GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE, “Think about this: This guy had it and cut weight, trained, prepared for this thing and never knew he had it,” White said. Bryce Mitchell: Mitchell absolutely hustled a respected BJJ black belt on the floor, nearly tapping him multiple times with a Twister, proving the one he landed in his last bout was not just a fluke. But despite appearing to be the better technical striker, De Castro channeled his inner Yoel Romero and just refused to do anything for long stretch of the fight, allowing Hardy to win a tepid and lackluster decision. —Charles Rosa (@CharlesRosaMMA) May 6, 2020 Renowned MMA reporter for MMA Junkie, John Morgan , said he was "really nervous" but was told by the practitioner nurse that it "only hurts for a minute" and would feel like it was going to "tickle" his brain. Calvin Kattar vs. Yair Rodriguez: It would be a tremendous fight and the winner would be right in the thick of the title conversation. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje: Gaethje is probably the toughest stylistic matchup for Khabib and after his performance on Saturday, may just be the best lightweight in the world. And frankly, it’s a perfect time for Cejudo to hang up the gloves. Other leagues, including the NBA, NHL and MLB, are expected to resume play at some point in the coming weeks without fans in attendance, sacrificing a key source of revenue in order to protect public health and restore some level of operation during the pandemic. Justin Gaethje: $350,000 . Though all signs seem to point to this being a genuine retirement for Cejudo, there still exists the very real possibility that this is all a negotiation tactic to angle for more money. UFC Vegas 15 has a new main event with Anthony Smith and Devin Clark officially making weight on Friday while one fighter missed the mark badly ahead of Saturday’s card. Mitchell is for real and a real problem in the division. UFC 249 has faced close scrutiny as the biggest sporting event to be held amid the coronavirus pandemic. The key factor that affected the fights though was something many fighters pointed out afterwards: in an empty arena, they could hear Daniel Cormier’s commentary and several fighters used the advice he was telling fellow commentators Joe Rogan and Jon Anik to adjust their game plans. Jairzinho Rozenstruik: He talked a big game, and 20 seconds later, “Bigi Boi” may not be talking for a few weeks. Basically, give that man a legend fight. Penn has lost seven in a row, not including the guy who knocked him out in a bar; and Chuck Liddell came out of retirement at 49 to get knocked out by Tito Ortiz of all people. After the bout, the man known as “Triple C” then surprised everyone by retiring from MMA during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. I have a girl now who is watching back home. DANA WHITE: CORONAVIRUS TESTING WILL DECIDE WHEN FANS CAN ATTEND SPORTING EVENTS. Fabricio Werdum: Werdum returned after a mandatory two-year layoff due to a failed USADA test and looked to be a shell of his former self. “Tony took a lot of damage tonight. It may take awhile. It will be interesting to see if the UFC does anything to curb that going forward. Then again, that’s the champion’s prerogative and there have been few champions in sports history more accomplished than Henry Cejudo. Dominick Cruz: $300,000. Dominick Cruz vs. Jose Also: Frankie Edgar would also be an excellent opponent for Cruz. Market data provided by Factset. All rights reserved. Calvin Kattar: Jeremy Stephens is a good fighter who has settled nicely into a role as gatekeeper to the stars, and Kattar walked through that gate with aplomb, flooring the durable veteran with a monstrous elbow. The Esparza-Waterson decision was especially egregious, as it featured the rare dueling 30-27 scorecards, and there’s just no real way to give Esparza all three rounds, unless you’re Howard Reichbach, apparently. Several people backstage and close to Cejudo noted that the champion has spoken about retirement recently and as Dana White often says, “when you start talking about retirement, it’s time to retire.” And of course, Cejudo has done this once before. Tony Ferguson vs. Conor McGregor: I was tempted to put Tony vs. Max Holloway in a battle of angel wings, but Ferguson is 36 and just took what could be a career-altering beating. Market data provided by Factset. Honestly, he probably deserves a title shot even more than Cormier deserves a trilogy fight. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM, Until 'different level' of coronavirus testing is available, fans can't return: UFC president, How to construct a profitable portfolio for retirement, Nobel Prize winner gives tips to avoid common financial mistakes, Barnes & Noble CEO: Most parts of our business have ‘prospered’ despite coronavirus, 5 times to contact your car insurance agency, Here’s why drivers should get comprehensive car insurance, How to choose a high-yield savings account, Today's mortgage rates — one rate on an upswing | November 24, 2020, Today's mortgage refinance rates don't budge for fourth consecutive day | November 24, 2020. But in the co-main, Cruz was just starting to get his rhythm when the knee put him down. UFC 249 was the first of three events planned over an eight-day period, with additional fight cards scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday. Try as he might, Cejudo could not speak his star power into existence, and thus, is limited in how far he can push the UFC in demanding more money. “The guy smelled like alcohol and cigarettes so who knows what he was doing.” - Dominick Cruz on referee Keith Peterson’s stoppage. Eventually I want to start a family. Francis Ngannou: Ngannou has knocked out his last four opponents — all top heavyweight contenders — in a combined two minutes and 42 seconds. Ferguson walked through a number of shots that would’ve felled a lesser man. White said the identification of Souza’s case ahead of the actual event was proof that UFC’s safety system worked. Tony Ferguson: $500,000 . That was some Robbie Lawler-style brutalization from Gaethje, and at 36, Ferguson may never be the same. “I’m happy with my career. UFC 249 Quotes “I’ll wait for the real one.” - Justin Gaethje after tossing the interim title aside before his post-fight interview. Not only did he take a lot of damage, he took damage from a guy who f*cking hits like a truck, a guy who hits very hard, and usually knocks people unconscious when he hits people. “Tony took a lot of damage tonight. Khabib Nurmagomedov Champion UFC Fight Night Walkout Jersey, Khabib Nurmagomedov Red Eagle Hoodie With Foil, Sean “Sugar” O’Malley Multi-Graphic T-Shirt, Black UFC Fan Gear Pride Fighting T-shirt, Morning Report: Chael Sonnen thinks Anderson Silva’s career is over: ‘I don’t think we’ll see him fight again’. Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling: This is a first, two fighters who weren’t on the card being featured here. We lost a $5.5 million gate this weekend,” White said during an appearance on FOX Business Network. There are very few good retirements in MMA — it’s basically just Georges St-Pierre — so good for him. UFC Vegas 15 just took a massive hit as the main event fight between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis has been cancelled and pulled from the card just 24 hours away from the event. Charles McCarthy, an MMA coach who trains a UFC 249 early preliminary competitor called Charles Rosa, was filmed reeling back after his swab. Francis Ngannou vs. the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier III: There is nothing else this man can do. One fighter, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, was pulled from the event after he tested positive for COVID-19. But Ferguson also took what could be a career-altering beating. Two knockout artists going up against one another. We legitimately don’t even know how good he might be because he’s just bazooka-ing everyone down instantly. The ongoing rivalry between the Paul brothers and Ben Askren is seemingly continuing on. FAQ - Updated Privacy Policy. Henry Cejudo: $350,000. That dichotomy created an untenable situation. Tony Ferguson: It’s tempting to put Ferguson in the stock up column for taking a short-notice fight against a tough stylistic matchup and showing truly incredibly heart and durability. I’ve done enough in the sport,” Cejudo said. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. weigh-in video. Legal Statement. Chris Lytle, maybe? What he’s doing is unprecedented. Though Cejudo’s announcement caught most by surprise, in the aftermath it appears to not have been a spur of the moment decision. Plus a win gets a fight with Khabib right back on track. Georges St-Pierre, just announced to be joining the UFC Hall of Fame, got out of the sport at the right time – twice, in fact. At the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. weigh-ins, the two boxing legends will step on the scale Friday evening in Los Angeles. Here are the payouts for UFC 249 per MMA Fighting: . I’m 33 years old. Yorgan De Castro: To be fair to De Castro, it’s not like he had a ton of stock coming into this event. An Olympic gold medal pedigree in wrestling, powerful boxing, and elite athleticism make him a tough stylistic matchup for anyone in two weight classes and now we will all lose out on the chance to see Cejudo take on the best the 135-pound division has to offer.