The MMA Ten keeps you updated on the latest news from the world of the UFC and beyond. Read it and you’ll feel like that one person who’s actually excited for the Ghostbusters reboot.
Your MMA Picture of the Week
Let’s start off the MMA Ten with a bang. Last weekend at Victory Fighting Championship 50, Jessica Middleton smacked Julie Murray so hard she turned her face into an amalgam of the Scream mask and Jim Carrey. Can your punch do that?
Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Might Actually Happen
Conor McGregor may or may not have an upcoming fight with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. The talk just won’t die down, and McGregor went and sparred six rounds with former IBF and IBO champion boxer Chris Van Heerden. Journalist Elie Seckbach caught up with Van Heerden to ask about McGregor’s prospects in beating the boxing champ. According to Van Heerden, McGregor will not beat Mayweather and won’t even hit him once.
“There’s no way in this lifetime that Conor McGregor beats Floyd in a boxing match. No way. Can Conor land a punch? Yes, he can. But not on Floyd. Not on Floyd.”
Van Heerden also told Seckbach that while McGregor is a good fighter with the 4 oz. MMA gloves, none of the UFC champ’s punches with 16 oz. boxing gloves hurt. “I wasn’t fazed at all,” Van Heerden said.
McGregor caught wind of what people are saying about his chances with Floyd, and apparently he isn’t fond of your dirty mouth.
Tito Ortiz: Trumpkin
Tito Ortiz is a big Donald Trump fan. He recently attended a Trump rally, joined a “Build that wall” chant and even brought an anti-Hillary sign. Ortiz was fired by Trump on season seven of “Celebrity Apprentice,” but still wants him as POTUS.
For all the haters ignorance is bliss. But the #TrumpTrain is gaining ground.
Demi Lovato Has Skills
Plenty of celebs like to train BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and MMA. Anthony Bourdain is a BJJ junkie. Keanu Reeves and Ashton Kutcher also train BJJ. But check out the striking skills of Demi Lovato, with Jay Glazer holding mitts for her.
A video posted by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on
Breaking News: MMA Fighters are Fit
Sports Illustrated recently released its Fittest 50 lists, recognizing 50 men and 50 women as the most fit athletes in the world of sport. Plenty of MMA fighters made the cut.
** 39 – Conor McGregor
** 17 – Demetrious Johnson
** 4 – Jon Jones** 30 – Miesha Tate
** 26 – Michelle Waterson
** 19 – Ronda Rousey
** 9 – Holly HolmNice job, S.I. But seeing as most athletes are fit, how about a list of the most unfit athletes? If you excel at your sport with ‘dad bod’ or worse, isn’t that more impressive? Roy Nelson knocks someone out, rubs his big belly and proclaims he’s off to chow down at Burger King. That’s what I’m talking about.
The Champ is Here
Stipe Miocic is enjoying his new UFC heavyweight title, and so are his colleagues. Miocic remains a firefighter in Cleveland, and his fellow firefighters thought it would be fun for Miocic to go outside with his belt on and wave at people. So he did it.
These guys are seriously making me go outside and wave to people wearing my belt. It's pretty awesome. pic.twitter.com/X6ZB9kONbj
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocicufc) May 25, 2016
A fan tweeted to Miocic he was doubtful that anyone could make the heavyweight champ do anything. Miocic replied, “You’ve never been to this firehouse. These dudes give zero F’s.”
The Conjoined Triangles of MMA Success
HBO’s Silicon Valley is hilarious. If you are a fan of the show, this should give you a giggle:
You can catch Silicon Valley Sundays on HBO.
Sunday’s All Right For Fighting
The UFC will have the rare Sunday night event this weekend, as UFC Fight Night goes down in Vegas. The card doesn’t have a lot of names that will be recognizable to the casual fan, but there are still some great matchups.
** Sara McMann vs. Jessica Eye. McMann is a former Olympic wrestler that is currently the No. 6-ranked bantamweight, but she’s lost two straight. Jessica “Evil” Eye is the No. 7-ranked bantamweight, also riding a two-fight losing streak. Losing three straight in the UFC is generally considered the death knell, so both fighters desperately need a win.
**Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway. Caraway is UFC women’s bantamweight champions Miesha Tate’s boyfriend. Sterling somehow thinks this is a negative, and took to social media to continually throw shade. They get to settle it in the cage Sunday.
** Renan Barao is the former UFC bantamweight champion, but he repeatedly had trouble making weight. He’s made the move up to featherweight and will fight Jeremy Stephens, a fighter with scary power. Someone will likely be knocked out in this one.
** The main event features two up-and coming, undefeated fighters. Thomas Almeida (20-0) takes on Cody Garbrandt (8-0). Both are considered to be the future of the bantamweight division, but the threshing out process begins Sunday.
** Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal was a street fighter in Miami circa the Kimbo Slice days, but unlike Slice, Masvidal molded himself into an outstanding mixed martial artist. He’ll fight Lorenz Larkin, who has an outrageous combination of speed and power.
BJ Penn Out of UFC 199
Legendary UFC fighter BJ Penn came out of retirement earlier this year and was set to face Cole Miller for his first fight since getting wrecked by Frankie Edgar in 2014. But the comeback will have to wait as Penn has been removed from the UFC 199 card after he admitted to a USADA violation in March.
What do you think Penn’s violation was? Roids? Weed? HGH? Nope. Penn had an IV administered by a doctor, and the use of an IV in excess of 50 ML in a six-hour period is now prohibited. IVs over that amount are prohibited because they can be used as a mask for banned substances, but Penn explained on his website that he hasn’t tested positive for anything — yet.
“The rule for IV usage had changed since my last fight in the UFC and was unaware of the change and voluntarily disclosed the information to USADA. I had no idea that IV use was banned 365 days a year.
“At no time in my career in martial arts have I ever doped and anticipate all test results from USADA will come back clean and will be working with the UFC to get the matter cleared up and return to fight as soon as possible.”
Penn is now training at the renowned Jackson/Winkeljohn gym, but he hasn’t won a fight since 2010. The UFC has named Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres as Penn’s replacement to fight Cole Miller.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller Is Back
Jason “Mayhem” Miller is back in the news, and it isn’t related to his legal troubles.
Mayhem was set to fight for the first time in four years at Venator FC 3 in Italy last weekend. Scheduled to battle former UFC fighter Luke Barnatt in a middleweight tilt, Mayhem tipped the scales at 209 lbs., a mere 24 pounds over the 185 lb. limit. That matchup was scrapped and Mayhem was given a light-heavyweight to fight by the name of Mattia Schiavolin, who easily choked him out in the second round.
Jason Mathem Miller vs Mattia Schiavolin #VenatorFC pic.twitter.com/RbR0ug3e2G
— Zombie Prophet (@ZPGIFs) May 21, 2016
Even though he lost, Mayhem told Chael Sonnen that he wants to resume his fighting career. “I really cleaned up my act and got serious about life again. I just was taking ‘Mayhem’ to the far extremes, the far reaches of depravity and now I’m back here into the normal human world. I’m a man, I’m a fighter. For so many years the system took that away from me, and now I need to take it back.”
I’m not sure what the system took away from him, but showing up 24 pounds overweight took a fight away from Luke Barnatt and made Mayhem look like unprofessional. Missing weight, especially by large margins, is considered the ultimate in disrespect among fighters. Mayhem hasn’t had his hand raised since 2010.
