Jorge Masvidal on only condition he will allow transgender fighters to compete in his promotion
Jorge Masvidal isn’t on board with transgender athletes competing against cisgender women. The former UFC star recently dismissed the notion of transgender MMA fighters going up against cisgender women in the cage and claimed he’d never let it happen in his promotion. The subject of allowing biologically male fighters to compete against cisgender women is a hot debate within the MMA community. The discussion mostly revolves around biological male athletes having the advantages of higher muscle mass, greater bone density, and a larger overall frame compared to women. While hormonal therapy and gender reassignment procedures significantly reduce these disparities, it’s not an exact science. Today, it’s largely believed that transgender athletes have a physiological advantage over biological female athletes even after undergoing treatment. In a recent interview with Charly Arnolt, Jorge Masvidal reiterated these points and stated: “In my many years of my pro career, 28 years being on the mat, I’ve seen what happens when men and women spar and do both full speed. It’s a different kind of strength, it’s a different ligament strength. The testosterone, the bone density, or our density, like how we could take a hit to give a hit. Women, I would never.” However, Jorge Masvidal is open to letting transgender fighters compete against other transgender fighters. Alternatively, if women want to fight men if they think they can. He continued: “I would rather bankrupt the company than ever let a man fight a woman unless the woman wanted to go into the men’s division because she was like the greatest woman of ever… A trans women fighter, there’s no problem as long as you fought another trans.” Watch the full interview below: Jorge Masvidal slams LGBTQIA+ activist and USWNT star Megan Rapinoe Jorge Masvidal recently lambasted American soccer player and outspoken LGBTQIA+ activist Megan Rapinoe for advocating trans-inclusion in sports. Rapinoe recently caused an uproar after missing a deciding penalty against Sweden in a Round of 16 elimination game at the women’s world cup in Australia, leading to Team USA’s unfortunate exit. The highly decorated soccer player also infamously refused to lend her voice for the national anthem before a game. While several players on the team joined her in refusing to sing, the retiring 38-year-old bore the brunt of all subsequent criticism. It’s no secret that Jorge Masvidal is a dedicated Republican and is a close associate of Donald Trump. Given his politically conservative inclination, it’s unsurprising that he had nothing nice to say about Megan Rapinoe. In the same interview with Charly Arnolt, he said: “I think you need help. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Maybe just to hear the other side of the coin, because America is the greatest experiment ever.” Addressing Rapinoe’s pro-transgender activism, he continued: “She’s probably somebody that either doesn’t understand how actual science works or doesn’t care for women to have records, it’s just not fair.”
How, when, and where to watch UFC 292; find out all the details below
The highly anticipated UFC 292 event is right around the corner. The pay-per-view is set to go down on August 19 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The event promises fireworks to MMA fans, with two title fights scheduled on the stacked fight card. In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will look to secure his fourth consecutive title defense against Sean O’Malley. The ‘Funk Master’ is on an incredible nine-fight unbeaten streak and last beat Henry Cejudo via split decision at UFC 288. Meanwhile, ‘Suga’ is coming off an extremely controversial split decision win against former champion Petr Yan. In the co-main event, women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang will go up against Amanda Lemos. This will be her first title defense after winning the belt against Carla Esparza at UFC 281. Both fighters are currently on a two-fight win streak. Fight fans can catch all the thrilling UFC 292 action on the UFC Fight Pass or ESPN+ streaming platforms. The pay-per-view will cost $79.99 for current subscribers and $124.98 for new subscribers in the USA and Canada. For Indian fans, the main card bouts will air on the Sony Ten 2 channel. Alternatively, they can be live-streamed on the Sony Liv app. The UFC 292 main card will begin at 10 PM ET on Saturday, August 19 for American viewers and 7:30 AM IST on Sunday, August 20 for Indian fans. UFC 292 main event: Israel Adesanya on Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley Israel Adesanya recently weighed in on the UFC 292 main event between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley. While he’s aware that Sterling is the betting favorite, he expects the fight to be a close contest. There is no love lost between Sterling and O’Malley and the two mercurial bantamweights have been firing brutal shots at each other on social media over the past few weeks. Their fight is touted to be a classic striker vs. grappler affair, with ‘Suga’ testing his striking skills against one of the most decorated bantamweight champions in UFC history. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Israel Adesanya discussed the two UFC 292 headliners. While he recognized Sterling’s wrestling mastery, Adesanya was full of praise for O’Malley’s underrated grappling ability. He said: “They can both strike and they can both grapple. I like Sean’s flow, his work, the way he fights, the way he moves… Same with Aljamain, the way he sticks to people… once he catches you, boom, you have a muscle-ninja turtle on your back.” Predicting Sean O’Malley to emerge victorious, he continued: “I’m gonna go Sean, official pick, I’m gonna go Sean with this one. Sometimes you just feel like it’s time, it’s destiny.” Watch the full video below:
BREAKING: Daniel Rodriguez tests positive for banned substance; out of Noche UFC
Daniel Rodriguez will no longer be competing at Noche UFC on September 16 in Las Vegas. ‘D-Rod’ was booked to face Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight barnburner. However, the 36-year-old tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance, in an out-of-competition USADA drug test. He has now been pulled from the card and will undergo further investigation. While Rodriguez has accepted the results, he maintains his innocence and claims to have never used any PEDs knowingly. He further speculated that the small amount of Ostarine came into his system via contaminated dietary supplements. Notably, USADA only suspends athletes for Ostarine if the levels are above 1 nanogram per milliliter. Moreover, the fighters must prove that the substance entered their system through a tainted supplement. Rodriguez will likely have a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to be able to compete in Las Vegas. Daniel Rodriguez issued a lengthy and heartfelt statement on social media. Outlining his side of the story, he wrote: “Following a communication from USADA today, I wanted to clarify the current situation to the media, my supporters, and everybody involved in the sport of mixed martial arts. Today I was notified that an out-of-competition sample that I provided to USADA was positive for an extremely low level of Ostarine. First and foremost, I want to clarify that I did not intentionally use Ostarine, nor have I ever knowingly used any prohibited substance in my career. I rarely take any form of supplements and have always strived to care for my body in natural ways.” He continued: “I strongly believe that a supplement contaminant is the reason for my low-level positive, and am actively working with my Manager, USADA, and The UFC on reviewing and testing the supplements I took prior to my test. While I am extremely disappointed in this development and am now unable to fight on September 16th, I am looking forward to finding a definitive explanation for my low-level positive test. I am ready to fully cooperate with the USADA.” As of now, the UFC hasn’t found a replacement for Santiago Ponzinibbio and his bout against Daniel Rodriguez stands canceled.
Ian Garry calls out Neil Magny on social media for “Apparently beating his son up” ahead of UFC 292
Ian Garry isn’t pleased with Neil Magny seemingly “beating his son up” ahead of UFC 292. The fast-rising middleweight contender recently sounded off on ‘The Haitian Sensation’ for promising to beat him like he beat his son for disciplinary purposes. While Garry was initially booked to face Geoff Neal this weekend, an injury forced Neal out of the bout. Magny soon stepped in to replace the injured fighter on short notice. Given that the Irishman had previously called out Magny, the matchup was an easy setup. In a recent media day interview, Neil Magny discussed his upcoming challenge. Confident about showing Ian Garry levels, the middleweight top-15 “gatekeeper” claimed he’s prepared to teach ‘The Future’ a lesson, just like he teaches his son when necessary. He said: “There’s a whoopin’ you give your son to teach him life a little bit. Being a father, I’ve become quite accustomed to that kind of whopping. That’s the kind of whopping I’m looking forward to giving on Saturday.” Shocked at Magny’s admission of handing out corporal punishment to his child, Ian Garry lambasted his next opponent and promised to beat him up for it. Sharing his stunned reaction, Garry uploaded a video captioned: “Beating your child is not cool to brag about at a press conference.” In the video, Ian Garry lifted his toddler up and said: “Oh my goodness, I would never whoop your ass… Do you want me to beat him up? I’ll beat him up because apparently, he beat his son up.” Ian Garry promises a “beautiful, spectacular” finish against Neil Magny at UFC 292 Ian Garry is raring to fight Neil Magny and prove he deserves to be a top-15 ranked middleweight contender. The Irishman recently claimed he’s planning to secure a finish against Magny and deliver the promised fireworks to the fans. Garry is undeniably among the most exciting middleweight contenders in the UFC currently. The undefeated Irishman is on an incredible 12-fight win streak and will be looking to extend his perfect record. While he was excited about proving himself against a higher-ranked opponent like Geoff Neal, Garry wants to entertain fans by going for a finish against Neil Magny. After recently declaring that he’s “carrying” the UFC 292 card, it’s unsurprising to see Ian Garry express his frustration about losing his original opponent. At the recent UFC 292 media day, he said: “Look, I’m upset with the change of opponent because I wanted to finish Geoff Neal the way I knew I was gonna finish him…Now I’ve got another guy, No. 11 in the world. I’m still gonna go out there and finish him and still do it in a beautiful, spectacular fashion. But I feel like the fans are being robbed of something that they were excited about.” Watch the full video below:
Conor McGregor issues warning to Michael Chandler seemingly confirming his return to the octagon against ‘Iron’
Conor McGregor is seemingly raring to make his long-awaited return to action. The Irishman recently issued an ominous warning to the former Bellator lightweight champion and promised to destroy Chandler in the cage. McGregor has been on the sidelines since July 2021, when he fractured his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. After surgery and extensive physical rehabilitation, ‘The Notorious’ is ready to compete again. Earlier this year, it was announced that McGregor would make his return after more than two years against Chandler. The two explosive strikers also went up against each other as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter season 31. While many questioned whether Conor McGregor could replicate his pre-injury form, the Irishman recently clarified that he’s fully recovered and chomping at the bits to fight again. In a recent tweet, McGregor claimed he has “steel” in his limbs and wrote: “I’ve industrial steel in my leg now, and I’ve long natural steel in the shoulders and elbows and knuckles of the fist. I’m over 3/4 steel. And steel crushes iron. Crushes the little bones in ‘Iron’s face. Out with the iron you little Bosu ball motivational speakin’ handbag.” Canelo Alvarez on a potential boxing match against Conor McGregor Canelo Alvarez recently weighed in on a potential fight against Conor McGregor and addressed callouts from the Irishman. The 168-pound undisputed boxing champion is undoubtedly among the greatest pugilists of our time and has one of the most incredible resumes in the sport. The Mexican star is currently slated to face undisputed light middleweight champion Jermell Charlo next month. Ahead of their fight, the two undisputed boxing champions held their first press conference. During the event, Alvarez was asked about fighting Conor McGregor in the future. Dismissing any possibility of that matchup taking place anytime soon, Canelo Alvarez said: “He’s crazy. Conor? Yeah, maybe after I retire.” Watch the video below: While Canelo Alvarez is a 63-fight veteran of the sport, Conor McGregor has competed in the boxing ring once. The Irishman’s sole outing came against Floyd Mayweather, a historic bout in its own right, where he lost via tenth-round TKO. While it’s highly unlikely that the two combat sports superstars go up against each other in the boxing ring anytime soon, stranger things have happened in the world of combat sports. Meanwhile, McGregor is expected to face Michael Chandler before the year ends.
UFC 292 pre-fight press conference: All the details
The highly anticipated UFC 292 pay-per-view event is right around the corner. The event will go down at the TD Garden in Boston this weekend and will feature two exciting title fights. The card will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Aljamain Sterling and the No.2-ranked Sean O’Malley. Meanwhile, women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang will face Amanda Lemos in the co-main event. Elsewhere on the card, Ian Garry will fight Neil Magny in a middleweight contest. Marlon Vera will also lock horns with Pedro Munhoz in a bantamweight fight. Da’Mon Blackshear will fight Mario Bautista, replacing an injured Cody Garbrandt. With the event coming up fast, the UFC 292 pre-fight press conference is set to take place on August 17 at 6 pm ET at the TD Garden in Boston. The presser will be free and open to the public. Competing fighters will answer questions from fans and journalists before facing off against their opponents on stage. Fans can catch the pre-fight press conference live on the official UFC website. Alternatively, the media event can be accessed for free on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. Catch the UFC 292 presser live below: Aljamain Sterling says Sean O’Malley needs a win at UFC 292 to “validate” himself in the bantamweight division Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on his upcoming fight against Sean O’Malley at the UFC 292 pay-per-view event. The ‘Funk Master’ sounded off on the Montana native for his weak resume while promising to show him levels when they face each other in the octagon. There is no love lost between the two mercurial bantamweights. Over the past few weeks, Sterling and O’Malley took their rivalry up a notch. After their heated face-off in the octagon after Sterling’s win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, they continued to exchange personal insults on social media. Given O’Malley’s renowned striking skills and Sterling’s world-class grappling, many are hyped to see the two finally settle their differences in the cage. Aljamain Sterling is looking for his fourth consecutive title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 this weekend. As one of the most decorated champions in divisional history, Sterling will be eager to secure a statement victory to cement his spot in the history books. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the ‘Funk Master’ claimed he wasn’t impressed with O’Malley’s resume. Promising a dominant victory, he said: “Obviously Sean wants this [win] really really bad to validate himself finally, as a worthy person in this UFC bantamweight division. Let’s be honest, the matchups he’s had, there’s only one guy he’s beaten, by split decision, that’s still in the UFC. And that’s Petr Yan… You can look at my resume, everyone is still here.” Watch the full interview below:
Mike Perry calls out former UFC champion Robbie Lawler for a bare-knuckle boxing match
Mike Perry wants to go up against Robbie Lawler in a bare-knuckle boxing match. After their initial matchup at UFC 255 in November 2020 was scrapped due to ‘Ruthless’ picking up an injury, Perry wants to fulfill his desire to fight the UFC great under the BKFC banner. Perry was notably hyped about the opportunity to fight Lawler at UFC 255. ‘Platinum’ had been calling out the former welterweight champion for several years before the promotion obliged. Unfortunately, Perry’s hopes were dashed after Lawler was forced out of the bout due to an injury. Almost three years later, Mike Perry has reignited his interest in Robbie Lawler. The undefeated BKFC contender recently took to Twitter to call out the retired UFC fighter for a bare-knuckle fight. He wrote: “Come to @bareknucklefc and fight me @Ruthless_RL.” While it’s highly unlikely that Robbie Lawler would accept Mike Perry’s callout, given his advanced age, stranger things have happened in combat sports. Lawler was notably inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame after his last fight against Nike Price at UFC 290. Mike Perry quit the UFC after losing to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23 in April 2021, his second consecutive loss. He signed with the BKFC a few months later and is undefeated in the bare-knuckle boxing promotion. Sean O’Malley on a potential Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry boxing match Sean O’Malley recently shared his two cents on Jake Paul’s next boxing opponent and named Mike Perry as an option. ‘The Problem Child’ recently bounced back from his maiden career defeat against Tommy Fury with a dominant win against Nate Diaz. Given his dominant performance against the former UFC star, many believe the YouTuber-turned-boxer will stick to fighting MMA fighters from here on out. While an MMA rematch against Nate Diaz is on the cards, Sean O’Malley believes Jake Paul should consider fighting Mike Perry or Jorge Masvidal next. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, O’Malley stated: “That was f***ing impressive from both of them. I just want to see Jake keep winning and fighting motherfu**ers… It depends [on which UFC fighters]. Jorge Masvidal?! Mike Perry?! Like dude, there are still fights [to make]. Watch the full video below: While Jake Paul has more experience in the boxing ring, Perry holds an MMA record of 14-8 and is undefeated as a bare-knuckle boxer. It remains to be seen if such a matchup materializes.
UFC champion gives his prediction for Aljamain Sterling v. Sean O’Malley at UFC 292
Alexander Volkanovski recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Sean O’Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling title fight. The UFC featherweight champion broke down the stylistic differences between the two contenders and shared his prediction for the fight. O’Malley is set to challenge Sterling for the undisputed bantamweight title at UFC 292 at the TD Garden in Boston this weekend. After a highly controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, ‘Suga’ will face the toughest test of his career against the reigning 135-pound champion. While Sean O’Malley is widely considered among the best strikers in the UFC today, many have questioned his ability to hold his own against an excellent grappler like Aljamain Sterling. In this classic striker vs. grappler matchup, Alexander Volkanovski is leaning toward the grappler. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The Great’ shared his predictions for the matchup. Predicting Sterling to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time, he said: “I’m leaning towards Aljamain because I just think that, that wrestling and that control is going to eventually get there. I’d have to lean toward him… I feel like it could definitely be a TKO for Sean O’Malley because his striking is that good, but I will lean toward Aljamain. I think he has got a safer way to victory… We know he’s gonna turn up. This is a massive fight for him.” Catch Volkanovski’s comments below (6:50): Aljamain Sterling confident of a victory against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 Aljamain Sterling isn’t afraid of Sean O’Malley and recently promised to show him levels when they fight at UFC 292. There is no love lost between Sterling and O’Malley. The two bantamweights have been at loggerheads for a while now and have exchanged some ruthless barbs on social media. Given their contrasting fighting styles, many are looking forward to seeing the two settle their differences in the octagon. While Sean O’Malley is one of the best strikers in the UFC and poses a major threat to any opponent who slacks, Aljamain Sterling isn’t worried. The ‘Funk Master’ recently predicted an early finish over ‘Suga’ and claimed he’d put O’Malley through the wringer this weekend. In a recent episode of UFC Embedded, Sterling stated: “I’m excited about this opportunity, my second main event in a row. They gonna start calling me Aljamain Event after this one… Sean’s a stud, but there’s levels, man. I’m going out there, I’m going to put it on this man from round one. I think it will be a second-round TKO. Henry Cejudo was the last victim. I took him from Triple C to Double C, and I can’t wait to make the UFC Sugar-free.” Watch the full video below:
Boxing promoter labels Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul fight “awful”
Eddie Hearn wasn’t impressed with the boxing skills displayed by Nate Diaz and Jake Paul earlier this month. The Matchroom Boxing chairman recently weighed in on the recent Diaz vs. Paul boxing match and expressed his disappointment at their lack of skills and technique. Diaz made his highly anticipated boxing debut against ‘The Problem Child’ on August 5 in Manchester, England. After ten rounds, Paul emerged victorious via unanimous decision. While there were flashes of promise from the Stockton slugger, he didn’t offer Paul much of a challenge and even got knocked down in the fifth round. While many expected this result, given Diaz’s lack of boxing experience, Eddie Hearn was expecting more from them both. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the veteran boxing promoter lambasted Nate Diaz and Jake Paul for their lacklustre performance and said: “It was awful. Don’t get me wrong, the event was unbelievable. You did a great job. Brilliant… The reason that Nate Diaz didn’t get stopped is that Jake didn’t have the ability. He doesn’t know how to break a fighter down, cut off the ring, beat him up, and stop him. But I give my props to Nate: super tough. Super tough. But you’re talking about low, low level in terms of standard.” Jake Paul convinced he can beat Nate Diaz in MMA with a year of training It looks like Jake Paul has unfinished business with Nate Diaz and wants to settle accounts in an MMA fight. The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently discussed a potential MMA rematch with the Stockton native and expressed his confidence about beating the former UFC star after a year of training. Paul and Diaz have been feuding for a long time. Prior to their boxing match, Jake Paul relentlessly called out Nate Diaz for a two-fight boxing and MMA deal. With their boxing fight done and dusted, it seems Paul is eager to secure an MMA-rules rematch with the Stockton slugger. During an appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Paul confidently claimed he could beat Nate Diaz after a year of training. He stated: “Not right now, but in a year maybe. Honestly, I will will it into existence and I will work so f****** hard that I can do it… He can’t hurt me with punches, if his punches aren’t strong how are his kicks going to be?… I have way higher wrestling experience than his. He’s not going to be able to take me down…. Seriously, with eight to nine months of training, I know I can beat Nate Diaz in MMA.” Watch the full video below:
Aljamain Sterling claims there’s “99.9 percent chance” he leaves bantamweight division after Sean O’Malley fight
Aljamain Sterling may be done with the bantamweight division. The ‘Funk Master’ recently claimed that his next fight would probably be his last in the 135 pounds division. Sterling is widely considered to be the most dominant bantamweight champion in UFC history. Boasting one of the most incredible resumes in divisional history, Sterling will become the first bantamweight champion to successfully defend his 135-pound title for the fourth time if he beats Sean O’Malley. The UFC bantamweight champion is set to defend his title against ‘Suga’ at UFC 292 this weekend. The exciting grappler vs. striker matchup will go down at the TD Garden in Boston. While it’s no secret that Aljamain Sterling has wanted to move up to featherweight for a long time now, it seems his fight could be his final outing at bantamweight. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Aljamain Sterling reiterated his wish to fight at featherweight. He said: “This is most likely my last fight at 135… There’s a 99% chance this is my last fight at 135… Well, that’s if I win for sure. I win this for sure, Ariel, I’m out of here… It’s Merab’s [Dvalishvili] time.” Sterling further stated he doesn’t want to cut as much weight anymore and said: “I’m a little bit over-cutting weight. This much weight.” Aljamain Sterling vows to make Sean O’Malley pay for “Dana White privilege” at UFC 292 Aljamain Sterling is looking to dominate Sean O’Malley through and through during their bout at UFC 292. Sterling and O’Malley have no love for each other and have exchanged verbal insults on social media for a long time. After Sterling’s last title defense against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, ‘Suga’ also barged into the octagon for a tense face-off against ‘Funk Master.’ Given their heated rivalry and contrasting fighting styles, many expect fireworks when they share the octagon. In a recent Q&A session, Aljamain Sterling weighed in on his upcoming title defense. Promising to teach O’Malley a lesson for abusing his relationship with UFC president Dana White, Sterling said: “I want to smash this guy’s face. I want to smash the ugly mole rat, the naked mole rat that he is. When I take this man down, that naked mole rat is getting smashed. Smashed. I want him to pay for everything that he said, all the trash talk, everything, all his Dana White privilege. I didn’t have none of that, and I can’t wait to take it out on him.” He continued: “My prediction, second-round TKO. But if he gives me his neck… I’m going to strangle his ass.” Watch the full video below: