In the fast paced world of mixed martial arts we at Fighters Only know it’s hard to stay on top of all the latest news, so here’s five stories that may have flown under your radar this week.
Diaz in Club Brawl
If you follow Nick Diaz on snapchat you’ll know that he spends most nights in a club, popping bottles with friends and generally seems to have a good time in life. Following his younger brother, Nate’s loss at UFC 202, Nick has been unwinding at the best pool parties and clubs Las Vegas has to offer. Tuesday night took a turn for the worst as the UFC fighter was jumped during an altercation in the men’s washroom. Speaking to TMZ he said: “I didn’t start it. They didn’t know who I was.” Nice guy Nick didn’t want to press charges insisting: “They got the worst of it.”
Bisping & Swanson open UFC Gym
The UFC this week announced current middleweight champion Michael Bisping and featherweight contender Cub Swanson would be opening an 18,000-square foot UFC gym in Costa Mesa, California. They join fighters BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar amongst others who have co-ownership status with the UFC. “We’re excited to partner with Michael and Cub, who are both amazing athletes that embody everything that UFC GYM stands for,” said UFC GYM President Adam Sedlack.
UFC 202 does big business
Following a blockbuster series of events including UFC 196 and UFC 200, 2016 seems to raking in the dollars for the WME-IMG owned promotion. Respected journalist Darren Rovell, the sports business reporter for ESPN, took to twitter and reported UFC 202 is the third biggest PPV in company history behind UFC 196 and UFC 100. The event drew a crowd of 15,539 in the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas which resulted in a gate of $7,692,010.
Condolences to the Sonnen Family
The sport of MMA may be filled with brash ego’s, tempered rivalries and heated debates from fans, fighters and media alike, however the community from time to time does show a sign of solidarity when one of our own goes through something, quite frankly, no parent should ever have to experience. This week Chael Sonnen and wife Brittany’s newly-born daughter Blauna passed away after arriving 10 weeks premature. All at Fighters Only offer our condolences and prayers to the Sonnen family during this incredibly difficult time.
Baby Slice’s debut on ice
Kevin Ferguson Jr, aka ‘Baby Slice’, was due to make his professional debut at Bellator 160 tonight in Anaheim, California until injury forced him to withdraw. He provided a statement via his Facebook page. “My role in the Team Body Shop Bellator takeover hit a bit of a snag over the weekend while training, and I’m sad to say that my Bellator debut will have to wait a little longer,” said Ferguson Jr. “I won’t need any surgery though, and that’s bad news for every single mother f**ker on the roster. All of the fan support in the lead up to this fight has been overwhelming and I can’t wait to add a new chapter to the Ferguson/Slice fighting rep. I’ll still be at the event holding it down for my teammates AJ McKee and Joey Davis. Best believe I’ll be knocking heads out sooner than later.”
