The MMA Ten keeps you updated on the latest news from the world of the UFC and beyond. This week: PeePee spray at the weigh-ins, Bisping opines on how he’d finish Conor McGregor, Rampage returns and much more.
Checking In with the Champ
Let’s get started by checking in on Michael Bisping, the king of trash talk and new UFC middleweight champion.
Bisping’s not quite ready for a BBC comedy. But when he’s not doing campy skits, the trash talk game remains strong. Let’s see who he can insult this week!
Bisping: I’d Snap Conor’s Neck
There are a lot of names being bandied about for Bisping’s first title defense: Jacare Souza, Chris Weidman and Dan Henderson to name a few. Someone even jokingly suggested Conor McGregor. Bisping got a kick out of that and told The Sportbible how that fight would go down.
“Listen, a long time ago I had a bird that annoyed me and the bird had to go. The bird’s neck was snapped. I would also snap Conor McGregor’s neck in a similar fashion. Conor is about as high as this couch, and I’m a grand specimen. I’m 6’2″ of prime British beef. Conor is Irish and about 4’2″. It wouldn’t even be fair. I doubt you could even get it sanctioned. But Conor for his weight-class is amazing, he is the best, I love him, but come on.”
Bisping was joking about snapping the bird’s neck. We’re not so sure about Conor’s. Either way, we’re not going to see that fight. But Bisping recently wrote a piece detailing who he’d like to fight next. One of those challengers? None other than Mr. Georges St-Pierre, former UFC welterweight champion and future UFC hall of famer.
GSP: My Body Is Ready
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George St-Pierre returning to the UFC is one of the longest-running rumors in the game, perhaps second only to the ‘Fedor to the UFC’ rumors that have been bouncing around for what seems like forever. GSP recently proclaimed his body is ready after putting himself through all the paces of a traditional fight camp, and he’d be happy to take on Bisping in his comeback fight.
“I do not believe if I fight him he would send me back to a movie set,” St-Pierre told The MMA Hour. Yes, he’s bigger than me, but I believe I have more skills, more athleticism, and a higher fighting IQ than he does. The world doesn’t revolve around me, but if it’s a fight that the fans and the UFC wants to make, they’ve got my number, they can call my agent no problem. We can organize to make it happen and make an agreement.”
In his piece for Champions.co, Bisping said, “I wouldn’t have thought he’d come out of retirement but I’m ready, tell him to sign on the dotted line.”
Payback > Getting Paid
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A fight with GSP would make Bisping the most money, but for him, vengeance is worth much more than cash. Which is why Bisping reiterated in his piece that he wants Dan Henderson next.
“I know that this isn’t really the correct choice for me, but it’s who I want. Henderson is going to retire soon, and we all know what happened at UFC 100 and he’s never let me forget that. I would like to get my revenge before he retires. This is something that I have always wanted.
“Back in the day he was on TRT, and I didn’t even know what TRT was! His body was enhanced, he was cheating. I’d like to fight him fair. Yes, we’re both a little older, but we’re both still knocking people out. I think this is what the fans want to see. I’d like to get Henderson out of the way and then talk to the real contenders next.”
CM Punk Has a Date
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CM Punk, aka Phil Brooks, finally has a date for his UFC debut. He will fight Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Cleveland on September 10. Brooks broke the news on the Unfiltered podcast with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and comedian Jim Norton.
Let’s check in on some behind-the-scenes footage of Punk training:
https://youtu.be/2snGA29qWqw
That was funny, but Punk has actually been training with legendary kickboxer and MMA coach Duke Roufus in Milwaukee, as well as learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Rener Gracie of the famed Gracie family. I don’t know if he will be skilled enough to win, but if he loses it won’t be from lack of preparation.
No Twists, Just Fists
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Paige VanZant finished a successful run on Dancing With the Stars, and now she has an opponent for her first fight in the Octagon since getting choked out by Rose Namajunas last December. VanZant will fight the ferocious “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings on August 27. Rawlings is a brawler who has shown marked improvement since appearing on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter.
This will be a stiff test for VanZant. Rawlings is not currently ranked within the top-15 of the strawweight division, but I wouldn’t count her out by any means.
VanZant told Sportscenter she turned down the WWE and a movie role to get back in the cage. “I feel like I just missed violence. I went to a few UFC fights and it’s really hard for me to sit still cageside because I just want to be in there and that’s how it’s been every time I go to a UFC fight.”
UFC Fighters Receive ESPY Noms
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Ronda Rousey won two ESPYs in 2015, taking home the awards for Best Fighter and Best Female Athlete. This year, three UFC fighters received nominations:
- Conor McGregor: Breakthrough Athlete, Best Fighter
- Robbie Lawler: Best Fighter
- Holly Holm: Best Play and Best Upset
WWE superstar John Cena hosts The 2016 ESPYs on July 13. Fans can vote at ESPYS.com.
So Cleveland is Having Quite a Year
UFC heavyweight Stipe Miocic broke the Cleveland championship drought when he knocked out Fabricio Werdum to win the UFC heavyweight title at UFC in February. Then LeBron and the Cavs won the NBA title, and Miocic was invited to lead the parade.
Seriously, how amazing is this?! @stipemiocicufc @cavs #CavsParade #OneForTheLand #UFC203 pic.twitter.com/MKJn4dUsbU
— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2016
It’s great to see long-suffering sports fans get to celebrate. As a Chicagoan, I can only imagine what it will look like when the Cubs win it all this year. We might not work again until 2017.
Rampage Fights Tonight
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Bellator returns tonight on Spike TV with Dynamite 2, headlined by Quentin “Rampage” Jackson. The former UFC light heavyweight champ will take on Satoshi Ishii in the main event. Former UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione will make his Bellator debut against Carl Seumanutafa. But the “can’t miss” fight of the night is the lightweight title fight between Michael Chandler and Patricky Pitbull.
How’s Taste My PeePee?
Years ago, the line “How’s taste my peepee?” was made famous by UFC fighter Andrei Arlovski. It was a question to fellow heavyweight Tim Sylvia, who apparently was seeing Arlovski’s former girlfriend.
Perhaps that’s what Kiko Matos was thinking about when he loaded a spray bottle full of his own urine and sprayed at his opponent during their stare down in the Philippines.
The urine spray bottle is disgusting, but the backstory of how this fight came to be is actually interesting. Matos and his opponent Baron Geisler were in a bar fight, video of which went viral.
The Rappler reports that the head of the Universal Reality Combat Championship invited them to duke it out and settle their beef in the cage. That will happen on Saturday in Valkyrie, but here’s guessing it won’t be anything as good as the weigh-in.
