MMA News Roundup: UFC fighter loses temper during sparring session, Valentina Shevchenko now in "Jon Jones category", Paddy Pimblett moons media at weigh-ins
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other news stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In the latest issue, we talk about a fighter's frantic reaction after being challenged by a non-athlete, Paddy Pimblett telling off haters in a graphic manner, and more.
#3. Chris Curtis almost teaches a lesson to a street fighter
A street fighter aspiring to be an athlete bit off more than he could chew when he claimed he had what it took to knock Chris Curtis out.
In a recently surfaced video, the man is seen sparring with Curtis, where he is methodically taken apart and exhausted by the UFC middleweight. Curtis' training partner Sean Strickland revealed the man's identity at this point:
"He hit the coach, he said he had like 200 street fights. And like he's like f**king a lot of guys up."
Despite being gassed out post-session, the man claimed he could take on Curtis and even beat him. That's when things went south.
Here’s the beginning of the video! https://t.co/LGF0NFVPk9
Understandably, 'The Action Man' was having none of the man's inflated overconfidence and challenged him to a fist fight immediately:
"Put your f**king glove on or leave. Bro, put your glove on or leave. I was toying with you, I could have f**king ripped you in half. You know why I went first, bro? Because everyone else here would have f**ked your life up. If you can sleep me, sleep me. Prove it right now. I will f**king change your life forever."
Interestingly, Strickland, otherwise known for his eccentrics, proved to be the voice of reason in the altercation and intervened.
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#UFCLondonHere’s a clip of Chris Curtis destroying some delusional street fighter who says he’s 200-0 and said could’ve KOd a Chris after sparring him 😂🤷🏻♂️👌 #UFCLondon https://t.co/WUelbcQ5rT
For his own good, the man did not follow up with his plans.
#2. Valentina Shevchenko has reached a level comparable to Jon Jones: Laura Sanko
Despite being tainted by PED violations and skirmishes with the law, Jon Jones has built a second-to-none legacy that he only wishes to extend with a potential heavyweight run.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, UFC broadcaster Laura Sanko drew a parallel between Jones and Valentina Shevchenko, one of the greatest fighters in WMMA.
In light of fan criticism of the flyweight champion after the close Taila Santos fight, Sanko pointed out how both Jones and Shevchenko have reached a point where their wins are dismissed if they are not lopsidedly dominant:
"[Valentina Shevchenko] did win. That's the key. She did beat Taila Santos and it's funny because she's in that Jon Jones category or probably the Kamaru Usman category now, where someone gets close or makes the fight look interesting or even remotely competitive and then all of a sudden, the narrative switches entirely to how amazing Taila Santos is, which she is. But Valentina did beat her."
Jones' narrow wins over Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos have faced the same fate as Shevchenko's split-decision win over Santos.
Check out our interview with Laura Sanko:
#1. Paddy Pimblett - 1, Fat-shamers - 0 at UFC London weigh-ins
Due to his tendency to feast on beers and burgers between fights, Paddy Pimblett has been subjected to what he claims is 'fat-shaming' by the fans. He has indeed been called out for his dieting habits and was told he would never make weight for his 155 lbs UFC London bout against Jordan Leavitt.
However, the Liverpudlian successfully proved his critics wrong, tipping the scale at 156 lbs. True to his nature, 'Baddy' went ahead and pulled down his shorts to tell the haters to "kiss his a**."
Watch Pimblett's antics below:
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Paddy Pimblett has a message for the haters at the early #UFCLondon weigh-ins 🍑 https://t.co/3gUJoW6reD
Watch the full UFC London weigh-ins: