Ion Cutelabra and John Lineker both oFF the ESPN card
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The UFC’s first event in its ESPN broadcast era is undergoing some late changes about a week before the card.
Ion Cutelaba (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is out of his light heavyweight fight against former title challenger Glover Teixeira (27-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 1. That bout was set to open the main card. UFC officials removed Cutelaba from the official bout order.
In addition, bantamweight John Lineker (31-8 MMA, 12-3 UFC) is out of his fight against Cory Sandhagen (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), according to a report from AGFight.com, though UFC officials have not made a formal announcement of that change.
Polyana Viana to fight Hannah Cifers at UFC 235
(https:)Strawweight prospects Polyana Viana and Hannah Cifers will be looking to rebound in Las Vegas.
MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz confirmed with sources that Viana and Cifers will fight at UFC 235 on March 2 at T-Mobile Arena following an initial report by ESPN.
Rose Namajunas to defend strawweight belt vs. Jessica Andrade at UFC 237
(https:)UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has agreed to defend her title in enemy territory later this year, according to UFC president Dana White.
Namajunas will face Brazilian challenger Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 on May 11 in Brazil. The 115-pound title fight is expected to serve as the co-main event at UFC 237, White told ESPN on Monday.
The UFC has not yet announced an official venue, but the fight will take place in Brazil.
Ex-champ Cody Garbrandt returns vs. Pedro Munhoz at UFC 235
(https:)A bantamweight bout between former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt and Brazilian contender Pedro Munhoz is the latest addition to March’s stacked UFC 235 lineup.
Garbrandt (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) verified the matchup with Munhoz (17-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on social media following an initial report from ESPN.com (via Twitter):
Tyron Woodley set to defend title vs. Kamaru Usman – not Colby Covington – at UFC 235
(https:)Finally, the UFC welterweight title picture is clear – and champion Tyron Woodley will get to defend, after all.
After weeks of trash talk and finger pointing on social media between Woodley, Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman, it’s Woodley and Usman who have won out in the end.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMAjunkie that Woodley will meet Usman on March 2 at UFC 235 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. ESPN.com first reported the booking Sunday after a tweet from Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, hinted that the bout was a done deal.
Jon Jones set to defend title vs. Anthony Smith at UFC 235
(https:)Contingent upon a license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Jon Jones’ next fight will be against Anthony Smith at UFC 235.
UFC President Dana White late Saturday night confirmed with TMZ the promotion’s plan to book the light heavyweight title fight for March 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. MMAjunkie subsequently confirmed with Smith (31-13 MMA, 7-3 UFC) that he has signed a bout agreement for the fight. Jones (23-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) and his reps were not immediately reachable for comment.
Jones still needs to appear before the NSAC to address an adverse drug-test finding that prompted the move of UFC 232 from Nevada to California. A Dec. 9 test revealed low levels of a long-term metabolite of oral turinabol, the same steroid found in Jones’ system after an in-competition drug test for his fight against Daniel Cormier in July 2017.
Jimmy Smith announces departure from UFC
(https:)Jimmy Smith’s time with the UFC has come to an end.
The veteran color commentator announced Tuesday via social media that the UFC chose not to re-sign him after completing his first year of work with the promotion.
UFC 232 bonuses: Amanda Nunes, Ryan Hall awarded for epic finishes
(https:)On Saturday, Amanda Nunes cemented her legacy as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, and picked up a nice bonus to boot.
“The Lioness” was awarded a $50,000 Performance of the Night award for her 51-second drubbing of the seemingly indomitable Cris Cyborg in the co-main event of UFC 232 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. It was the first loss for Cyborg in her last 22 bouts dating back to Nov. 20, 2005 and her first-ever loss by knockout.
Amanda Nunes wins UFC featherweight title in electrifying upset of Cris Cyborg
(https:)UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes shocked the world with an electrifying performance on Saturday night at UFC 232 at The Forum, needing just 51 seconds to knock out featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.
With the win, the American Top Team competitor by way of Salvador, Brazil, became the first simultaneous women’s two weight-class champion in UFC history. She also handed Cyborg her first defeat since 2005.
Walt Harris carrying boxing lessons with Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder into MMA
(https:)As much as anyone on the UFC roster, Walt Harris is eager to show off his hands.
That might sound obvious given his line of work, but few fighters can claim to have the recent boxing experience that Harris can. The 35-year-old has had the opportunity to train with both WBC champion Deontay Wilder, a fellow Alabama native, and Wilder’s recent foe, former WBA, WBO, and IBF champion Tyson Fury.
Chad Mendes determined to avoid gatekeeper label at UFC 232
(https:)Chad Mendes knows what everyone is thinking.
A long layoff. Back-to-back bookings against lesser known opponents. His 10th anniversary as a pro fighter having just passed.
If Mendes’s next fight is any indication, he’s not being pushed to compete for a UFC title, something the 33-year-old has had the opportunity to do on three occasions. And it’s entirely possible Mendes is actually being used to prop up the résumé of Alexander Volkanovski, his opponent Saturday at UFC 232 in Inglewood, Calif., a featherweight prospect who has won all five of his fights inside the Octagon so far.
Daily Debate results: Would you have bought UFC 232 if Jones-Gustafsson was scrapped?
(https:)Today’s UFC 232 started the week with plenty of controversy.
The promotion’s year-end pay-per-view blockbuster had been set for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. But when headliner Jon Jones had a drug test result that was abnormal, it left the Nevada State Athletic Commission in position to not be able to license him to fight – so the entire event moved to California.
Now UFC 232 takes place tonight at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Dana White defiant on UFC 232 criticism: 'Other people’s opinions mean nothing to me'
(https:)UFC 232 is happening tonight in California instead of Nevada as originally booked. And while UFC President Dana White admits it’s “not the ideal situation,” he couldn’t care less about the backlash all week that’s been caused by his last-minuted decision.
“When I pull the trigger, man, we roll,” White told MMAjunkie on Friday. “I don’t ever go, ‘We made the wrong decision.’ I don’t listen to criticism. Other people’s opinions mean nothing to me. I make decisions, and we roll. That’s it.”
The science of ‘Bones’: An in-depth look at Jon Jones’ drug-test findings, why he’ll be able to fight at UFC 232
(https:)Out of all the talk of picograms, long-term metabolites and adverse findings, there was one pivotal thing that determined whether or not Jon Jones would fight this weekend.
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive officer Andy Foster told MMA Fighting that, after reviewing multiple statements from scientists and experts, there was something that stood out above all the rest, swaying his choice to allow Jones to fight Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 232 on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif.
For once, Dana White goes to bat for Jon Jones after UFC 232 move
(https:)Dana White never has shied away from being critical of Jon Jones, one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.
But according to White, Jones also is one of the biggest problem fighters in the company’s history. So when he found himself in the center of another controversial move today, White made the rare move of defending him.
Jon Jones drug test nets 'atypical finding,' UFC 232 moved to Los Angeles on one week's notice
(https:)A Jon Jones drug testing abnormality has caused the UFC to move Saturday’s UFC 232 event from Las Vegas to Southern California.
A drug test earlier this month found a trace amount of Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (DHCMT), or turinabol, in Jones’ system. That’s the same substance Jones tested positive for in 2017 that led to the 15-month suspension he recently was cleared from in order to fight this week.
How the ACB/Akhmat merger expands Kadyrov’s influence in MMA
(https:)Karim Zidan delves into the recent merger between Chechen promotions ACB and Akhmat MMA.
Several weeks ago, Chechnya’s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced that his MMA promotion, World Fighting Championships of Akhmat (WFCA), would merge with fellow Chechen promotion Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) in the coming months. According to the dictator, the goal behind the amalgamation is to secure a larger percentage of the sport’s global market share.
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