T-shirt for $ 100 thousand
At the end of the main match of the UFC 242 tournament, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Porie exchanged T-shirts. This gesture was perceived as a sign of deep respect between the athletes, but, as the Russian later explained, it also had a different meaning. The current lightweight champion admitted that he intends to sell it, and transfer all the proceeds to the charity fund of his opponent, The Good Fight Foundation.
On September 12, Nurmagomedov officially announced the sale of Porie t-shirts, and on September 16, the American announced the receipt of $ 100 thousand in his fund. According to him, the funds came from the Russian champion.
“This is great because it can help a lot of people. I appreciate it and am very grateful, ”Porie MMAJunkie quotes.
It is noteworthy that at the end of the tournament in Abu Dhabi, UFC president Dana White promised that he would transfer the same amount to Porie’s fund as Nurmagomedov. As Dustin said, the functionary kept his word.
“Just talked on the phone with Dana White. He duplicated Habib's contribution to the foundation. I am so grateful for the love and support. Thanks to all of you, ”Porrier wrote on Twitter.
Subsequently, this information was confirmed by Nurmagomedov himself.
“As you already know, I sold Porje’s T-shirt for $ 100 thousand, but the buyer didn’t want to publicize his name. It is very pleasing that this money will go to needy people, ”the Russian admitted.
Ferguson trolling and Gatgee's plan
On Sunday at the UFC Fight Night tournament in Vancouver, Justin Gatgy knocked out his friend Donald Cerrone and took the place in the queue for the title fight. Of course, he is unlikely to be able to get around Tony Ferguson and become challenger No. 1, but he has the right to expect a fight with the champion in 2020.
At the same time, the American is already beginning to think about a future battle. So, the athlete suggested what tactics he would choose to fight with Nurmagomedov.
“He may look stronger on paper, but my punches and kicks are excellent and I am in great shape. To stop the transition to the stalls you need to meet force by force, and not run away, ”said Gathey.
Subsequently, he added that he would pay special attention to protection from takedowns, and told how he would try to avoid transfers to the ground.
“I'm not going to snuggle up to the net. If he wants to go to the stalls, this will happen in the center of the octagon, and he will get a foot more than once before he has such an opportunity, ”the athlete concluded.
Interestingly, the legendary Canadian fighter Georges Saint-Pierre shared his opinion on how to defeat the current lightweight champion.
“I would move a lot around the octagon, not be afraid to hold takedowns and try to invent something,” Saint-Pierre told The Schmo in an interview.
Meanwhile, Ferguson continues to chuckle at a Russian on social networks. So, he published another animated video in which he mocked both Nurmagomedov and McGregor.
Khabib was once again accused of “his love of tiramisu”, and UFC President Dana White - of worshiping Nurmagomedov. McGregor got it for his shootings in an advertisement for Burger King.
Fight of Magomedsharipov in Moscow
Currently Zabit Magomedsharipov is one of the brightest representatives of Russian MMA. The athlete won all five of his fights in the UFC and next year can compete for the title. True, for this he needs to deal with the strong Calvin Kattar, the battle with which was originally scheduled for October 18.
However, due to health problems, Magomedsharipov’s fight was canceled. Earlier in his career, the Russian had never withdrawn from the battle, because of which there were suggestions that the injury was serious. But as the athlete himself later stated, he will be able to speak in November.
“As you already know, unfortunately, returning to the cage is a little delayed. Serious inflammation from the introduced infection led to the fact that for several days I literally could not walk. It was because of this that it was decided to undergo treatment and postpone the battle. So see you in Moscow, ”the athlete wrote on his Instagram page.
Thus, Magomedsharipov hinted that he would replenish the card of the second UFC tournament in the history of Moscow, scheduled for November 9. At the same time, the opponent remained the same - the promotion did not look for a replacement for Zabita for the tournament in Boston, but simply moved the battle to the capital of Russia.
“The match between Magomedsharipov and Kattar will be held in Moscow,” TASS was confirmed in the team of the Russian athlete.
It is worth recalling that for Magomedsharipov this fight is of great importance in terms of career. At the moment, he takes fifth place in the featherweight rating and is in a maximum of two victories from the battle for the title. Or maybe one, but the one scored extremely spectacularly. The UFC has always valued bright fighters and can meet the Russians.
McGregor Announcement
Another hero of the last day was the ex-UFC champion in two weight categories. Over the past few weeks, Conor McGregor has hardly appeared in the media, only occasionally confining himself to advertising his whiskey. However, the day before he posted on Twitter a short message: “Dublin. December 14th. "
Fans instantly began to speculate and discuss what this Irish message could mean. Of course, most immediately expressed the opinion that in this way McGregor points to the date and place of his next fight, but this theory had its own weak spot. Indeed, on December 14th, the Absolute Fighting Championship is scheduled for the Pay-Per-View tournament - UFC 245. However, the catch is that it is planned to be held not in Dublin, but in Las Vegas.
It is noteworthy that even some fighters believed in this theory. So, the ex-champion of Bellator and One FC Ben Askren was surprised that McGregor indicated this date.
“I thought that you would fly to Moscow,” the athlete wrote on his Twitter page.
At the moment, there is no accurate information regarding the meaning of McGregor's words, however, netizens have put forward other suggestions. So, some expressed the opinion that on this day the Irishman announces the sale of another alcoholic drink of his own production, while others suggested that on this date there will be a hearing on the case of Conor’s attack on an elderly man in a bar.
If McGregor really decided to return to the octagon, then the list of his possible rivals looks quite extensive. So, by this time, both Justin Gatgy and Donald Cerrone, who had a face-to-face match on September 15 at UFC Fight Night 158. Last week, the American expressed interest in a rematch with the Irishman, but he did not respond with a refusal.
Dublin, December 14th.
- Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 16, 2019Mayweather Partner Signs UFC Contract
On Tuesday, it became known that the representation of fighters from the former Soviet republics in the UFC again increased. One of the teammates of the undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Uzbek Mahmud Muradov posted on Instagram a photo in which he signs under an agreement with the Absolute Fighting Championship.
“Today I signed a contract with the strongest organization in the world. I want to thank my team and brothers for the work done. Together we make history. I am the first Uzbek in the UFC. Thank you all very much for your support and faith in me. Together we are going for another victory, ”the fighter commented on the shot.
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Posted by Makhmud “Mach” Muradov (@makhmud_muradov) Sep 16, 2019 at 3:15 am PDT