Din Thomas owned his mistake after UFC 330.
MMA
Coach apologizes to Gillian Robertson for ‘despicable’ decision at UFC 330
Published
3 weeks agoon
On Saturday night, Thomas served double duty at the UFC event, working both as an on-air analyst and cornering Gillian Robertson in her strawweight title bid against Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event. Unfortunately, the latter didn't go so well, as Robertson lost a lackluster decision to Dern. But things got worse afterward, when Thomas announced during the UFC 330 post-show that he was retiring from cornering fighters, in a manner many felt was disrespectful to Robertson.
On Monday, Thomas, who hosts the UFC's Deep Waters show on YouTube, addressed the controversy at the start of their show, apologizing to Robertson for his behavior.
“We know how this is: it's an emotional rollercoaster,†Thomas said. “You're dealing with the same insecurities, the same highs and lows. Everything leading up to it, you have to deal with all that stuff. It's an emotional rollercoaster. And I've been very vocal about this, that it's not my favorite thing to do. I've tried to quit time and time before. When Tyron Woodley got knocked out by Jake Paul, I was like, ‘Yo, it's my last time doing this. It's my last time doing this; I'm not doing this no more.'
“But I took on Gillian, and I have to say, Saturday night was the most inappropriate time to bring up the fact that I did not want to corner again. It was completely irresponsible. It was despicable. I shouldn't have done it. I should have waited until maybe even today. I should have waited to a different time than take away her moment.â€
A respected former fighter and coach, Thomas has worked with Robertson since the beginning of her career, and especially because of that, he says that Robertson deserved better.
“This is a young lady that I've worked with for her entire career,†Thomas said. “The last seven years, it's just been me and her, working endlessly, just together — travelling, working together. They don't understand that we've been working endlessly, time and time again, together.
“I remember her coming to me crying, ‘I would like to win two in a row, three in a row.' And she went on this amazing run; she's broken records, and I, selfishly, stole her moment that night. Instead of congratulating her on her run, I stole her moment. And I want to apologize to her for that, because I stole her moment. I was completely wrong. I'm ashamed; I'm embarrassed. But I'm not too big to say I'm sorry.
“And for her, Gillian, I love you. I got your back. I've always had your back. This is not the end. I've always had your back, and I want you to know I'm always here for you. I'm always going to support you, and whatever you need, I'm always here for you. The same way I've been for you for the last seven years when it was just us. …
“It's been eating at me all weekend. I wish I could have did it sooner, but I couldn't. I didn't have the chance to. So, Gillian, I'm sorry. I hope you accept my apology. If it takes however long, that's how long it takes. But I'm sorry for stealing your moment, and I'm proud of you. Not only for what you've done in terms of your run, winning five in a row, getting a title shot, but even that night, coming back and winning the last round. Being able to do that in a title fight. So, I'm sorry. I hope you accept my apology. From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry.â€
And while he makes no excuses for his actions, Thomas suggested that this whole incident happened because he was still hurting from Robertson's loss, and then had to go on air.
“In my head, I'm thinking, ‘I'm just trying to get the hell out of here. I don't want to do this no more. I'm sick of this!'†Thomas said. “… I'm heartbroken, but I've got to get on the desk and be objective, as well. And at the same time, I'm thinking to myself, ‘Man, I don't even like cornering. I just want to go home. I'm trying to get out of here. This is a wrap.' So, it's a tough spot. But again, I'm still wrong. I shouldn't have done that.â€
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MMA
Tyson Fury calls for trilogy bout with Oleksandr Usyk after Anthony Joshua 'sh*t his pants'
Published
14 hours agoon
September 6, 2026
Mark Robinson/NetflixTyson Fury is now turning his attention back to Oleksandr Usyk after talks to fight Anthony Joshua have fizzled out yet again.
Recently, Fury slammed Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, for creating issues in making the bout come to fruition. Hearn is now threatening legal action against Zuffa Boxing's lead man Dana White and TKO after claiming both parties tried luring Joshua to fight Fury behind his back.
Fury uploaded a new video on social media, and it appears he is done with entertaining the Joshua bout yet again. This time, “The Gypsy King†wants a third chance against Usyk,
🚨 Tyson Fury says the Anthony Joshua fight is OFF, and calls out Oleksandr Usyk to a trilogy 😬
“AJ has shat his pants yet again. This only leads me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk… let’s do it again, let’s run it back in November.
The ball is now in your court Oleksandr. Let… pic.twitter.com/W3nyzMYsv6
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 6, 2026
“So, it looks like AJ has [expletive] his pants yet again,†Fury said. “After 11 years, he's finally [expletive] his pants yet again. So, this would only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr, you, his trainer, and his sensei, and you know he's a weak-minded piece of [expletive], and he would never fight ‘The Gypsy King,' which you've had the guts to do twice, and you know how difficult it is in there.
“Listen, you got the decisions last time. Fair play to you. Good luck to you, but let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court, Oleksandr. Do you want to fight me this year in 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I'm now looking for a new opponent.â€
Many question how much interest there would be in Usyk vs. Fury 3. Usyk has defeated Fury twice, and while both fights were competitive, there wasn't much controversy with the results. Usyk also vacated his heavyweight titles, but he isn't committing to retirement just yet.
What do you make of the latest holdup preventing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua from fighting each other? Sound off in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria rematch under 'strong consideration,' UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik believes
Published
14 hours agoon
September 6, 2026
Zuffa LLCIf Ilia Topuria gets an immediate rematch against Justin Gaethje, it would not surprise UFC commentator Jon Anik.
Topuria was battered in the first loss of his pro MMA career back in June. “El Matador†suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje via corner stoppage to conclude the UFC Freedom 250 broadcast. In the process, Topuria lost the UFC Lightweight Championship.
While Gaethje has said he doesn't think Topuria should get a rematch right away, does the UFC brass feel differently? In a video uploaded on the “Anik Bros†YouTube channel, Anik said he thinks there are real talks about a potential rematch between Gaethje and Topuria (via MMAFighting).
“I think there are internal conversations to potentially try to do Gaethje vs. Topuria 2,†Anik said. “A lot of people wonder aloud, ‘What is next for Ilia Topuria?' And there's certainly an obvious foundation for a fight between him and Paddy Pimblett. But if you have Ilia Topuria, as a fight promoter, would you not want to think about putting him back in a championship setting, given how big UFC Freedom 250 was?
“I think there's strong consideration there.â€
Gaethje has appeared to be more interested in getting a chance to avenge losses against Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. At the moment, Oliveira doesn't have a fight booked, and Holloway is coming off the quick TKO win over Conor McGregor due to an injury.
“The Highlight†recently told SI that both of his hands are still injured and he won't be fighting again until 2027. That could leave the door open for Arman Tsarukyan to get a title fight if he's able to get past Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on Sept. 19. If Tsarukyan falls short, it would be one less hurdle for Topuria to get a rematch.
Do you think UFC will book an immediate rematch between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria, or do you see the promotion going in a different direction? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Ex-UFC fan favorite Tony Ferguson booked for Misfits Boxing title defense in Miami on Sept. 26
Published
15 hours agoon
September 6, 2026
Misfits Boxing/DAZNTony Ferguson has his next bout set, and it'll be a title defense under the Misfits Boxing banner.
The promotion announced that “El Cucuy†is scheduled to face Kenzo Biyong inside the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Sept. 26. Ferguson's MF middleweight gold will be at stake. He captured the interim title when he defeated Salt Papi via third-round TKO back in 2025. Ferguson was promoted to main champion status when he later defeated Warren Spencer, and this will be his first attempt at a successful defense.
Ferguson has enjoyed success under the Misfits banner. His record with the promotion stands at 2-0. Ferguson's transition to the world of influencer boxing has been far more smooth than the latter part of his UFC run. “El Cucuy†made his UFC exit having lost eight fights in a row.
While some were calling for Ferguson to retire, the 42-year-old veteran has stuck around and now has a chance to win his third fight in a row. His upcoming opponent, Biyong, is a former pro soccer player looking to make his mark in the fight game. Doing so against someone as experienced as Ferguson is a tall task.
Ferguson recently told Bloody Elbow that during his UFC skid, both his legs were injured and even getting out of bed was painful. It also didn't help that Ferguson was going through mental stress.
“This was during the pandemic, around [the Gaethje fight]. I just did not prepare the same. When I prepared for Khabib we were not conditioning our shins and s—. I was preparing for sambo, I was going to throw this dude right on his f—ing back and embarrass him in his own sport.
“So they switch opponents up and my body took a f—ing healing. I wanted to go out there and demonstrate to people how f—ing tough we were as f—ing human beings. There was a lot that went on and a lot of mental weight that I thought I could handle.â€
Will you be watching Tony Ferguson's next Misfits Boxing match live, or will you see the highlights? Share your plans in the comments below?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Jack Dempsey Avoids Verdict in Miske Bout: A High-Stakes Escape
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Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria rematch under 'strong consideration,' UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik believes
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Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria rematch under 'strong consideration,' UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik believes
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