Tag: ray longo

Ray Longo defends Merab Dvalishvili from Dana White’s criticism: ‘He’s far from a dummy’

Ray Longo disagrees with Dana White’s remarks towards Merab Dvalishvili.

[autotag]Ray Longo[/autotag] disagrees with [autotag]Dana White[/autotag]’s remarks towards [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the UFC 306 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) main event at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Just weeks prior to his fight with O’Malley, Dvalishvili suffered a face laceration, which he posted on social media, prompting White to call him “next-level stupid.” Not only did he reveal that he had cut himself, but he proceeded to remove the stitches himself with bush shears.

Longo took issue with White branding Dvalishvili as stupid.

“I’m not the social media guy, so I don’t get it,” Longo told Kevin Iole. “But you have to expect this sh*t with these kids today. They film everything. They film tying their shoelaces. He’s been a camera guy since the second I met him. He’s crazy with the camera. But look, if it was a knee injury, I’d say that would be a problem. Now you’re going to target something. He’s going to get cut in the fight. It is what it is. He’s going to get punched in the face.

“A cut’s a cut, and if it opens up, I don’t think it’ll have an impact on the fight. … One thing Dana was really wrong on, he called him a dummy. He’s far from a dummy. He’s very intelligent. He’s a humble guy. He’s got humble beginnings. He’s fighting for his country. There’s certain guys that that type of sh*t means a lot. He’s one of them. (O’Malley’s) going to have to beat this kid dead, that I guarantee you.”

During Wednesday’s media day, O’Malley took the opportunity to pile on Dvalishvili after White’s remarks. He was asked if he thinks it’s a marketing ploy by Dvalishvili or a mistake on his part.

“A little bit of both – mostly stupidity,” O’Malley said. “I mean, the dude jumped – he didn’t know what ice was – he jumped, he didn’t know if water got cold, that cold, that it turns into ice. He jumped in ice onto his head. So, I mean, that’s the person we’re talking about.”

[lawrence-related id=2770003,2769331,2767995,2767498,2766778]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Ray Longo sounds off on ‘total f*cking misfit’ Colby Covington following UFC 296 pre-fight antics

Not only is Ray Longo fed up with Colby Covington’s tired act, he thinks he cost Donald Trump the election with his awful UFC 296 performance.

Coach [autotag]Ray Longo[/autotag] can’t stand [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], and his antics leading up to UFC 296 only strengthened that sentiment.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) took a lot of heat for making a distasteful comment about welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ murdered father during the UFC 296 pre-event news conference.

An emotional Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) admitted it took a lot of restraint not to unload on Covington in the moment, and he managed to put on a composed performance to shut him down in this past Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena. Longo wasn’t having any of Covington’s attempts to sell the fight and thinks he majorly crossed the line.

“I’ve got absolutely no use for the guy at all. I just don’t,” Longo said on the “Anik & Florian Podcast.” “Ever since he threatened you (Anik), he knows where you live, he can go f*ck himself. Couldn’t give a sh*t about that guy. What he did with Leon Edwards I think is atrocious. You know, there’s promoting a fight, then there’s being a total f*cking misfit in life, and that’s the way I see it with that guy.”

Longo also was enraged by Covington’s insults toward Stephen Thompson during the same pre-event news conference, where he called “Wonderboy” a pedophile because he serves as a karate teacher for kids.

“Colby, you’re sucking the f*cking life out of the community,” Longo said. “Like a leech on society, and now you’re attacking this guy. It’s just too much for me. I don’t care for it. And, man, talk about karma, because what a piece of sh*t that fight was. I mean, the guy did absolutely nothing and to be able to take a pro-Colby crowd, and by the end of the fight have the crowd against you, good luck, my man.

“I hope it was worth the money, the extra 25 percent or whatever. I hope it was worth it, because I can promise you that he will regret a lot of sh*t for the rest of your life. I think he cost (Donald) Trump the election. How’s that? ‘Oh, Mr. President, Mr. President is here to watch me. Who do you got? The Queen of England.’ This motherf*cker called somebody a dope? I’d love to see this guy’s college transcripts. He’s a f*cking moron.”

[lawrence-related id=2704855,2704933,2704912,2703673]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Ray Longo wants UFC to cancel upcoming events: Fighters ‘not getting near a normal training camp’

“I got to tell you, New York is a (expletive) show”

[autotag]Ray Longo[/autotag] is doing the best he can in New York to get by as a world-class MMA coach while also following the government’s recommended safety guidelines during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Longo lives in Nassau County and trains many high-level UFC fighters in the area, including former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who’s scheduled to headline UFC Oklahoma City on May 2.

With social distancing guidelines in place and the closing of non-essential businesses in the state, which includes gyms, Longo is having tough time preparing Weidman for his drop back to 185 pounds to face Jack Hermansson.

“He’s trying, yeah, definitely, but he’s got to do it at his house,” Longo told MMA Junkie. “I really wish the UFC would’ve just come out and canceled a couple of shows because I don’t like to see these guys go in compromised, you know what I mean? They’re definitely not getting near a normal training camp. I even have Matt Frevola; he thinks he’s fighting on April 26, which I just don’t see it’s a possibility.”

New York’s death toll due to coronavirus has surpassed 3,500, and the state’s total cases number well over 100,000.

With the conditions of the community, Longo has been forced to train Weidman through FaceTime, as their gym is currently closed. He also doesn’t want contact with any of his fighters in fear of potentially spreading or getting the virus due to it’s asymptomatic characteristics.

“I don’t even trust myself,” Longo said. “The last thing I want to do, I would hate to pass something to someone else, to somebody that couldn’t deal with it properly. That would be a bad thing for me. I would regret that more than anything in the world. That’s why you have to do it by FaceTime.”

[lawrence-related id=500687,491721,480197]

Almost all major sports organizations have postponed their seasons and events due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. Yet, the UFC has continued to attempt to keep their annual schedule intact by trying to relocate events and take fights where they’re not affected by state bans on sporting events and public gatherings.

With Frevola scheduled to fight at UFC Lincoln later this month, Longo is allowing the lightweight to access the gym but admits he’s split about letting his fighter continue to train.

“I let him get in the gym, which I probably shouldn’t be doing,” Longo said. “It’s just him and another guy sparring, but it puts everybody in an awkward position because I really don’t want to do it, but then again, I want to see the kid get his work in. So it just kind of sucks, man.

“If you’re from New York, I don’t know how everybody else is dealing with it, but I got to tell you, New York is a (expletive) show. You’re staring to hear, it was like six degrees of separation, but now we’re two degrees away from people that we know that are dying and just the people that are losing (someone) saying goodbye on a walkie-talkie outside the hospital. It’s horrible.

“The stories are starting to pour in. I think the other day we lost 1,000 people in New York, and they say we’re not even close to the peak yet. So it’s hard to focus on something that’s more of an enjoyment to you, but this is real life. It’s not a joke, and it’s hard to get past all that. My point to Matt Frevola was, ‘Look, man. I think you should chill because you still live with your father. He’s like my age, and you can get that guy in a lot of trouble if things go south.’

“So everybody is in a weird position. I really wish they (UFC) would just call and say, ‘Hey, you’re not fighting for a couple of weeks,’ at least the guys in New York. ‘Guys, chill out. I know what you’re going through. We’ll get you fights in June, July, but right now chill out.’ It’s hard to abide by what everyone is telling us to do and stay in the house when guys think they’re still fighting and trying to get camps in.”

[vertical-gallery id=453309]