Welcome to MMATorch’s new Daily Top Five. Every weekday, tune in for a new Top Five list on a variety of topics; some will be regularly updated, some will be one offs, but we hope you enjoy them all throughout the week! If you’ve got an idea for a Top Five list you’d like to see, email mmatorcheditor@gmail.com and we may fit them into the weekly mix!
5/6/16: 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. Diego Brandao released following felony arrest: The former Ultimate Fighter winner is no longer with the UFC after allegedly pistol whipping several individuals outside a strip club last week. He’s facing a number of felony charges out of the incident, and the UFC has cut ties with him as a result.
4. UFC 201 expected for Atlanta with Lawler-Woodley main event: July is extremely packed for the UFC already, and they’re reportedly adding a second pay-per-view event to the mix. It’s expected to feature a Welterweight Title bout between Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley in their first event in Atlanta’s Philips Arena in over four years.
3. UFC on Fox 20 in Chicago takes shape: The UFC’s return to Chicago on July 23 is starting to fill up, and several significant fights were added this week in expected headliner Holly Holm vs. Valentina Shevchenko, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira, Gilbert Melendez vs. Edson Barboza, and Eddie Wineland vs. Frankie Saenz. Given the headlining choice, it’s one of the weaker Fox cards the UFC’s booked in some time, especially given the fact that their 2015 visit to Chicago featured a title fight in the bantamweight division.
2. Heavyweight multi-organization veteran Lavar Johnson gets five years in jail: Strikeforce, UFC, and Bellator heavyweight vet Lavar Johnson will be behind bars for the next five years after being convicted of serious and horrific domestic assault charges. Given the details of his assault on his then-longtime girlfriend, the prison term seems to be a light one.
1. Featherweight Jordan Parsons passes away after hit and run: In one of the more awful things I’ve had to write about in the last eight years covering this sport, the MMA world lost 25-year-old prospect Jordan Parsons this week. The Bellator featherweight was his by a vehicle in Florida last Saturday night, and though doctors put forth their best efforts to save him throughout the week, he was unable to survive the injuries occurred. Police continue to search for the driver responsible for his death, as that person fled the scene and remains at large. It’s as tragic as any story the MMA world has had to deal with in years, and his passing continues to be mourned throughout the MMA world.
Attention iPhone/iPad and Android users, if you’ve enjoyed our app in the past and followed us there, or if you’ve never checked it out, make sure to update to the latest version in the Apple store and/or Google Play store. We’ve launched a new look for the app, in line with our recent desktop overhaul. Make sure to check it out!
For current App users, swipe right to view next article, swipe left to view previous article.
Leave a Reply