like the spacing in today’s NBA would really help him, if you put a few shooters around him. Also, I’ve seen people say his three-point shooting would be an issue. But knowing Jordan’s maniacal work ethic, I think he would improve his three-point shot. It just wasn’t as important in that era, so he didn’t prioritize it.
JB: Yeah, I think the rules, the spacing [would help him]. And Michael was a fantastic shooter and he always made adjustments as he got on in his career to become better and better. And like you said, in today’s game there are so many threes taken, but I think that would be a very easy adjustment for him. If he needed to become a better three-point shooter, that would be easy because he was a very good shooter. He was an incredible mid-range shooter, for sure, and he didn’t shoot a bunch of threes because no one really did back then. But that would be an easy adjustment for him. But you’re right, with the spacing and the rules, teams would have to double-team him every single time. You’d have to come over and help every single time and if you put three-point shooters around him, those guys would just be knocking down wide open shots all the time.
I’ve seen some young people criticizing Jordan’s competition and saying he played against plumbers and mailmen, as if we’re talking about the ‘50s. I think it’s crazy, but what would you say to people who are downplaying the competition?
JB: Well, I don’t believe that at all. I mean, he just made them look really bad because he was so much better than everybody else. (laughs) I think when you’re watching all these highlights, you’re going, ”Man, it looks like he’s just doing whatever he wants.” He was! He was that much better than everybody else! He just was! It was super competitive back then and there were just as good athletes. Well, obviously, over the years, we see bigger, stronger, faster athletes. But I’m not buying that at all. There was super good competition, and he always took on the other team’s best defender, who was usually a pretty darn good defender. So, I’m not buying that.
What was it like making the transition to coaching?
JB: Well, I had taken some time off from basketball when I retired from playing and I just got to a point where I was missing it. I kind of wanted to give it a shot to see if I would enjoy it or not, and a lot of people were telling me that they thought I’d be good at it. I was very lucky; Luke Walton, who ended up playing for Phil and winning championships with him in Los Angeles, got the head coach job for the Lakers and he ended up hiring me. He brought me on as a behind-the-bench coach and I was so grateful for that. I got back in it and really loved being around the game again. The game had changed so much from when I had left it, so there was definitely an adjustment period. But I got back into it and I loved every second of it. I love working with these young guys and trying to share some of my experiences, what I went through as a player, with them.
“The Last Dance” looked at how Jordan was marketed and his success off the court. It’s one thing to be the best player in the NBA, but he also became a billionaire. What was it like to witness his success away from basketball, not only when you were playing with him but also in the years after?
JB: Well, the thing is that the Jordan shoe line has just become so popular. And that’s really popular with even the younger players today. But I don’t know, that’s a tough question. I mean, I think he was going to be successful in anything that he did. He was the best player in the world and arguably the best player ever to play the game. But it is nice to see that his Jordan Brand line is still so popular.
As we watch the rest of this documentary, are there any things that you hope to see?
JB: Not necessarily. I mean, I’ve enjoyed every second of it – all the backstory. They obviously went back to Michael’s childhood. I enjoyed the pieces on Scottie and Dennis. And it’s gonna be super fun when it gets to [more behind-the-scenes stuff] because there’s an incredible amount of really good behind-the-scenes footage. I feel like they tapped into that just a little bit so far, so I feel like the best of the footage is still to come.
The Baltimore Ravens altered titles for a handful of their coaches on defense and special teams, helping to refocus some on specific roles
The Baltimore Ravens aren’t just focusing on the 2020 NFL Draft and free agency, they’re looking within to improve. While the NFL combine kicks off, the Ravens changed around some of their coach’s titles.
Per the team’s website, they’ve changed the titles given to six coaches, both on defense and special teams.
Chris Horton – special teams coordinator (formerly special teams coach)
Randy Brown – special teams coach (formerly assistant special teams coach)
Chris Hewitt – pass defense coordinator (formerly defensive backs coach)
Sterling Lucas – defensive assistant/defensive line (formerly defensive assistant/linebackers)
For Horton and Brown, it doesn’t seem to be changing their actual roles, just consolidating the hierarchy on special teams after former coordinator Jerry Rosburg retired prior to last season.
However, on defense, there appears to be some refining in the roles under defensive coordinator Don Martindale following his new contract. Wilkins is now in charge of the outside linebackers solely. Minter gets a bump up to defensive backs coach, the role vacated by Hewitt, who will now be in charge of the entire pass defense. Lucas will switch his focus from linebackers to the defensive line.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from November 2019.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from November 2019: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for November.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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The Nominees
Joshua Pacio def. Rene Catalan at ONE Championship 102
[autotag]Joshua Pacio[/autotag] (18-3) earned his first ONE Championship flyweight title defense when he halted streaking challenger Rene Catalan (6-3) in the second round due to a slick choke.
Pacio finished Catalan with an arm-triangle choke midway through the second round. Before that, the champion displayed dominance in wearing Catalan down with strikes and grappling until he found the opening to finish the fight by submission.
David Zawada def. Abubakar Nurmagomedov at UFC on ESPN+ 21
Despite entering his matchup against [autotag]David Zawada[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) as a sizable favorite according to the oddsmakers, Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was submitted in the opening round.
The cousin of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abubakar, was surprised with Zawada’s submission skills in the welterweight bout. The underdog locked in a tight triangle choke from bottom position that caused Nurmagomedov to tap out and spoiling his anticipated octagon debut.
Karl Roberson def. Roman Kopylov at UFC on ESPN+ 21
A nasty eye poke couldn’t stop [autotag]Karl Roberson[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) from achieving victory against highly touted Russian prospect Roman Kopylov (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in their middleweight bout.
Despite taking a nasty poke from Kopylov in the fight, Roberson managed to finish the fight with a rear-naked choke. He overcame adversity and managed to wear down the previously unbeaten Kopylov until he took the back and locked in the choke deep enough to force the tap.
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) showed once again that he’s a future talent to watch in the welterweight division when he became the first man to submit Warlley Alves (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC).
The odds indicated an evenly matched fight coming in, and for much of the more than six minutes of action, it was. Brown proved to be more the more dangerous of the pair, though, locking in a triangle choke from bottom in the second. Alves tried to struggle, but he had to tap out in front of the fans in his native Brazil.
Ricardo Ramos def. Eduardo Garagorri at UFC on ESPN+ 22
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was successful in his move up to the featherweight division, defeating previously unbeaten opponent Eduardo Garagorri (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) inside the first round.
Ramos’ finishing ability clearly translated up from bantamweight, because he managed to quickly take Garagorri’s back from a standing position and work toward a rear-naked choke. Garagorri did his best to resist Ramos’ advances, but eventually they fell to the ground, the choke was sunk in deep and the fight was over.
With his back against the wall and his UFC career likely hanging in the balance, Zawada rose the occasion in a big way against Nurmagomedov.
After dropping consecutive fights in 2018 to begin his octagon tenure, Zawada took nearly a year away from competition before coming back at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in Moscow.
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He got no easy draw of opponent for his comeback in Nurmagomedov, either, but used the platform to make the most of the moment.
Zawada strangled Nurmagomedov into submission with a textbook triangle choke, putting himself back in the win column for the first time in 19 months and getting his hand raised under the UFC banner for the first time.
Result: Randy Brown def. Warlley Alves via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:22 Updated records: Brown (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Alves (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) Key stat: Alves landed three takedowns, but Brown made good on his second submission attempt to get the upset win.
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Brown on the fight’s key moment
“The first round, I got a little slow start. I slipped at the beginning and did not want to use too much energy trying to get up. Second round, I just went back to what I am good at and won the fight.”
Brown on making improvements
“I plan to get the finish every time I get out there and fight – that is my goal. It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to be, but we are still working. I am getting better.”
Brown on what he wants next
“I would like to fight Michael Chiesa next. He moved up to the welterweight division, and I would like to be his next opponent.”
Jan Blachowicz and two others are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC Sao Paulo.
Three fighters, including headliner [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 22.
Blachowicz, who appeared to injure his left foot in his five-round victory over Ronaldo Souza, will need to get clearance on both feet in order to return to in-cage competition. Blachowicz is tentatively suspended 180 days, with a minimum of 30 days and no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag], the lone fighters to suffer knockout losses on the card, are facing similar suspensions. Moraes, who suffered a third-round knockout loss to James Krause, will be suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a neurologist.
Gordon, who was brutally finished early in the first round by Charles Oliveira, was suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a otolaryngologist (ENT).
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Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions, per a CABMMA record acquired by MMA Fighting.
Jan Blachowicz: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of both feet are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
Jared Gordon: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by otolaryngologist; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Sergio Moraes: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by neurologist; also suspended 60 days with with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Douglas de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 22, which took place in Sao Paulo, and saw Jan Blachowicz beat Ronaldo Souza.
The UFC made its final stop in Brazil this year on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 22, which went down at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo with a 12-fight card that streamed entirely on ESPN+.
[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) continued to build momentum as a light heavyweight contender in the main event when he entered enemy territory and defeated Brazil’s own [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) by split decision.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 22.
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General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $192,000.
Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]James Krause[/autotag], [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] and [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 22 fight-night bonuses.
Betting favorites went 10-1 on the card. One fight ended in a draw.
Betting favorites improved to 20-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:36:04.
Main card
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Blachowicz improved to 6-1 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.
Blachowicz has earned four of his eight UFC victories by decision.
Souza suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
Souza was unsuccessful in his light heavyweight debut.
Souza has suffered four of his five UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (12-4-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC) ended in the third split draw UFC result of 2019.
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Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) improved to 7-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He’s 9-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.
Oliveira’s six-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).
Oliveira’s six-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest active streak in the company.
Oliveira’s 15 stoppage victories in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (16).
Oliveira has been awarded 15 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the tied with Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon for second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).
Oliveira has been awarded nine “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.
[autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) fell to 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to February 2014.
Gordon has suffered all four of his career losses by knockout.
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[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) improved to 13-1 in his past 14 fights dating back to February 2014.
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights.
Perez has suffered all three of his career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
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Krause (27-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) extended his UFC winning streak to six. He hasn’t suffered an octagon defeat since February 2016.
Krause improved to 4-0 in the UFC when competing at welterweight.
[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag]’ (14-6-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.
Moraes has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
Krause landed a knockdown for the first time in his UFC career.
Ramos (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was successful in his featherweight debut.
[autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 13-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
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[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]’s (24-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) 12 UFC victories in Brazil are the most in company history.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) fell to 1-5 (with one no contest) in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014.
Green has suffered four of his five UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
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[autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC featherweight division.
De Andrade has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]’s (34-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) five-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.
Barao fell to 2-8 in his past 10 fights after going on a 33-fight unbeaten streak that lasted more than nine years.
[autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered six of her seven career losses by decision. That includes both of her UFC defeats.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
