UFC

UFC is partnering with legendary WWE wrestler and Hollywood megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on a new footwear deal.

According to Boardroom, Johnson's Project Rock is the new official footwear partner of UFC, and all UFC fighters and corner people will be provided with Project Rock footwear for UFC 270 on Saturday:

BREAKING: @UFC has announced that Project Rock — the motivational performance brand created by @TheRock — has been named its Official Footwear Partner.

The multi-year partnership begins this weekend with Project Rock footwear provided to all athletes and corners in #UFC270. pic.twitter.com/Tv0bdQew6U

— Boardroom (@boardroom) January 21, 2022

The Rock tweeted the following regarding the news:

https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1484567487203012610

Boardroom's Shlomo Sprung wrote that Project Rock is a "motivational performance brand" conceived by Johnson and Under Armour.

Sprung also noted that UFC athletes will be given Project Rock x UFC co-branded BSR 2 training shoes during the summer.

UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski commented on the partnership, saying:

We're thrilled to partner with Dwayne Johnson and his Project Rock brand to incorporate this innovative footwear into UFC's iconic fight kits. The core mission of the Project Rock brand, to help individuals in their journey achieve greatness by equipping them with the right tools, aligns with UFC fighters' determination, dedication, and perseverance, as they pursue greatness in their own right—both inside and outside of the Octagon.

Last year, UFC began a new fight kit deal with Venum, which marked the end of a six-year partnership with Reebok.

UFC 270—the first event to incorporate Project Rock footwear—will be headlined by a UFC heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

Both Ngannou and Gane will be decked out in Project Rock footwear for their main event clash.

Sometimes, the MMA gods bestow a gift. Last year, they presented us with a doozy: the most ferocious, tenacious, loquacious and lovable flyweight champion in UFC history. That would of course be Brandon Moreno.

The UFC's first Mexican-born champion turned heads and won hearts after dismantling Deiveson Figueiredo last June at UFC 263. Sobbing as UFC president Dana White threw the belt over his shoulder, Moreno became a star from one moment to the next, right before the eyes of the pay-per-view faithful. 

But even at age 28, Moreno has been around the block. It's easy to forget he was once cut from the UFC.

This Saturday at UFC 270, Moreno faces Figueiredo for the third time. A draw in 2020 preceded Moreno's win, and the champion is a -180 favorite as of Thursday to get a second W, according to DraftKings. Given that it involves the division's current and most recent champions, the outcome could shape the flyweight landscape for years to come. 

Moreno recently spoke with Bleacher Report about Saturday's bout, his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, and, of course, his Lego collection. The exchange has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

                  

In your last fight with Figueiredo, were you surprised by how easily you beat him?

Moreno: You know, I understand that fans and people were a little bit surprised with my performance. But I knew about my training camp, I knew about my skills, and that's why I beat this guy easily. Maybe some people were surprised. I was not surprised. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnnf-gU2DKk

Because I expected another war in that fight, and I expect another war [at UFC 270]. I've prepared for everything.

                        

The UFC released you in 2018. It's not an easy road back once you've been cut. What kept you going as you worked to get back there? 

Moreno: I thought about it, and I was like, what's my goal? Everything was about perseverance and discipline. Just discipline in everything, in camp and everything you do.

The obstacles in life are sometimes very hard to get past. It can feel like there's no way past them. But if you work right now to see the future, and you can focus on getting to your final goals, you can do it.

Maybe the possibilities are different for every person, but talking about my own experience, everything was very disciplined and very focused. I fought one time [in the smaller Legacy Fighting Alliance promotion] and won the flyweight belt. A few months later, I was back in the UFC fighting in Mexico.

                        

Semi-retired former flyweight and bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo will be in Figueiredo's corner Saturday. You and Cejudo were once close, but there was a falling out. What will it be like to see your former mentor coaching against you? 

Moreno: It's fine, you know. [Figueiredo] says it's extra motivation for him, so if it helps him to give a better performance than the last one, that's great. 

You know, that would actually be amazing. Because his last performance, it wasn't a real performance. So if this improves his performance, that would be amazing.

                   

You grew up in Tijuana. What's one thing we Americans don't understand about your hometown?

Moreno: (laughs) There's a TV show called Narcos. Have you seen it? People watch that and they think Tijuana is like a war zone or something like that, that everyone has guns all the time, you know?

I need to be honest with you and say that if you want to find problems, you can find problems in Tijuana. That's real. But for my personal experience, I've never been in a bad situation in my city, never had any problems there. Tijuana is a really nice place to live, man.  

We have people bringing their cultures there, because of people crossing the border there, a lot of them from Latin America, trying to get to the United States. They end up in Tijuana. That's amazing to me, because they bring their cultures.

                  

You're the only fighter among his opponents who has not lost to Askar Askarov. What do you think of him as a potential rematch opponent or just a title challenger in general?

Moreno: Oh, man. He's tough. Very, very tough, yeah. I had a draw with him in 2019.

He's a fighter who in my personal opinion is a little bit boring. If you fight him, you're probably going to a decision. But that's why he's such a tough opponent.

You never know. Right now, I'm focused very heavily on Figueiredo, and we'll see what happens after that.

                      

What was the fight you learned the most from in your career and why?

Moreno: That's a good question. Just thinking quickly, I think I would say my first fight against Figueiredo.

In that moment, when I got the draw against him, I said to myself, 'Hey, you can really do it.' I was very, very close to getting the title that night.

I told myself to believe in myself, because I can be a real champion. And then you see what happened in the next one, right? But the first one was what made my confidence.

OK, you've got to tell me about your Lego collection.

Moreno: Ever since I was a kid, I loved to collect things. I am a collector. And now I have the money to get my toys, right? (laughs)

So yes, I am a Lego collector. They gave me a Lego belt that was amazing. I have a pretty big collection now.

It's kind of my escape from reality. There's a lot of pressure on me, all day, with the media and thinking about my fight or my preparation. Or maybe there's some guy trying to cut my hair. (laughs) This is my time to stop thinking about the fights and escape.

                       

Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369). 

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.

UFC president Dana White wants to grant Nate Diaz's wish but isn't ready to talk specifics about the star fighter's next bout.

Diaz made his request clear Wednesday on social media when he tagged UFC's Twitter account and said he wanted to fight Dustin Poirier:

@ufc stop playing wit me consider this my signature to fight this fucker I been trying to fight for a minute quit slowing down the real fight game it’s time pic.twitter.com/6LTkbw9Fs0

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 19, 2022

White responded to the post in an interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto:

Of course we're interested [in that fight]. This is what we do. We make fights every weekend. What happens is guys just want to jump out of nowhere. 'I want to do this, I want to do that.' We have fights booked all the way to, I want to say May 2. Everything is in place. Everything is done. Obviously, Nate Diaz will get a fight.

Telling Okamoto that Diaz will get "a fight" isn't quite the same as White firmly committing to Diaz vs. Poirier. He went on to speculate that an encounter between Diaz and Conor McGregor could be the route UFC takes.

Okamoto noted Diaz only has one fight left on his current contract with UFC.

With that in mind, the promotion might prefer to pair the 36-year-old with McGregor because that has major commercial potential. Diaz and McGregor fought twice in 2016, splitting the two meetings.

According to Tapology, they combined for the second and sixth-biggest pay-per-view buy rates in UFC history.

At least for now, Diaz's focus is firmly on Poirier and vice versa.

pic.twitter.com/jdPWlDpPtQ

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 20, 2022

Diaz his coming off a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in June, his first fight since 2019. Poirier opened 2021 with a pair of victories over McGregor before getting submitted in the third round by Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in December.

The two were originally slated to cross paths at UFC 230 in 2018, but an injury to Poirier forced UFC to shelve those plans.

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley strongly denied he took a dive in his boxing rematch with YouTube star Jake Paul in December.

Woodley told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour podcast Paul delivered a legitimate knockout shot that sent him to the canvas in the sixth round:

Tyron Woodley addressed the rumors that the Paul fight was rigged 👀 pic.twitter.com/Hp7sAi5vqr

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) January 20, 2022

Unsubstantiated rumors emerged after the bout that Paul gave Woodley a hand signal shortly before delivering the knockout punch, which led some observers to believe the fight was rigged.

Din Thomas, Woodley's coach, immediately shot down that suggestion last month during an appearance on MMA on SiriusXM (h/t Dan Cancian of the Daily Mail):

That whole theory [of the fight being rigged], it makes me laugh because being in his camp, I know how serious it was. It was serious like Tyron really wanted this win back, he really wanted this fight and it was a serious thing.

Now, if it was a dive, I wish they told me about it because I wouldn't have shown up and taken the night off. I'd be like partying but that wasn't the case.

I mean it was a real, legit fight.

Woodley lost the first meeting with Paul in August by split decision. He took the rematch on short notice after Tommy Fury withdrew from the event.

"This is as real as it f--king gets, just like my right hand," Paul told reporters after the knockout.

The YouTuber now owns a 5-0 career record after the back-to-back wins over the longtime MMA fighter. He's yet to face a classically trained boxer, however, with his other victories coming against former MMA fighter Ben Askren, former NBA player Nate Robinson and fellow YouTube content creator Ali "AnEsonGib" Al-Fakhri.

His success has still led to a major financial windfall, with his three fights in 2021 generating $40 million in income, per Brett Knight of Forbes.

Simply put, Paul's events have become too prominent, both from a revenue perspective and a betting perspective, to consider rigging them.

UFC President Dana White announced Wednesday that the UFC will return to the United Kingdom in March for the first time since 2019.

According to ESPN, White said the following in a statement: "Every time we put on an event in London it's an unbelievable experience. The fans are incredible, and the fights are always off the charts. It's a different kind of energy in England. And I can't wait to get back there with a fight card on March 19."

The event will emanate from the O2 Arena in London on March 19, although no fights have been announced for the card yet.

The UFC's last U.K. event also occurred at the O2 Arena. UFC Fight Night 147 was headlined by Jorge Masvidal and Brit Darren Till, and it ended in a second-round knockout in favor of Masvidal.

Leon Edwards, who resides in England and was born in Jamaica, beat Gunnar Nelson by split decision in the semi-main event.

The UFC had been scheduled to return to London for another UFC Fight Night in March 2020, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic,

That card would have been headlined by Edwards taking on Tyron Woodley in a welterweight bout.

It also would have included other U.K, natives such as Danny Roberts, Jack Marshman and Darren Stewart.

Edwards was supposed to fight Masvidal at UFC 269 in December, but Masvidal pulled out because of an undisclosed injury. Now, Masvidal is scheduled for a bout with Colby Covington at UFC 272 in March.

That means Edwards vs. Masvidal isn't on the table for the U.K. show, but Edwards should be available for the main event if the UFC wants to go in that direction.

The 19-3 Edwards has not fought since beating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 in June, and UFC Fight Night in his home country would be the ideal environment for him to make his return.

Welcome back to the B/R MMA Mailbag, where we answer your questions about the goings-on of the MMA universe.

This week we're talking UFC 270, a star-studded if top-heavy card going down Saturday from Anaheim, California. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

In the main event, Francis Ngannou defends his heavyweight belt against interim titleholder Ciryl Gane. It's a close fight to call, with Gane bringing a deeper toolbox and Ngannou holding the same size and power advantages he holds over every other living human.

But that's just the second leg of the evening's title-fight twofer, as Brandon Moreno defends his flyweight strap for the first time against the man he took it from, Deiveson Figueiredo. This will be their third fight, and the first one was a draw, so there are plenty of chips on the table for both the present and future of the 125-pound bracket.

After that, well, the lineup has taken some lumps. And with that segue, let's dive in.

Want to see your question in the mailbag? We ask you to weigh in every Monday and then publish our responses Wednesday morning. Sarcasm accepted.

                 

Will We See Any Last-Minute Fights Added to a Depleted Card?

@Martinljr8

I wouldn't hold my breath for any final additions to Saturday's card.

There's no question the slate is depleted, with a variety of reasons to blame. Name-recognition value is low beyond the headliners. 

Fights that have been officially scrapped, rescheduled or otherwise scuttled include:

• Derek Brunson vs. Jared Cannonier
• Greg Hardy vs. Aleksei Oleinik 
• Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo
• Warlley Alves vs. Jack Della Maddalena (Alves was replaced on short notice by UFC newcomer Pete Rodriguez)

Perhaps the bout that came closest to being remade was Hardy versus the ancient Oleinik in a fun striker versus grappler, athleticism versus experience kind of matchup. Oleinik recently backed out, and in came Sergey Spivak. But the salvage job was not to be, as Hardy withdrew one day later with a gnarly finger laceration (Warning: graphic image).

https://twitter.com/BigMarcel24/status/1482112144502099971

That's the way this card has gone. Spivak is an exciting competitor, but losing the controversial former NFL Pro Bowler makes retooling this fight a much lower priority than if it had been Spivak with the finger difficulties. At this point rescheduling is a more distinct possibility.

COVID-19 pandemic makes all of it that much harder. Testing protocols put extra pressure on the timelines for replacement fighters.

For example, the UFC's COVID-19 protocols require fighters and their corner people to complete home tests before they even get on a plane. A positive test from an asymptomatic jiu-jitsu coach is all it takes to submarine a bout.

This close to the event, the timing alone makes it a tough proposition. Add in these other factors, and you're basically looking at a no-go.

                     

Why Is This Show Worth $75? 

@123410

Only you can answer that, my friend.

But ask yourself this: Is any UFC pay-per-view worth the $74.99 that became the new norm when the calendar flipped? Again, that's a you question. What's clear is that the UFC has fight fans by the short hairs, and it isn't afraid to yank.

With that said, this particular event seems worth the investment. It might lack the tantalizing style or big-name matchups, and it may not have heavy implications for any title pictures. But you can find those things on cable cards as well.

A densely packed pay-per-view is ideal, but what makes it a tentpole card are the big names in the headline slots. The doubleheader atop this card fits that bill.

                       

Would a Ngannou vs. Jon Jones Non-Title Fight Be Bigger Than a Gane vs. Jones Title Fight?

@dahljo40

Great question. If you forget for a second about Ngannou's ongoing contractual squabbles with the UFC and assume that everyone finds a way to bring the big guy back into the fold, this question has a simple answer: Names are what draw, not belts, especially given that UFC title pictures are not strict meritocracies.

It's not that belts aren't important. The UFC has made many a main event by tossing an interim title into the mix. Gold raises the prestige and stakes of a given bout or card.

But at the end of the day, the full name of UFC 270 is not UFC 270: Heavyweight Title Bout. It's UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane. Ask Nate Diaz or Carlos Condit or Brock Lesnar about this phenomenon.

Jones' drawing power—solid, if not otherworldly—is a known quantity. Ngannou is a much bigger name than Gane, a bona fide folk hero for his power, physique and soft-spoken affability. The Frenchman is the more technically sound fighter and could well win Saturday, but those things are not what puts backsides in seats.

Gane did silence some critics when he knocked out Derrick Lewis last year. If he rips off three straight knockouts and starts cutting Ric Flair-esque promos, this opinion is subject to change. Until then, Ngannou-Jones is the move regardless of the associated hardware.

Ahead of UFC 270 this Saturday, fighters who are fully vaccinated reportedly will not be tested for COVID-19 during fight week.

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, fighters and the corner people accompanying them who are fully vaccinated "will not have to undergo COVID testing nor any quarantining" prior to Saturday's event. Raimondi noted that they will still need to produce a negative test prior to their arrival in Anaheim and they will also be tested before their departure.

UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told Raimondi that these protocols were implemented in accordance with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). Those who are unvaccinated will be required to quarantine and will still be tested twice during the week.

CSAC director Andy Foster told Raimondi that anyone who is symptomatic will be tested for COVID-19. Foster added that CSAC doctors who are on-site will "pay special attention to that."

While this is the first time during the ongoing pandemic that fully vaccinated fighters will not be tested, it may not be the norm going forward.

"The UFC follows the protocols set forth by the individual athletic commissions that have jurisdiction and could have different COVID rules in place in another state for the UFC's next card," Raimondi stated.

This move to ease testing protocols follows a recent trend across sports. The NBA no longer tests fully vaccinated players on game day. The NFL decreased the frequency it tests vaccinated players and personnel last month. Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the NHL plans to stop testing those who are asymptomatic after the All-Star break.

UFC 270 is headlined by a heavyweight title unification fight between champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. The co-main event will feature flyweight champion Brandon Moreno defending his belt against Deiveson Figueiredo in a trilogy fight.