Dana White said this afternoon that Daniel Cormier will be fighting at UFC 200, and in speaking off the cuff, seemed to intimate Jon Jones may be in even more trouble than previously thought.
“There are tons of guys that are interested. We’ll get a fight done,” White said to Colin Cowherd on FS 1 today.
Later, White said Cormier would fight this weekend, would get the same money* as he would have against Jones, and that they hope to have the fight finalized and announced by the end of the day today.
*Cormier’s money is based on a percentage, but the amount is expected to be lower since the number of buys will likely be lower.
Cormier had said he was willing to fight anyone up to 220 pounds, saying that because he’s dropped so much weight he wasn’t willing to fight a big heavyweight.
White nixed the talk of Michael Bisping, which would be the most marketable potential fight for storyline reasons.
“Bisping just won the 185 pound title,” he said. “Let me tell you what Bisping does in his off season. When Bisping’s not training, he goes on a bender. He’s in no condition to fight Daniel Cormier. I promise you that. I don’t even have to ask him.”
Bisping was the third name after Gegard Mousasi and Tom Lawlor who publicly asked for the fight when word got out that Jones was off. He would make the most sense given it would create an historical champion vs. champion fight, and there is a storyline situation with Bisping having just beaten Luke Rockhold on June 4 to win the middleweight title.
Even if odds would be against it, it would make for a remarkable story if Bisping could win two titles on short notice. In fact, if such a thing would happen, it would probably go down as something that would be a huge part of the history of the sport that would be talked about for decades as the perhaps the most remarkable feat in UFC history.
Mousasi was already scheduled to fight Thiago Santos on Saturday. For fighters who have trained and are in top condition, Mousasi is really the only choice, but there is no story built around that fight. Mousasi was to fight at middleweight, but has fought at heavyweight in the past and fought for years at light heavyweight.
Glover Teixeira said today it would be impossible for him to make weight to fight Cormier, but Alexander Gustafsson said he could make it and do the fight. In the case of the former, Teixeira is set to face Anthony Johnson later this summer in essentially a #1 contender’s fight while Gustafsson and Cormier had a Fight of the Year candidate in 2015.
Onto the Jones story, White confirmed that Jones did not test positive for a recreational drug.
Also, when saying how it’s virtually impossible the B sample will come back clean, White mentioned two different agents in the A sample test failure. It is possible testing positive for two agents could lead to a suspension longer than two years.
A visibly distraught Jon Jones denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs at a press conference Thursday morning after being flagged by USADA for a potential out of competition drug test failure on Wednesday night.
The emotional Jones had to leave the press conference to gather himself briefly before coming back. He apologized for the fans, the UFC, and Daniel Cormier for being removed from the fight.
“I want to apologize to Daniel Cormier. I know that this fight means a lot to him. The fight means a lot to me and the fight is not happening. So I just want to apologize to everyone sincerely.”
The interim light heavyweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter in the world was joined by agent Malki Kawa and said that he had never even heard of the substance that led to him being removed from the main event of UFC 200 against Cormier. Kawa said that it is possible that the failure could’ve come from a tainted supplement.
“I’ve been taking the same supplements for the majority of my career and I’ve been so outspoken about being against any type of performance enhancers,” Jones said. “The whole thing sucks because being labeled someone who would ever cheat just really hurts more than anything else I’ve been through in my whole career.”
Both Yoel Romero and Tim Means were able to prove to the satisfaction of USADA officials that it was a supplement they had taken which caused a positive test. In those situations, the fighters were suspended for six months, rather than the usual two years for a first offense.
If such a thing happens here Jones would be eligible to fight on the New Year’s show, but would miss the Madison Square Garden show that he was expected to be part of, whether he won or lost against Cormier.
Kawa said that Jones’ B sample will be tested tonight in Salt Late City, Utah, but that chances the test would come back negative weren’t good.
The big question coming out of this is why it took until July 6 to get the result from the A sample for a test on June 16, and yet a B sample test could come back immediately. And if that is the case, if the B sample comes back clean (unlikely but it is possible), what that would mean, because in that theory the fight should still be on.
If Jones is unable to prove that the positive test came from a contaminated supplement, that would mean a two-year suspension from the sport. Jones vowed to continue fighting even if given the lengthy suspension.
During an impromptu press conference Wednesday night, UFC president Dana White announced that Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt is the new main event for UFC 200.
The reason? Interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation. Because the procedure part of this review cannot be completed by Saturday, Jones’ fight with light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been taken off the show.
Lesnar vs. Hunt will remain a three round fight.
White said he was informed by USADA that Jones was tested on June 16, but was unclear what the violation was for. He hasn’t spoken to Jones or his agent Malki Kawa as of this point. He also didn’t know why the test results took nearly a month to get back.’
“This is devastating to Daniel Cormier mentally, physically and financially,” White said.
Cormier was going to get a percentage of the PPV revenue which, for a show that may do record numbers, would be several million dollars. White said he was unclear how Cormier would be compensated considering the amount of money that he makes. Cormier was in attendance at the presser, but the press conference feed was cut off after White spoke.
UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitsky made a brief statement, saying noted that USADA will handle results management, potential hearings and due process on the matter, and whatever legal review process is necessary before any sanctions are imposed.
White said they found out just a short time ago and wanted to alert the media to the annoucement as soon as possible. Matchmaker Joe Silva isn’t even aware of the situation as he’s on a flight. White’s hope would be that someone would step up to fight Cormier on super short notice, but isn’t sure what’s about to happen.
There were no other light heavyweight fighters booked on the show, and the closest thing to a possibility would be Gegard Mousasi, a middleweight contender who is fighting Thiago Santos. However, Mousasi is getting ready for a fight in a 20 pound lighter weight class. Our Tom Lawlor, a Las Vegas resident who fights at 205, has begun petitioning for the fight on Twitter.
The UFC released the following statement:
The UFC organization was notified tonight that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jon Jones of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 16, 2016.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.
However, because Jones was scheduled to compete against Daniel Cormier this coming Saturday, July 9 in Las Vegas, there is insufficient time for a full review before the scheduled bout and therefore the fight has been removed from the fight card. As a result, the three-round heavyweight bout between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt will become the UFC 200 main event.
Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
Ticket refunds available upon request at primary point of purchase.
36 fights. 72 fighters. Three shows. Lots of punches.
That’s what we’re looking at as International Fight Week kicks into full swing Thursday night as the first of three UFC shows in Las Vegas happens, headlined by lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos defending the belt against Eddie Alvarez on UFC Fight Pass. After Friday night’s TUF Finale show on FS1, the big one is upon us: UFC 200 — arguably the greatest card that has ever been assembled…on paper, anyway.
But with all of those fights and fighters, surely some stand out more than others, right? That’s why Josh brought in special guest Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting to help him preview the week in a slightly different way.
Both Josh and Dave jotted down 10 fighters competing over the next three days that they are most interested in seeing how this week plays out for. While there was a little bit of crossover, both guys had distinct picks and rationale for why they’re so intriguing to them. There’s a few names you might expect (Brock, Cain), but many that you might not expect.
Click below to listen to a special 45-minute conversation that will get you ready for all three UFC events!
After a month in the Fortress of Solitude, Josh Nason has returned for the 36th edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out with fellow scribe and FloCombat senior editor Duane Finley in tow!
Josh and Duane had no shortage of interesting stuff to talk about which included:
– A few good minutes on the Conor McGregor vs. UFC situation
– Thoughts on the build toward UFC 200 before the announcement of the event and after
– Why people are booing Daniel Cormier and loving Jon Jones
– Josh’s theory as to what Demetrious Johnson needs to get over with fans
While it may not be as major an event as Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II was made out to be, UFC 200 got its marquee fight after all as Daniel Cormier will face rival Jon Jones in a light heavyweight championship unification bout.
The fight was announced on the Wednesday edition of Good Morning America.
Jones won the interim version of the belt by defeating Ovince Saint Preux by unanimous decision last Saturday at UFC 197 on a night he was originally supposed to face Cormier. Cormier injured his knee and had to be removed from the event, but after meeting with his doctors Monday, he’ll be cleared to fight on the July 9th event.
The two first fought in January 2015 with Jones successfully defending his title via unanimous decision. That was Jones’ last fight until this past Saturday due to various legal and personal issues.
The show will also feature Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar in an interim featherweight title bout, and women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes.
The day after news broke that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier was injured and out of his UFC 197 title defense against rival and former champion Jon Jones, Double J now has a new opponent –Ovince Saint Preux — and a new goal: the UFC interim light heavyweight title on April 23rd.
The news was made official by Dana White during ESPN Sportscenter on Saturday night with White saying since Jones never lost the title, they felt it was right for the title to be on the line. Recently, UFC announced an interim featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar for UFC 200, so the buzzword of 2016 is ‘interim”.
Anthony Johnson and Rashad Evans were considered, but Johnson recently had dental surgery that made him unvailable. Jones said Saturday he doesn’t like short notice fights, but was up for anything at light heavyweight or heavyweight.
Jones is returning after more than a year off due to a slew of legal issues. He last fought and beat Cormier in January 2015 and the rematch was expected to do big PPV business. While this match is interesting, the show will no doubt take a hit with PPV buyers, especially with a lack of star power on the rest of the show.
OSP (19-7) is coming off a February decision win over Feijao Cavalcante, and has won three of his last four.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion and No. 1 contender Jon Jones was arrested Tuesday for violation of his probation stemming from an altercation with a police officer last Thursday after he was pulled over and accused of drag racing.
Jones had claimed that he had just revved up his engine of his Corvette, and noted that he wasn’t speeding nor arrested for speeding. The entire confrontation was caught on tape, and has inspired a mixed reaction from fans and media.
Jones was taken into custody at 10 AM local time by the Probation & Parole department and taken to the detention center where he was being held at last word.
TMZ Sports first reported the story and posted Jones’ new mug shot. They also reported that EAG Sports, which represents Jones, issued a statement saying, “Jon and his team are taking this very seriously and we will let the legal process play out. We are confident he will be released once he has an opportunity to explain to the judge the facts in this case.”
Jones was sentenced to probation from his hit and run conviction last year, which resulted in his being stripped of his UFC light heavyweight championship. He has not fought since his January 2015 win over Daniel Cormier who subsequently defeated Anthony “Rumble” Johnson later in the year to win the vacant title. The Cormier vs. Jones rematch was scheduled to headline UFC’s next big show on 4/23 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. At this time, no statement has been made regarding if the arrest will affect this match.
Jones’ 18-month probation was not revoked when he got a recent traffic citation because of the feeling that was a minor charge, and Jones proved he had a license and registration, something he didn’t have in his possession when pulled over.
It was a day after his court case when it was agreed all charges would be dropped, pending him not getting in trouble over the next 90 days, when he was pulled over on the claim he was drag racing.
Jones was charged with drag racing, a noise disturbance violation, an illegible license plate, exhibition driving and an inability to maintain being in a traffic lane, which was considered a probation violation.
The UFC released a statement saying, “UFC is aware that Jon Jones turned himself into the Albuquerque Police Department this morning for a potential probation violation stemming from a traffic stop last week. UFC has been in touch with Jones’ legal team and will have no further comment until the organization has had appropriate time to gather necessary information.”
UFC 192 is upon us and there are already major changes to the card! Lucky for you that Josh Nason’s Punch-Out has returned with special guest Jeff Wagenheim of SI.com to help preview the show and to talk about the issues of the week.
On episode 14, Josh and Jeff waxed poetic about the following:
– A look at UFC 192 and why Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson is a little closer than we might think
– What the Jon Jones court ruling means for him, his UFC future, the light heavyweight division, and more
– A look at Johny Hendricks’ title aspirations or lack thereof
– Ryan Bader’s unfortunate luck
– Why Jones might not be down to his last strike
– Where Jeff will be writing for this weekend and perhaps more for in the future
– The origin story of his Hawaiian shirts
– How Jeff got into writing about MMA
– His time at the Boston Globe and how the Internet generation is missing out on newsrooms
– You also get Josh’s Opening Round on Rashad Evans, some notes on Friday’s news about Hendricks, and plenty more!
The UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday night with another stop in Houston, Texas for UFC 192. They bring a deep card to the Lone Star State for the first event in Houston since UFC 166 in October 2013, with a title fight and other fights with title implications making up the card. The main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary bout action can be seen kicking off at 6:15 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.
The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier makes his first title defense against the challenger, Alexander Gustafsson. In the co-main event bout, it will be a title eliminator bout in the welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley. Also on the card is a light heavyweight bout between contenders as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans takes on Ryan Bader. Let’s take a deeper look into the action on the card and bring you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC 192 on Saturday night.
1. Can Alexander Gustafsson unseat Daniel Cormier as the current top of the light heavyweight division?
Alexander Gustafsson is getting a second chance to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in the main event of UFC 192 on Saturday night when he challenges current champion Daniel Cormier. Gustafsson’s title opportunity was met with a lot of criticism as he is coming off of a loss to Anthony Johnson in his last fight, and many thought Ryan Bader and his four-fight win streak should have been the man fighting Cormier. Regardless of that, Gustafsson will be looking to do something he was unable to do in his first title shot, and that is walk away with the belt around his waist. The last time he got this opportunity, he came up just short in losing to Jon Jones in perhaps the greatest title fight in UFC history, at UFC 165 in September 2013. Two years later, he gets a fresh champion in Cormier, who won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship when he submitted Johnson at UFC 187 in May, which followed the title being stripped from Jones.
Cormier provides Gustafsson with a completely different challenge from Jones, but just an equally as hard fight. Cormier is a world-class wrestler with knockout power in his hands. Gustafsson is going to have a huge height and reach advantage that he will want to exploit. He has to watch out for the dangerous right hand from Cormier, though, something that he ate at the hands of Johnson. Gustafsson had talked about how he considered retiring following the loss to Johnson, and any time that happens to a fighter, you have to question their mental state heading into their next fight. Cormier has also been using his mouth and excellent speaking ability to attempt to get into the head of Gustafsson. Gustafsson has been shaking it off, but it could play into the hands of both men on Saturday night.
Gustafsson is going to have to use his length to keep Cormier away from him. If Cormier is able to get inside the pocket and use his excellent dirty boxing skills in the clinch, it is going to be a tough night in the Octagon for Gustafsson. Gustafsson excels at footwork and circling away from the opponent after his attacks. He isn’t going to out-wrestle Cormier, and he has a hard time eating a good punch. Gustafsson’s three losses have come to Jones, Johnson and Phil Davis, three strong wrestlers with solid punching power. Cormier is another in that line of opponent. This is Cormier’s fight to lose, and I see him being able to finish Gustafsson and continue his quest to goad Jon Jones back into the Octagon.
2. Who stakes their claim to the next title shot at 170 pounds when Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley meet?
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks will meet Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 192 in a fight that has been many years in the making. It is a battle that goes back to when both men were wrestlers in college. They met in the Big 12 Finals, and it ended in a lot of controversy. It was a close match, but at one point during the match, Hendricks’ fingers ended up in the mouth of Woodley, and there were claims of Woodley biting Hendricks. Woodley was penalized a point, which made the difference in Hendricks winning and then going on to becoming an NCAA Champion twice. Woodley has been wanting another shot at Hendricks since both entered the sport. Woodley has been calling out Hendricks for months, and the fight finally goes down on Saturday night.
It is a pivotal bout in the welterweight division as it will likely determine who fights the winner of the January bout between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit. Hendricks lost the championship to Lawler, but he holds wins over both men. Woodley holds a win over Condit. High stakes are on the line when Hendricks and Woodley step inside the Octagon, and it will be interesting how the fight turns out. It could be explosive on the feet, but it also has the chance to be a battle of attrition with battles in the clinch and with the wrestling. Hendricks has been a better overall performer, but recently has lacked that killer instinct that made him the most dangerous fighter at 170 pounds. Woodley has some power as well, but Hendricks has never been finished. Woodley has back in Strikeforce by Nate Marquardt. I give the edge in this bout to Hendricks and pick him to win on Saturday night.
3. Will Rashad Evans be able to shake off the knee injuries when he meets Ryan Bader?
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans makes his long-awaited return on Saturday night when he meets Ryan Bader, holder of a four-fight win streak. This fight could also have title implications on the line at 205 pounds, as Evans is riding a two-fight win streak himself. Evans has been out of action since a November 2013 win over Chael Sonnen as he has had multiple knee surgeries, in similar vein to Dominick Cruz, but he is finally able to return to action. Bader was chomping at the bits to fight Daniel Cormier for the title, but was passed over in favor of Alexander Gustafsson, and an impressive win over Evans could make a statement that he should be next. Of course, there is Jon Jones laying in wait, which could impact what happens for the winner.
At his best, Evans is one of the best light heavyweights in UFC history, with several big wins and being a former champion. If he is truly 100%, he is a top-five fighter, maybe even top-three alongside Jones, Cormier and Anthony Johnson. A win would almost assuredly mean he will get the next opportunity at the main event winner, even if Jones is getting closer to a return. Cage rust could play a huge factor, but Evans has gone through some periods of time where he has missed an extended amount of action, though the two years is the longest layoff of his career. It will be interesting to see if the knee injuries affect his wrestling skill, which is his best aspect of his skills, but he also has a ton of power. Bader is a good wrestler and has solid striking, but he doesn’t match up well against Evans. This has the potential to be a boring battle as well as Evans may fight cautiously and Bader isn’t the most aggressive fighter. I see Evans taking the win, though, and Bader just not being able to get over the hump.
4. Sage Northcutt makes his UFC debut with a lot of hype. Will he live up to it?
Sage Northcutt is 19-years-old, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, and he makes his UFC debut on Saturday night. He is getting a lot of hype coming into his debut, especially for someone fight on the Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card. He is from Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and he was featured on Dana White’s new Fight Pass show, “Looking For A Fight”. He is 5-0 in his professional career, one that started less than a year ago. He does have one loss as an amateur, but that came in his very first fight. All five of his wins have come by stoppage, and he has only been out of the first round once.
He’s going to get a lot of attention for his looks as he looks more like a model than a fighter. He has been practicing martial arts all of his life, and he does have an attitude about him. That is why the UFC is drawn to him, the personality, and all indications show that he can become a popular, and hated, fighter, if he can back up his skills. It might be early for a 19-year-old, but it is his chance to show that he is for real. He fights Francisco Trevino, who is coming off of his first career loss that ended his perfect 12-0 record. It will be the first time that Northcutt cuts to 155 pounds, and he gets a tough opponent. He’s being thrown to the wolves right away, but many expect him to live up to the hype. If he does, the UFC has a potential new star on their hands.
5. What else is there to look for on the card?
The UFC 192 card is loaded with 13 fights, and many solid fights. Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between former LSU football player Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov. Opening the main card is a pivotal bout in the women’s bantamweight division as Jessica Eye meets former TUF winner Julianna Pena. Eye is coming off a tough loss to Miesha Tate in a title eliminator bout in July, and she is eager to step back in the Octagon and get back into the win column and erase the disappointing memory of the Tate fight. Pena is getting a huge step up in competition in the form of Eye, but she has the potential to compete for the title in the future, and fights aren’t getting easier when climbing the ladder.
Headlining the preliminary card is a flyweight battle between former title challengers as Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov. Also on the card is a featherweight bout between former TUF winner Yair Rodriguez and Dan Hooker, an exciting welterweight clash between Alan Jouban and Albert Tumenov, and Rose Namajunas finally makes her long-awaited return when she takes on Angela Hill. Among the fights that will be airing on Fight Pass is a flyweight battle between former title challenger Chris Cariaso and prospect Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. The UFC 192 card is truly a deep card for fight fans.
Full UFC 192 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: (C) Daniel Cormier vs. (#2) Alexander Gustafsson Betting Odds: Cormier (-340), Gustafsson (+280) Prediction: Cormier by knockout in round 3
Welterweights: (#1) Johny Hendricks vs. (#3) Tyron Woodley Betting Odds: Hendricks (-350), Woodley (+290) Prediction: Hendricks by decision
Light Heavyweights: (#4) Ryan Bader vs. (#5) Rashad Evans Betting Odds: Bader (+150), Evans (-170) Prediction: Evans by decision
Heavyweights: Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov Betting Odds: Jordan (+140), Magomedov (-160) Prediction: Jordan by knockout in round 2
Women’s Bantamweights: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#12) Julianna Pena Betting Odds: Eye (+205), Pena (-245) Prediction: Eye by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
Flyweights: (#1) Joseph Benavidez vs. (#14) Ali Bagautinov Betting Odds: Benavidez (-340), Bagautinov (+280) Prediction: Benavidez by decision
Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Dan Hooker Betting Odds: Rodriguez (-300), Hooker (+250) Prediction: Rodriguez by submission in round 3
Welterweights: Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov Betting Odds: Jouban (+220), Tumenov (-260) Prediction: Jouban by knockout in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#4) Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill Betting Odds: Namajunas (-260), Hill (+220) Prediction: Namajunas by submission in round 2
