Run it back
It’s not the money fight Daniel Cormier was hoping for, but his next heavyweight title defense is now official. After nearly a year of speculation and buildup for a Cormier fight with Brock Lesnar, Lesnar took his name out of the hat when he reportedly told UFC president Dana White that he is done with fighting.
With Lesnar out of the way UFC officially announced that Cormier will take on former champ Stipe Miocic in a rematch of their UFC 226 bout that Cormier won with a decisive first-round knockout. The bout was announced during the UFC Ottawa broadcast last night and on social media. It will take place at UFC 241 set for Anaheim, CA on Aug. 17.
Miocic has been lobbying hard for the rematch since his July loss, using his record-setting run of title defenses and a precedent of former champs getting rematches to back his argument. Cormier had been waiting patiently for the Lesnar fight to come together and pushed back his planned March retirement in hopes the fight would come together.
UFC was clearly banking on a Lesnar return seeing that the Cormier-Miocic fight was announced just days after Lesnar announced his latest retirement.
Bellator Birmingham results
Bellator ran another event in their European series from Birmingham, England on Saturday. The card aired on the Bellator App and was headlined by a Brent Primus first-round submission win over Tim Wilde. Full results below. Here are the main card results:
Brent Primus def. Tim Wilde by submission 1:20 of round one
Fabian Edwards def. Falco Neto by TKO at 3:51 of round one
Pedro Carvalho def. Derek Campos by first round KO at 2:03
Raymon Daniels def. Wilker Barros by KO 4:36 of round one
Cowboy only wants big fights
After a thrilling five-round unanimous decision win over Al Iaquinta at UFC Ottawa last night, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is only looking for big fights in the future. During his in-cage interview after the fight, Cerrone said that he either wants a title shot or to fight Conor McGregor in July. Cerrone reiterated these comments during the post-fight press conference, and he made it clear he’d be upset if he didn’t get what he’s asking for.
“For the UFC not to give me a title shot, I would step back, and I would be thoroughly disappointed,” Cerrone said (transcribed by MMAJunkie). “I’d be like, ‘Wow, a guy who’s done all this in the sport. I don’t trash talk, I go in there, and I deliver every time, and you’re going to overlook me for somebody else?’ I’d be really upset. I’d be like, ‘Wow, that’s the company I look for?’ Which, I’m not saying is going to happen, by any means.”
As for a potential fight with McGregor, Cerrone sounds especially interested in making a quick turnaround for that one.
“On the flip side, if Conor wants to fight, (expletive) yeah. Let’s go. Especially in July, I’m ready. Let’s turn and burn, baby.”
Sunday Notebook
-UFC in Ottawa last night did 10,960 in paid attendance for a gate of $807,000 USD.
-Post-fight bonuses went to Donald Cerrone and Al Iaquinta for Fight of the Night and to Walt Harris and Macy Chiasson for Performance of the Night.
Leave a Reply