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The double champ shows up in style
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Dana White reacts to Jon Jones USADA suspension
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones received a relatively brief 15-month suspension for his latest unfortunate behavior. His suspension is retroactive to the date his sample was collected, July 28, 2017, so he is eligible to fight Oct. 28. Independent arbitrator Richard McLaren found that Jones did not test positive for the notorious PED Turinabol, or its short and medium term metabolites. The WADA certified lab instead found an “extremely low” level of the steroid metabolite M3, which is linked to five anabolic agents, including turinabol. “The arbitrator found that Jones never intentionally or knowingly took steroids and the result of the positive test was the result of a contaminated substance,” texted White to Yahoo Sports. “The science completely supports that finding. The science doesn’t lie so I look forward to getting him back early next year.” H/T MMAjunkie
White: Not true Jones will headline UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden in November
Covington: UFC hates Woodley, probably won't give him UFC 230 main event slot
Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington lost the belt when he declined to fight Tyron Woodley on the UFC schedule and was replaced vs champ Tyron Woodley by Darren Till, who was destroyed. However, Covington may well get a title shot, perhaps at the monster UFC 230 on November 3 at Madison Square Garden. During a recent appearance on BJPenn.com Radio, Covington questioned whether the UFC would give Woodley the main event slot. “It’s a possibility,” said Covington. “The UFC, they don’t want to give him that spot. They don’t want to reward him that main event, ’cause they hate him. ... He doesn’t know how to sell fights. He doesn’t know how to promote fights. He just complains, man. He’s been given everything. He’s been silver spoon-fed. He’s been paid millions to piggyback off of Conor [McGregor] and Jon Jones. He just consistently shoots himself in the foot every time he opens his mouth. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I would love for it. That’s where I want it to be, at the most iconic arena, MSG. The same place that Hulkmania started at the Garden in ’84. I want to come there and make welterweight great again in the Garden in November.” H/T BJPenn.com
Renan Barao: My time will come again
Renan Barao successfully defended his UFC bantamweight championship vs. Urijah Faber at UFC 169 on February 1, 2014 and lost it in his next fight to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173 on May 24, 2014. He's gone just 2-4 since that loss and is on a two-fight win streak. Now 31, 'The Baron' fights Andre Ewell on September 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 137 in UFC Sao Paulo, and in a recent interview with Combate, he held title hopes strongly. “Surely I still think about the title,” said Barao. “Every fighter’s dream is to fight for the belt. I’m still young, I’m sure my time will come again. I was focusing on something that held me back during the fight, something I didn’t use to do I tried to change, but it ended up being bad for me. So we took a step back, we tried to improve. I think I’m going to be a completely different Renan Barao. I always had a good head on my shoulders. What happened was that I just wasn’t getting lucky in my fights. I was harming myself in the nutrition aspect, but I always had a good head. I always came to fight, my goal was to always get a knockout or submission, that never changed.” H/T BE
Controversial Greg Hardy to fight Saturday at Xtreme Fight Night 352 on UFC Fight Pass 1
Undefeated heavyweight prospect and former NFL Pro Bowl selection Greg Hardy fights Ray Jones (1-1) at Xtreme Fight Night 352 on September 29 on in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the event will stream live on UFC Fight Pass. Hardy went 3-0 as an amateur and made his pro debut on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. He won and was signed to a developmental contract that saw him win again on DWTNCS, and now will be on Extreme FN. H/T MMAjunkie
World champ not impressed with IBJJF, is impressed with UAEJJF
Rumble would return to the Octagon for the right opportunity
Anthony Johnson lost a fight vs. now champ champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in April of 2017 and unexpectedly retired in Octagon. He has since bulked up and focused on a venture in the medical cannabis industry. Now during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show, 'Rumble' would not say he's never returning. “No I cannot say that. Never say never," he said. "If the right opportunity comes along, I will jump on it. You know I am obviously not afraid to fight anybody. So if that happens and the price is right, you know sometimes people be cheap. So treat me right and I will definitely treat you right and go and give you the performance of a lifetime.” H/T MMA Mania
Kayla Harrison to enter PFL women's lightweight tournament in 2019
In 2019, Professional Fighters League will expand with an inaugural women’s lightweight tournament that will include its biggest female star, two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo Kayla Harrison, whose MMA debut was with the PFL, and is now 2-0. “We’re super excited to continue working with Kayla,” said PFL President Carlos Silva. “We’re going to go ahead and add a seventh weight division to our format. It’s going to operate the same as the men’s divisions have in 2018. We thought it was a smart weight for some of these women to compete at.” H/T MMAjunkie
Tommy Toe Hold looks into the future for early look of McGregor-Khabib press conference
Jones releases statement following announcement of arbitration result
Coker will deal with champ champ situations on a case-by-case basis
At Bellator 206 on 9/29, welterweight champion Rory MacDonald fights up vs. middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi. At Bellator 207 on 10/ 12, light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader fights Matt Mitrione in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix semi finals. So president Scott Coker could have four titles held by two fighters. “That’s something we’ll sit down and talk to each fighter," said Bellator boss Scott Coker. "Rory will enter the 170-pound tournament after this fight with Gegard. We’ll talk to Rory about how he felt. A lot of it depends on what the fighter wants to do. That door is open. We’re not going to close it, but we’ll take it on a case-by-case basis. If it’s getting bottled up, we’ll definitely have a conversation. In Rory’s case, especially if things work out for Rory, he wants to stay busy. I know Gegard wants to stay busy. Everyone wants to stay busy. So as long as they’re not injured we’re going to keep moving and keep those guys busy.” H/T MMAjunkie
Heavyweight Augusto Sakai bucking the UFC to Bellator migration
Bellator has signed some key fighters, but the migration isn't all one way. 11-1-1 Japanese Brazilian heavyweight Augusto Sakai went 4-1-1 in Bellator and entered the UFC via a win on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. On Saturday at UFC Fight Night 137 he fights Case Sherman. “I did very well in Bellator,” said Sakai. “I had great fights there. I had a very good record there. I knew I just had to keep working so I’d eventually get into the UFC. I had a lot of faith in that. Now, thankfully I’m in the UFC. It was the reverse path. A lot of people leave the UFC for Bellator. I left Bellator for the UFC. [Sherman] has been in the UFC for some time. My team and I have studied him. We’ve put a strategy together. Now we’re sharpening things. I’ll impose my game and get the win. I didn’t stop training after my fight at Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil. Now I’m just adjusting a few more things, and we’re ready to fight.” H/T MMAjunkie
