MMA
Arman Tsarukyan says Charles Oliveira using teammate's death as 'excuse' not to fight
Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLCUFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan doesn't have a lot of sympathy for Charles Oliveira after their scratched UFC 331 rematch.
Top UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira were rumored to run it back at UFC 331 next month. Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira in a closely contested bout at UFC 300 earlier in their careers.
Despite recent rumors, the UFC matchmakers booked Tsarukyan for the UFC 331 co-main event against surging contender Mauricio Ruffy. Oliveira's teammate Allan Nascimento's tragic death was proposed as the likely reason for Oliveira's sudden withdrawal from the rumored UFC 331 matchup.
But just days after the new UFC 331 fight announcement, Oliveira has posted training footage on his social media accounts, as fans await news on the BMF champ's return. According to Tsarukyan, the validity of Oliveira's apparent pullout from UFC 331 should be questioned.
Arman Tsarukyan: Charles Oliveira used teammate's death to ‘duck' rematch
In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan was asked about Oliveira pulling out of their rumored rematch at UFC 331.
“Charles' friend died, and he cannot train; but I don't understand, in 3-4 days he's doing training and back in camp,†Tsarukyan said of Oliveira.
“Probably they already set up a fight with Diego Lopes. He was just finding an excuse. To lose somebody is so hard, but you could beat me and dedicate the victory to your friend. Fight me or Diego Lopes? For sure, he would pick Diego Lopes.†(h/t MMA Mania)
A matchup between Oliveira and former UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes has been proposed as a potential future bout. Lopes recently announced his full-time move to the lightweight division after back-to-back losses to featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
Oliveira last fought against Max Holloway at UFC 326, winning by unanimous decision to earn the BMF title. The former UFC lightweight champion is looking to make another title push after a recent vacant title loss to Ilia Topuria.
What is your prediction for Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Credit: Sarpy County, NebraskaFormer UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith faces years in prison stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.
Anthony Smith is headed to trial after pleading ‘not guilty' to four felony charges stemming from an incident with his wife earlier this summer.
Smith, 38, retired from mixed martial arts following a loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City last year. After hanging up the gloves, Smith has transitioned into full-time broadcasting as a key fixture of Paramount's UFC coverage.
Smith and his wife were involved in an altercation at a bar on July 26th in Gretna, Nebraska, in which the former UFC star allegedly ‘threatened to kill her' if she didn't leave with him. According to Sarpy County police, Smith then allegedly physically forced her inside the vehicle before she escaped during the drive.
Smith allegedly attempted to run over his wife near their house before police eventually arrived at the scene. He was booked into Sarpy County jail and released on a $500k bond.
Smith appeared in a Sarpy County courtroom on Monday and pled ‘not guilty' to charges of terroristic threats, false imprisonment, and domestic violence.
Anthony Smith set for trial, faces up to 50 years in prison after alleged domestic incident
Now, Smith and his legal team will return to court on September 21st for an arraignment hearing. If found guilty of the above charges, Smith potentially faces up to 20 years in prison.
As of this writing, Smith hasn't commented publicly on his arrest and his current legal troubles. UFC CEO Dana White recently commented on Smith's arrest, stating he ‘didn't expect' to learn of Smith's current predicament.
Smith returned to Mixed Martial Arts earlier this year at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 9, defeating former UFC heavyweight Chase Sherman by first-round submission. He defeated the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, and Shogun Rua during his UFC tenure.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Credit: Ed Mulholland/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Islam Makhachev appeared to get under Max Holloway's skin after he hoisted two belts following his UFC 330 victory.
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev put on another pound-for-pound performance inside the Octagon last weekend at UFC 330. Despite taking some heavy shots from Ian Machado Garry early on, Makhachev coasted to a unanimous decision win to retain his title.
With the win, Makhachev broke Anderson Silva's UFC record for most consecutive wins, a record that might not be broken anytime soon. After his latest victory, Makhachev celebrated in the Octagon with two belts, hinting at his previous status as the UFC's lightweight champion.
One of the top lightweight contenders, former BMF titleholder Max Holloway, wasn't happy with Makhachev's flaunting inside the Octagon.
Islam Makhachev roasts Max Holloway after questioning two-belt celebration at UFC 330
In a recent live stream, Holloway questioned why Makhachev would celebrate with two belts following his UFC 330 victory.
“Why the f— does he have two belts? Aura?†Holloway said of Makhachev.
“It is what it is, bro. I mean, you are, but you're not! Temporary, but you just defended one belt.â€
It didn't take long for Makhachev to respond on his Instagram, and he took a rare shot at the former BMF titleholder.
“I don't know bro. It's not even too heavy to hold. But you don't understand, sorry,†Makhachev responded to Holloway.
As of this writing, Holloway hasn't responded to Makhachev's quip.
Holloway rose the rankings after a win over Conor McGregor just seconds into their fight at UFC 329 last month. The former UFC featherweight champion is expected to return to the Octagon next year, potentially for a trilogy against McGregor once his leg is fully healed.
While Makhachev arguably deserves a claim to two titles as one of the UFC's few two-division champs, Holloway isn't buying his case. Makhachev vacated the lightweight title last year after a win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311.
Who should Islam Makhachev fight next after UFC 330? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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