Wednesday, September 30

Roy Nelson Shares X-Ray of His Badly Broken Hand Following Loss to Josh Barnett

Roy Nelson was in an absolute battle against former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett on Saturday night. It should not come as too much of a surprise, then, that he is a bit worse for the wear—especially in the right hand region.

Check out this photo he posted on his Facebook page:

Back from the doctor, hand is broke. Will heal up with the love & support of the Country Club Fans

Posted by Roy "Big Country" Nelson on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Now I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure thumbs aren't supposed to look like that.

Nelson, of course, was quite active Saturday night. Main eventing Fight Night 75 in Japan opposite Barnett, Big Country found himself in a war of attrition. While he is mostly known for his devastating punching power, he did strong work along the cage and on the mat with one of MMA's craftiest veterans. Unfortunately, Barnett's catch wrestling and clinchwork proved to be the difference, and he came up shy on the scorecards to the tune of 48-47, 48-47 and 50-45.

Unsurprisingly, Nelson was given a hefty 190-day medical suspension (via MixedMartialArts.com). It will be interesting to see when, and where, he ends up returning.

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The Complete Guide to UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Houston with a stacked card this Saturday on pay-per-view. In the headliner, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier takes on former top contender Alexander Gustafsson in an outstanding scrap. While Gustafsson's booking drew heat from fans who would've preferred not to see a challenger who was melted in his last outing, it is one of the best fights that can be made in the division.

The long shadow of Jon Jones hangs over the entire event. Forty percent of the fighters on the main card—Cormier, Gustafsson, Rashad Evans and Ryan Baderhave fallen to the longtime and now former light heavyweight champion. This fight is for the full title only because the UFC has made it so, not because there's any doubt as to who the best 205-pounder on the planet happens to be.

Jones will likely get the winner of the main event when he returns from his suspension. While Cormier holds the belt he won against Anthony Johnson, this is essentially a glorified top contender matchup. With that said, it's still an outstanding fight.

The rest of the card is stacked to the brim with meaningful and entertaining bookings. In the co-main event, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley in a likely top contender matchup. The winner will likely draw the winner of Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit in January.

Further down the card, the hits keep coming. Bader takes on Evans in what could also be a top contender matchup at 205 pounds, with the winner getting a shot at either Gustafsson or Cormier if Jones can't return to action in the near future.

Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov meet in a matchup of two of the division's best younger fighters, with Magomedov in particular on the cusp of breaking through to the divisional elite. Jessica Eye takes on Julianna Pena in the main card's opener as The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner gets a shot at vaulting herself into the top 10 and eventual contention.

The preliminary card is as good as it gets. Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov in the Fox Sports 1 headliner, and every fight beneath that carries some level of interest. Rising stars Yair Rodriguez and Rose Namajunas compete for attention with a matchup between violence specialists Albert Tumenov and Alan Jouban.

Even the Fight Pass portion of the event is outstanding. Sergio Pettis draws former top contender Chris Cariaso as he attempts to stay relevant in the flyweight division, rising star Islam Makhachev takes on Adriano Martins and hot prospect Sage Northcutt makes his debut in the evening's curtain-jerker.

Let's take a look at each individual matchup.

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UFC vs. WWE: What the World's Largest MMA Promotion Can Learn from NXT

The UFC remains bent on global domination. The world's largest MMA promotion already makes regular visits to Japan, England, Brazil and Canada. By the end of 2015, it will put on its first shows in Poland, Scotland, the Philippines and South Korea. Better yet, it has growing fanbases in Ireland, Mexico and Australia.

At first glance, the UFC seems closer than ever to realizing its dream...but in reality, the situation is far from rosy.

The promotion's push into China was an absolute disaster, with The Ultimate Fighter: China becoming an embarrassing endeavor for the company. Potentially lucrative markets such as Russia and India remain out of reach. Brazil is becoming less interested in MMA by the day, and the UFC is quietly showing itself out of Canada.

Even in booming regions, the gains could be fleeting. Will Ireland stay interested in MMA if Conor McGregor's title hopes go sideways? Will Mexico keep filling stadiums with a struggling Cain Velasquez? Will the promotion even return to Scotland, Poland or South Korea?

While there are milestones aplenty for the UFC, there is little actual progress in terms of cementing itself as a worldwide juggernaut in sports. Calamity could be just over the horizon. 

What should the UFC do to avoid disaster, then? Get back to basics. Get back to copying the WWE

With both promotions poised to push into Japan, a market that they both have history with, the UFC's shortcomings are more obvious than ever. So why not compare and contrast the two promotion's methods of cementing their place in the Land of the Rising Sun?


How the WWE Does It

If you are a fan of pro wrestling, or talk to someone who is, you've no doubt heard about NXT, the WWE's Florida-based developmental promotion. While expectations of the promotion are extraordinarily high after a year of consistently excellent pay-per-view events, NXT's purpose remains the same as ever: to groom incomplete wrestlers en route to the WWE.

Potentially marketable superstars join NXT to hone their craft at various points in their careers. Indy wrestling stars, stagnating actresses and former bodybuilders all train alongside one another to sharpen their skills in the ring, on the microphone and in front of a camera. 

Sometimes, a superstar will spend several months as a work in progress. Sometimes, he will receive polish for years. Often, he will get quietly signed and released without ever being seen on TV by fans. Still, the WWE's willingness to test-drive potentially valuable wrestlers, build them up in front of their primary fanbase and then roll them out to an excited foreign audience allows the company to instantly have someone resonate with the market it is courting.

The benefits of this approach were abundantly clear at the "Beast in the East" event. 

Japanese NXT wrestler Hideo Itami had a well-publicized homecoming and spearheaded a grassroots effort to promote the WWE's upcoming shows through signings and media appearances. The shows were studded with past and present stars with roots in Japanese pro wrestling such as Chris Jericho, Neville and Finn Balor. At the top of the card? Megastar Brock Lesnar.

The event wasn't necessarily a smashing success, but it was still a definitive boon for the company. While Japan didn't immediately forsake its own pro wrestling organizations, the show was a strong display of the organization's talent. More importantly, Lesnar's presence would translate into a major ratings success for the WWE at home. 

While few countries have as much interest or history in pro wrestling as Japan, this approach to building stars with specific markets in mind, and doing so in front of the company's primary fanbase, allows the WWE to confidently step into any potentially lucrative market, whether it is Japan, Mexico or India, with just a few years of preparation.


How the UFC Does It

The UFC has two methods of breaking into a new market. 

The first, and perhaps most successful to this point, is to heavily push established talents in their respective home countries. The UFC, as stated, has made major strides in various nations on the backs of fighters such as Velasquez and McGregor who have found in-cage success independent of the UFC's marketing plans.

It's a low-risk, low-effort approach, but it's also one that is less than reliable for a company that is expanding as aggressively as the UFC. 

The other method? The Ultimate Fighter, with modest support from free-agent signings.

In 2005, the MMA-themed reality series saved the UFC from bankruptcy, and the company began utilizing it to grow its international following and talent pool in 2009 with The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom. To say that this has been successful would be...inaccurate, to put it kindly.

There have been some small victories, sure, and several serviceable fighters have come from the show (most recently Yair Rodriguez of TUF: Latin America). But even at its best, TUF has been more of a tent to spend a week in rather than a foundation to build upon. The greatest example of this came in The Ultimate Fighter: China.

China has long been the most sought-after market in all of sports, and the UFC is no different in that regard than the NBA or IOC. With that in mind, the promotion rolled out a season designed to both familiarize fans with the concept of MMA and get them invested in the coaches and upstart fighters who would represent the massive nation in the Octagon. 

The results were disastrous.

Head coach Cung Le was at the center of a drug-testing scandal that hurt both his reputation and the UFC's and eventually resulted in Le joining the class action lawsuit against the UFC. One of the team coaches, Hailin Ao, was thrown off the show early in the season because he didn't actually know how to fight. The other, Tiequan Zhang, hasn't been seen in MMA since.

As for the fighters? Again, disastrous.  

And the worst part? Fighters the UFC opted to fast-track into the promotion such as Jumabieke Tuerxun and Jingliang Li just haven't been up to snuff.

While there hasn't been an official announcement, the UFC seems to have abandoned its plans to invade the massive nation. Mainland China remains out of reach, and the UFC will not return to the consolation prize of Macau in 2015. There are no plans for TUF: China 2, and none of the remaining fighters from TUF: China 1 has a fight lined up in the UFC at this time. 


What Can the UFC Learn?

The UFC has struggled mightily to build up stars. That's a well-documented, oft-discussed fact. While it has had the likes of Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey fall into its lap, they've become big names in spite of the UFC's promotional practices. 

The promotion's sole approach to building up names involves giving its star-in-the-making preferential treatment during its regularly scheduled programming. Sometimes that results in a .500 fighter like Erick Silva getting booked near the top of cards. Sometimes, that results in a fighter like Paige VanZant actually getting fights while fellow contenders such as Randa Markos are left begging for work on Twitter. Sometimes that results in a fighter such as Conor McGregor avoiding every stylistically disadvantageous matchup en route to a title shot. 

Ultimately though, the UFC isn't taking an active role in building up fighters. It is merely giving them an extra bit of spotlight as they build up themselves. That doesn't necessarily work in a star-driven sport like MMA.

Take, for example, Teruto IshiharaThe 24-year-old performed well on Road to UFC: Japan (an abridged version of The Ultimate Fighter) and will likely go from there to fighting two times per year (maybe three, if he's lucky) on Fight Night preliminary cards. He may sink, he may swim—either way, he will be a non-factor for the indefinite future.

That's an utter waste of talent. Ishihara is as marketable as they come, with a fan-friendly, knockout-focused style in the cage and a youthful swagger outside it. He could be a breakout star in both his native Japan and in the United States.

The UFC, for the most part, is leaving his fate up to chance. Needless to say, that is far from the best way to capitalize on his high prospective value both as a fighter and from a promotional perspective.


In a Perfect World...

Let's say the UFC decided to get rid of everything, start over and adopt the WWE's model for building talent. And let's say it who to go into China again. And finally, let's say the UFC got its hands on a Chinese Olympic hopeful that failed to qualify for the Games. 

How should the UFC go about building him up? The WWE format sees the organization consolidate prospective talent stateside and surrounds them with trainers to hone their skills in the ring and on camera before sending them up to the big show. The UFC has the infrastructure to do something similar.

With a nationwide network of gyms and plenty of tug with all the major camps in the game, the UFC could easily hook this imaginary fighter up with the kind of trainers that China, in general, lacks at this time. From there, it should set him up with an English tutor to prepare him for media events. Most importantly, rather than tossing him into the hell of Fight Pass preliminary cards, the UFC should assign him to one of the many organizations that the promotion has eating from its palm like Legacy FC, Shooto Brazil or Eurasia Fight Nights. 

Take this fighter with a strong combat sports base. Put him in a position to succeed. Let him sharpen his teeth. Then, finally, roll him out to fans as an already complete package.

That kind of long-term investment in a fighter is far more likely to pay off than the UFC's spray-and-pray approach to international expansion. What's more, it will allow the promotion to pre-emptively assess prospects' strengths and weaknesses rather than simply tossing them out against a random, similarly unknown fighter and seeing what happens.

Make no mistake, either: The UFC knows that this is what it should be doing.

It did scout out fighters from abroad and set them up with a top gym. The UFC is signing fighters and having them fight in their preferred feeder organizations. The promotion does play Cupid for fighters and top coaches (or "diet coaches," as it were). 

The big change is that the UFC needs to start making this the rule, not the exception. Saying a prayer each night that a fighter from outside the United States or Brazil will rise to the top just isn't working. Once the UFC starts taking an active role in the development of fighters, it can stop relying on luck and start actually building up the next McGregor or Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

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Tuesday, September 29

Ronda Rousey Used to Fight Random People for Frappuccino Money

In honor of National Coffee Day, here's a story that involves one of the biggest stars in sports and her love for coffee.

Before she was a dominant UFC star, Ronda Rousey was just a student looking for a way to get her fix of Frappuccinos. That may have helped her become the fighter she is today.

Teenaged Rousey and her friend used to go to the promenade and challenge random guys to fights for money. That was her way of getting her hands on money to buy Frappuccinos. Thinking fighting a teen girl would be an easy way to make a quick buck, the guys would accept the challenge. Bad decision.

Rousey sat down with Sports Illustrated in an interview published back in May and talked about her Fight-for-Frappuccinos days.

Warning: Video contains explicit language.

Fortunately for everyone, Rousey can now afford to buy Frapps on her own.

[Sports Illustrated]

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Jon Jones Pleads Guilty to Leaving the Scene of an Accident

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident Tuesday, but the 28-year-old superstar managed to avoid jail time.

Jones entered the plea in an Albuquerque, New Mexico, courtroom with UFC President Dana White in attendance, according to TMZ. The former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world showed remorse for his actions when given the opportunity to speak:

"I am here to accept full responsibility for what happened, for my actions," Jones said. " ... I'm hoping that you give me an opportunity to redeem myself."

Jones also released a full statement regarding the situation, via EAG Sports Management:

With regards to today's decision made by the court, I am very happy to now be able to put this incident behind me. My actions have caused pain and inconvenience in the lives of others and for that I am truly sorry and I accept full responsibility. I have been working hard during this time away from my sport to grow and mature as a man and to ensure that nothing like this happens again. I have learned a great deal from this situation and I am determined to emerge a better person because of it. I apologize to those who were affected by my actions in this incident and I am hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to redeem myself in the eyes of the public, my family and friends as well as my supporters. I am not sure what the future holds for me but I plan to continue to do the work needed to be productive and successful in every aspect of my life.

The UFC released a statement as well, specifically noting it will conduct an independent investigation of the plea agreement:

The UFC organization is aware that Jon Jones reached a plea agreement with authorities in Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning stemming from charges associated with a motor vehicle accident earlier this year. As a result, UFC, through Las Vegas-based law firm Campbell & Williams, will thoroughly review the agreement before discussing Jones’ possible reinstatement to return to competition.

More information will be made available following completion of this review.

ESPN's Brett Okamoto noted Jones' sentence will require him to follow guidelines laid forth by the judge:

Jones was involved in a hit-and-run car accident in April that left a pregnant woman injured. The UFC subsequently suspended him and stripped him of his title.

The Rochester, New York, native's status with the UFC is in limbo, but now that his legal issues are largely behind him, there is little doubt that the focus will now shift toward his eventual reinstatement.

Jones owns a career record of 21-1, and it remains to be seen whether he could meet the winner of the Oct. 3 Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson fight for the UFC light heavyweight title, depending upon when or if his indefinite suspension is lifted.

White has a difficult balance to strike in terms of making an example of those who break the law and ensuring he has as much star power at his disposal as possible.

Jones is one of the biggest stars in the UFC alongside Ronda Rousey, and assuming he is truly ready to change his ways in the wake of the hit-and-run as well as a positive drug test in January, it shouldn't be long before he is back in the Octagon.

 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Jon Jones Cops a Plea: Could He Be Next for the Cormier-Gustafsson Winner?

The People vs. Jon Jones came to its anticlimactic but inevitable end this week, as the once and likely future UFC light heavyweight champion copped a plea.

Jones pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident in an Albuquerque courtroom Tuesday morning, thereby ending his five months in legal limbo. He’ll serve no jail time. Instead he’ll do up to 18 months of supervised probation and make 72 personal appearances as community service.

"I'm here to accept full responsibility for what happened and my actions," Jones told district court judge Charles Brown before his plea agreement was approved. "I hope you guys can give me the opportunity to redeem myself."

A few minutes later, Brown told him: "Mr. Jones, you got real lucky here."

Brown also told Jones he expects the fighter to speak at local public schools and martial arts academies to educate kids about the hard work it takes to make it to the top, and how easy it is to lose it all. 

"I better work on my public speaking," Jones joked in response.

This was always the way it was going to go.

Albuquerque prosecutors were never going to let Jones skate completely and the fighter was never going to press his luck all the way to trial. From the moment on April 26 when the light at the intersection of Juan Tabo and Southern turned red and Jones' rented Buick SUV plowed through it anyway, this thing had plea bargain written all over it.

All that remains to be seen now is how quickly the UFC tries to get him back in the fold. This is an organization that likes to move fast and decisively. It has always been a sucker for the grand gesture.

That makes it a good gamble we won’t have to wait long to find out.

In a way, Jones’ plea appears serendipitously—or very strategically—planned. The 205-pound title he owned with such extreme prejudice from 2011-15 is on the line on Saturday at UFC 192, as new champion Daniel Cormier guns for a first successful title defense against Alexander Gustafsson.

Could Jones show up this weekend at the Toyota Center in Houston?

With his legal troubles out of the way, could he be next for the winner of Cormier vs. Gustafsson?

The answer depends on a litany of as-yet unanswerable questions. We have no idea what Jones’ mental state is at the moment. We were told he’d spend these months away from the cage getting his life in order, but we still don’t know exactly what that meant.

We know Brown approved Jones for travel relating to work, but as his lawyer Vincent Ward pointed out, there are "absolutely no assurances" about when or if the UFC will reinstate him.

In the minutes following the hearing the UFC released the following statement on Jones' professional standing:

The UFC organization is aware that Jon Jones reached a plea agreement with authorities in Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning stemming from charges associated with a motor vehicle accident earlier this year. As a result, UFC, through Las Vegas-based law firm Campbell & Williams, will thoroughly review the agreement before discussing Jones’ possible reinstatement to return to competition.

More information will be made available following completion of this review.

We can only guess about the current condition of Jones’ relationship with his fight company overlords. UFC President Dana White attended Jones' court appearance on Tuesday in support of the fighter, so maybe the two sides are back on the same page after a few years of running hot and cold.

The UFC stripped Jones of his title and handed him an indefinite suspension after he turned himself in on felony hit-and-run charges in April. Authorities said a pregnant woman was injured when Jones’ car struck two vehicles just before noon on that Sunday morning. Eyewitnesses alleged he ran from the crash, but briefly returned to grab a large handful of money before fleeing again.

The crash was one thing, but leaving the scene with a fistful of cash was the kill shot to Jones’ already beleaguered public image. It came just five months after he tested positive for cocaine while training to fight Cormier at UFC 182. Amid what appeared to be intensifying personal chaos, the UFC had no choice but to put him on timeout.

For the moment, White publicly appears to have Jones' back. The UFC boss told radio host Jim Rome in May that Jones just needed to “get his head straight” and when he did, he’d be granted the immediate opportunity to get his championship back (h/t MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti).

"He comes right back and he fights for the title," White said. "If you look at the murderer's row of the 205-pound division that he went through, and he just went through it like a hot knife through butter, I mean, he's the man. So whenever he gets his stuff together, he'd come right back and fight for the title."

Yet the relationship between fighter and promoter hasn’t always been so caring.

White hasn’t always thought Jones was “the man.”

In fact, the UFC-Jones marriage has been a touch rocky ever since White ruthlessly (and unnecessarily) hung him out to dry for the company’s decision to cancel UFC 151 in 2012. During a bizarre and scathing media conference call, White called Jones' coach Greg Jackson a “sport killer” and said turning down Chael Sonnen as a late replacement opponent was "one of the most selfish, disgusting decisions" he’d ever seen.

"Jon Jones is a guy a lot of fans don't like, and I don't think this is going to make him any more popular,” White said at the time. "UFC 151 will be remembered as the event Jon Jones and Greg Jackson murdered."

Jones seemed legitimately—and understandably—hurt by the sudden turn against him. Ever since, his public comments about UFC ownership have appeared measured, careful. You didn’t get the impression there were Christmas cards going back and forth.

Until White showed up in that Albuquerque court room this week, we've had little reason to believe the relationship had gotten any better. Earlier this month, allegations emerged that the UFC let Vitor Belfort fight Jones at UFC 152 despite a troubling blood test showing Belfort was over the legal limit for testosterone just three weeks before the bout.

The report, by veteran MMA writer Josh Gross, said Jones didn’t know Belfort had essentially failed a UFC-sponsored drug screening. He beat Belfort by fourth-round submission, but not before the middleweight fighter injured his arm with an arm bar attempt.

Last week, in the immediate wake of Gross’ story, Jones agent Malki Kawa took to social media to say his client was less than pleased about the new revelations.

So, here we are.

On Tuesday, the court appeared to clear the way for Jones’ return to the Octagon. Despite a fairly stellar year on pay-per-view, his absence was notable from the bulk of the UFC’s 2015 lineup. Of course the fight company would jump at the chance to have him back in the mix, and would make him one of its highest-paid athletes the moment the two sides agreed to put pen to paper.

The multimillion-dollar question, as ever will be: What does Jones want to do?

The gala UFC 200 fight card is currently scheduled for July 2016 and the UFC moved Monday to force the hand of regulators in New York state—where MMA is currently illegal—by announcing an event at Madison Square Garden next April.

Jones would be right at home headlining either event, if he makes it back in time.

We’ll have to wait a little longer to confirm the light heavyweight GOAT’s next move. If he’s willing and able, however, you can bet the UFC will want to move quickly to get him back in an Octagon near you.

 

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 192 is right around the corner, and headlining the event will be a contest for the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Champion Daniel Cormier will meet No. 2-ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event. For the second straight event, a challenger to the crown will be coming off a loss. Cormier lost to then-champion Jon Jones, but when Jones was stripped of the title, Cormier returned at UFC 187 to defeat Anthony Johnson.

The commercials for this event have centered around the height discrepancy between the two combatants, but will that play a significant role in this fight?

That will be just one of the many things we look at in the head-to-toe breakdown for Saturday's event. Let's jump right into the analysis for this championship tilt that will take place this weekend in Houston, Texas.

Begin Slideshow

MMA Fighter Says She Can't Fight at Desired Weight Due to Size of Her Breasts

MMA fighter Brye Anne Russillo has been forced to fight in a heavier division for a rather unusual reason. 

A 29-year-old pastry chef, Russillo will take on Paige Lian at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadow Park, New York, on Oct. 3.

Russillo normally fights at 155 pounds but has agreed to fight Lian, usually 145 pounds, at 150 pounds.

Russillo would like to fight at Lian's weight, but the catchweight is necessary because her breasts are too big.

Russillo told Kyle Carroll of MyMMANews.com in blunt terms that it was impossible to go down to 145 pounds for the fight: “I can’t cut my t--s off and put them on the side, they weigh 12 pounds,” she explained. 

A single mother, Russillo got into MMA through cardio kickboxing classes, where she noticed others at the gym training to compete in the cage.

She hasn't looked back since.

“If you find a hobby late in life, follow it! I have a child and turning 30 in a couple of months, and I’m glad I followed my passion,” explained Russillo, who plans to teach martial arts to children in the future.

Russillo, who holds a 1-1 MMA record, said she ultimately hopes to fight at 135 pounds for her next bout.

[h/t MyMMANews.com]

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Monday, September 28

UFC Sues New York State over MMA Ban: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

After years of being barred from holding events in New York state, UFC is finally fighting back.

MMA's top promotion filed a federal lawsuit Monday looking to overturn the longstanding ban on the sport, saying the law "is so badly written that neither ordinary persons nor state officials are able to say with any certainty what it permits and what it prohibits," per Stephen Rex Brown of the New York Daily News.

Mixed martial arts events have been banned in New York state since 1996. New York is the only state with a formal ban on MMA, which has led to a groundswell of criticism as the sport's grown in popularity. 

“We’re professional athletes,” UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman said earlier this year, per Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News. “The majority of us are college graduates. We’re doing this for a living. We entertain the rest of the world—but not New York. It’s ludicrous.”  

Theories on why the state has kept its ban have run rampant, with UFC president Dana White indicating it has to do with the promotion's ownership. New York state's battle with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta is centered on the brothers' casinos being non-union establishments, which runs counter to the pro-union stance of the state.

As White said before UFC 129 in 2011 (via Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting): 

It has nothing to do with mixed martial arts the reason that we're not in New York. It has to do with the Culinary Union. The Culinary Union is spending millions of dollars of all these people who pay dues to keep us out of there because my partners, the Fertitta brothers, are the largest non-union gaming company in the country. So these union idiots, all these people work in the Culinary Union, pay their money towards dues, this is what all their money's being spent towards. Fighting the UFC from coming there and bringing money into the state of New York.

The suit filed in federal court Monday claims New York's ban on MMA is too vague to be upheld. It contends other MMA-related events are allowed to take place in the state, and that it's unfairly written in a way that singles out UFC. The promotion previously sued New York in 2011, but that was thrown out by a court.

If the new suit gains some steam, it could mean UFC will finally get a chance to host an event at Madison Square Garden. Given the way the court system works, though, we're likely years away from finding out. 

 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter

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Sunday, September 27

Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson Let It All Hang out in Japan—For Better and Worse

Now this was a heavyweight fight.

For better and worse.

As two of the UFC’s most colorful big men, Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson each emptied his complete bag of tricks on Saturday in Japan at Fight Night 75. Nothing fancy, just a couple of old warhorses letting it all hang out during a surprisingly fun, surprisingly strategic but predictably lowdown, greasy battle over almost absolutely nothing.

When it was over, Barnett won a clear-cut unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47 x 2), though the spoils of victory likely amount to little more than the chance to move a step or two up the UFC’s specious official rankings.

With new heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum on the shelf until next year and contenders already stacked four or five deep, the 37-year-old Barnett remains on the outside looking in for the foreseeable future. He’d need another quality win to join the pack and two or three to climb anywhere near the top.

But this matchup with Nelson was never about the heavyweight pecking order. This was two men with more than 70 fights between them—not to mention similarly unruly personal philosophies—putting on a show for the UFC’s yearly stopover at the legendary Saitama Super Arena.

The important thing, Barnett said when it was over, was the satisfaction of a job well done.

"It's not about belts, it's about the way people fight,” he told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik inside the cage. “Roy Nelson fights like he means it. He's the kind of people we need in the UFC. That's what people want to see. I gave Roy everything I had. He took it and came back.”

With a 637-day stretch of inactivity distancing him from a tough loss to Travis Browne at UFC 168, Barnett returned to the Octagon looking re-energized. He weighed in at a svelte 239 pounds—some 15 pounds lighter than for his last two UFC appearances—and the major topic of his pre-fight conversations was how hard he’d trained to get prepared.

Nelson was not svelte and did not fill up interviews with talk of his intense training. He tipped the scales at a typically roly-poly 261 and entered as more than a 2-1 underdog, according to Odds Shark. Even the analysis on Fox Sports 1 boiled Nelson’s chances of winning down to some simple pre-fight bullet points: stay out of the clinch and throw the right hand.

Yet Nelson proved slightly cagier than oddsmakers, analysts or even Barnett anticipated.

This may have been the most measured and technical fight of Big Country’s UFC career. He surprised Barnett with a few takedowns and, if nothing else, piled up some riding time in the early going. He countered well with uppercuts and landed several of those hard right hands, just none flush enough to really put Barnett in trouble.

Nelson even tried a head kick or two.

As the fight wore on, however, Barnett’s conditioning and pace proved too much. The former UFC heavyweight champion fought much of the bout from a southpaw stance to mitigate Nelson’s power. His forward pressure was relentless, and his fluid punching combinations found their mark with more frequency and from longer range than Nelson’s.

Barnett’s best work went to the body. He punished Nelson’s rotund midsection with slapping punches, thudding kicks and stabbing knees. He used many of them to bully the shorter fighter back against the fence and into the clinch, where Barnett is among the best operators in the world.

He wore Nelson down on the inside and by the end had set a couple of impressive and unexpected company records, according to official UFC statistician Michael Carroll:

In the extra fourth and fifth rounds—hardly necessary for most heavyweight bouts—things got sweaty. The action bogged down, and the fight company’s hot cageside mics broadcast every huff and puff to a television audience already weary from five mostly irrelevant undercard bouts.

As the final horn sounded, both Barnett and Nelson stopped cold in the middle of the cage, bent over, put their hands on their knees and just breathed.

Nobody puked. We were probably lucky for that.

Barnett conducted much of his post-fight interview with Anik in Japanese. This victory marked a successful return to the country where he spent the bulk of his MMA career fighting in Pride FC and where he frequently works as a professional wrestler.

And so we were left feeling unexpectedly charitable about these guys’ prospects. Neither Barnett nor Nelson is going to be UFC champion, but at least they proved they can still tell a compelling story over the course of five rounds.

Even at 1-5 in his last six bouts, Nelson is likely safe from the chopping block. Such is life for heavyweights, and such is policy now for the UFC, which must be as concerned with keeping talent away from its stateside competitors as filling its ranks with new contenders.

Likewise, with all the old-timers currently kicking around the heavyweight division, Barnett—while frequently inactive and occasionally disinterested—isn’t going to be irrelevant anytime soon.

No matter what happens, future fights against fellow veterans such as Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski and even Alistair Overeem will likely always be there for him.

Assuming another two-year break isn’t in his immediate plans.

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UFC Fight Night 75 Results: 5 Burning Questions Heading into UFC 192

UFC Fight Night 75 is in the books. The results are as follows (c/o Bleacher Report's live blogger, Craig Amos):

UFC Fight Night 75 Main Card on Fox Sports 1

  • Josh Barnett def. Roy Nelson, unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 50-45)
  • Uriah Hall def. Gegard Mousasi, TKO (Round 2, 0:25)
  • Kyoji Horiguchi def. Chico Camus, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Takeya Mizugaki def. George Roop, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Diego Brandao def. Katsunori Kikuno, TKO (Round 1, 0:28)
  • Mizuto Hirota vs. Teruto Ishihara, split draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)

Prelims on Fox Sports 2 

  • Keita Nakamura def. Li Jingliang, submission (Round 3, 2:17)
  • Nick Hein def. Yusuke Kasuya, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Kajan Johnson def. Naoyuki Kotani, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Shinsho Anzai def. Roger Zapata, TKO (Round 3, 0:47)

Next up? UFC 192, a deceptively strong top-to-bottom card.

The Fight Pass leg of the card features high-stakes fights in Sergio Pettis vs. Chris Cariaso and Derrick Lewis vs. Viktor Pesta. The televised prelims are a step up from there, with Rose Namajunas, Yair Rodriguez and Joseph Benavidez all looking to score crucial wins.

Of course, the main card is topped by a light heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson and features a load of backup from fights like Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans, Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley and Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena.

So what topics are worth mulling over in the next few days? What should you discuss around the water cooler? Find out here!

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 75 Results: The Real Winners and Losers

UFC Fight Night 75 took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, and the heavyweights delivered a fun main event.

Josh Barnett defeated Roy Nelson by a lopsided unanimous decision, but the fight was very entertaining. The two heavyweights went toe-to-toe for the full 25 minutes with not a lot of inactivity. It was the kind of fight we expect from contenders.

The real highlight of the night came in the co-main event. Uriah Hall flashed brilliance on The Ultimate Fighter but failed to live up to those lofty expectations—that is, until Saturday. He landed a spinning back kick to the face of Gegard Mousasi and followed that up with more punishment until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

What else happened in Saitama?

Let's check out the real winners and losers from Saturday's action.

Begin Slideshow

UFC Japan: Watch Uriah Hall's Vicious Spin Kick and Flying Knee That Led to TKO

UFC Fight Night 75, the promotion's latest foray into Japan, was largely a dud. Then Uriah Hall vs. Gegard Mousasi happened.

After an exciting, back-and-forth first round, Hall opened with a beautiful spin kick and, well, check it out for yourself:

Hall drilled Mousasi with the kick and followed up with a devastating flying knee. Mousasi, remarkably, held on for a while, attempting to drag Hall down for a single-leg takedown, but the damage was done. Hall would continue throwing punches until the ref waved it off at 0:25 of Round 2.

In some ways, it was a shocking end to the bout. Mousasi was a colossal favorite, and Hall winning via TKO carried a hefty +1050 line, via Reed Kuhn. In other ways, it wasn't all that surprising.

The TUF17 alum has been a relatively steady presence in the division since the end of the show in large part due to his ferocious power. He won his way to the finals of the season with vicious knockouts of Adam Cella, Bubba McDaniel and Dylan Andrews, and while he wouldn't take the proverbial cake due to a split decision breaking in favor of Kelvin Gastelum, he has shown that he has retained that otherworldly striking potency since.

The win leaves Hall in an unclear place in terms of his standing in the division. While a victory over Mousasi is nothing to shrug off, he has also lost ugly fights to ho-hum talents like Rafael Natal and John Howard. 

While his long-term future is unclear, this is a huge accomplishment in the short term. It will be interesting to see what comes next for the newly minted Prime Time.

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UFC Fight Night 75 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Barnett vs. Nelson Card

Josh "The Warmaster" Barnett was in excellent shape, and he needed the additional stamina. He outworked Roy Nelson en route to a unanimous-decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 50-45) at UFC Fight Night Japan in Saitama. Barnett showed off a diverse striking game and relentless pursuit that Nelson couldn't consistently answer.

In the first round, Nelson secured two takedowns—which were slightly surprising, considering Barnett's grappling prowess—but the Warmaster would rise and regain control with uppercuts, elbows and a steady diet of knees and kicks to Nelson's gut.

Per UFC.com, Nelson landed 212 strikes, while Nelson landed just 101. 

Throughout the fight, Barnett eluded Nelson's big right hand and closed the distance to wear down his less conditioned opponent. When the fight was over, Barnett called Nelson over during his post-fight interview.

He gave his opponent credit for his toughness, resolve and willingness to mix it up. With Nelson having lost his fourth fight in his last five outings, Barnett's graciousness came off as a plea to the UFC to not cut the 39-year-old veteran. Jay Anderson of the MMA Corner loved the gesture:

It's hard to find a spot for Nelson among the elite heavyweights—which is especially bad because the division isn't the strongest in the promotion. The best thing for him might be to explore his options elsewhere or to retire.

Barnett could be a serious player in the division if he can maintain his current conditioning. He looked much faster than normal in his stand-up game, and he had enough left in the tank to get the job done over five rounds.

Dating back to his days in Pride, Barnett has built a huge following in Japan. It was evident as he was the clear fan favorite throughout. Barnett is so acclimated to the country's culture that he spoke in Japanese during most of his post-fight interview.

 

Uriah Hall Shocked the World

Almost no one gave Uriah Hall a chance to beat Gegard Mousasiexcept for me—but the ultra-talented middleweight reminded us how dynamic he can be in the Octagon. After a rough first round that saw Mousasi take him down and the latter escape a few rear-naked choke attempts, Hall turned on the highlight reel to begin the second round.

Seconds into the frame, he landed a spinning kick to Mousasi's face that dazed him. Hall followed that up with a leaping knee that rolled Mousasi over. Without hesitation, he pounced and pounded his wounded opponent to earn the technical-knockout win. Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting shared the maneuver that started it all:

For a guy whose desire and finishing instincts had been questioned by everyone from fans to UFC President Dana White, Hall proved to have what it took to finish an elite veteran who had never been stopped in his career.

Without question, Hall should vault into the top 10 at 185 pounds with this win. Here's a look at every result from the night in Japan:

 

Horiguchi and Mizugaki Delight Japanese Crowd

In a dominating performance, Kyoji Horiguchi looked like the second-best flyweight in the UFC on Saturday. He made a tough Chico Camus look out of his league en route to an easy unanimous-decision win.

Horiguchi's movement and striking picked Camus apart all night. The 24-year-old Japanese star snapped Camus' head back with regularity and sliced up the Milwaukee native's face. While Horiguchi didn't get the finish, he did rebound nicely from his defeat to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in his last outing. UFC fighter Eddie "Truck" Gordon thought Horiguchi looked great in his return to the Octagon:

Horiguchi's countryman Takeya Mizugaki used fast hands and sharp counters to beat up veteran George Roop. Mizugaki landed 97 total strikes to Roop's 88 in the fight, and his shots did more damage. That explains why Mizugaki earned the unanimous-decision victory.

Despite Mizugaki's winning performance, Jordan Breen of Sherdog doesn't see the veteran as more than a gatekeeper:

Mizugaki was emotional in the cage after his win. He seemed moved to have performed well in front of his home crowd.

 

Explosive Brandao

It took about 30 seconds for Diego Brandao to take care of Katsunori Kikuno. Brandao landed a big right hand in the opening seconds and overwhelmed the dazed Kikuno until the referee called a halt to the bout.

After back-to-back knockout losses to Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, Brandao has now secured consecutive knockout finishes to get back on track. He has a while to go before he can be considered a contender, but he's off the skids.

 

What's Next?

On Saturday, October 3, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson in Houston in the main event of UFC 192. That spectacular bout will be supported by a stellar welterweight clash between Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley and a light heavyweight scrap between veterans Ryan Bader and Rashad Evans.

It could be a great card. Check back to Bleacher Report for coverage leading up to the event as well as an analysis after the fights.


Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.

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Saturday, September 26

UFC Fight Night 75: Live Results, Play-by-Play and Fight Card Highlights

The UFC heads to Japan this Saturday, September 26 for UFC Fight Night 75. 

The event is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson.

Barnett, a veteran of the defunct Japan-based Pride FC organization, has posted a 1-1 record in his latest UFC stint. He has been out of action since December 2013 but retains the No. 8 ranking in the heavyweight division.

Nelson, ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, is in need of a victory after earning just a single W over his last five bouts. During that time he has dropped three decisions and suffered a knockout loss.

In the co-main event of the evening Gegard Mousasi will face off against Uriah Hall. Mousasi has won back-to-back fights, most recently decisioning Costas Philippou. Hall is also coming off a win and has been successful in four of his last five matches.

The full UFC Fight Night 75 fight card looks like this:

 

UFC Fight Night 75 Main Card on Fox Sports 1 (10 p.m. ET)

  • Josh Barnett vs. Roy Nelson
  • Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall
  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Chico Camus
  • Takeya Mizugaki vs. George Roop
  • Katsunori Kikuno vs. Diego Brandao
  • Mizuto Hirota vs. Teruto Ishihara

 

Prelims on Fox Sports 2 (8 p.m. ET)

  • Keita Nakamura vs. Li Jingliang 
  • Nick Hein vs. Yusuke Kasuya
  • Naoyuki Kotani vs. Kajan Johnson
  • Shinsho Anzai vs. Roger Zapata

Join us here when the card begins for Bleacher Report's live play-by-play of UFC Fight Night 75.

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MMA Fighter Darrion Caldwell Backflips Off Cage, Lands on Camerawoman

Darrion Caldwell must have felt pretty invincible after his first-round defeat of Shawn Bunch at Bellator 143 on Friday, so what could go wrong when he scaled the cage to do a backflip?

Certainly not land on the camerawoman standing—oh, wait. That's exactly what happened.

The MMA fighter landed squarely on the woman, who captured the entire incident.

She was apparently fine, and Caldwell later apologized:

[Vine, Twitter]

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Friday, September 25

UFC Fight Night 75: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Predictions

Three weeks ago it was flyweights headlining the action, but now we hit the opposite end of the spectrum as heavyweights Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson get set to throw hands for our enjoyment in the UFC Fight Night 75 main event.

Barnett hasn't seen the inside of the cage since December 2013, and Nelson is just 1-4 in his previous five outings. Nevertheless, they sit as the No. 8 and No. 11-ranked contenders in the division, respectively. A win on Saturday puts one of them right back in the mix.

But that's not all that's happening in Saitama this weekend.

The UFC main card features five more contests. There will be plenty of fisticuffs for our pleasure on this main card, and it should be a night filled with action. Each of the bouts offers something of note, but who do the Bleacher Report experts like to win? Let's take a look.

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 75: Barnett vs. Nelson Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions, More

Two big and powerful men who possess elite grappling ability will square off in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night Japan.

"The Warmaster" Josh Barnett makes his return to the Octagon after a near two-year absence. He'll face "Big Country" Roy Nelson in a battle of heavyweights who are seemingly at a crossroads in their careers.

Nelson has lost his last two fights and four of the last five. If he doesn't get a win on Saturday, the 39-year-old may have to ask himself some serious questions. Unfortunately for Big Country, he's going to need some answers after this one is over.

Never one for optimal conditioning, Nelson's lack of stamina doesn't allow him to show off his excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Instead, he depends on his thudding right hand to win every fight. Obviously, that hasn't been working of late.

Against Barnett, standing and striking might be Nelson's only hope of winning. Barnett is perhaps the only heavyweight in the world who is more skilled than Nelson on the ground. In The Warmaster's career, he has 33 wins, with 20 of them by submission.

Big Country is still at a noticeable disadvantage on the feet in this one as well. He stands three inches shorter with a six-inch reach disadvantage. Because of the disparity in size and grappling skills, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Nelson wins. Although this is MMA and anything can happen, it seems unlikely Nelson will overcome all of the matchup disadvantages.

Hall Will Live Up to His Potential

During the The Ultimate Fighter Season 17, no fighter was more promising than Uriah "Prime Time" Hall. His athleticism, varied striking game and explosive power had many fans excited. Unfortunately, ever since the TUF 17 Finale against Kelvin Gastelum, Hall has been underachieving.

Gastelum outworked him and took away the TUF 17 title, and Hall has since lost to fighters like John Howard and Rafael Natal. Fresh off a TKO victory over Oluwale Bamgbose last month, Hall has stepped in for the injured Roan Carneiro and will face the most difficult test of his MMA career.

Hall has been criticized for not fitting the profile of a fighter with a killer instinct, but he embraces and admits things most fighters wouldn't dare. Per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com, Hall said: "I have no problem being honest. I was scared. It’s that simple. I was scared and not everyone wants to admit that, especially in a sport like this. You don’t want to tell the world you’re scared because people expect you to go out there and be a warrior."

Stepping up to take this fight sends a message that Hall is actually reaching for new heights.

Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi is ranked sixth in the UFC at 185 pounds. He has 44 professional bouts under his belt and myriad skills. That's why Hall's win on Saturday will finally allow him to begin to live up to his massive potential.

Hall will have the speed advantage. When it comes to quick-twitch athleticism, the only fighters in the UFC who may be superior to Hall are Demetrious Johnson, John Dodson and Tyrone Woodley. Mousasi will have to be aware of Hall's explosiveness.

The Dreamcatcher is a cerebral fighter who will want to make this fight easy by taking it to the ground. Only Hall is not an easy man to take down. His takedown defense is 76 percent, and you can bet he's been working on that since he learned he'd be facing Mousasi.

It's a bit of a long shot, but the formula is there for a stoppage win from Hall. Mousasi has never been stopped via strikes, but if he's on, Hall has the skill set to do what no other opponent has been able to do.

 

Horiguchi Will Overwhelm Camus

Kyoji Horiguchi was dominated by Johnson when he got a shot at the UFC flyweight title back in April, but there's no shame in losing to a man who might be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. It's also easy to forget that Horiguchi is still only 24 years old.

His best fighting is still ahead of him, and it's probably just a matter of time before he earns another shot at the 125-pound title.

Chico Camus stands in his way, but he won't be there for long.

Horiguchi will be fighting in his home country, and he'll be eager to impress. Something tells me this fight will take place primarily in the stand-up, as that's the best way for Horiguchi to be impressive in this fight, and it's probably the way Camus would prefer to fight.

The advantage in dexterity goes to Horiguchi, as does the striking power. He has 15 career wins with nine knockouts. Camus is too tough to get stopped by strikes, but Horiguchi's power should score a knockdown and pave the way for a decision win.


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