Tag: UFC 157

Rousey vs. Cyborg: Dana White Says Dolce Diet Can Get Cyborg to 135

Famed MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce might be just the man that UFC president Dana White needs in order to seal the deal on a superfight between Ronda Rousey and Cristiane Justino.Right now, the only thing preventing a match between the two former Strikef…

Famed MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce might be just the man that UFC president Dana White needs in order to seal the deal on a superfight between Ronda Rousey and Cristiane Justino.

Right now, the only thing preventing a match between the two former Strikeforce women’s champions is a difference in weight.

But while Cris “Cyborg” insists that there’s no way that she can cut 10 pounds to challenge for Rousey’s UFC women’s bantamweight title belt, White tells TATAME that Dolce’s patented system can get the featherweight bruiser to safely and efficiently cut down to 135 pounds (translation via Google):

“She can get to this weight, we have an expert who can help you lose weight in a healthy way, [he] does so with all our athletes. We have Mike Dolce, who has the system to [get] wrestlers [to] lose weight and still feel good, and it’s all about your diet. He is 100% ready to work with her and [it] will not cost anything to Cris,” said Dana, who has even [compared] the Cyborg x Ronda [rivalry to] boxers Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

Bloody Elbow followed up with Dolce himself, who stated that not only would the weight cut be possible, but that he could also get Cyborg down to 135 pounds with very little difficulty:

It is absolutely possible for her to make 135. I believe 135 will be her best weight class. I think she’s a legitimate 135 pounder. I think as good as she was at 145, she’ll be even more dynamic at 135. I believe it wouldn’t be that difficult at all.

Dolce also told Bloody Elbow that Cyborg would actually be better suited fighting at the bantamweight limit and would be an “amazing” competitor at that weight. Even while competing at 145 pounds, Cyborg racked up an impressive 11-fight winning streak.

However, Justino’s career was put on hold due to a one-year suspension after testing positive for anabolic steroids in January 2012. Regardless of Cyborg’s schedule, Rousey will still make her first UFC title defense against top-ranked challenger Liz Carmouche at UFC 157.

If Rousey walks out of her first UFC main event as the champion, it’s highly possible that Cyborg will be next in line to fight for the women’s bantamweight title at a future UFC pay-per-view.

Both women have spent over a year trading heated words, with Rousey famously telling TSN Radio’s The MMA Report with John Pollock that she didn’t care if Cyborg was injecting “horse semen” into her eyes, but her foe simply needed to “stop doping” in order to successfully cut to 135 pounds.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Court McGee: Can He Become a Player in the Welterweight Division?

To those who saw UFC 149’s prelims on FX, Court McGee found himself robbed of a decision he earned at Nick Ring’s expense. It happened on The Ultimate Fighter 11 before McGee came back to win the season, but nobody thought Ring would walk out the …

To those who saw UFC 149’s prelims on FX, Court McGee found himself robbed of a decision he earned at Nick Ring’s expense. It happened on The Ultimate Fighter 11 before McGee came back to win the season, but nobody thought Ring would walk out the winner in the rematch.

Alas, Ring did, so now McGee aims to relocate to welterweight for a UFC 158 battle with veteran Josh Neer. Neer gets referred to by some as “the third Diaz brother” because he brings a direct offense to his opponents in a style not too different from that of Nick or Nate Diaz.

In other words, when someone signs to fight Neer, Neer will look to fight them. He will look to do the same with McGee, but McGee will not back down from this challenge. The Pit Elevated fighter will look to implement his boxing, ground game and takedown regiment in his attempt to stop Neer.

So if he proves successful in his attempts to stop Neer, even if only by way of a decision victory, does that translate to becoming a player in the welterweight division?

Whether or not a win over Neer makes McGee a player in the welterweight division depends on what he does to capitalize on the moment.

He can definitely find a way to become a player, but the long line of welterweights looking to give Georges St-Pierre a reason to pay them some attention might cause fans, experts and even the champion himself to take some time to notice the waves that McGee plans to make.

As the past proves, however, the bigger the waves made in the division, the more attention one can draw to themselves as they aim for their shot at the gold.

With time, McGee can make those waves and attract a high level of attention to himself. But before he can get the opportunity to do that, he must first beat Neer at UFC 157.

While Neer does not represent the end-all, be-all of the division, a loss to McGee will force “The Crusher” back against a wall, meaning that he may need a win just to stay in the promotion.

Thus, a win for McGee in his welterweight debut proves something of high significance to his ultimate goal of becoming a player in the welterweight division for the long haul.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronda Rousey on Recent Fame: ‘I Haven’t Had Less Sex in My Life’

UFC bantamweight women’s champion Ronda Rousey is one of the most outspoken personalities in the sport, so it should come as no surprise that she opened up about her sex life in an interview with Esquire magazine. “Rowdy,” who was ranked 43 out of…

UFC bantamweight women’s champion Ronda Rousey is one of the most outspoken personalities in the sport, so it should come as no surprise that she opened up about her sex life in an interview with Esquire magazine. 

“Rowdy,” who was ranked 43 out of 99 on AskMen.com’s “Most Desirable Women of 2013,” inevitably talked about how the dating scene has been treating her since becoming a household name.

I haven’t had less sex in my life … It’s really funny, actually. I either get men coming up to me like, ‘Oh, my God, baby, I love you!’ or else they’re too shy to approach me. Can I get just a little in between?

On that note, Rousey, the first female fighter signed by the UFC, discussed whether or not she would considering having a romantic relationship with a fellow fighter. 

Hell no I ain’t gonna hook up with no fighter. I know these guys. They’re like a sewing circle and everyone tells everyone everything.

These comments are even more interesting when considering what the 25-year-old said on an appearance on The Jim Rome Show last month: “I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight.” 

The former Olympic bronze medalist in Judo brings a perfect 6-0 record to the Octagon and will headline UFC 157 in February when she defends her title against Liz Carmouche. 

Rousey has never gone past the first round in her career, finishing all of her opponents with an armbar. 

Do Rousey‘s latest comments about her sex life come off as shocking but true or just downright unbelievable?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Contender Dan Henderson Expects to Retire in 2014 After Four More Fights

Having just cleared 42 years of age, former Strikeforce and two-division Pride FC champion Dan Henderson is expecting to end his career in the next couple of years.Although he’ll be a good three years off from getting anywhere close to scratching the t…

Having just cleared 42 years of age, former Strikeforce and two-division Pride FC champion Dan Henderson is expecting to end his career in the next couple of years.

Although he’ll be a good three years off from getting anywhere close to scratching the title of “Oldest Fighter to Win a UFC Fight”—a distinction held solely by UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture—Henderson tells Brazilian publication TATAME (via Google Translate) that he’ll most likely hang up his gloves at the end of 2014.

Counting his upcoming UFC 157 bout with former UFC champion Lyoto Machida, “Hendo” states he has four more fights left, with two apiece over the next 24 months.

“I have to fight a couple more years. I have at least two more fights ahead of me next year, so I guess that would make at least two more fights after that,” [Henderson] said in an exclusive interview to TATAME.

Hendo always said that one purpose of his trip was to win the UFC belt, it would be one of the few remaining for [his] collection. Today, however, he says the goal [has] changed a bit of focus and [he] will not get upset if [he has] to retire without the title.

Despite being considered one of the world’s top pound-for-pound MMA fighters with recent wins over Shogun Rua and Fedor Emelianenko, Henderson has never won a UFC championship due to extended careers in Pride, King of Kings and Strikeforce.

However, the Team Quest founder still carries a 6-2 record in the promotion dating back to 1998 with victories at five separate UFC pay-per-view events.

At UFC 157, Henderson will star in the co-main event slot against Machida, with newly-crowned women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey defending her belt against fellow Strikeforce veteran Liz Carmouche on Feb. 23 at Anaheim’s Honda Center.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chad Mendes to Be Given Another Easy Paycheck at UFC 157


(Damn, Brittney, where’d you get those vintage Brawlin’ Buddies?)

It’s a good time to be Chad Mendes, Nation. Not only has he been all but cleared of the battery charges he was facing following a massive bar brawl in October, but the UFC apparently feels so bad for sacrificing his undefeated virginity to Jose Aldo at UFC 142 that they’ve thrown him three straight gimme fights against dudes who would be lucky to wash his jockstrap at Team Alpha Male.

First he got called out by Cody McKenzie, which somewhat justified their insane pairing at UFC 148 (which ended in just over 30 seconds, by the way). And last weekend, Mendes dispatched promotional newcomer Yaotzin Meza in just under two minutes at UFC on FX 6. That’s two fights at 36K a piece with a total fight time of under half a round. No wonder he calls himself “Money,” the dude’s somehow become the most efficient worker in the UFC. Think about that for a second, Potato Nation, then take a moment to wonder aloud why Mendes has been paired against TUF 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157.


(Damn, Brittney, where’d you get those vintage Brawlin’ Buddies?)

It’s a good time to be Chad Mendes, Nation. Not only has he been all but cleared of the battery charges he was facing following a massive bar brawl in October, but the UFC apparently feels so bad for sacrificing his undefeated virginity to Jose Aldo at UFC 142 that they’ve thrown him three straight gimme fights against dudes who would be lucky to wash his jockstrap at Team Alpha Male.

First he got called out by Cody McKenzie, which somewhat justified their insane pairing at UFC 148 (which ended in just over 30 seconds, by the way). And last weekend, Mendes dispatched promotional newcomer Yaotzin Meza in just under two minutes at UFC on FX 6. That’s two fights at 36K a piece with a total fight time of under half a round. No wonder he calls himself “Money,” the dude’s somehow become the most efficient worker in the UFC. Think about that for a second, Potato Nation, then take a moment to wonder aloud why Mendes has been paired against TUF 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157.

While both of these men have had the privilege of getting their asses handed to them on a silver platter by Jose Aldo, claiming that these two are within earshot of one another in the featherweight division is ludicrous. Gamburyan just broke a three fight losing streak with a decision win over Michihiro Omigawa — a fighter with a 1-6 octagon record who was released from the UFC immediately after the fight – at UFC on FOX 4. The only logic we can see behind this matchup is that the UFC must believe Mendes is destined for another title shot down the road and they might as well help him add another clip to his somewhat vacant highlight reel in the mean time. Otherwise, what in the hell are they doing booking a top 5 featherweight against these guys?

Also on tap for UFC 157 is a matchup between fellow featherweights Dennis Bermudez and Matt Grice. Bermudez has notched up two straight victories in the octagon since falling short of the TUF 14 featherweight plaque thanks to a last second Diego Brandao armbar. On the heels of a first round submission over Tommy Hayden at UFC 150, Bermudez should have little trouble dispatching Grice, who recently picked up just his second UFC win in six contests by decisioning the similarly struggling Leonard Garcia at UFC on FX 3 in June.

UFC 157 goes down from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on February 23rd.

Who do you like for these, Potato Nation? That was a rhetorical question.

–J. Jones

Report: Chad Mendes vs. Manny Gamburyan Added to UFC 157 Card

One of the UFC’s finest featherweights, Chad Mendes, will face Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157, according to Grant Gordon of the Glendale News-Press. Mendes is coming off his second first round KO victory in a row after defeating Yaotzin Meza at UFC o…

One of the UFC’s finest featherweights, Chad Mendes, will face Manny Gamburyan at UFC 157, according to Grant Gordon of the Glendale News-Press.

Mendes is coming off his second first round KO victory in a row after defeating Yaotzin Meza at UFC on FX 6 last Saturday, and has wasted no time in stepping up to fight at the historic UFC event in February, which will feature the first ever female fight in the promotion.

The event has significance for Gamburyan too, as his long-time teammate at Glendale Fighting Club and Team Hayastan, Ronda Rousey, will defend the UFC’s first women’s bantamweight title against Liz Carmouche.

Mendes’ only career loss in 14 fights came at the hands of Jose Aldo, the man some consider the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, in January at UFC 142.

Since that fight Mendes has found winning ways again and has looked all but unstoppable in his last two fights.

He’ll take on Gamburyan who’s only won one fight in his last four.

The Armenian had an earlier stint in the UFC between 2007 and 2009 when he lost The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale to Nate Diaz. He was eventually cut after dropping two fights to Rob Emerson and Thiago Tavares.

Gamburyan has also faced Aldo before, losing to him in 2010 for the WEC featherweight title.

UFC 157 will go down on Feb. 13 in Anaheim, California. The co-main event will feature a light heavyweight bought between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida, fighting for the 205 pound contender’s spot. Urijah Faber is also slated to face Ivan Menjivar in a rematch on the main card.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com