Justin Buchholz out as Alpha Male head coach
Despite a successful run as head coach, Justin Buchholz is out at Team Alpha Male. He is the third high profile coach to leave the team in recent memory, the others being Duane Ludwig and Martin Kampmann. He will stay with the team and continue coaching in the role of Muay Thai coach. The head coaching duties will be shared between multiple people including Chris Holdsworth and Danny Castillo.
Cole’s Analysis: The head coaching position at team Alpha Male is a bit like the head coaching position of the Cleveland Browns. It’s constantly changing.
Ricardo Liborio speaks on Covington, announces departure
Ricardo Liborio is no longer with American Top Team, but according to team owner Dan Lambert that is hardly a new development. Liborio was speaking about the recent controversy surrounding Colby Covington’s post fight antics, and while condemning them, also mentioned that he was no longer with the team. This led to some confusion, as some believed that Liborio was leaving specifically because of Covington’s actions. Dan Lambert cleared the situation up and stated that Liborio actually left some time ago to care for his sick daughter, but was kept on the payroll as a favor. According to Lambert it is business as usual at ATT.
Conor McGregor apologizes for homophobic slur
Conor McGregor was on the Irish talk show, “The Late Late Show,” and talked about the homophobic slur he used backstage at UFC Fight Night 118 after the Artem Lobov-Andre Fili fight.
“I was whispering in his ear and I was speaking on that and I said what I said. I meant no disrespect to nobody of the LGBT community. I didn’t mean no disrespect.
“You’d swear I was screaming at two people of the same sex kissing,” he said. “I campaigned, when we were trying to get same sex marriage legalized, I was campaigning for that. It is another one where things just get blown out and they love to just, any chance they get they love to throw me under the bus.
“It is what it is,” he said. “I’ll just say sorry for what I said and that’s it and try to move on from it.”
Chris Holdsworth calls TJ Dillashaw a liar
Chris Holdsworth appeared on the MMA HOUR and finally talked about the concussion he allegedly suffered at the hands of TJ Dillashaw during a practice session. Holdsworth has not fought competitively for the UFC since 2014 due to concussion related issues.
“I’ve been quiet about this for a while. I’m just not the type of person to jump into people’s feuds or drama. I like to lay low and just do my thing, but there’s been some talk, and after I heard T.J. lying about the subject, I’ve got to speak up on it.
“T.J. has always been a great fighter, he’s a great athlete, but he’s always had, I don’t know, some type of competitive feud with me ever since I came to the team. I don’t know if it was because of envy or jealousy or whatever it was, but I just kinda always brushed it off as him being competitive and being, just, ultra-aggressive. I was always up for the fight, but there was multiple occasions where T.J. got a little bit too aggressive, he went overboard in training. He’s kneeing you while we’re boxing. He’s throwing elbows while we’re doing jiu-jitsu. And I remember that instance that’s out in the public — yeah, it’s definitely true.
“I shot in on T.J. and I was on all fours, he was sprawled out and he kneed me on top of the head. And that was before The Ultimate Fighter. I remember I was kinda jarred up and everyone was watching, and I took like 30 seconds off and I kept going, I kept going through the rounds and I finished practice. But after that practice, I was concussed, and that was my first concussion. And it just kinda kept happening from there.
“There was another instance leading up to the Chico (Camus) fight (in 2014), when he was getting ready for (Renan) Barao. And then it comes to where I hear he’s on some special supplements and stuff, and I just lost respect for the guy. There’s no hard feelings, it’s whatever it is, but he’s a cheater.
MMA News Notebook
Combate Americas’ will air an English broadcast of their eight-man bantamweight tournament which takes place on November 11 on NBCSN.
Former UFC bantamweight Erik Perez has signed a multi-fight contract with Combate Americas.
Al Iaquinta is out of his fight against Paul Felder at UFC 218 due to injury.
The UFC announced UFC 221 will take place on February 11 in Perth, Australia.
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