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6/3/16: Top Five Stories of the Week
In our regular Friday feature, we list out the most newsworthy stories/articles from the past week in MMA.
5. Former UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz joining UFC Hall of Fame in July: The head of the UFC’s original owners, Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG), is heading into the “Contributors” wing of the UFC Hall of Fame next month. The UFC made the announcement this week, and Meyrowitz joins Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in the 2016 class of inductees.
4. Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett headlines UFC Hamburg in September: The UFC’s return to Germany in September got its headliner this week, as heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett square off. It’s a fight between two former UFC Heavyweight Champions, and though it’s well past their respective prime and it’s a fight that was at least potentially possible outside of the UFC several years back, it’s one of those never before seen matchups in a heavyweight field that could use that.
3. Luke Rockhold nursing injury into UFC 199: Saturday’s UFC Middleweight Title fight between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping was already a bit intriguing in that Bisping was taking the fight on short notice and getting his first ever crack at the Middleweight Title. Now we get to add in that the Champion isn’t close to 100% coming in as he claims to have been battling an MCL tear in camp. Bisping thinks Rockhold’s lining up excuses for losing, while Rockhold said he doesn’t need a knee to beat him, but regardless it makes for another interesting storyline into Saturday’s event.
2. Ronda Rousey return delayed until December, January at earliest: Ronda Rousey’s going to be on the shelf even longer than originally expected, if she winds up coming back at all. She underwent a minor knee surgery recently, and though Dana White says she’s still training and planning for a December or January return, continued delays bring that further into question.
1. Cody Garbrandt, Bryan Caraway score upsets at UFC Fight Night 88: The contender/prospect picture in the bantamweight division got a bit of a shake-up last Sunday, with both Cody Garbrandt and Bryan Caraway upsetting Thomas Almeida and Aljamain Sterling, respectively. Garbrandt looked especially impressive in his first main event, destroying Almeida in the opening round with a fast and accurate striking attack. Caraway, meanwhile, continues to beat guys in the division whom the UFC might rather see him not beat, but it means he’s going to force more and more opportunities from them. He’ll likely have to meet them halfway in a bout with Garbrandt next, but he’s now just a fight, maybe two, away from a coveted title fight.
[Photo (c) Joshua Dahl via USA Today Sports]
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