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Fighter in Brazil wins title, donates purse to opponent
The Reebok Deal devastated MMA in Brazil - without the ability to appear on banners and shorts in the UFC, corporate support for fighters dried up, and things went into a steep decline. Then 23-8 fighter Rildeci Dias has fought in Japan and Russia, but took a fight for R$500 (US$120), that necessitated a 35-hour bus trip. Dias had to cover his travel expenses, and cut weight on a bus. He got tapped out by Filipe Esteves, who moved to 7-0, and won the Brazil MMA promotion's flyweight title. When Esteves heard about his opponent's sacrifice, he cried, and donated his purse to the man he beat. Esteves believed he was making US$120/120 (dollars, not thousands) but it was a flat purse only. After paying for his round trip, and getting both fight purses, Dias left with US$16 in his pocket. Esteves too is financially challenged; he has Olympic aspirations in wrestling, and qualified for next month’s World Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan, but can't afford the travel. Esteves has set up a crowdfunding page; you can DONATE HERE. h/t BE • Instagram
Bellator's large, hairy-armed, mystery man revealed
Several days ago Bellator tweeted an image of a new, clearly massive signee. Now he has been revealed as James Haskell, 34, a 6' 4", 260 pound former international Rugby star. He will make his debut in the first half of 2020, and is currently training at the storied London Shootfighters gym. His nickname, "Always More" was bestowed due to his voracious approach to training, baguettes, and expresso.
Stipe Miocic explains why he was lightest ever at UFC 241
Miocic weighed in at 236.5 for the rematch vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 241. It was the lightest of his UFC career, and there was speculation that it was part of a plan to be faster and more mobile than DC. However, the real reason is more mundane: “It’s what I weighed, honestly,” Miocic told . “I was eating a ton of food. I was drinking a ton of water. I was doing all the right things. I just lost the weight. I wasn’t really trying to. I just couldn’t keep it on, honestly. It was really hot this summer, too. I was definitely sweating a lot more than I usually do." h/t BE • Watch Chael Sonnen interview (6:25)
GSP: Why fans love Nate Diaz
“He’s an amazing character because he is so authentic. He doesn’t care about what he says, very authentic guy. Now is the Conor McGregor era, and you see a lot of guys that try to mimic other guys that are more successful, in terms of their platform. They want it to become bigger. And it doesn’t work for a lot of them because they’re not authentic, but Nate Diaz is very authentic. He is a unique person and a unique character. That’s why people love him so much. What a comeback. After three years, I was not expecting that. I think he looked better than he ever did. It was amazing.” h/t MMA Mania • Watch Chael Sonnen interview
Tattoo artists react to UFC fighter's tattoos
Coach: Anthony Pettis avoids surgery, 2019 return possible
Duke Roufus explains that Pettis broke his foot and suffered a damaged eye orbital fighting Nate Diaz, but Pettis won't need surgery: “If healthy, maybe December, Las Vegas. ... He didn’t tell me about the injury at all during the fight because he didn’t want me to stop the fight ... Anthony broke that foot on that check where he fell down. That’s where he broke the foot and I was wondering the whole fight why he couldn’t just do certain things. I wanted a straight right hand, an elbow even. He couldn’t push off, he couldn’t kick, now I understand what he was doing. ... They’re fighters. They don’t have a day job, there’s no pension in the UFC or Bellator. So a lot of the time these guys are fighting not at 100 percent because that’s how they feed their families or monetize their skills. ... Sometimes you don’t win, but you entertain. There’s a lot of people out there fighting careful, going out there sparring, playing the system, kind of what Nate Diaz talks about. That’s why I really relate to what Nate Diaz talks about, these ‘real fighters.’ Not putting anyone down, I’m just saying the brand of fighting that I instill in a lot of my guys, they’re doing well and having great careers and it’s exciting.” h/t MMA Mania
Ronda Rousey details nearly losing finger on set
“First take of the day, all I had to do was pretty much open up the boat door and step up and have lines ... I guess I was just a little bit too short to push the boat door all the way to the top ... and it stalled at the top and came down. ... I thought I just jammed my nail ... I went like ‘ouch, f@$% and then don’t be a p@$$%, just finish the scene.’ So I finished the scene ... And then I looked down and I was like ‘ohhhh.’ I had to tell the director, I remember, like, turning towards him and I remember telling them ‘you guys are not going to like, this, but my finger is no longer attached to my finger.’ And they were like ‘what?’ and I looked down and my finger was barely hanging on. Everybody on the set, I’m pretty sure they think I’m a psychopath for finishing the scene and not saying anything. But it’s just having so many things ingrained and you, like I don’t acknowledge pain until I have the time and I can really hide it. So I’m pretty sure everyone thinks I’m nuts. They found out that I’m nuts. But it’s really cool, they figured out a way to work around and still fit me into the story, but I was actually really bummed, I had a lot of really cool stunts I was going to do that got cut because of my condition.” h/t MMA Junkie • Watch (8:45)
Latest 10 UFC fights, today's in bold
•Magomed Mustafaev OUT, Don Madge IN vs. Fares Ziam at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi to UFC 243 in Melbourne
•Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, Florida
•JJ Aldrich vs. Lauren Mueller at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, Florida
•Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva moved from UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi to UFC 243 in Melbourne
•Ben Askren vs. Demian Maia fight at UFC on ESPN+ 20 on 10/26 in Singapore
•Molly McCann vs. Diana Belbita at UFC on ESPN 6 on 10/18 in Boston, Massachusetts
•Deron Winn vs. Darren Stewart at UFC on ESPN 6 on 10/18 in Boston, Massachusetts
•Eryk Anders vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, Florida
•Cub Swanson vs. Kron Gracie at UFC on ESPN+ 19 on 10/12 in Tampa, Florida
•Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Lerone Murphy at UFC 242 on 9/7 in Abu Dhabi
Dominick Reyes: Jon Jones lost to Thiago Santos but knows how to win the judges over
“I actually had him losing by a round. I was there, I was sitting cage side. A completely objective, unbiased judging with my own eyes, I saw Thiago winning the hand exchanges and kinda pushing him back. Jon is a great champion, he knows how to win, he knows how to win the judges over. Much respect to him ... Now I can fulfill my destiny, which is taking out Jon.” h/t MMA Mania • Watch (6:24)
Dana White: No way Jose Aldo can make 135
The UFC FW G.O.A.T Jose Aldo wants a shot at champ champ Henry Cejudo at bantamweight, but the UFC boss is dubious: "Aldo sent me a text telling me he wants to do this, so we really haven’t talked about it, but I just … there’s no way that kid can make [135]. There’s no way. No way. Do you remember when he was the champ and how hard it was for him to make [145]? And he’s not any younger, so I honestly haven’t even taken that serious. Love Aldo, and I want to do what he wants to do, but I don’t think I want to see him cut to [135]. I don’t think that’s going to be good for him.” However, Aldo is adamant: "When I talk about something I'm talking seriously and for real. I already made a test and I can make this weight!" h/t MMA Junkie • Twitter
Mike Tyson on his greatest loss
The Thrill The Agony, UFC 241: Miocic gets blessed news
ONE 100 to feature double world championship events on 10/13 in Tokyo
BREAKING NEWS: To celebrate our historic 100th show, I am thrilled to announce that ONE: Century on Sunday October 13 in Tokyo will feature 2 full-scale world championship events (of 11 fights on each card) on the same day with world championship title fights, world grand prix championship title fights, and much more! In what will be the biggest martial arts extravaganza in history, our morning Tokyo show will air live on TNT on Saturday night in the US (as well as other select countries), and our evening Tokyo show will air live across 140+ countries. BOOM!!! Stay tuned for more details. I will be announcing the full fight cards shortly! #WeAreONE h/t Facebook
Dana White: Not up to me, but I'd love to see a DC trilogy fight vs. Stipe
“Stipe and Cormier, that was a f@$%ing war between two heavyweights that hit like trucks. .... He looked damn good until, like I said the night of the fight, whoever came up with that ‘go to the body’ gameplan in between rounds was f@$%ing brilliant. Brilliant. It was even more brilliant the way Stipe executed it. So, yes, I think he’s one of the best in the world, and I don’t think he should retire, but that’s up to him and his family. ... I haven’t talked to [Cormier]. The fight just happened. I haven’t talked to Stipe. I talked to Pettis today, but other than that, I don’t talk to any of the guys. I leave them alone, let them enjoy their family and do what they’re doing. It isn’t until, like, the bruises start to heal and all that $#!@ before they want to start talking fighting again, so I leave them alone. I’ll do anything [DC] wants to do, and obviously, I’ll do anything that Stipe wants to do. Stipe’s got to want the trilogy, too.” h/t MMA Junkie
Dana White: Cejudo fights Joseph Benavidez next, or loses a 'C'
The UFC president announced what's next for Olympic champ, UFC bantamweight and flyweight champ, and Cringe champ Henry Cejudo, and there's an or else: “Right now, we have some things playing out at 135 pounds. What we’d like to see Cejudo do is defend his title against Benavidez. Benavidez is ready. It’s the right thing to do. If he can’t, then he needs to give up one of the belts. We’re playing some things out to see who’s going to be the next challenger at ’35. Benavidez is ready to go. He deserves it, and he’s got a win over Cejudo.” h/t MMA Junkie
Stipe Miocic's game changing body attack inspired by Anderson Silva
"[The beginning of the fight] was terrible! My God! It seemed that I could not fight! I thought, 'Should I be here?' Then I started to open more, found the distance and began to see openings: 'OK, we're fine, I get it now. [I decided to change the strategy] in the third round. I started to see between the third and fourth, my coaches were talking to me, and I said, 'Let's start attacking the body. He leaves it wide open and nobody enjoys it. I remember Anderson Silva hit him with a kick in the body and hurt him a little. So I thought about attacking there. And it worked!" h/t Combate (original Portuguese)
RIZIN aims for a 'new type of competition' with Conor McGregor on NYE
JMMA birthed many of the greatest fights in MMA history, and as well spawned Fedor vs. Zuluzinho, Giant Silva vs. Akebono, and a host of the other oddities collectively characterized in two words - "Oh Japan." The New Pride RIZIN may be keeping both traditions alive. RIZIN boss Sakakibara says something “quite strange” is coming on NYE, "that's not MMA, kickboxing, or pro wrestling but a new type of competition." And it potentially involves Conor McGregor or Oscar De La Hoya. Calcio Fiorentino while dressed as Rin Nakai's kinky grandma, with only fishhooking allowed? Nah, not weird enough. h/t Tokyo Sports
Ben Rothwell reuniting with Roufusport
'Big' Ben Rothwell has been largely training at his own gym for the past several years, but at 37 finds himself on a 3-fight losing streak ahead of fight vs. a returning Stefan Struve at UFC on ESPN 7 on 12/7, and is making a change, as old/new coach Duke Roufus explains: “Ben and I are going to be reuniting. I last worked with him in 2012. I reached out to him. He’s an old friend of mine, I stood up at his wedding, and I was in his wedding party. I told him, ‘You’re toward the end of your career, buddy. I want to help you as much as I can.’ I can see some things I can really add to his game, and we’re going to have some fun together and go for it."
