Will the Mayweather and McGregor Fight Happen?

According to Fox Sports host, Colin Cowherd, the UFC superstar and boxing legend will finally be fighting this September in Vegas. The news broke this morning on Cowherd’s show The Herd.

“My intel is that Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather is going to happen. It changed late last week. I got a call, then somebody else sent me something yesterday and Saturday (saying) ‘we’ve booked rooms in Vegas’.”

If this news is true, it will be an exciting matchup that will draw a ton of revenue and publicity. Once this matchup speculated a few months ago, many people weren’t sure how the two would fight since McGregor is a UFC fighter and Mayweather is a Boxer. However, all signs point to it being a boxing match. This definitely gives Mayweather the advantage, but McGregor is a talented fighter and you can bet he will be ready for the challenge.

Last Sunday, McGregor sat down with Sportscenter anchor, Kenny Mayne to discuss his relationship with the UFC and the possible fight with Mayweather. Not too long ago McGregor was taken off the UFC 200 fight due to him not wanting to participate in any promotional events. After he heard this news, he posted on his twitter account that he was retiring. In the interview with Kenny Mayne, he says that he did not realize how much impact his tweet would have.

“All said and done, there were times (I thought), ‘I should have just jumped on the damn flight.’ But sometimes you’ve got to do what’s right for you and not what’s right for everybody else — especially if you’ve done what’s right for everyone else a million times over.”

When McGregor was asked about Mayweather he said knows he will not want to fight in a Mixed Martial Arts fight and what Mcgregor describes as a true fight. However, he has no problem fighting in a boxing match, and will set time aside to prepare for it. This fight would sure be spoken about all summer long and would be something everyone will enjoying watching. I hope this happens!

UFC 200 Has Two New Faces

 

Last week, UFC president Dana White announced that there will be two new faces headlining UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas. It will be a light heavyweight title battle between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. Jones who is 22-1 returned to the ring last weekend for the first time in over a year. He took on Ovince Saint Preux and defeated him easily in an unanimous decision by all the judges. This showed that Jones long layoff did not affect him at all.  He missed significant time because he was arrested for a felony hit-and-run charge.

A few months ago, Jones was luckily able to avoid significant jail time after reaching a plea deal. Cormier was supposed to face off against Jones at UFC 197, but was not able to due to injury. You can be sure this time around  these two will spark a competitive match that will draw many viewers.

Last month, UFC planned a Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz rematch for UFC 200, but that was taken off the table once McGregor refused to fly to Las Vegas for promotional reasons. After McGregor realized he was no longer headlining the match in Vegas he posted on his twitter account that he was retiring from mixed martial arts. This shocking news had the social media world buzzing for awhile. However, a few days later he posted on twitter saying he was not retired and still wished to headline the match. Dana White remained true to his word and would not allow McGregor to fight after he refused to fly to Vegas. White, did however offer to keep Diaz on the event, but he wanted no part in the match unless it was a rematch against McGregor. Even though we won’t get a Diaz vs McGregor rematch, we will still get an entertaining fight between two greats in Cormier and Jones. Is it July yet?

UFC Returns to New York City

 

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Recently, the New York State Assembly finally lifted the state’s 19 year ban on mixed martial arts. Now, the UFC is eager to put on a show that will be one of the biggest events in company history at the famous Madison Square Garden.  The first match in New York City won’t likely be until November, so the UFC has some time to decide on who will get this awesome opportunity. There are a ton of intriguing options, so today we look at the top 3 options UFC could book for it’s anticipated New York debut.

Miesha Tate vs Ronda Rousey

Despite Rousey suffering her first UFC defeat against Holm, she is still UFC’s most marketable female fighter, with a hosting stint on Saturday Night Live and a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover appearance as proof of her ongoing popularity. She is slated to make a return to the sport in November, and it could very well be against Bantamweight Champion, Miesha Tate.  Tate has already lost twice to Rousey, once back in Strikeforce and then again in the UFC in 2013. This fight would have the potential to draw a massive crowd to MSG and on pay-per-view, especially since it could possibly be Rousey’s first fight since losing to Holm at UFC 193.  With the Women’s Bantamweight Title on the line and Rousey’s return, this would sure make a hot ticket.

Conor McGregor vs Frankie Edgar

Conor McGregor is one of the most dominating fighters in UFC and a matchup with a talented fighter like Frankie Edgar to defend his Featherweight title would be sure to draw a sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Edgar has a great combination of speed and footwork to make the fight extremely entertaining. McGregor versus Edgar has long been discussed by fans as a potential blockbuster fight, and New York’s large Irish population coupled with Edgar’s roots in New Jersey would make it an easy sell for the UFC.

Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson or Daniel Cormier

What would be better than having Jon Jones, a native New Yorker fight at the UFC’s first event in the Empire State?  This would be an awesome selection. Jones will be taking on Daniel Cormier at UFC 197 on April 23. A match that everyone will be watching as Jones looks to recapture the Light Heavyweight Title. If he defeats Cormier it would seem that Anthony Johnson would be the next in line to take on Jones. However, if Cormier ends up beating Jones, it would not be out of question to book the trilogy at Madison Square Garden. Either way, there would be an intriguing matchup for Jones.

These were just a few possible match ups for one biggest events in UFC history.  To check out the rest of possibilities for the New York City showdown, please read this article.

Syracuse Heads to The Final Four

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The Syracuse Orange continued their improbable, but exciting run in the NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament this past Sunday. They will be heading to the Final Four to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in Houston, Texas. Many people were surprised Syracuse was even selected by the NCAA committee  after a 0-4 start in ACC play and losing four of their last five games to end the season. The Orange also had to cope with losing their head coach, Jim Boeheim, for nine games due to a suspension from the NCAA.

Syracuse opened up the tournament against a talented Dayton Flyers team and Syracuse made a quick statement to everyone on why the deserve to be in the tournament. They routed the Flyers 70-51 and were led by talented freshman, Malachi Richardson with with 21 points.

Next up was the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. The Blue Raiders upset the championship favorite, Michigan State to get to this game so you knew their confidence was sky high coming in. However, it did not make a difference for the Orange whose trademark zone defense suffocated the Blue Raiders on the offensive end causing multiple turnovers. Syracuse defeated Middle Tennessee 75-50 and punched their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

A sweet sixteen matchup against the Gonzaga Bulldogs proved to be one of Syracuse’s toughest matchups in the tournament. With Gonzaga leading 57-48 late in the second half, Syracuse turned to their aggressive full-court pressure to shut down the Bulldogs and get them back in the game. Down one with under 20 seconds remaining, Senior Forward, Michael Gbinije made a go-ahead layup and Syracuse advanced to its 10th Elite Eight under Jim Boeheim with a 63-30 win.

After a gut wrenching win against the Bulldogs, it set up an all-ACC matchup with Virginia for a spot in the Final Four.  Let’s just say this game was by far one of the best games I have ever watched. Syracuse trailed by 16 points at the start of the second half and rallied all the way back to defeat Virginia 68-62. Malachi Richardson was the difference-maker in the game as he scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and hit key shots down the stretch. After the game, Coach Boeheim said “It was a great comeback, one of the best I’ve coached in, any team I’ve had, in terms of you’re playing, I think, a great team”.

Syracuse was among the last teams to get into the NCAA tournament and now they are headed to the Final Four. They will be taking on a very talented North Carolina team, but the sky’s the limit for this year’s team as they have shown they can overcome anything thrown their way.

Tune into TBS at 8:49 PM EST on Saturday, April 2 to watch Syracuse and North Carolina battle it out for a spot in the National Title Game on Monday.

 

Two Huge Upsets on the Same Night in Vegas

Last night, marked one of the wildest nights in MMA history. Conor McGregor and Holly Holm, two heavily favored fighters were both upset in dramatic fashion. Miesha Tate defeated women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm by submission in the fifth round of their fight. Soon after there fight ended, Nate Diaz took on brash-talking Conor McGregor and Diaz submitted McGregor in the second round to win the welterweight fight.

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Ireland Native, McGregor, who won the featherweight championship back in December decided to jump weight classes soon after his victory. He opted to move up to 170 pounds (lightweight division) to fight replacement foe Diaz because of lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos’ foot injury. Well, let’s just say moving up in weight class did not go too well the talented McGregor.

Diaz, a former UFC lightweight title challenger was able to get the best of McGregor early on. McGregor tried take Diaz down with one his unique moves but Diaz was able counter and turn to his jiu jitsu specialty and deliver a deadly chokehold, which forced Mcgregor to tap out only 4 minutes into the second round. After the match, Diaz said  “I knew I had it, my jiu jitsu’s always there when I hit the ground. I’m a warrior. There’s a new king, right here.” Diaz was very excited about his gut wrenching performance to take down the former featherweight champion.Miesha Tate vs Liz Carmouche

As for the other upset at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Tate took down Holms in the final minutes of the final round crushing hopes of everyone possibly witnessing a Holm’s rematch with the great Ronda Rousey. This was Holm’s first fight since defeating Rousey back in November. Holm was able to give Tate a couple of punches and kicks in the early rounds, but Tate eventually responded with kicks and moves of her own and then would mount Holm from behind to take home the championship.

These were both devastating losses for both former champions, but we will see how these two respond to adversity. If you ask me, I am sure they will use this as motivation and will be back out there sooner than people think.

Top 5 MMA Fighters of All-Time

Chuck Liddell

During the 2000’s, Liddell who was known as the “Iceman” was regarded as one best fighters in MMA. He finished with an impressive 21-8 record and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2009. One of Liddell’s most noted accomplishments was when he defeated Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight title. Liddell enjoyed a successful career as he defeated some best in the game during his career.

Anderson Silva

Silva is regarded as one the best mixed martial artists of all-time. He still holds the the UFC record with 16 straight wins and 10 title defenses. The streak ended in 2013, but there has been no sign of anyone looking to break the record any time soon. He is also a former UFC Middleweight Champion and has had many big wins during his career. A few to point out are a comeback victory over Chael Sonnen and defeating Rick Franklin to win the title.

Randy Couture

Randy Couture is one of the most beloved figures in MMA. His resume is remarkable to say the least. He is a three time UFC Heavyweight Champion and a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Impressive, right? Another thing to point out is that Randy Couture is one of two people to win the UFC championship title in two different divisions. He had a stellar career and age really did not matter for Couture as he won four fights in his 40’s.

Dan Henderson

The next person we have on the list is Dan Henderson. He too has enjoyed a great amount of success. Over the course of his career he has defeated 12 champions in for major different promotions. He currently is oldest fighter in UFC, but age is a non factor for Henderson.

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko finished his incredible career with an 34-4-1 record. There was a span in which the russian born fighter would not lose a match as he would win 28 straight fights. He was dominating like no one has ever seen. However, even though he did not fight in the UFC but he is still regarded as one best MMA fighters in the World.

Top Men’s U.S Soccer Players of all time:

Landon Donovan

Donovan was one of the greatest players to ever put on a U.S.A uniform. He retired from the game at the age of 32 and was the leader in goals and assists for U.S men’s national team, an achievement that should speak for itself. Donovan was a gifted player that was always showed leadership on and off the field. Players admired him for his dedication and work ethic. A memorable moment for Donovan and U.S team came back at the 2010 World Cup. Donovan’s game winning  stoppage-time goal against Algeria led the Americans into the knockout round and became known as one most iconic moments in U.S soccer history.

Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey is considered to be one of the best forwards in the game. He is fan favorite because of his never quit attitude. There are not too many people who work harder than Dempsey does. During his tenure with the U.S Men’s National team he as scored 47 goals, but no goal was more important than the goal he scored in the opening round just 39 seconds into matchup against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup. This was fifth fastest goal in World Cup History.  Not too bad, right?

Tim Howard

Tim Howard has enjoyed a successful career as the goalkeeper for the U.S Men’s national team. One of Howard’s most impressive performances came at the 2014 World Cup. During the match between Belgium he recorded a record 16 saves! It was an unbelievable performance and many people across the world were in awe of what he accomplished. He even got a call from the President Obama congratulating him on this awesome achievement. Wow, getting a call from the President himself? Now, that is special.

Brian McBride

McBride was one of the clutchest players to ever play for the U.S Men’s National Team. He made his debut for the team in 1993 and played in 3 World cups (1998, 2002, 2006). He was the first player to score goals at multiple World Cups and his career goal total is 30, which is 4th all time. One of Mcbride’s most famous goals was when we put the Americans ahead against a talented Portugal team. The U.S would win that game and be one most their most iconic moments in history.

The 2015 United States Men’s Soccer Season

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The United States Men’s Soccer team will look forward to bigger and better things when the year 2016 comes around as 2015 was considered to be an up and down year for the Americans. The men’s national team did not play to the expectations as many people thought they would. They lost the Confederation Cup playoff against Mexico and finished in fourth place in the Gold Cup.

The Men’s national team had some great moments during a few friendly matches. In June,  the U.S was able to defeat the Netherlands with a game winning goal scored by forward Bobby Wood. It was a great moment for both the young star and the men’s national team. Gedion Zelalem, another rising star, decided to commit to the the U.S national team instead of Germany and Ethiopia. This was a huge win for the U.S. They now have a rising star who will be key part for this team for years to come.  Another key moment the U.S national team had this past year was when they took a total of four points from their two World Cup qualifying matches. The U.S won half of it’s games going 10-6-4 on the season.

There were some moments that U.S men’s national team would like to forget in 2015. For the U.S, winning the Gold Cup was a true goal for them coming into 2015 because this would secure a CONCACAF’s berth in the 2017 FIFA Federations Cup. However, things did not go as planned for the U.S as they lost to Jamaica in the semifinals of the Gold Cup.  Many people are starting to doubt head coach, Klinsmann because of some of his coaching decisions and how the U.S has played of late, but U.S Soccer president, Sunil Gulati feels otherwise.  Gulati stood behind his head coach and believes things will eventually turn into the right direction for Klinsmann and U.S national team.

For more information, please check out:
http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/12/24/usmnt-2015-year-review-klinsmann-dempsey-bradley

Top Soccer Stadiums in the World

 

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Estadio Azteca

This historical stadium was built in the 1960’s and is the home of Club America. This is one of the stadiums that hosted a match in the 1970 World Cup. Throughout the World Cup, they hosted a total of 10 matches, and most importantly the stadium was able to to play host to two of the most important games on the schedule, the Semi-Final and Final between Italy and Brazil. The stadium is located in the south of Mexico City and it extremely easy to reach by metro and the connecting light rail. The stadium currently holds an astonishing 104,000 people and it is an awesome place to watch a game, especially when it is a sell-out crowd.

Stadio Olimpico

Stadio Olimpico is located in Rome, Italy, and is the home for both AS Roma SS Lazio. The stadium opened in 1953 and holds approximately 72,698 seats. When the stadium originally opened to the public it was able to hold 100,000 spectators mainly because the terraces around the stadium. Stadio Olimpico hosted the 1990 World Cup and was able to host all of Italy’s matches. This was a great treat for the Italy fans. The stadium is located north of the Vatican City. Stadio Olimpico is also a must see if your a die-hard soccer fan.

Old Trafford

This stadium is located in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England and is the home to the Manchester United Soccer team. Old Trafford opened in 1910 and has been a historical venue for soccer matches ever since. In the 1966 World Cup, this stadium was able to host 3 group matches. A promising achievement for the citizens in England. Old Trafford is located near Manchester’s city centre and Manchester Piccadilly Station. If you have the opportunity, please come check out this incredible stadium

Maracana

Maracana is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is the home to both the CR Flamengo and Fluminense FC. The stadium opened in 1950 and holds 78,838 seats. One of the first main games this stadium played host to was the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Mexico. In 2014, Maranca hosted yet another the World Cup. This time they were able to host seven matches including the World Cup Final.

No More Headers: How U.S Soccer Is Trying To Make Youths Safer

fter a 15 month litigation process, U.S Soccer announced that a brand new series of initiatives which were designed to reduce the number of concussions soccer players suffered. This new initiative basically limits and bans heading for players under the age of 13.

The new protocol entails that children of 10 and under will be barred from heading during any official game sessions or tournaments within the country. Questions have been lauded to the administering committee on how these initiatives would be enforced in the youth level which is a widespread community. Others have mentioned that banning headers would force players to become more comfortable with their feet at a young age, which may not be a bad thing. The general consensus is that we will be seeing the improvement of the quality of players coming through the system the next few years.

Time Magazine reports that the new safety rules and guidelines is aimed at players ages 10 and younger, and players from 11- 13 years will face restrictions. U.S Soccer’s chief Medical officer George Chiampas said “What we’re establishing is creating parameters and guidelines with regards to the amount of exposure to head injuries.” Other possible changes will involve substitution rules for players who are suspected of having or showing signs of a concussion. These new rules were also developed because of parental concerns about negligence after nearly 50,000 soccer players sustained concussions in 2010.

This new initiative comes at a very pivotal time in sports medicine and history. NBC Sports reports that former U.S national team and Major League Soccer Striker Taylor Twellman, who saw his profession cut short from a series of concussions and post-concussion symptoms was one of the first notable figures in U.S soccer history to speak out and voice his approval of the new initiative. Since these new initiatives will apply to the United States Soccer Federation and Youth National Club Teams, soccer fans are unsure of whether this will drain the country of talent or make players less competitive in the international space.

Will this new initiative help or hinder U.S Soccer? I don’t think so. Putting our youth in a safe place to enjoy sporting events will eventually change how we think of health in athletics. Though European clubs and Youth Teams do not have header rules, this change could take on a global scale.

To learn more about the new initiatives to deal with concussions which stem from header goals, visit these articles by Time Magazine and NBC Sports