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Cowboy Cerrone is no longer chasing a fight with Conor McGregor

(Courtesy of TheMacLife)

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone certainly would have loved the challenge and the payday that would have accompanied a bout with former dual-division champion Conor McGregor, but those days are in the rearview mirror.

Cerrone and McGregor had appeared to agree to wanting to fight each other, but when it came time to put pen to paper, they couldn’t get a deal done, so Cerrone moved on.

He’ll now face Al Iaquinta on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 9 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as he now chases down the UFC lightweight title.

Ahead of his fight with Iaquinta, Cerrone spoke with the media in Ottawa about the fight with Iaquinta, the failed McGregor bout, working with Mark Wahlberg, and more.

Tune in Saturday, May 4, for full UFC on ESPN+ 9 live results from Ottawa, where Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone squares off with Al Iaquinta.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/cowboy-cerrone-is-no-longer-chasing-a-fight-with-conor-mcgregor

Marlon Moraes still wants to face T.J. Dillashaw after his doping suspension is finished

Marlon Moraes has serious issues with T.J. Dillashaw cheating but that wouldn’t stop him from punching the former bantamweight champion in the face if given the opportunity.

For the better part of the last year, Moraes had been chasing Dillashaw in his attempt to become the 135-pound champion in the UFC. Just when it looked like he might get his chance, Dillashaw was popped by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) for using EPO (erythropoietin).

Dillashaw was then suspended for two years and now Moraes will battle flyweight champion Henry Cejudo for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 238 in Chicago on June 8.

Even Moraes was taken back by Dillashaw’s positive drug test and he says there’s no way not to question everything he’s ever done or will do going forward because he decided to cheat.

“My mind as a fan and as a fighter to look up to a guy and he is good but I don’t know was he going to be like that if he wasn’t cheating? It sucks,” Moraes told MMAWeekly. “It puts you in a bad position because we don’t know. You don’t believe the system anymore. You don’t know who’s doing, who’s not doing and it sucks.

“He’ll never be the same. I can guarantee he will never be the same.”

Dillashaw got busted for using EPO ahead of his fight with Cejudo back in January, which still didn’t go his way after the flyweight champion knocked him out in just 32-seconds into the opening round.

Cejudo has said in the aftermath of the positive drug test and Dillashaw’s suspension that he would never entertain a rematch with him no matter how much he was being paid.

Moraes takes a different approach when asked about a potential fight against Dillashaw after he returns to action in 2021.

“Yes I want to fight him 100-percent,” Moraes said about Dillahaw. “I don’t care if he’s taking, if he’s not taking, I want to put my hands on him one day. I want to make him pay for everyone he made pay. I want to put him in a bad spot and show him what is real. I know I’m better than this guy, especially now knowing what he was doing.

“There’s no way that guy can beat me. He can be out forever and then come back and I’ll be more than happy to welcome him back to the UFC and defend my belt against him.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/marlon-moraes-still-wants-to-face-t-j-dillashaw-after-his-doping-suspension-is-finished

Vince Morales believes he can beat Aiemann Zahabi ‘everywhere’ at UFC on ESPN+ 9

Though 2018 wasn’t the best year of UFC bantamweight Vince Morales’ career, he is able to take positives away from it.

In four bouts in 2018, Morales alternated wins and losses, making his in-cage year unpredictable, but outside of it he felt like it was a good year for his development as a fighter.

“It was pretty much a roller coaster for me,” Morales told MMAWeekly.com. “There was a lot of lessons learned and progress towards goals that I’ve had a long time. Overall there were some tough lessons learned, is the best way to put it.

“I feel like every fight I jump up leaps and bounds and get just that much better. I think the experience of being in the cage having a fight carries over for a few months and I just continue to keep growing and try to keep the momentum going.”

With the work he has put in of late, Morales feels like a much more complete fighter in 2019 than he did last year.

“If I would fight (the version of) me that just fought in November, I think I would destroy that guy,” said Morales. “I’m feeling pretty good about things.

“I think in my previous fights I could have showed more than what I wouldn’t say is a one-dimensional style; but there’s one thing that people worry about, and that’s my striking. I’ve kind of bridged the gap so I can blend all of my styles together.”

On Saturday in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Morales (8-3) will look to kick his year off with a win when he faces Aiemann Zahabi (7-1) in a preliminary 135-pound bout at UFC on ESPN+ 9.

“I’ve just got to put the pace on him,” Morales said of facing Zahabi. “I believe I can beat this guy pretty much everywhere.

“I’m confident with the match-up, but I know he’s going to be tough. I’m trying to fight the tougher guys out there and I believe he is one of them. I believe it’s going to be back and forth until somebody breaks – and I plan on being the guy doing the breaking.”

Having been waiting for his bout against Zahabi for much of the year, Morales is eager to be more active over the second half of 2019 and close out his year on a high point.

“I like to stay pretty active,” said Morales. “I’m hoping (to pick up) good momentum here so we can get right back in there and continue the momentum (through the rest of the year).”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/vince-morales-believes-he-can-beat-aiemann-zahabi-everywhere-at-ufc-on-espn-9

Brandon Royval plans to pressure Joby Sanchez in LFA 65 main event

Following two straight wins to start off 2018, flyweight Brandon Royval hit a bit of a road bump in his last bout of the year.

Facing Casey Kenney in a short notice 125lb title fight at LFA 53 in November, Royval ended up on the losing end of a unanimous decision, snapping his three-fight winning streak in the process.

“I had to battle a couple of top-ranked opponents, and then I got a shot notice fight for the LFA title, which I lost,” Royval told MMAWeekly.com. “It sucks, but that’s the risk you take when you take a fight on a week’s notice against a top ranked opponent (in Kenney). I got out-wrestled for five rounds and learned a lot from that fight.”

While he’s not one to see dramatic changes in his game over time, Royval does acknowledge that he’s seen a lot of growth in his grappling of late.

“I’ve been working a lot on my blending; mixing my striking with my takedowns, and visa-versa,” said Royval. “I’ve also been working on battling up from being taken down, which has been a huge problem in my career.

“I don’t ever notice the changes because I’m progressing slowly at all times. Obviously my takedowns and wrestling has gotten a lot better since I started MMA. It’s hard for me to notice the difference in camps or over a year, but I know I’m growing, and I’m not taking any step backs.”

This Friday in Vail, Colorado, Royval (8-4) will look to get back on the winning track when he faces Joby Sanchez (12-4) in the 125-pound main event of LFA 65.

“I’ve got to put pressure on him and push him back and keep him on his heels the whole time,” Royval said of facing Sanchez. “Joby does good when he’s leading the fight, and I don’t want to let that happen.

“I like counter-fighting, but I would rather be pushing him back the entire time and make him uncomfortable by putting pressure on him the whole entire time. I don’t think he’s going to shoot in for a takedown on me, and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to shoot in on him. We’ll see what happens and how it will unfold.”

With uncertainty surrounding the flyweight division, Royval is looking to take things one step at a time, and possibly move up in weight if he has to in order to find opportunities in 2019.

“At this moment, as a flyweight, I don’t know if being called up to the UFC is an option,” said Royval. “I’m kind of planning bigger and getting to 135 pounds, but also at the same time I’ll keep my eyes open for any promotion that has a 125lb division. Flyweight is a good division for me, but I wouldn’t mind a move up to 135 pounds either.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/brandon-royval-plans-to-pressure-joby-sanchez-in-lfa-65-main-event

Dana White: Brock Lesnar is retired; Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic 2 in the works

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has apparently already fought for the last time in his mixed martial arts career.

Since last July, Lesnar has been expected to resume his fighting career with a heavyweight title shot against Daniel Cormier. While no deal was struck to make the fight official, UFC president Dana White said repeatedly that he was going to do everything possible to make it happen.

Now that plan is dead in the water because Lesnar isn’t planning to fight again.

“[Brock Lesnar] told me he’s done, he’s retired,” White told ESPN on Tuesday after speaking to Lesnar. “We’re going to move in another direction with Cormier.”

Lesnar hasn’t competed since 2016 when he returned at UFC 200 and defeated Mark Hunt on the historic card. The victory was later overturned to a no contest when Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance that ended with a one-year suspension from the sport.

Lesnar opted to retire instead and his focus remained on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he was one of the company’s top performers.

In recent months, as Lesnar’s deal with WWE was coming to an end, the expectation was that he would return to the UFC for the matchup against Cormier, but it seems he ultimately decided against fighting again.

Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic 2 is now the next UFC heavyweight title fight

With Lesnar out of the picture, the UFC is now shifting plans towards a rematch between Cormier and former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

Cormier defeated Miocic by first round knockout in their last meeting to win the heavyweight title. Prior to that loss, Miocic had defended the heavyweight title more than any other fighter in UFC history and he has been pushing for a rematch ever since.

Now it looks like Miocic will get his wish to face Cormier a second time with an opportunity to take back the UFC heavyweight title.

There’s still no word on when the rematch could take place, although it was rumored that Cormier could return by UFC 241 in August after healing up from a nagging back injury that has plagued him lince his last bout in November 2018.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/dana-white-brock-lesnar-retired-daniel-cormier-vs-stipe-miocic-2-in-the-works