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Yet another wild week in MMA has passed us by, and the MMA community witnessed a few fighters change things up on the professional front, while others went through changes in their personal lives.
With UFC 222 in the rear-view, and UFC 223 approaching fast, the MMA world seems to be primed for one of the biggest fight cards of the 2018 calendar year. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 MMA news & rumors of the week--
#5 Rumor: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva 4
Per Gazeta Do Povo (*courtesy--MMAJunkie), Rampage Jackson could face 'The Axe Murderer' for the fourth time in their respective MMA careers; with the fight taking place inside the Bellator cage this time around.
While the MMA community has been abuzz with banter of a couple of other legends, Chuck Lidell and Tito Ortiz facing off in a trilogy matchup, in Bellator, the chances of that fight coming to fruition are now slim.
Regardless, Rampage now stands at 1-2 against Silva--with the former having avenged his two KO/TKO losses to Silva in Pride FC, with a knockout of his own in the UFC.
This could rake in the eyeballs for Bellator later this year, and is definitely a rumor worth keeping one's eye on.
#5 News: Mike Perry and girlfriend separate; Danielle Nickerson issues statement
Mike Perry and his then-girlfriend Danielle Nickerson were the recipients of considerable verbal abuse at the hands of Perry's fellow UFC Welterweight Colby Covington, a few days ago. "Chaos" took a shot at Perry's girlfriend; referring to the latter as "horse-faced" among other insults.
Perry & Nickerson addressed Covington's online abuse, however, days after the incident, the couple now seem to have parted ways. Nickerson opened up on the same on her Instagram page--
“We are human and we all make mistakes...Mike unfortunately has a wandering eye and this time it wandered too far and I couldn’t accept anymore. No physical cheating happened but enough was said that I hit a limit I couldn’t return from. I have no regrets at all, only wonderful memories of good times.”
#4 Rumor: Heavyweight legends likely facing off inside the Octagon
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski is fresh off a decision win over the UFC's resident giant Stefan Struve.
Meanwhile, Mark Hunt dropped a decision to Curtis Blaydes in a close fight earlier this year.
The MMA community is now abuzz with talk of Hunt fighting Arlovski later this year, as the former is nearing the end of his UFC contract and has stated that he'd pursue fights in other promotions especially given his longstanding differences with UFC President Dana White.
This rumored showdown is one that has been discussed as a fantasy matchup for several years, and now could finally come to fruition.
#4 News: Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson irks the MMA community with racist comments against Conor McGregor
Rapper and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s longtime 'frenemy', Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, took to social media in order to unleash a rant that's being deemed by several netizens as racist.
Following considerable backlash online, the video has since been taken down by 50 Cent, however, here's what the rapper had to say about Conor McGregor--
“Conor McGregor is a talented fighter and all that, he’s talented for a white boy,” Jackson added. “But you know (*racist profanity*) have superior genes when it comes to that kind of shit. In order for white people to have a champion, they had to make ‘Rocky,’ because they can’t actually do that shit. It’s just too much work.”
#3 Rumor: Derrick Lewis stokes Ngannou fight banter
Derrick Lewis has directed several negative comments towards fellow UFC Heavyweight Francis Ngannou over the past several months.
While Ngannou came up short in his bid to defeat Stipe Miocic for the latter's UFC Heavyweight title, Lewis still hasn't lost interest in pursuing a fight with 'The Predator'. Speaking to the Slip n' Dip podcast, Lewis stated--
“Yeah hopefully we can get something done this year man...Hopefully we can get something before he (Ngannou) turns 50 on us,” Lewis said, subtly referencing the rumors of Ngannou falsifying his legal documents so as to hide his real age.
Lewis added that he isn't looking to be the best fighter in the world, but is simply getting inside the Octagon and doing his job. Lewis vs. Ngannou is definitely a bad-blood matchup that MMA fans have been waiting to see, and this rumor could be indicative of a potential showdown between the two KO artists later this year.
#3 News: Jessica Andrade hopes Cris Cyborg puts Amanda Nunes in her place
UFC Straw-weight fighter Jessica Andrade, Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg and Bantamweight titlist Amanda Nunes share one thing in common...The trio have been incredibly assertive about their love for their native Brazil, and continue to proudly represent the great MMA nation.
However, at last month's UFC on FOX 28 event, Andrade took on Nunes' ATT (American Top Team) stable-mate Tecia Torres--beating Torres by way of decision.
While the fight earned praise for both fighters, Andrade seems to have been irked by Nunes cheering for American fighter Torres, rather than her fellow Brazilian.
Resultantly, Andrade spoke to AG Fight (*courtesy--BloodyElbow), stating--
“I think Amanda got ahead of herself when she asked for the Cyborg fight,” Andrade added. “I was pissed off when I heard about it. I’m huge fan of Cris’. It’s horrible to have two Brazilians fighting each other, but it’ll be good for Amanda to have her ass kicked and be put back in her place by Cris.”
#2 Rumor: Darren Till finally facing Wonderboy
Darren Till broke through as a star in the MMA community after earning a stoppage win over Donald Cerrone.
Till has ever since been demanding a Welterweight showdown against Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson--given that the latter is a proven divisional elite at 170-pounds, unlike Cerrone who fought most of his career at 155.
While Wonderboy's camp turned down the Till fight, plans seem to have changed.
Till recently alluded that he's indeed been in talks with the UFC and the Wonderboy camp for a fight that could take place later this year, in order to determine the next challenger at 170-pounds after Tyron Woodley vs. Rafael Dos Anjos goes down over the next few months.
#2 News: Michael Bisping addresses talk of Luke Rockhold trilogy fight
The past few days have seen MMA fans & experts alike engage in banter as to whether Michael Bisping could fight Luke Rockhold in a trilogy fight, which would also serve as Bisping's retirement bout.
Regardless, Bisping spoke to MMAFighting, shutting down any talk of the same--
“I can categorically on the record state that I have not been offered a fight with (Rockhold) on July 7,” Bisping stated. “He shouldn’t be so keen to get knocked out again anyway. Stick to modeling. Judging by his last three fights, MMA certainly doesn’t appear his thing anymore.”
#1 Rumor: Fabricio Werdum performing in WWE?
Speaking to MMAFighting, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum asserted that he'd love to perform in the WWE as well as continue fighting in the UFC.
Werdum stated--
”I think that both (at the same time) is doable...You can do WWE. … If I had the opportunity I’d fight there, no problem. It’s financially great. Fight at WWE, a spectacle that is fun to do. I’d definitely do it. I have a meeting Thursday about it, doing both (UFC and WWE). I want to fight, doesn’t matter where.”
Furthermore, Werdum added that he'd love to help the WWE tap into the Latin market, as he's fluent in Spanish and can indeed play a Spanish-speaking character in the WWE. 'Vai Cavalo' explained that's currently in talks for securing a WWE deal; adding that while most people underestimate the athleticism & hard work required for pro-wrestling, the fact remains that the sport is indeed quite challenging.
#1 News: Conor McGregor inks big-money deal with "Burger King"
Conor McGregor has signed a new, big-money deal with US-based international fast food outlet Burger King.
The vast majority of MMA experts opine that the deal is likely to have netted McGregor a huge sum of money, adding to his already massive $100 million-plus net worth. While McGregor has often been trolled by his Lightweight rivals such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson with terms such as "Conor McChicken" and "Conor McNuggets" respectively, McGregor appears to be taking a shot at them and 'thanking' his rivals for helping him ink a deal with Burger King and secure Conor Jr.'s college fee.
