USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Feb. 16: Kamaru Usman keeps climbing

The rankings take into account a fighter’s wins/losses, quality of competition, finishing rate/dominance and frequency of fights.

Fighters are no longer eligible to be ranked after they’ve been inactive for 24 months, either due to injuries, drug/conduct suspensions, contract disputes or self-imposed hiatuses.

Fighters serving drug/conduct suspensions are eligible to be ranked, so long as they’re not inactive for more than 24 months.

To the best of our ability, fighters will be ranked in their primary weight class. Catchweight fights and bouts outside the fighter’s primary weight class can have a positive or negative impact on the ranking. However, non-titleholders can be ranked in only one weight class at a given time, and in most cases, they won’t be ranked in a new weight class until they’ve had their first fight at that weight.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/usa-today-sports-mma-junkie-rankings-feb-16-kamaru-usman-keeps-climbing

 

UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve announces retirement

UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve on Monday announced his retirement. It’s the second time he’s done so, but this time he insists it is for good.

“I was contacted by the UFC last week for a fight. However, I’ve decided it’s time to retire from fighting.”

At one time streaking toward a heavyweight title shot, Struve has been struggling with health issues for the majority of his UFC tenure.

In 2013, doctors discovered that Struve was suffering from a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart. He was able to manage the condition and return to fighting, but has struggled to find continued success in the Octagon.

Struve briefly retired in early 2019, following a Performance of the Night victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima. He later admitted that he wasn’t ready to retire and fought twice more, losing to Ben Rothwell and Tai Tuivasa.

Health issues continue to plague Stefan Struve

Now, dealing with an inner ear issue, Struve has taken his time to think things through, ultimately deciding to call it quits.

“I was able to take my space and time the last couple of months to overthink this, so this time it really is for good,” he wrote on Instagram.

“At this juncture, I realize that it’s time to hang up the gloves for good, and my put my health and family first.”


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Stefan Struve’s retirement statement

“I was able to take my space and time the last couple of months to overthink this, so this time it really is for good. I’ve had an inner ear issue I’ve been battling since May last year. I caught a viral infection that has damaged my vestibular system and the hearing nerve in my right ear. After new tests done recently, we learned that the vestibular system is not working properly, the first conclusion in May was that it was most likely BPPV [benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]. 

“Because of this I have also been dealing with vertigo issues, and also loss of hearing and tinnitus, a ringing noise in my ear. After I caught it in May things got a lot better, after a couple rough weeks at first. I was doing good although still experiencing some vertigo and other minor issues but my idea was, especially with the doctors telling me the issues would go away after a while, to just keep going and ignore it until it really was gone completely. Unfortunately during [my most recent] fight some of the issues came back after getting hit flush on the right ear, it was a punch that should not be an issue normally. 

“After that fight I was having more issues again and the doctors scheduled new tests. Those, unfortunately for me, took a long time to happen because of the lockdown over here in the Netherlands. After these tests, I was told the damage in the ear and the vestibular issues caused by the viral infection I’d been dealing with are most likely permanent. I have no big issues when I’m just doing my everyday things and/or training on a normal level to be healthy and in shape. 

“The extreme intensity I have put my body through in training camp to get ready for fights I can’t do anymore. At this juncture, I realize that it’s time to hang up the gloves for good, and my put my health and family first. I’ve had a long career and battled through multiple injuries, including a broken jaw and my heart condition. Pushing forward and training hard without listening to my body would be asking for real trouble in my opinion.”


UFC 258: Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns Highlights Recap

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-heavyweight-stefan-struve-announces-retirement

 

Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis UFC Vegas 19 War Room Preview


The top end of the UFC’s heavyweight division is getting crowded. Current champion Stipe Miocic is set to face Francis Ngannou in the coming months, Jon Jones is already jumping to queue to fight the winner, and this weekend’s fight card features No. 2 ranked Curtis Blaydes vs. No. 4 ranked Derrick Lewis.

That’s not to mention No. 5 ranked Alexander Volkov’s recent win over Alistair Overeem, and No. 3 ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik expected to face No. 7 ranked Cyril Gane later this month.

With Blaydes vs. Lewis headlining this weekend’s UFC Vegas 19, Dan Hardy stepped into the War Room to break down the fight and discuss the heavyweight division.

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/curtis-blaydes-vs-derrick-lewis-war-room-preview

 

Kamaru Usman opens as sizeable favorite over Jorge Masvidal for potential UFC rematch

For the second time, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has opened as a sizeable favorite over rival Jorge Masvidal.

According to BetOnline, Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) opened as a -300 favorite Tuesday, while Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 14-8 UFC) opened at +250 for a potential future rematch.

In layman’s terms, a bettor would have to place a $300 wager on Usman to see $100 profit should he win. Meanwhile, a $100 wager on Masvidal will return a $250 profit should the upset play out.

Usman’s 3-to-1 status makes him a slightly larger favorite than he closed at when the two fought at UFC 251 in July 2020. For that fight, Usman closed as a near three-to-one favorite at -262. Meanwhile, Masvidal closed at +214.

In that outing, Usman defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision. Masvidal took the fight on six days’ notice after fellow welterweight contender Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and was removed from the card.

Usman has since defended his title successfully in a third-round TKO win over Burns this past Saturday at UFC 258. Masvidal has not competed since the loss.

The circumstances of the first fight and the popularity of the fighters involved have garnered interest in a rematch. Following Usman’s win over Burns, Usman, Masvidal, and UFC president Dana White all expressed interest in booking it.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-news-odds-kamaru-usman-vs-jorge-masvidal-rematch

 

Video: Would Anthony Johnson winning grand prix be Bellator’s best-case scenario?

When Bellator returns to action in April, it’s suffice to say the promotion is giving fans what it wants: a light heavyweight grand prix stacked with big names.

The 205-pound tournament will kick off April 9 at Bellator 256 with two quarterfinal matchups: Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida, and Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. The other side of the bracket will play out the following week at Bellator 257, with champion Vadim Nemkov defending his title in a rematch with Phil Davis, and the matchup everyone can hardly wait to see – Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero.

When assessing the tournament, who do you think emerges as the winner? And what would be the best outcome for Bellator? The “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura weighed in during this week’s episode – and guess what? “Rumble” was a popular choice coming off a four-year layoff.

Check out their discussion in the video above. The full episode can be seen below.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/bellator-light-heavyweight-grand-prix-anthony-johnson-winning-best-scenario

 

 

 

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