Category: MMA

Multiple MMA, Wrestling Companies Expressing Interest In Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle is a hot commodity following his WWE release.

As noted, “The Original BRO” was among the 25 WWE and NXT Superstars released by the company following the merger with UFC under the new TKO banner.

Dave Meltzer noted in the latest issue of his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the former WWE Superstar has received interest from multiple MMA and pro wrestling promotions following his release from the company.

According to the report, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC) and PFL have expressed interest in acquiring the services of Riddle, as have many pro wrestling promotions.

AEW was not specifically mentioned, however Meltzer did note that Tony Khan could very well be interested in bringing him into the company.

Source: Rajah.com

Cain Velasquez Charged With Attempted Murder, Mugshot Photo Released

MMA and pro wrestling star Cain Velasquez is still in jail and has been charged with attempted murder.

There was a shooting near San Jose, CA on Monday, and San Jose police said Velasquez was involved. The shooting happened around 3:14pm local time, in Morgan Hill, near Monterey Highway and Bailey Avenue. Police would not confirm Cain’s role in the incident, but one man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and another man was arrested. Court records revealed that Cain was in the Santa Clara County jail, with no bond, but no other details were available at that time.

In an update, TMZ Sports reports that Velasquez has been arrested and booked on an attempted murder charge. Police confirmed that he was the suspect in the alleged shooting incident on Monday in San Jose.

“The motive and circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation at this time,” police added.

You can see Cain’s mugshot photo below.

Details on the incident have not been released, but the 39 year old Velasquez was involved in the shooting that happened near a high school on Monday.

Jail records show that Velasquez is still being held with no bond, at the main Santa Clara County jail facility on West Hedding Street in San Jose. He has a court date scheduled for Wednesday at 12 noon.

Velasquez fought MMA from 2006 until his retirement in October 2019. He is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, and retired with a record of 14-3. A longtime pro wrestling fan, Velasquez made his in-ring debut at AAA’s TripleMania XXVII in August 2019, teaming with Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown for a win over Killer Kross, Black Taurus and Texano Jr. He later worked AAA/Impact’s Lucha Invades NY show at Madison Square Garden that September, teaming with Brian Cage and Psycho to defeat Taurus, Texano Jr. and Rey Escorpion. Cain first worked out at the WWE Performance Center in July 2018, but he signed a deal with WWE in October 2019 and began feuding with current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. Cain made his WWE in-ring debut at Crown Jewel 2019 in Saudi Arabia, losing to Lesnar. He then worked a WWE live event in Mexico City on November 30, teaming with Humberto for a win over current Impact World Tag Team Champion The Good Brothers. Cain was set to work the 2020 Royal Rumble but plans were nixed due to an injury, and WWE then released him from his contract on April 28, 2020 along with other budget cuts. Cain returned to AAA this past December at TripleMania Regia II, teaming with Psycho and Pagano for a six-man win over Taurus, Escorpion and LA Park.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Ronda Rousey Documentary Finally Being Released Next Week

Lionsgate will release a new documentary on UFC Hall of Famer and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey next Tuesday, November 19.

You can see the trailer for “The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father’s Eyes” above. The documentary will be available for digital streaming and on-demand, and has a runtime of 106 minutes.

The special was written and directed by former WBC International Light Middleweight boxing champion Gary Stretch. UFC President Dana White and several fighters, including Randy Couture, are featured, along with Gene LeBell.

This project was first announced back in late 2014, by Wrekin Hill Entertainment, and was then announced to be shown in theaters in 2016. It was then announced for a delayed theatrical release in 2017, but it looks like that never happened. A screening in Hollywood did take place in late 2016. It appears Lionsgate may have acquired the rights from Wrekin Hill, and are finally releasing the documentary on digital platforms.

Below is the synopsis for the doc:

“When Ronda Rousey became the first female UFC champion, she achieved more than athletic glory—she realized her late father’s belief that she would make her greatest dreams come true. The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father’s Eyes follows Ronda’s inspiring journey to superstardom, weaving revealing interviews with dynamic fight footage to create a portrait of a remarkable and fearless woman who overcame all odds to become a symbol of strength, hope, and female empowerment.”

Rousey is currently on a hiatus from WWE, but is appearing on the current season of Total Divas. She has been rumored for an upcoming return to the WWE storylines but there’s no word yet on when that might happen.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

What Happened With Brock Lesnar’s UFC Return Negotiations, Possible WWE Match For Lesnar

As noted, UFC President Dana White revealed this week that Brock Lesnar recently informed him that he will be retiring from MMA.

There’s a lot of speculation on Lesnar’s UFC future and if he really is retired from the Octagon. It’s important to note that this is White saying Lesnar has retired, not the man himself or anyone close to him. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Lesnar had been negotiating with UFC for the summer 2019 fight with UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, and a deal could not be reached.

Lesnar reportedly wanted a flat fee from UFC for the Cormier fight, instead of a percentage of pay-per-view buys, but UFC felt like he was asking for too much. Meltzer noted that UFC is no longer under pressure to draw strong pay-per-view buys because they are getting about the same money through their deal with ESPN. We don’t know how much Lesnar asked for, but it was a certain price that was worth it to him to go through a grueling training camp at age 42, for a fight against a top athlete and fighter in Cormier.

It was revealed this week by TMZ Sports that Lesnar was still submitting to USADA drug testing as recent as April. We don’t know how long Lesnar has been considering the retirement, but the timing is interesting. Meltzer noted that Lesnar had to enter into the USADA testing program to negotiate with WWE and UFC, because if he didn’t, then WWE would know that he couldn’t fight for another 6 months, and wasn’t really serious about possibly returning to UFC over WWE. UFC has always been Lesnar’s leverage in WWE contract talks. There’s no word yet on if Lesnar has pulled out of the USADA testing but if he has, he could come back and would have to wait another 6 months before being eligible for a fight. If he does pull out, that’s a good sign that he has really decided not to fight. Meltzer noted that if he doesn’t pull out, this all could be a public negotiation by White in an attempt to get Lesnar to lower his price.

White noted that Cormier will likely face Stipe Miocic next, at the August 17 pay-per-view from Anaheim, California. This could have been the date they wanted to do Lesnar vs. Cormier on.

There’s no word yet on what the MMA retirement will mean for Lesnar’s WWE future. He has been announced for WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia on Friday, June 7, but his opponent has not been named. The Observer notes that he will likely face WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins in a rematch from WrestleMania 35. The Lesnar vs. Rollins rematch was expected but that was before WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg was also announced for the Saudi show, leading to speculation on a Lesnar vs. Goldberg rematch.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Dana White Claims Brock Lesnar Has Retired From MMA

Looks like Brock Lesnar’s return to the octagon won’t be happening after all, as Dana White says Brock Lesnar told him he’s retired.

White told ESPN that Lesnar informed him of his decision to retire last week. “He told me he’s done, he’s retired,” said White. “We’re going to move in another direction with Cormier.”

As you may recall, Brock attended UFC 226 in July 2018 and confronted Daniel Cormier in the ring after his win. White has subsequently claimed he was trying to strike a deal with Lesnar, but that no longer seems to be the case.

Instead, the company is looking to book Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic for the Heavyweight title.

Brock Lesnar has yet to release an official statement on the matter.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Lilian Garcia Signs On As Ring Announcer For MMA Promotion

Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia is lending her pipes to the MMA world, as she’ll be the new in-cage announcer for an MMA promotion.

Garcia was a guest on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday to announce that she’s joined the Professional Fighters League as the in-cage announcer. PFL airs on ESPN+ and ESPN2.

“It’s so exciting to be back in the ring,” Lilian told Helwani. “I love combat sports and I’ve been a fan for many, many years.” Garcia also says PFL focusing on seasons got her interested in taking the job.

The new season of PFL begins on May 9 at the Nassau Colliseum.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Bobby Lashley To Take Time Away From WWE After SummerSlam For MMA Return?

Bobby Lashley recently spoke with Sky Sports and revealed that he is still under contract to the Bellator MMA promotion.

The 42 year old Lashley said he expects to do a few more fights before he calls it quits on his MMA career. He has his eye on Bellator Heavyweight & Light Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader.

“I think I am still probably going to do a couple more before it’s all said and done,” Lashley said. “I am still under contract at Bellator also, and if I go back I will give them a call and possibly go after (Ryan) Bader. I don’t want to wait too long, time is ticking.”

Lashley said may return to the cage after the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view in August. He would likely need to take some time away from WWE to train for the fight. Lashley said his body is at 100% these days.

“I feel great. My body is 100% so I think maybe this summer, maybe after SummerSlam,” Lashley said.

Lashley said maybe he will talk with WWE boss Vince McMahon about winning the WWE Universal Title at SummerSlam, then go to Bellator to win their title.

Lashley also talked about Conor McGregor possibly coming to WWE and joked that they won’t be putting a top title on him because he’s too small.

Lashley’s last MMA fight came at Bellator 162 in October 2016. He defeated Josh Appelt that night by submission. Lashley’s current MMA record is at 15 wins and 2 losses.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jack (Swagger) Hager To Make Bellator MMA Debut In January

Image result for Jack Swagger To Make Bellator MMA Debut In January

It’s been over one year since Jack Swagger signed a deal with Bellator MMA … and now his first fight has finally been made official!

Swagger made the announcement Monday on Ariel Helwani’s MMA show and confirmed his debut will happen January 26th during the Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals at The Forum in Inglewood, CA.

His opponent will be 41-year-old JW Kiser, who has only fought (and lost) one professional fight.

“I think my career will be a lot longer than most people imagine, in mixed martial arts,” Swagger — aka Jake Hager — told Helwani. “I have nothing to prove. I’m doing this for me and my family. I know I belong and you will see that I do when I step in the cage.”

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Conor McGregor Sentenced In UFC 223 Bus Incident, Releases Statement

Image result for Conor McGregor Sentenced In UFC 223 Bus Incident, Releases Statement

Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor was sentenced for his involvement in the UFC 223 incident that sent several of his fellow fighters to the hospital. McGregor appeared once more inside the Kings County Courthouse in Brooklyn on Thursday.

All felony counts pressed against McGregor were dismissed, as he pled guilty to one count of disorderly conduct. “Notorious” will also be required to serve five days of community service, 1-to-3 days of an anger management evaluation and pay restitution for damages caused on the UFC fighter bus during the ordeal.

“I just want to say I’m thankful to the DA and the judge for allowing me to move forward,” McGregor said in statement. “I want to say to my friends, my family, my fans, thank you for the support. Thank you.”

Ray Borg and Michael Chiesea, two of the fighters who were forced out of planned fights during that event, have a restraining order against McGregor until July 2020.

Cian Cowley, a teammate of McGregor’s who was also involved, pled guilty to one count of disorderly conduct.

As for his fighting future, McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, told MMA Fighting that they want to get him inside the Octagon yet in 2018. A potential fight with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has been rumored.

“I want to say thank you to the court,” Attar said in a statement. “Now that this has passed us, we can focus on things that have been on hold for some time. Conor’s been training, he’s in shape, he’s ready to go. So now it’s just about getting back to business, and we hope to have some news to announce very soon.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Brock Lesnar Re-Enters USADA Testing Pool

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Brock Lesnar showed up at UFC 226 this past Saturday and was invited into the Octagon by Daniel Cormier. Lesnar proceeded to shove the new UFC Heavyweight Champion and cut a promo ripping the UFC Heavyweight Division.

“I walked into this building and watched the Heavyweight disasters from the beginning,” Lesnar said. “Ngannou’s a piece of s–t, Miocic, the piece of s–t, DC… I’m coming for you motherf–ker.”

After the incident, UFC President Dana White said that the company was “definitely going to make that fight.”

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reports that Lesnar has re-entered the USADA testing pool in preparation for another fight. According to MMAJunkie.com, Lesnar re-joined the USADA testing pool on July 3rd. Lesnar still has around six months remaining in his suspension after failing a pair of drug tests following his UFC 200 fight against Mark Hunt. Lesnar had defeated Hunt via unanimous decision, however the result was changed to a no-contest. He will be eligible to fight again on or after January 8, 2019.

Lesnar is still WWE Universal Champion and has one match left on his contract, according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer. His next match has yet to be officially announced by WWE.

Source: WrestlingINC