Tag: WMMA

Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes Promoted To Main Event At UFC 200

Source: Fox Sports

The women’s bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes has been promoted to the main event slot at UFC 200 and will headline the historic event on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The new bout order for the card was announced on Thursday night following the addition of a light heavyweight special attraction, as Anderson Silva now faces Daniel Cormier in a non-title bout.

Tate and Nunes will headline the card with Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt set as the co-main event of the evening. UFC president Dana White confirmed the move on Thursday night.

Tate and Nunes take the marquee spot less than a day after White announced that Lesnar vs. Hunt would be the new main event. According to White, after examining the card, the UFC decided that the women’s title fight deserved to be in the headline spot.

“Miesha is the woman who beat the woman who beat the woman. She’s the champ,” White said. “What she accomplished a few fights ago, you can’t disrespect that. She should be the main event. She deserves that.”

Typically, a title fight always would headline over a non-title fight on a UFC card, and the promotion decided to make that move after a hectic 24 hours.

The card shifted dramatically on Wednesday night after interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was pulled from his main event bout against Cormier following a potential doping violation from a drug test administered on June 16.

With Jones off the card, the UFC started making immediate changes, but the bout order was only finalized on Thursday after Silva was confirmed as a new opponent for Cormier.

WWE reportedly interested in UFC’s Paige VanZant

At just age 22, Paige VanZant is arguably one of the best fighters in the ever growing Strawweight division. With just two losses under her belt in her professional MMA career many would say she’s the next huge crossover star.

She’s already been endorsed by Reebok and was in the finals of Dancing with the Stars this past season, and now according to MMA Junkie the biggest company in professional wrestling known as the WWE has an interest in “12 gage”

VanZant has reportedly been in talks with the WWE about appearing at their biggest PPV of the summer, SummerSlam, says her manager Mike Roberts.

No word has been said what type of role PVZ will play in the PPV if she does indeed appear. Still it’s interesting to think about especially with the news that broke this past weekend of WWE’s Brock Lesnar competing at UFC200. Let’s not forget the appearance by Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 31.

All of this begs the question of could it be possible that the WWE and the UFC be in some type of under the table partnership? We here at WNB sure think so. 

UFC199 (complete card)

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

13. Luke Rockhold (c) (15-2) <USA> vs. {4} Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping (29-7) <England> in a Middleweight bout for the UFC Middleweight Championship!

12. Dominick ‘The Dominator’ Cruz (c) (21-1) <USA> vs. {2} Urijah ‘The California Kid’ Faber (33-8) <USA> in a Bantamweight bout for the UFC Bantamweight Championship!

11. {4} Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway (15-3) <USA> vs. {5} Ricardo ‘The Bully’ Lamas (16-4) <USA> in a Featherweight bout!

10. {15} Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson (31-14) <USA> vs. {14} Hector ‘Lighting’ Lombard (34-5-1, 2 NC) <Cuba> in a Middleweight bout!

9. {11} Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier (19-4) <USA> vs. {14} Bobby ‘King’ Green (23-6) <USA> in a Lightweight bout!

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)

8. {12} Brain ‘T-City’ Ortega (10-0, 1 NC) <USA> vs. Clay ‘The Carpenter’ Guida (32-16) <USA> in a Featherweight bout!

7. {10} Beneil ‘Benny’ Dariush (12-2) <Iran> vs. James ‘The Texcutioner’ Vick (9-0) <USA> in a Lightweight bout.

6. {6} Jessica Penne (12-3) <USA> vs. Jessica ‘Bate Estaca’ Andrade (13-5) <Brasil> in a Women’s Strawweight bout!

5. Cole ‘Magrinho’ Miller (21-9, 1 NC) <USA> vs. Alex ‘Bruce LeeRoy’ Caceres (11-8, 1 NC) <USA> in a Featherweight bout.

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

4. Sean ‘Tarzan’ Strickland (17-1) <USA> vs. Tom ‘The Octopus’ Breese (10-0) <England> in a Welterweight bout.

3. Jonathan ‘Johnny Bravo’ Wilson (7-0) <USA> vs. Luis Henrique ‘Frankenstein’ de Silva (10-0) <Brasil> in a Light Heavyweight bout!

2. Kevin ‘King’ Casey (9-4, 2 NC) <USA> vs. Elvis ‘The King’ Mutapcic (15-4) <Bosnia and Herzegovina> in a Middleweight bout!

1. Marco Polo ‘El Toro’ Reyes (5-2) <Mexico> vs. Dong Hyun ‘Stun Gun’ Kim (13-7-3) <South Korea> in a Lightweight bout.

Ronda Rousey Had Knee Surgery

Source: MMA Fighting

Will former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey help make history when the UFC puts on its first event at Madison Square Garden in New York City in November? According to UFC President Dana White, she won’t. In fact, she won’t fight in November at all. White says Rousey recently had minor knee surgery and her timeline for a return is being pushed back.

“Ronda Rousey, I don’t know,” While told ESPN’s Cari Champion on SportsCenter Thursday. “I’m hoping we’re going to get Ronda back this year. She actually just had surgery yesterday on her knee. Nothing serious, just get in there, scope it and clean it out a little bit. She feels great. Her spirits are great. She’s been training.”

According to White, however, November is out of the question. Rousey was originally expected for UFC 200 in July, but pushed back her timeline to October or November due to other commitments. Now, White said, her return is looking more like end of 2016 or early 2017.

“If she fights, I’m hoping she fights in December. If not, then he would probably fight at the New Years show at the beginning of the year,” White noted.

As for who she’ll face, White has remained consistent that Rousey will receive an immediate title shot upon her return. “If Miehsa Tate’s still the champion, she’ll fight Miesha Tate. Whoever has the belt is who Ronda Rousey will fight.”

White didn’t rule out the possibility of Rousey facing Holly Holm, who took Rousey’s belt in November of 2015, but said it would have to be a product of circumstance, not engineering.

“Injuries happen in this sport and a fight is made. Somebody falls out and somebody else slides in,” he explained. “I’m not even saying Holly Holm couldn’t be the champion by the time Ronda comes back. So, whoever holds that belt when Ronda’s ready.”

Ronda Rousey says she’s coming back to win the title for people who believe in her 

 http://time.com/4300091/ronda-rousey-time-100-video/

In an interview with TIME (that you can view above) the former UFC Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey talks about how she’s still grieving the person that thought she could win it all. She says that she has to accept that she’s not her, it’s just who she’d like to be, instead she’s who she needs to be for herself and everyone else.

It used to be that I would get out of bed with the conviction that I had to be better than I was yesterday. I guess these days its hope that gets me out of bed.

-Ronda Rousey

She compares herself to a cartoon and says that on some days not everyone is going to like what that cartoon does. She mentions that in her home she has a wall of encouraging letters from fans talking about how much she’s helped them, Rousey says now they’re helping her.

Rousey says she imagines touching her stomach one day and feeling the metal there again. She says she’s coming back to win the title for people who believed in her.

Rousey fan are not the interview is an emotional one filled with positivity and in the mist of all the sad things happening lately this one made our day.

Lyoto Machida Pulled From FOX Card After Drug Violation, New Co-Main, Sarah Kaufman Contract

Source: WrestlingINC

Ariel Helwani revealed on this week’s episode of The MMA Hour that former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion Sarah Kaufman is no longer under contract to the UFC. Kaufman was removed from the UFC’s official rankings this week as well.

The UFC has yet another former Champion on the shelf following a USADA drug violation, and this time it canceled a fight. Former Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida had his fight from this Saturday’s UFC on Fox 19 show pulled after he disclosed he had been using DHEA on his pre-fight drug screen. Machida claimed that the supplement was banned in 2016, which isn’t true.

Current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier commented on all of the recent suspensions on UFC Tonight, saying “This is not the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) pushing themselves into the sport for no reason. The UFC sought them out. They brought them in to clean this sport up and they are doing that.”

With Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson pulled from this weekend’s UFC on Fox show, Rose Namajunas vs. Tecia Torres has been promoted to the co-main event. UFC posted this video of the former title challenger Namajunas preparing for the fight.

 

InvictaFC signs Tiffany Van Soest 

  Tiffany Van Soest, one of the top female Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers in the world, has signed a deal with Invicta FC, sources told MMA Fighting on Thursday. Van Soest has long spoken about crossing over to MMA and now she’ll do so with Invicta, with her debut likely coming this summer.

Van Soest is the former Lion Fight super bantamweight and featherweight champion. The karate black belt also held the WBC Muay Thai international super bantamweight title. Van Soest hails from Southern California, but now lives and trains in Bali
The news comes on the heels of Van Soest signing with GLORY kickboxing, which MMA Fighting reported Wednesday.

Van Soest, 27, is a huge pickup for both promotions, which coincidentally have broadcast deals with UFC Fight Pass. “Time Bomb” will make her GLORY debut at GLORY 30 SuperFight Series on May 13 against Jeri Sitzes in a rematch of their 2012 Muay Thai fight, sources said. The fight will air live on Fight Pass.
Sorce: MMAFighting.com 

Cris Cyborg Joins The UFC, Set To Compete At UFC 198

Source: WrestlingINC

It’s official. Invicta FC Featherweight Champion and former Strikeforce Featherweight Champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino has joined the UFC.

The news was mentioned as a possibility a few weeks ago on UFC Tonight, as the company wanted to stack the UFC 198 card in Brazil. She’ll be on the show, taking on Leslie Smith (8-6-1) in a catchweight of 140 pounds.

A former Flyweight, Smith has competed at 135 pounds in the UFC, and is perhaps best known for her ear exploding during a fight with Jessica Eye in 2014.

The UFC released the following statement:

One of the most feared fighters in the world is finally making her way to the Octagon, as Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino faces Leslie Smith at UFC 198 on May 14.The bout, which takes place at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, will be held at a catchweight of 140 pounds.

A native of Curitiba, the 30-year-old Justino (15-1, 1 NC) is unbeaten for over 10 years, and with 13 of her 15 pro wins coming by knockout, it’s not surprising that she has soared to the top of every organization she has competed in. Owner of victories over Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen (twice), and Shayna Baszler, the former Strikeforce champion has compiled a 5-0 record with five knockouts as a member of the Invicta FC roster.

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UFC 198 is indeed a loaded show, as Fabricio Werdum defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. Also on the show are Anderson Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Antonio Rogerio Noguiera and Vitor Belfort

MMA finally becomes legal in New York 

  As of Tuesday evening the state of New York has become the 50th state to make mixed martial arts events legal. 

The final vote between New York lawmakers was 113 to 25. Now the bill heads to the desk of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who included MMA revenue in an executive budget proposal earlier this year and is widely expected it sign it into the law 

Bill NoA02604 “establishes protocols for combative sports; authorizes mixed martial arts events in this state; establishes procedures for applications for licenses; establishes penalties for violations; imposes taxes on gross receipts of such events.”

This is great news for fighters and fans alike. The possibilities are now endless and we’re sure to be getting some history making moments in the future 

The good, the bad and the ugly of being a fight fan: from the prospective of a fan turned friend 

If you’ve been following this site for the past 3 years you know that I’m the resident MMA fan in the crew. It was my accidental stumble into the fight world that allowed us to cover the sport of MMA on our site. Through interviews, social networking and some really crazy shit I found myself falling in love with MMA, even more so then professional wrestling. However if you would’ve asked me if I thought I’d be where I am now a few years ago I would’ve smiled and said “I wish”

This past weekend was InvictaFC16 and thanks to some really cool people I was there in Vegas as it went down live. This marked my second invicta event this year (and there’s many more where that came from) It was a fantastic card with every fight delivering.

For me personally there were lots of happy tears and lots of sad tears. Watching fights live is something I can’t really explain, you get so wrapped into it and you almost feel like you’re the one in the cage. That feeling intensifies when it’s your friend locked in there and in my case that happened twice.

First up was The Happy Warrior Roxanne Modaferri. Prior to the fight I had communicated with her via Twitter and Facebook. She was kind enough to be interviewed by me a few years ago but other than that we didn’t know much about each other outside of social media. That is until this past week of course. I met her for the first time the morning of weigh ins. She embraced me like she knew me for years

A few hours pass and before you know it is was time for the fighters to weigh in. As always Roxy had something awesome up her sleeve. She dressed up as Melina from Mortal Kombat and our friends accompanied her to the stage. It was the moment that stole the show and I was thrilled to be able to say “those guys are my friends”


The fill good moments of the weigh ins didn’t stop for me there though because up next on the scales where Jessamyn Duke and Irene Aldana. Again if you’ve been following this site you know the history with Jessamyn and myself goes deep. It’s been on my bucket list for quite sometime to see her fight live. I made a promise to myself that if I ever got that chance I would make her a sign and well I made  good on that promise.

 The sign reads “You’re my hero Jessamyn Duke” words that carry so much weight. I screamed loud and she looked right over at me and pointed. Later in the week I would find out how much that sign really meant to her and it’s a moment I’ll always be proud to have been a part of.

Friday night was fight night and from the moment I woke up my stomach was in knots. Two of my friends would be going to war that day and all I wanted was the best outcome. Roxanne’s fight was 5th on the card. Seeing her make her way to the cage as Deanna Bennett was staring her down did things to my heart that I didn’t think possible. Roxy ended up getting the split decision win against Benett and as expected my friends and I were overjoyed. She came out and hugged us all and even say in the crowd with us to enjoy the rest of the fights.

I couldn’t let my overwhelming sense of happiness distract me from the next fight though because it was time for Aldana and Duke to go to battle

 I watched on like my life depended on it. It’s a tough pill to swallow but Irene Aldana came out of the exchange victorious as she put Jessamyn Duke away with a TKO victory in the first round. I instantly felt the hot tears run down my face as my friend candy and Aldana’s family celebrated only a few inches from me. My heart broke for Jess and I felt like I too had lost.

The great thing about the fight world though is that as much as it hurts you know you can’t win them all. You know that it’s just another day in the life. You know that your fighter will bounce back. I got to see Jess right after her fight and we had a moment where we both cried. She buried her face in my shoulder. I told her she’d be back, she replied with an “I know” followed by “I’m so happy to have you in my coroner”.


That’s when it hit me…… I love this sport. I love the cheers, the tears, the violence, the sportsmanship, I love it all. I don’t know exactly how or why I got into this sport but I do know it’s where I am now and as long as I have a friend to cheer for I’m not going anywhere.

It’s the first time the my heart experienced pure joy and pure heartache all in the span of 30 mins. This sport will step on your heart more times than you count but it’ll also leave you with a sence of happiness and pride you’ll never be able to shake.

 Invicta16 is an experience I’ll never forget. Not only did it enforce my motto of Loyalty is everything but it also reminded me that life is filled with good and bad moments and those moments shape you into the person you are. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m 100% completely in love with the world of MMA. I’ve gained so many amazing friends and although we may not always agree we know that the fight world created a bond that can never be broken.

It’s one invicta in the books and another one is just around the corner. On May 7th the promotion returns to California as Tonya Evinger will defend her Bantamweight title against Colleen Schneider. A fight that will have me torn. Both Evinger and Schneider have been nothing but kind to me.

I had breakfast with Evinger for 3 straight days while in Vegas. I’ve seen Schneider train and have connected with her because of Shayna and Jessamyn. I already told myself that I’m simply just watching this fight. No matter the outcome one friend wins while the other looses. It’s going to be s bitter sweet moment but one that I’m prepared to face because I love these moments


 If I could give any advice to a fight fan I’ll say this. It won’t always go the way you want it to. Your favorites will fight your favorites and in my case friends will fight friends, but don’t let that discourage you. Live it up. Cheer who you want to cheer. Boo who you want to boo, but know that every man or woman who steps in that cage is human too. One with real feelings and a life to live. They do it because the love what they do. Just like we love what we do! Love the sport, be a smart fan and remember Loyalty is everything.