MMA News Thread
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Jon Jones' traffic case pushed back to March
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ day in court on a trio of traffic charges is delayed until March.
A clerk for the Albuquerque (N.M.) Metropolitan Court told MMAjunkie that Jones’ case, which was slated for today at 9 a.m. local time, was “vacated” and will now be heard March 23.
Jones is charged with driving without a license, proof of registration or insurance after being pulled over on Jan. 31 by police for unknown reasons. Jones’ rep told MMAjunkie he was speeding, but later said she “misspoke” and did not known why he was pulled over.
Although the ex-champ is currently on supervised probation for his role in a hit-and-run accident that left a 25-year-old pregnant woman with a broken arm in 2015, the state’s district attorney’s office has already ruled it will not pursue him for a parole violation. Per the terms of an agreement he reached with prosecutors this past fall, he is forbidden from breaking any laws.
But Jones won’t get off scot free after his latest traffic mishap. The New Mexico Corrections Department, which monitors Jones, gave him three days’ community service for failing to report the infractions (in addition to community service he was ordered to perform as part of his plea agreement). And he likely faces small fix-it fines for the tickets.
Jones on Monday released a video jabbing the media for covering the situation.
“I’ve gotten my sobriety back, almost five months sober now,” Jones said. “Living happier and healthier. Got rid of a lot of people who didn’t need to be in my life. I’ve completed 65 appearances talking to the youth in the community. I’m about to win a world title in a few weeks, and they’re talking about tickets?”
As of now, Jones (21-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is set to fight for the light heavyweight title against the man who seized it when the UFC stripped him of the belt, his rival Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). The two meet April 23 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena in UFC 197’s pay-per-view main event.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ day in court on a trio of traffic charges is delayed until March.
A clerk for the Albuquerque (N.M.) Metropolitan Court told MMAjunkie that Jones’ case, which was slated for today at 9 a.m. local time, was “vacated” and will now be heard March 23.
Jones is charged with driving without a license, proof of registration or insurance after being pulled over on Jan. 31 by police for unknown reasons. Jones’ rep told MMAjunkie he was speeding, but later said she “misspoke” and did not known why he was pulled over.
Although the ex-champ is currently on supervised probation for his role in a hit-and-run accident that left a 25-year-old pregnant woman with a broken arm in 2015, the state’s district attorney’s office has already ruled it will not pursue him for a parole violation. Per the terms of an agreement he reached with prosecutors this past fall, he is forbidden from breaking any laws.
But Jones won’t get off scot free after his latest traffic mishap. The New Mexico Corrections Department, which monitors Jones, gave him three days’ community service for failing to report the infractions (in addition to community service he was ordered to perform as part of his plea agreement). And he likely faces small fix-it fines for the tickets.
Jones on Monday released a video jabbing the media for covering the situation.
“I’ve gotten my sobriety back, almost five months sober now,” Jones said. “Living happier and healthier. Got rid of a lot of people who didn’t need to be in my life. I’ve completed 65 appearances talking to the youth in the community. I’m about to win a world title in a few weeks, and they’re talking about tickets?”
As of now, Jones (21-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is set to fight for the light heavyweight title against the man who seized it when the UFC stripped him of the belt, his rival Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). The two meet April 23 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena in UFC 197’s pay-per-view main event.
lol they just announced CM Punk is having back surgery and his June debut is pushed back. We definitely won't see him fight in 2016.
CM Punk to undergo back surgery on Wednesday; UFC debut delayed - MMA Fighting
He says he still wants to fight in 2016, but I doubt it, dude has already had 2 major injuries push back his debut.
CM Punk to undergo back surgery on Wednesday; UFC debut delayed - MMA Fighting
He says he still wants to fight in 2016, but I doubt it, dude has already had 2 major injuries push back his debut.
The worst thing about this CM Punk thing is the article says he knew he needed surgery before Mickey Gall even fought but kept it to himself.
Dude stepped in the cage and went face to face with Mickey Gall knowing he had no intention of making June.
He told all of the backstage interviews he intended to fight Mickey Gall in June knowing it was all bullshit lol
Dude stepped in the cage and went face to face with Mickey Gall knowing he had no intention of making June.
He told all of the backstage interviews he intended to fight Mickey Gall in June knowing it was all bullshit lol
backstage saturday night Punk told Ariel Helwani he would be ready to fight for 200. i think UFC woulda wanted that anyway. they dont got GSP, Silva aint the star he was, they aint gonna have Nick. Jones is fighting 2 months before hand. Ronda's out. i don't know what the plan is for 200. they need Punk to get that casual money. they'll have McGregor but he aint a star here in the states, though them irish fans will cash out.
RIP Kevin Randleman 
Former UFC Champ, Pride Veteran Kevin Randleman Dies at 44
UFC and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Kevin Randleman has died at 44 years old.
Wes Sims, who once trained alongside Randleman at Mark Coleman’s Team Hammer House, confirmed the news to Sherdog.com on Thursday evening via text message. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter revealed on Twitter that the fighter went to the hospital with pneumonia and died of heart failure.
A two-time NCAA national champion wrestler at Ohio State University, Randleman began his mixed martial arts career in 1996 under the Universal Vale Tudo Fighting banner in Brazil. He made his Octagon debut in 1997, taking a unanimous decision over Maurice Smith at UFC 19. Two bouts later, he captured the promotion’s heavyweight title with a five-round verdict over Pete Williams at UFC 23. Randleman defended the belt once before losing it to Randy Couture at UFC 28.
Randleman made his Pride debut in 2002 and compiled a 4-7 record with the Japanese promotion over the next three-plus years, including wins over Mirko Filipovic and Murilo Rua. He also notably squared off with the likes of Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba and Mauricio Rua during his tenure.
Known as “The Monster,” Randleman last fought on May 7, 2011, losing to Baga Agaev via first-round armbar at an event in Russia.
Former UFC Champ, Pride Veteran Kevin Randleman Dies at 44
UFC and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Kevin Randleman has died at 44 years old.
Wes Sims, who once trained alongside Randleman at Mark Coleman’s Team Hammer House, confirmed the news to Sherdog.com on Thursday evening via text message. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter revealed on Twitter that the fighter went to the hospital with pneumonia and died of heart failure.
A two-time NCAA national champion wrestler at Ohio State University, Randleman began his mixed martial arts career in 1996 under the Universal Vale Tudo Fighting banner in Brazil. He made his Octagon debut in 1997, taking a unanimous decision over Maurice Smith at UFC 19. Two bouts later, he captured the promotion’s heavyweight title with a five-round verdict over Pete Williams at UFC 23. Randleman defended the belt once before losing it to Randy Couture at UFC 28.
Randleman made his Pride debut in 2002 and compiled a 4-7 record with the Japanese promotion over the next three-plus years, including wins over Mirko Filipovic and Murilo Rua. He also notably squared off with the likes of Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba and Mauricio Rua during his tenure.
Known as “The Monster,” Randleman last fought on May 7, 2011, losing to Baga Agaev via first-round armbar at an event in Russia.
Props:
RM211 and RM211
Nevada commission issues UFC vet Wanderlei Silva 3-year suspension
The Nevada State Athletic Commission today voted to suspend Wanderlei Silva for three years following a re-hearing on a lifetime ban issued 17 months ago.
The NSAC banned Silva and fined him $70,000 for evading a drug test in connection with a proposed fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 175.
Silva’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his evasion, May 24, 2014, meaning he is eligible to apply for a license on May 25, 2017. He is also required to provide a clean drug test upon applying for a new license.
The NSAC decided against a monetary penalty toward Silva since his proposed bout with Sonnen didn’t take place and he did not receive a purse.
The decision comes nine months after a judge called the NSAC’s lifetime ban arbitrary and capricious, and overturned it, sending the case back to the commission for a re-hearing. The second hearing was delayed on multiple occasions.
Silva was not present at the hearing today in Las Vegas and was represented by his longtime attorney, Ross Goodman, who attempted to reassert his argument that the commission overstepped its bounds by punishing Silva, who was unlicensed at the time of his evaded test. Commission chair Anthony Marnell shot down Goodman’s attempt, arguing it was “irrelevant” to the re-hearing.
The NSAC’s attorney, Caroline Bateman, recommended a suspension in the range of 32 to 48 months based on decisions from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency. Former NSAC chairman and commissioner Francisco Aguilar recommended the 36-month punishment after an initial proposal of four years by commissioner Pat Lundvall, who called Silva’s behavior “some of the most egregious actions we’ve seen from an athletes.”
The NSAC’s decision is likely to spur an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court from Goodman, who in a previous interview said he needed the commission to re-hear Silva as a precursor to additional legal action.
Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC), 39, retired after his lifetime ban, but this past month was released from his UFC contract after he apologized for accusing the promotion of fight-fixing. He is scheduled to appear this week at a fan event for the Viacom-owned Bellator MMA promotion and recently announced the opening of a sporting goods store in his native Brazil.
On Monday, he made a mock poster of him opposite Fedor Emelianenko in the upstart Japanese promotion Rizin FF, suggesting his desire to fight the former PRIDE heavyweight champion.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission today voted to suspend Wanderlei Silva for three years following a re-hearing on a lifetime ban issued 17 months ago.
The NSAC banned Silva and fined him $70,000 for evading a drug test in connection with a proposed fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 175.
Silva’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his evasion, May 24, 2014, meaning he is eligible to apply for a license on May 25, 2017. He is also required to provide a clean drug test upon applying for a new license.
The NSAC decided against a monetary penalty toward Silva since his proposed bout with Sonnen didn’t take place and he did not receive a purse.
The decision comes nine months after a judge called the NSAC’s lifetime ban arbitrary and capricious, and overturned it, sending the case back to the commission for a re-hearing. The second hearing was delayed on multiple occasions.
Silva was not present at the hearing today in Las Vegas and was represented by his longtime attorney, Ross Goodman, who attempted to reassert his argument that the commission overstepped its bounds by punishing Silva, who was unlicensed at the time of his evaded test. Commission chair Anthony Marnell shot down Goodman’s attempt, arguing it was “irrelevant” to the re-hearing.
The NSAC’s attorney, Caroline Bateman, recommended a suspension in the range of 32 to 48 months based on decisions from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency. Former NSAC chairman and commissioner Francisco Aguilar recommended the 36-month punishment after an initial proposal of four years by commissioner Pat Lundvall, who called Silva’s behavior “some of the most egregious actions we’ve seen from an athletes.”
The NSAC’s decision is likely to spur an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court from Goodman, who in a previous interview said he needed the commission to re-hear Silva as a precursor to additional legal action.
Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC), 39, retired after his lifetime ban, but this past month was released from his UFC contract after he apologized for accusing the promotion of fight-fixing. He is scheduled to appear this week at a fan event for the Viacom-owned Bellator MMA promotion and recently announced the opening of a sporting goods store in his native Brazil.
On Monday, he made a mock poster of him opposite Fedor Emelianenko in the upstart Japanese promotion Rizin FF, suggesting his desire to fight the former PRIDE heavyweight champion.
Anthony Pettis and Edson Barboza meet at UFC 197
UFC 197 was already shaping up to be a blockbuster event, but the announcement that Anthony Pettis and Edson Barboza will meet on the card has added to the luster.
The bout was announced on the UFC’s official website.
UFC 197 takes place April 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. The card features a pair of title fights at the top of the bill. Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier fights nemesis and former champ Jon Jones in the main event, and flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson puts his belt on the line for the eighth time when he meets Olympic gold medal winner Henry Cejudo in the co-feature.
Pettis (18-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC), a former champion in both the UFC and WEC, is ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings while Barboza (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) checks in at No. 13. Both fighters sport flasy striking styles that should make for a very fan-friendly match-up.
Pettis is currently on a two-fight losing skid, dropping bouts to Rafael dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez in his most recent outings. Prior to the back-to-back defeats, he was riding a five-fight winning streak that included four consecutive finishes.
Barboza dropped his own most recent fight, getting submitted by Tony Ferguson in an entertaining battle. He has been awarded six “Fight of the Night” awards in his 14 UFC outings. Pettis has won seven performance bonuses in his 14 bouts under the Zuffa banner.
With the addition, the latest UFC 197 card includes:
Champ Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones – for light heavyweight title
Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo – for flyweight title
Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Pettis
Rafael Natal vs. Robert Whitaker
Jessica Aguilar vs. Juliana Lima
Clint Hester vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Andre Fili vs. Yair Rodriguez
UFC 197 was already shaping up to be a blockbuster event, but the announcement that Anthony Pettis and Edson Barboza will meet on the card has added to the luster.
The bout was announced on the UFC’s official website.
UFC 197 takes place April 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. The card features a pair of title fights at the top of the bill. Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier fights nemesis and former champ Jon Jones in the main event, and flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson puts his belt on the line for the eighth time when he meets Olympic gold medal winner Henry Cejudo in the co-feature.
Pettis (18-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC), a former champion in both the UFC and WEC, is ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings while Barboza (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) checks in at No. 13. Both fighters sport flasy striking styles that should make for a very fan-friendly match-up.
Pettis is currently on a two-fight losing skid, dropping bouts to Rafael dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez in his most recent outings. Prior to the back-to-back defeats, he was riding a five-fight winning streak that included four consecutive finishes.
Barboza dropped his own most recent fight, getting submitted by Tony Ferguson in an entertaining battle. He has been awarded six “Fight of the Night” awards in his 14 UFC outings. Pettis has won seven performance bonuses in his 14 bouts under the Zuffa banner.
With the addition, the latest UFC 197 card includes:
Champ Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones – for light heavyweight title
Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo – for flyweight title
Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Pettis
Rafael Natal vs. Robert Whitaker
Jessica Aguilar vs. Juliana Lima
Clint Hester vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Andre Fili vs. Yair Rodriguez
Props:
B-Buzz and B-Buzz
yeah Rampage pretty much had to take fights in Bellator, he would have been tied up in court for too long, would have had to retire if he waited out court. His settlement with Bellator worked out good for him though, he got 2 fights instead of the 3 he had and he got more money.
UFC is being cool also, said they won't stand in the way and keep it in court.
Would be dope if Rampage takes one or both of his fights in the new Bellator Kickboxing promotion, that way he can just stand and bang and not worry about take downs.
UFC is being cool also, said they won't stand in the way and keep it in court.
Would be dope if Rampage takes one or both of his fights in the new Bellator Kickboxing promotion, that way he can just stand and bang and not worry about take downs.
HIGH TIMES Interview: Nick Diaz
BY DAN SKYE · WED FEB 17, 2016
http://www.hightimes.com/read/high-...=Feed:+HIGHTIMESMagazine+(HIGH+TIMES+Magazine)
Early in his career as a mixed-martial-arts fighter, Nick Diaz was tagged as someone who had problems with the media. Diaz rolls his eyes and scoffs at the assertion. “I don’t like people in my face when I’m getting ready for a fight — constantly trying to get a story, asking how I feel, trying to get a quote,” he says.
He also isn’t too fond of fans who pull out cell phones to take a selfie when they meet him. “I just need my space,” he explains.
And yet, at his Stockton, California, home, Diaz is self-possessed, relaxed and pleasant. He sips a beer while talking about his recent ordeal with the UFC and the fight life in general. He’s been fighting since 2001, and he’s earned a reputation as one of the most ferocious competitors in the sport. In September, he was fined $165,000 and suspended by the UFC for five years following his third positive test for cannabis, after his January 2015 fight with Anderson Silva. It was seen as a career-ending punishment — one harsh enough that the cannabis community mounted a White House petition drive to have the ban lifted.
Outrage over the penalty has been so intense, in fact, that as we go to press (In November 2015) the Nevada State Athletic Commission is reconsidering its decision due to public pressure.
At the eye of the hurricane that the UFC has created for itself, however, Diaz seems amazingly serene. He’s certainly not done fighting—and he certainly won’t be changing his ways.
It’s been a month now since the suspension. How are you feeling?
I’ve just had some good time off, from the time of that fight until now. I didn’t expect to fight anytime between then and now—so I’ve just been trying to make some ends meet, standing outside of the whole fight world.
Are you still angry? Because you were pretty angry after the verdict came down.
Yeah, well, I’m always real angry. But I don’t take it as a loss. I haven’t taken any fight as a loss in the UFC—it’s hard to come back from losses. Defeat is only a state of mind, and I’ve never come to that state of mind.
It’s not like I purposely failed my test, but I purposely did not give a shit. I’m more focused on giving more of a shit about the fight.
You seem somewhat philosophical about this, not all that bitter.
Everything has been a gamble for me. Money and everything [that goes with it] is really a big liability. I could have been a regular guy. People from where I’m from don’t make a hundred grand a year.
At the time, I was upset. It felt like everybody was really putting it to me; I was kind of at a loss for words. I mean, I heard one of the commissioners owns cannabis dispensaries, and I’m suspended for five years? They don’t suspend guys for steroids—but I get five years, and this guy owns dispensaries.
The whole thing is—I don’t even wanna say the word, but it sounds like a setup … like the whole thing was just set up for everything to go down the way it did. It’s such a joke.
Do you think the test was rigged?
I knew that if I was tested, I’d come up under 15 nanograms—which I did. I knew I wasn’t going to come up over 100 nanograms, which was their level. Then I was tested five days later and came back seven times higher. They’re full of shit. Whatever happened is bullshit: I never got tested that many times—at least five times from when I got to Vegas, before the fight and after.
Do you dwell on this?
What am I gonna do? As far as being suspended, I have to fight, you know what I mean? The ups and downs of life, they’re going to come; I’m just kind of along for the ride. Life chose me. The upside is, I might not have to fight. A lot of these guys in the MMA and all other fighters out there will say they love to fight. I’m going to tell you all that I’m a nonviolent person—I’m not somebody who loves to fight. I fight because I have to. If there was any quit in me, I never would have made it this far. So it’s kind of hard. It’s kind of a curse.
What do you mean, you “have to” fight?
I use to live in, like, some pretty slummy areas around Stockton. I was getting in fights in first and second grade with Mexican kids, Asian kids, black kids. You’d get in fights—everybody would. Out here, you get in fights when you’re a kid, unless you go to a private school—and I didn’t go to a private school. This led me to want to do more martial arts. I was a huge Jean-Claude Van Damme fan: I’d act like him, do kicks like him, do the splits. I was a Van Damme wannabe!
But nobody supported that. My parents weren’t like: “Oh yeah, he loves Van Damme.” Nobody really supported that, but my uncle did aikido, so it was easy for them to sign me up. Anything they could do to get rid of me for a little while, you know?
When did you start training seriously?
I started really training and fighting at 15 or 16. I stopped going to high school my sophomore year. I wasn’t making good attendance. I had a really attractive girlfriend, a cheerleader, and she had a boyfriend before I got to high school. I got into fights with him and the whole football team. I wanted to play football, but that wasn’t going to work out. I was a pretty good swimmer, but I didn’t want to swim in high school because I didn’t think it was very cool. So my social life was all screwed around. I didn’t have a good base, like friends or a squad or anything like that. I went to three or four different grammar schools—see, my parents moved around Stockton and Lodi. I had a lot of anxiety about jumping into another classroom. They were always putting me in special ed. But I was smart; I wasn’t like these kids in the special-ed classes. But it would make me feel a little bit stupid. Then I’d go back into the smart-kids class the rest of the day, and they’re like: “Hey, you know you’re in the retarded class?”
So I’d be behind. Then they’d try to put me on drugs. I had a lot of energy—hyperactivity. But if my energy had been used, I could have excelled. I would have progressed. Nobody ever found me something to do for the day. So I was always just wound up, running around breaking shit. I was pretty destructive.
Did fighting give you a sense of worth?
Oh, yeah, I got that right away. I always thought it’s what mattered. It always had something to do with the girls, the women—even in first grade, I was getting into fights over them. I had a hard time being impressive any other way.
When did you start thinking about becoming a professional fighter?
I found out that this stuff was right in my backyard. I’d rent tapes from the special-interest section at Blockbuster video—Pride FC tapes. I’d watch [UFC Hall of Famer] Royce Gracie’s fights in the UFC. I found out that [UFC Hall of Famer] Ken Shamrock was from around here. I was lifting and getting strong, but I wanted to start training. A friend of mine’s brother was training at the Lion’s Den—it’s a fight school. So I just joined and started learning jujitsu. I did two or three days a week there. It was a fitness gym, too, so I had everything.
I started full-time training and I was really focused, and I found that it was easy for me. I didn’t have a job yet. I didn’t go to school anymore. I just decided that I was going to train harder than guys who were training to fight.
What do you bring to this sport that nobody else does?
I keep it real, that’s for sure. A lot of fighters have problems and issues, but they should just tune it out the way I do. I’ve had all these fights; I don’t dabble in other stuff—I don’t have any interest. Training is more important for me, enhancing my sense of security—because at the end of the day, I’ve got a fight coming in a couple months. It’s always been that way. Now, 14, 15 years later, you realize that there’s more to life. I started to come to some understanding about who I am and where I come from—and the demographic that I’m reaching out to.
BY DAN SKYE · WED FEB 17, 2016
http://www.hightimes.com/read/high-...=Feed:+HIGHTIMESMagazine+(HIGH+TIMES+Magazine)
Early in his career as a mixed-martial-arts fighter, Nick Diaz was tagged as someone who had problems with the media. Diaz rolls his eyes and scoffs at the assertion. “I don’t like people in my face when I’m getting ready for a fight — constantly trying to get a story, asking how I feel, trying to get a quote,” he says.
He also isn’t too fond of fans who pull out cell phones to take a selfie when they meet him. “I just need my space,” he explains.
And yet, at his Stockton, California, home, Diaz is self-possessed, relaxed and pleasant. He sips a beer while talking about his recent ordeal with the UFC and the fight life in general. He’s been fighting since 2001, and he’s earned a reputation as one of the most ferocious competitors in the sport. In September, he was fined $165,000 and suspended by the UFC for five years following his third positive test for cannabis, after his January 2015 fight with Anderson Silva. It was seen as a career-ending punishment — one harsh enough that the cannabis community mounted a White House petition drive to have the ban lifted.
Outrage over the penalty has been so intense, in fact, that as we go to press (In November 2015) the Nevada State Athletic Commission is reconsidering its decision due to public pressure.
At the eye of the hurricane that the UFC has created for itself, however, Diaz seems amazingly serene. He’s certainly not done fighting—and he certainly won’t be changing his ways.
It’s been a month now since the suspension. How are you feeling?
I’ve just had some good time off, from the time of that fight until now. I didn’t expect to fight anytime between then and now—so I’ve just been trying to make some ends meet, standing outside of the whole fight world.
Are you still angry? Because you were pretty angry after the verdict came down.
Yeah, well, I’m always real angry. But I don’t take it as a loss. I haven’t taken any fight as a loss in the UFC—it’s hard to come back from losses. Defeat is only a state of mind, and I’ve never come to that state of mind.
It’s not like I purposely failed my test, but I purposely did not give a shit. I’m more focused on giving more of a shit about the fight.
You seem somewhat philosophical about this, not all that bitter.
Everything has been a gamble for me. Money and everything [that goes with it] is really a big liability. I could have been a regular guy. People from where I’m from don’t make a hundred grand a year.
At the time, I was upset. It felt like everybody was really putting it to me; I was kind of at a loss for words. I mean, I heard one of the commissioners owns cannabis dispensaries, and I’m suspended for five years? They don’t suspend guys for steroids—but I get five years, and this guy owns dispensaries.
The whole thing is—I don’t even wanna say the word, but it sounds like a setup … like the whole thing was just set up for everything to go down the way it did. It’s such a joke.
Do you think the test was rigged?
I knew that if I was tested, I’d come up under 15 nanograms—which I did. I knew I wasn’t going to come up over 100 nanograms, which was their level. Then I was tested five days later and came back seven times higher. They’re full of shit. Whatever happened is bullshit: I never got tested that many times—at least five times from when I got to Vegas, before the fight and after.
Do you dwell on this?
What am I gonna do? As far as being suspended, I have to fight, you know what I mean? The ups and downs of life, they’re going to come; I’m just kind of along for the ride. Life chose me. The upside is, I might not have to fight. A lot of these guys in the MMA and all other fighters out there will say they love to fight. I’m going to tell you all that I’m a nonviolent person—I’m not somebody who loves to fight. I fight because I have to. If there was any quit in me, I never would have made it this far. So it’s kind of hard. It’s kind of a curse.
What do you mean, you “have to” fight?
I use to live in, like, some pretty slummy areas around Stockton. I was getting in fights in first and second grade with Mexican kids, Asian kids, black kids. You’d get in fights—everybody would. Out here, you get in fights when you’re a kid, unless you go to a private school—and I didn’t go to a private school. This led me to want to do more martial arts. I was a huge Jean-Claude Van Damme fan: I’d act like him, do kicks like him, do the splits. I was a Van Damme wannabe!
But nobody supported that. My parents weren’t like: “Oh yeah, he loves Van Damme.” Nobody really supported that, but my uncle did aikido, so it was easy for them to sign me up. Anything they could do to get rid of me for a little while, you know?
When did you start training seriously?
I started really training and fighting at 15 or 16. I stopped going to high school my sophomore year. I wasn’t making good attendance. I had a really attractive girlfriend, a cheerleader, and she had a boyfriend before I got to high school. I got into fights with him and the whole football team. I wanted to play football, but that wasn’t going to work out. I was a pretty good swimmer, but I didn’t want to swim in high school because I didn’t think it was very cool. So my social life was all screwed around. I didn’t have a good base, like friends or a squad or anything like that. I went to three or four different grammar schools—see, my parents moved around Stockton and Lodi. I had a lot of anxiety about jumping into another classroom. They were always putting me in special ed. But I was smart; I wasn’t like these kids in the special-ed classes. But it would make me feel a little bit stupid. Then I’d go back into the smart-kids class the rest of the day, and they’re like: “Hey, you know you’re in the retarded class?”
So I’d be behind. Then they’d try to put me on drugs. I had a lot of energy—hyperactivity. But if my energy had been used, I could have excelled. I would have progressed. Nobody ever found me something to do for the day. So I was always just wound up, running around breaking shit. I was pretty destructive.
Did fighting give you a sense of worth?
Oh, yeah, I got that right away. I always thought it’s what mattered. It always had something to do with the girls, the women—even in first grade, I was getting into fights over them. I had a hard time being impressive any other way.
When did you start thinking about becoming a professional fighter?
I found out that this stuff was right in my backyard. I’d rent tapes from the special-interest section at Blockbuster video—Pride FC tapes. I’d watch [UFC Hall of Famer] Royce Gracie’s fights in the UFC. I found out that [UFC Hall of Famer] Ken Shamrock was from around here. I was lifting and getting strong, but I wanted to start training. A friend of mine’s brother was training at the Lion’s Den—it’s a fight school. So I just joined and started learning jujitsu. I did two or three days a week there. It was a fitness gym, too, so I had everything.
I started full-time training and I was really focused, and I found that it was easy for me. I didn’t have a job yet. I didn’t go to school anymore. I just decided that I was going to train harder than guys who were training to fight.
What do you bring to this sport that nobody else does?
I keep it real, that’s for sure. A lot of fighters have problems and issues, but they should just tune it out the way I do. I’ve had all these fights; I don’t dabble in other stuff—I don’t have any interest. Training is more important for me, enhancing my sense of security—because at the end of the day, I’ve got a fight coming in a couple months. It’s always been that way. Now, 14, 15 years later, you realize that there’s more to life. I started to come to some understanding about who I am and where I come from—and the demographic that I’m reaching out to.
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You’ve gained a reputation as someone who doesn’t like the media. Is that true?
It’s hard being a fighter. I feel bad for anybody who’s a fighter. I’m going to convince you to not be a fighter before I tell you to be a fighter.
I’m judged on my character, not who I am. My character is a “hate” character. That’s a fucked position to be in. But try being me a week out from a fight, against somebody who really fucking wants to fuck you up. Try that position—you will piss yourself. You will fucking cry yourself to sleep. You won’t last a day in my shoes. I know what I’m going to do to you—and I know what my opponent’s capable of doing to me.
What’s it like physically after a fight?
Depends on what happened. I could walk out there and win in the first—I actually get beat up more when I win than when I lose. The last couple of fights that I lost, I didn’t have anything wrong with me. I was doing fine.
Following your suspension, the cannabis community has shown you great support. How do you feel about that?
I’m hardly anything compared to Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympic champion of all time.
But he didn’t get suspended.
He lost a lot of sponsors. But losing and money don’t even cross my mind. I had so much money rolling in—I’d just fought like five times in a row for over 500 grand. I fought a couple times for over $1 million. The last thing I think about is money.
How do you feel about becoming a prominent figure in the cannabis movement? There’s an actual petition that was submitted to President Obama.
It’s really nice of the guy who started it.
Ronda Rousey spoke out for you, too.
That was nice of her that she did that. I know her pretty well—I mean, she was living at my house for a while. We trained together, so we’re pretty good friends.
Then ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith went after her.
Yeah. I guess he was basically saying you shouldn’t stick up for your friends. He was calling pot a “gateway drug” and all that shit—trying to keep that stigma strong.
Tell us about your cannabis use.
If I’m at home and I’m training—doing my same things every day—then I’m definitely going to want to use cannabis. It’s gonna help. I’m trying to stay focused on what I’m doing. I don’t want a whole lot of things going on—people to call back, or text messages or whatever. I chill out, relax a little bit, and then I don’t have those issues. If I’m going to train all day, when I get done, I’m gonna want to smoke. If I have to go and train all day, before I go, I’m gonna want to smoke. If I wake up in the morning and feel beat to shit, and it’s going to take me forever to wake up, I smoke some weed and I wake right up. Then I have breakfast and I go do a workout.
What makes a great fighter?
I think that you just have to have that sort of mentality—I really don’t have the words to describe it. If I ever did go back to school, that would be the main thing, just so I could get something across like I want to right now.
For me, I look at it like I’m friggin’ cursed. I don’t look at this as a good thing; I look at it as: “It is what it is.” It’s not a bad thing, but it’s not a great thing. It’s what it is—it’s how it’s always been.
When I was a kid, I knew I was going to be something weird. I don’t know how—I just I did. I was 15 when I got into this. Who knows what I would have been? Maybe do some sort of construction work. So many of my friends got into dope gangs. But I couldn’t see myself getting into the dope game—I don’t like being on drugs. I don’t like meth, which is the thing nowadays. I eat organic food—vegetarian for the most part. I don’t like anything chemical, anything made chemically. I don’t like synthetic drugs. And I try to stay away from the doctor if I can.
You’ve said that you have fundamental problems with the UFC’s fight rules.
The easiest way to put it is, I like the Pride FC—they had it right the first time. You hear about guys bringing that show back, bringing that model back. They need to do it. But you have all these intellectuals out there, all these people out there that went to school for something. And I’m like: Can somebody please understand these things that I’ve already been in tune with for the longest time now? Write a freakin’ book or do something that you went to school for! They’re so far out of tune.
Fans are getting smarter, and they’re starting to hear me—that I’m not ignorant in what I’m saying. Anybody who’s not on the same page with me is actually uneducated on what MMA is: It’s mixed martial arts. We should be promoting MMA, but we’re shutting that down. Instead, we see the “grab-and-go” guy—grab, hold on, or run away—and that wins you the fight.
In Pride FC, they’d yellow-card you if you moved away, if you’d go on top and stall and not advance position. It’s not okay to stay there; they’re going to stand you up. You have to advance position, or be working to advance position, or they stand you up. There’s no elbows—you can’t hold the guy tight and do little elbows to make it look like you’re doing something. You have to create a certain amount of space to punch down on your guy, and that might be the same space that the guy on the bottom is trying to make so he can get back up. With this, we see a whole bunch of action—we get to see mixed martial arts, and the best guy wins. So you can’t run around in a circle; I’ll cut you off in the corner, like boxing. That’s how it should be.
What works to win in the UFC is to fucking hold on or to run away. But if you wanna come forward and try to finish the fight, that doesn’t work. It’s not based on punches landed or damage, either. I don’t know how they score it. How do I not know? If anybody knows, it should be me.
Do you think about life after fighting?
I’m not very optimistic. I stick to the game plan—if I’m gonna have a fight, it’s definitely gonna enhance my sense of security. So I don’t want to switch things up.
If I were to stop right now, I’m not very optimistic that everything’s gonna just be great. I could teach, open another gym or something like that. I’d be happier with that than going out there and losing miserably, like I’ve seen guys do—like all of them do. It’s kind of a curse. You can’t really get out: There’s always gonna be a bigger payday. But the second that I’m not getting paid more money than I got paid in my last fight, I’m done. I mean, I quit.
It’s hard being a fighter. I feel bad for anybody who’s a fighter. I’m going to convince you to not be a fighter before I tell you to be a fighter.
I’m judged on my character, not who I am. My character is a “hate” character. That’s a fucked position to be in. But try being me a week out from a fight, against somebody who really fucking wants to fuck you up. Try that position—you will piss yourself. You will fucking cry yourself to sleep. You won’t last a day in my shoes. I know what I’m going to do to you—and I know what my opponent’s capable of doing to me.
What’s it like physically after a fight?
Depends on what happened. I could walk out there and win in the first—I actually get beat up more when I win than when I lose. The last couple of fights that I lost, I didn’t have anything wrong with me. I was doing fine.
Following your suspension, the cannabis community has shown you great support. How do you feel about that?
I’m hardly anything compared to Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympic champion of all time.
But he didn’t get suspended.
He lost a lot of sponsors. But losing and money don’t even cross my mind. I had so much money rolling in—I’d just fought like five times in a row for over 500 grand. I fought a couple times for over $1 million. The last thing I think about is money.
How do you feel about becoming a prominent figure in the cannabis movement? There’s an actual petition that was submitted to President Obama.
It’s really nice of the guy who started it.
Ronda Rousey spoke out for you, too.
That was nice of her that she did that. I know her pretty well—I mean, she was living at my house for a while. We trained together, so we’re pretty good friends.
Then ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith went after her.
Yeah. I guess he was basically saying you shouldn’t stick up for your friends. He was calling pot a “gateway drug” and all that shit—trying to keep that stigma strong.
Tell us about your cannabis use.
If I’m at home and I’m training—doing my same things every day—then I’m definitely going to want to use cannabis. It’s gonna help. I’m trying to stay focused on what I’m doing. I don’t want a whole lot of things going on—people to call back, or text messages or whatever. I chill out, relax a little bit, and then I don’t have those issues. If I’m going to train all day, when I get done, I’m gonna want to smoke. If I have to go and train all day, before I go, I’m gonna want to smoke. If I wake up in the morning and feel beat to shit, and it’s going to take me forever to wake up, I smoke some weed and I wake right up. Then I have breakfast and I go do a workout.
What makes a great fighter?
I think that you just have to have that sort of mentality—I really don’t have the words to describe it. If I ever did go back to school, that would be the main thing, just so I could get something across like I want to right now.
For me, I look at it like I’m friggin’ cursed. I don’t look at this as a good thing; I look at it as: “It is what it is.” It’s not a bad thing, but it’s not a great thing. It’s what it is—it’s how it’s always been.
When I was a kid, I knew I was going to be something weird. I don’t know how—I just I did. I was 15 when I got into this. Who knows what I would have been? Maybe do some sort of construction work. So many of my friends got into dope gangs. But I couldn’t see myself getting into the dope game—I don’t like being on drugs. I don’t like meth, which is the thing nowadays. I eat organic food—vegetarian for the most part. I don’t like anything chemical, anything made chemically. I don’t like synthetic drugs. And I try to stay away from the doctor if I can.
You’ve said that you have fundamental problems with the UFC’s fight rules.
The easiest way to put it is, I like the Pride FC—they had it right the first time. You hear about guys bringing that show back, bringing that model back. They need to do it. But you have all these intellectuals out there, all these people out there that went to school for something. And I’m like: Can somebody please understand these things that I’ve already been in tune with for the longest time now? Write a freakin’ book or do something that you went to school for! They’re so far out of tune.
Fans are getting smarter, and they’re starting to hear me—that I’m not ignorant in what I’m saying. Anybody who’s not on the same page with me is actually uneducated on what MMA is: It’s mixed martial arts. We should be promoting MMA, but we’re shutting that down. Instead, we see the “grab-and-go” guy—grab, hold on, or run away—and that wins you the fight.
In Pride FC, they’d yellow-card you if you moved away, if you’d go on top and stall and not advance position. It’s not okay to stay there; they’re going to stand you up. You have to advance position, or be working to advance position, or they stand you up. There’s no elbows—you can’t hold the guy tight and do little elbows to make it look like you’re doing something. You have to create a certain amount of space to punch down on your guy, and that might be the same space that the guy on the bottom is trying to make so he can get back up. With this, we see a whole bunch of action—we get to see mixed martial arts, and the best guy wins. So you can’t run around in a circle; I’ll cut you off in the corner, like boxing. That’s how it should be.
What works to win in the UFC is to fucking hold on or to run away. But if you wanna come forward and try to finish the fight, that doesn’t work. It’s not based on punches landed or damage, either. I don’t know how they score it. How do I not know? If anybody knows, it should be me.
Do you think about life after fighting?
I’m not very optimistic. I stick to the game plan—if I’m gonna have a fight, it’s definitely gonna enhance my sense of security. So I don’t want to switch things up.
If I were to stop right now, I’m not very optimistic that everything’s gonna just be great. I could teach, open another gym or something like that. I’d be happier with that than going out there and losing miserably, like I’ve seen guys do—like all of them do. It’s kind of a curse. You can’t really get out: There’s always gonna be a bigger payday. But the second that I’m not getting paid more money than I got paid in my last fight, I’m done. I mean, I quit.
RDA out of the fight with McGregor, this is some ol bullshit.
Rafael dos Anjos injured, out of UFC 196 main event fight against Conor McGregor - MMA Fighting
Rafael dos Anjos has been forced to withdraw from next week's highly-anticipated UFC 196 main event fight against Conor McGregor.
According to multiple sources, dos Anjos suffered a broken foot late last week, forcing him to pull out of the lightweight title fight against McGregor. The UFC is currently working on finding a replacement to fight McGregor on less than two weeks' notice, however, nothing has been finalized at this time.
It's déjà vu all over again for McGregor. Last summer, then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo withdrew from his fight against the Irishman just eleven days before UFC 189. Of course, back then, the UFC adjusted quickly and booked Chad Mendes to fight McGregor and the event went off without a hitch. Furthermore, this marks the fourth time in McGregor's eight UFC fights that his original opponent was forced to pull out of their fight.
McGregor, the current featherweight champion, was on the verge of history, as he was hoping to become the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold two belts at the same.
Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate for the UFC women's bantamweight title is currently the co-main event for the March 5 card, which is set for Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Rafael dos Anjos injured, out of UFC 196 main event fight against Conor McGregor - MMA Fighting
Rafael dos Anjos has been forced to withdraw from next week's highly-anticipated UFC 196 main event fight against Conor McGregor.
According to multiple sources, dos Anjos suffered a broken foot late last week, forcing him to pull out of the lightweight title fight against McGregor. The UFC is currently working on finding a replacement to fight McGregor on less than two weeks' notice, however, nothing has been finalized at this time.
It's déjà vu all over again for McGregor. Last summer, then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo withdrew from his fight against the Irishman just eleven days before UFC 189. Of course, back then, the UFC adjusted quickly and booked Chad Mendes to fight McGregor and the event went off without a hitch. Furthermore, this marks the fourth time in McGregor's eight UFC fights that his original opponent was forced to pull out of their fight.
McGregor, the current featherweight champion, was on the verge of history, as he was hoping to become the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold two belts at the same.
Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate for the UFC women's bantamweight title is currently the co-main event for the March 5 card, which is set for Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.