THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST 11/23: Pacquiao vying for boxing match against McGregor, Diaz’s coach wants $15 million for next fight, Details of Oezdemir’s “bar room altercation” emerge

BY MICHAEL GROCKE, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Pacquiao vying for boxing match against McGregor

Manny Pacquiao took to Instagram to wish Conor McGregor a Happy Thanksgiving. But clearly there’s more behind the well wishes.

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay fit my friend. #realboxingmatch #2018 @thenotoriousmma

A post shared by Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) on

Grocke’s POV: The call outs are beyond ridiculous. That said, there is a small part of me that would be interested in this fight. 

Diaz’s coach wants $15 million for next fight

Nate Diaz’s boxing coach Richard Perez spoke to Submission Radio about Diaz’s next fight and how much he thinks Nate is worth.

“The UFC doesn’t want to give Nathan the money. You know, ’cause what Woodley’s trying to do, he’s trying to get his name up there and he wants to fight the best, so he wants to fight Nathan. But UFC doesn’t want to pay Nathan, so why fight him? We can fight McGregor (instead).

“I saw Woodley talking the other day about Nathan being scared, ‘scared homie,’ you know, but it’s not that. It’s not all about that, because Nathan ain’t scared to fight nobody, it’s the money, and Dana White and the UFC doesn’t want to pay him. But he deserves it.

“I mean, he says he signed his part already, Woodley did and Nathan hasn’t, but there’s a reason. Because, you know just as well as I do, Nathan is on top and he needs to get paid what he deserves. He’s a people person. People want to see him and he’s popular right now, just like McGregor. So why doesn’t UFC do it when they made big money on the show when Nathan fights and McGregor fights?

“Even if Nathan fights Woodley it’s going to be up there because of Nathan. So they’re gonna probably make, oh gosh, pay-per-view is going to be just out there because they’re curious on what Nathan’s going to do with Woodley. So they’re making big money, they’re pocketing a lot of it. You guys know it too. Oh gosh, it’s ridiculous.

“Well, everybody wants to see McGregor and Nathan. Woodley is out of the picture. I mean, he’s just blubbering now and talking cause he wants to get noticed, he wants to be up there in top too. I don’t blame him, that’s normal for a fighter cause he has the belt. He thinks the belt’s important, it’s not right now, it’s about who you’re fighting. That’s why he’s trying to get Nathan, he’s trying to get McGregor. But what everybody wants to really see is McGregor and Nathan. That’s all I ever hear.

“People texting me all the time, they call me all the time, it’s still constantly, “when are they fighting? That’s all we want to see”. That’s the fight, that’s the best fight to watch right now. You know, cause the last two fights were great, so the third one has to finish. We have to find out the outcome of that one. So that’s where it should be at now.”

Grocke’s POV: $15MM? Come on…

Details of Oezdemir’s “bar room altercation” emerge

Kevin Cohen claims he was knocked out unconscious after getting punched by Volkan Oezdemir outside a bar called Capone’s. Oezdemir’s attorney Bruce Zimet is on record as saying Oezdemir was not the aggressor and was justified in his actions.

The police report reads as follows:

Kevin Cohen, the alleged victim, told police that he went outside after hearing a friend had been knocked unconscious following a verbal altercation with another man. Upon asking who knocked out his friend, Cohen told cops that he looked up and was hit in the face.

Cohen said he lost consciousness for about 14 minutes and was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for concussion symptoms and given multiple staples for lacerations. Cohen said people present outside Capone’s told him it was Oezdemir that hit him.

Fort Lauderdale police investigated the allegations that Oezdemir also struck Cohen’s friend, Sergio Sandoval, but could not reach Sandoval by phone or mail, per the incident report. Oezdemir is currently only being charged for the alleged attack on Cohen; the alleged battery of Sandoval has been designated as inactive.

The UFC is looking into the situation.

 Oezdemir issues statement

Volkan Oezdemir’s manager Frederic Englund issued a statement regarding the light heavyweight contender’s recent arrest.

“Volkan Oezdemir appeared in a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida courtroom Sunday morning in response to allegations from an incident in a Ft. Lauderdale bar on August 12, 2017. Mr. Oezdemir was accompanied by his attorney Bruce A. Zimet. Following a brief hearing (before) a Broward County Circuit judge, Mr. Oezdemir was granted a $10,000 bond during the pendency of his case. Mr. Zimet, a former federal prosecutor, described the incident that formed the basis of the case as nothing more than a bar room altercation in which Mr. Oezdemir, who was not the aggressor, was totally justified in all of his actions pursuant to Florida law.

“Mr. Oezdemir expressed his faith in the America judicial system and looks forward to all of the facts involved in the August 12, 2017 incident being made public. Mr. Oezdemir has full confidence that when the full picture is presented that he will be totally vindicated.”

The UFC has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.

 

MMA News Notebook

The hearing for Jon Jones’ doping case, originally set for December 12, has been rescheduled to late February or early March.

Mirko Cro Cop says his final fight will be against the winner of the Rizin heavyweight tournament being held on New Year’s Eve, 2018.

UFC Fight Night 121 averaged 815,000 viewers.

Shooto Brazil has added the recently approved weight classes by The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports. The promotion has added four new weight classes, including super lightweight, super welterweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight.

 

Fight Announcements

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Morales is set for UFC Fight Night 125

Yoshitaka Naito vs. Alex Silva is set for ONE Championship 66


NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS NEWS: Cyborg signs new deal with UFC, Casting call for TUF 27, CES MMA 47 Results

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