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PFL's Louis Taylor wants to win $1 million again, at welterweight
Taylor, 40, won $1 million in the PFL middleweight belt, and wants to do it again, at welterweight, because a million dollars isn't what it used to be: “I’m hoping I win it this year so I can get something special. I’ll tell you honestly, a million’s not that much money. It’s not chump change, but once you get done paying $400,000 to taxes, $200,000 on your home, you’ve got to pay your manager $100,000, your camp another $50,000, you’re left with, like, one investment. That’s where I’m at now. I’ve got a chance to make one good investment, and I’m not even mentioning retirement and this and that that I need to put away. So he’ll be cutting down to 170 pounds for the first time since high school for his season-opening fight with Chris Curtis on May 9. h/t MMA Fighting
Gymkata eclipsed, Sage Northcutt, Seth Petruzelli to appear in Street Fighter: Genesis
Jeff Novitzky: USADA still evaluating Paulo Costa
Paulo Costa was recently fined by the NYSAC for use and disclosure of non-performance enhancing substances while licensed, which would put it at UFC 217 in November of 2017; the fighter has said it was something in a common stomach medication in Brazil. However, UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky says USADA also has an ongoing investigation: “I don’t have any comment on that. My understanding is that New York has issued him a fine or a sanction and that USADA is still evaluating this. It’s not until cases are adjudicated and resolved that we comment on them. So I’m not gonna comment on that one right now.” h/t MMA Fighting • Listen to UFC Unfiltered Podcast
Four fighters suspended 6 months for trace elements of Ostarine
Nicco Montano, Sean O’Malley, Augusto Mendes, and Marvin Vettori have each been suspended for six months by USA for historical, trace elements of ostarine, consistent with a contaminated supplement, rather than intentional use: “The trace amounts of ostarine found in each of the athlete’s samples was made possible by sensitive laboratory detection capabilities. However, as detection windows increase and the potential time between ingestion and detection lengthens, it has become more difficult for athletes to identify a contaminated product that may be the source of their positive test. As a consequence, the investigation period in ostarine cases is frequently relatively long, as has been the case in each of the cases announced today.” Montano is eligible to return to on 5/15, O’Malley on 9/19, Vettori can fight immediately, and Mendes can fight immediately, but is longer with the UFC. h/t USADA
Stephen Thompson not pushing return: ‘You can’t condition the brain’
Wonderboy was knocked out for the first time ever at UFC on ESPN+ 6 on 3/23. He had hoped to headline UFC on ESPN+ 12 in his hometown of Greenville, SC on June 22, but wisely isn't push it: "I’ll be able to have some contact with sparring at the end of June. I’m staying in shape, but I still want to keep this [brain] right. Where I can get some good sparring in and a good training camp, possibly August I’m thinking. Michael Bisping, in one of his last fights, he stepped out there too soon. He had a brutal fight with Georges St-Pierre and then real quick jumped in against Kelvin Gastelum and just got put away. If you do that, if you step out there too soon... this is your livelihood. If you want to do this for years to come, you have to take care of yourself. You can’t condition the brain. You can condition the body, but you can’t condition the brain. You have to take it slow.” h/t BE • Watch interview
Paulo Costa: I never used PEDs in my life
osta was pulled from a fight and fined by the NYSAC, over what he said was a stomach medication; the middleweight says he has never used steroids: “It’s not true. I never used steroids in my life. I never used anything to cheat the game. ... I’m ready to fight in May or June or July. But I want to fight as soon as possible. I’d like to fight against Romero, but man Romero don’t want to fight against nobody I think. Because he’s number one, he will sit there and wait for I don’t know what. He’s 40 years old and he don’t fight against nobody. I don’t understand what’s happening in his mind.” h/t MMA News • Watch ESPN’s Ariel Helwani MMA Show
Jon Fitch wants yellow cards implemented in Unified Rules
Under the PRIDE Rules developed by now ONE VP Matt Hume, if a fighter is stalling, the ref issues a yellow card, a warning that 1. He must begin working and, 2. His pay has been docked 10%. Bellator's Fitch wants to see them in his new home: “I think it’s a fantastic idea because a lot of times the guy on top gets blamed for slow-action. But if the guy on bottom is closed guard and holding onto his opponent and is not actively trying to get-up, sweep, or submit, what’s he doing? He is the guy in boxing that’s hugging and holding the whole time. Well, in boxing that guy gets a warning. After a while he might get a point taking away. Let’s bring that back in.” Fitch fights Rory MacDonald at Bellator 220 on 4/27 live on DAZN. h/t BE • Watch
Combate Americas announces South American debut, in Peru
Salsa outsells catsup, and Combate Americas is crushing North American based events. Now the promotion is moving into Lima, Peru on May 31, with that nation's biggest fight card ever, and the first for Combate in South America. The event will stream live on DAZN for North American fans. Rolando Bedoya vs. Daniel Zellhuber • Marlon Gonzales vs. Pablo Villaseca • Maria Paola Buzaglo vs. Alitzel Mariscal • Andres Ayala vs. Renzo Mendez • Eduardo Torres vs. Rodrigo Vera • Dana Zighelboim Grau vs. Jennifer Gonzalez • Kevin Moreyra vs. David Martinez.
Poirier, Jouban auctioning off UFC 236 fight kits for @thegoodfightfoundation
Dustin Poirier and his wife, Jolie, through their Good Fight Foundation, are auctioning his fight kit to build a playground for disabled children in Lafayette. That was the dream of a Lafayette boy named Aaron Hill, who died of a rare brain disease before the playground could be built. “Aaron had this dream and we’re going to make sure that dream comes true, even though he didn’t live to see it." Alan Jouban is also auctioning off his fight kit for the cause. Bid HERE on Poirer's fight kit • Bid HERE on Jouban's fight kit
Get your Three Piece and a Soda tee here
ONE doing massive things in May
Andrei Arlovski knows window closing, but ...
“My first jiu-jitsu coach, Dino Costeas, told me discipline is remembering what you want. F***, every day when I wake up, I remember what I want, why I am doing this f***ing over and over at age 40 and one of the oldest guys in the UFC still in this, still going. … I’m pretty much one of the first guys who comes and pretty much one of the last ones who leave the gym, I have at least two or three workouts a day. ... In boxing, George Foreman became champion at age 46, of course, and Randy Couture, it didn’t matter that he was fighting at 40 years old. Dan Henderson. It’s just a number. Age is f***ing just a number. It depends how you feel inside, and I’m a happy guy. I love this. I’m doing what I love to do and my wife lets me do what I love to do. She supports me all the time, she’s an [incredible] lady, so I’m a happy person, fighter, and father.” ... Now I just understand that I have a short window of a few more years, and it’s very nice of the UFC and actually Dana White to give me all this time in the UFC to do [what I love]. I’m happy that I’m still [here] and still alive. ... I remember when this started. I didn’t start right at the beginning — it was like 1994, I started [a few years later] — but now it’s like, the sport is growing with mainstream sports and the world is [paying attention], and now we’re on ESPN. It’s crazy. It’s f***ing fantastic.” h/t MMA Fighting
Invicta's Ediane Gomes struggled with feelings of suicide
Gomes, who fought Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey and beat up a man, hasn't fought since defeating Pam Sorenson at Invicta 23 on 4/20/2017 and recently suffered a car accident: "It’s a miracle I’m still here. After that collision, the other driver chased after me and my wife. He was trying to purposefully crash into us. Thankfully, my car was fast enough and I was able to evade him. ... I would love to be in the mix at 155 pounds. But to do that, I need more media coverage. Unfortunately, some organizations don’t help promote their fighters. Or they put their efforts into building up other girls, giving them favorable opponents. ... I went through some difficult moments some months ago. I had been considering suicide. But God gave me strength and lifted me up again. God is very good. I think that when you are born to be warrior, you are destined to go through many hardships. Look at Cris Cyborg. The system has been very tough on her. We do have a great rivalry, but on a personal level, she’s a special person. The MMA world is a big mafia. Cris agrees with me. If you don’t corrupt yourself to fit into the system, the system will screw you in every way possible. I know good things will still happen. What matters is having a goal, and having heart. If you are well trained, and if you want it bad enough, you can tear off the head of any opponent." h/t MMA Junkie
The Reverse Submission Knockout
Antione 'Easter Bunny' McDonald has hands
Bruno Mars tranes UFC
Dana White: ‘I’m making all my boxing moves after this summer’
“What I don’t like what [boxing] is doing - how they’re not fighting the best guys out there right now. They have [Deontay] Wilder and [Tyson] Fury who just fought to a draw in an incredible fight that people loved. The rematch isn’t happening with those two, and neither one of those two are going to fight [Anthony] Joshua. These guys could do a round-robin fight, fight each other. You know, both guys could fight Joshua and they’d kill it. They’d make so much money and they would bring so much energy and life back to boxing. But these guys just keep shooting themselves in the foot. I am making all my boxing moves after this summer. When this summer is over, you’ll be hearing a lot about what I’m doing in the sport of boxing.” h/t BE • Watch on CNN
Walt Harris gets four-month USADA suspension for contaminated supplement
Harris, 35, tested positive for LGD-4033 as the result of an in-competition urine sample he provided on December 29, 2018 that was collected by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) at UFC 232 in Inglewood, Calif. Following notification of his positive test, Harris provided USADA with information about a dietary supplement product he was using before and at the time of the relevant sample collection. Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement label, analysis conducted on both the open and independently sourced, unopened containers of the product by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, indicated that the product contained LGD-4033. The product has since been added to the list of high-risk supplements maintained on USADA’s online dietary supplement safety education and awareness resource – Supplement 411. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the determination that an athlete’s positive test was caused by a contaminated product may result in a reduced sanction. Where contamination is established, the sanction for a doping offense involving a non-Specified Substance ranges from a reprimand and no period of ineligibility to a two-year period of ineligibility. h/t UFC.USADA.com
Kenny Florian names the UFC's toughest division
“You look at how damn good Max Holloway is, and how tough this warrior is, I think it’s further proof — and again call me biased because I spent the majority of my career at 155 lbs — but the lightweight division is the toughest division in the whole sport. There’s no question about it. You look at all the guys in that weight class, and you compare it to every other weight class, and how stacked it is. You look at all the 55’ers that have done tremendous at 170 lbs. As good as Max Holloway is, and he’s certainly one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, he did not beat Dustin Poirier. He just didn’t have enough to do it. And Dustin Poirier is one of five guys that could win that belt.” Sounds like a good time to start a 165 division. h/t BE • Listen to the Anik and Florian podcast
Firas Zahabi: Max Holloway made a 'poor choice' vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 236
“Holloway fought blood and guts, he fought with his heart. So did Poirier, but he fought with heart and brains. He was just more strategic than Holloway. He was playing the game, whereas Holloway was trying to win with pure heart and grit. It was a poor choice. I thought he could have done better. He forgot to move his feet, he forgot to move his head, he forgot to parry. He forgot all these things. Why? Because he was too busy egging on Poirier to hit him. And Poirier was more than willing to hit him. He landed the more powerful strikes, the cleanest strikes, and Poirier was more defensively responsible. Let’s just be honest, at the end of the day, Holloway was defensively irresponsible. I love the guy and I admire him as a fighter. I think he’s one of the greats. He’s gonna go into the Hall of Fame. The man is a brilliant fighter. He just, in my opinion, got too much in the heat of battle. It happens to the best fighters. The man is a brilliant fighter, however, Dustin was strategically superior. I felt that Holloway was getting hit by the same shots and was not adjusting. He didn’t really kick too much, and I just feel like he was boxing with a really good boxer, where he should have been kicking and kneeing and elbowing.” h/t BE
