UFC Twitter Roundup: Former adversary challenges Nate Diaz to rematch; Rachael Ostovich fails drug test; Top contender wants $15 million for title fight - 19 June 2020
Hello, and a very warm welcome to a brand new edition of UFC Twitter roundup where we try and bring you the biggest updates and rumors from the world of MMA.
As the UFC carries on with a very busy summer schedule after coming back from a two-month-long absence due to the coronavirus pandemic, rumors and fight announcements are coming in thick and fast.
This week has been a busy one for the promotion. Much has been going on in and around the UFC. Most recently, some big fights have been announced for the upcoming UFC events; Welterweight Mike Perry has posted a video on Twitter that has left the MMA community shocked; Rachel Ostovich failed a recent drug test and is about to get suspended; former adversary has challenged Nate Diaz to a rematch; top contender's involvement in the fighters' pay situation takes a turn for worse and much more.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at the hottest updates and rumors from UFC this week.
#5 - UFC middleweights set to light up the Octagon
Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman is set to return to action in August. Taking to Twitter to address the news of his next fight, Chris Weidman confirmed he'll face Omari Akhmedov on August 8 as part of a Fight Night event.
Weidman's stint in the light heavyweight division was cut short promptly by top contender Dominick Reyes when the pair threw down on the former's debut fight in the division. Reyes knocked Weidman out cold in the first round of the fight in the main event of UFC on ESPN 6: Reyes vs. Weidman back in October last year.
Now, Weidman is returning to the middleweight division to take on Omari Akhmedov i what the former hopes will be the beginning of one final run for the much coveted middleweight gold.
This is what an understandably excited Weidman had to say about the fight.
"Fight announcement ! August 8th. Chris Weidman vs Omari Akhmedov! Lets go ! Excited to be fighting this tough Russian fighter."
ESPN's Ariel Helwani recently reported the news of another high profile and exciting middleweight clash between former contender Yoel Romero and Urijah Hall on the pairs' return to the Octagon. Helwani said that though the date for the fight hasn't been finalized yet, the fight has been verbally agreed to by both fighters.
Yoel Romero vs. Uriah Hall is in the works for August, sources say. Not signed and no specific date yet but August is the plan and both fighters have verbally agreed. Middleweight fight.
Romero will be eager to get back in the win column with a bang because his most recent run of performances inside the Octagon have been poor to say the least. His title fight against reigning champion Israel Adesanya in the headliner of UFC 248 is regarded by many as the most boring fight in MMA history. "The Soldier of God" will have a lot to prove when he takes on Hall in a potential matchup down the line. Since starting his career 12-1, he is now 1-4 in his last five fights.
Weidman, Hall and Romero are some of the biggest names not only in the middleweight division but in MMA itself. It will be interesting to see how these veteran fighters perform on their return to the unforgiving Octagon in a couple months' time.
#4 - The curious case of Mike Perry
UFC Welterweight Mike Perry has shocked the MMA community with a video showing unexplained cuts and abrasions all over his face and hands. Perry suffered fairly serious injuries to his face and knuckles ahead of his bout with Mickey Gall at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas on June 27.
However, the fighter also confirmed that he will fight. Perry posted a video on his Instagram with the caption "Fight is still on next week!". Perry hasn't revealed how he got injured but the video shows deep cuts on the knuckles of his right hand which indicate that it could be a sparring injury.
On another hand, the extent and seriousness of the injury also makes one wonder if fighters actually fight so aggressively during sparring. Well, only Perry will be able to tell how he got those scars.
#3 - Clay Guida wants to pull a double whammy on Nate Diaz before retirement
“The Carpenter” Clay Guida is slowly inching towards the end of his professional fighting career and has recently been involved in competitive grappling rather than stepping inside the Octagon in search of title glory. However, if there's one fight Guida wants before calling time on his fighting career, it's a rematch against Nate Diaz.
Guida met Diaz at UFC 94 and emerged victorious via decision. During the virtual media day for UFC on ESPN 11, which takes place Saturday at UFC APEX, Guida said that he's beaten Nate once and will have no problem repeating the feat a second time.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, and I’ll never back down on this one: Nate Diaz has got it coming to him some day, I beat his ass once, I’ll beat his ass again. If he ever toes the line, and they stop protecting him, you know my number, Nate. Don’t be scared, homie. You know where we’re at, buddy.”
#2 - Rachael Ostovich suspended following failed drug test
The U.S. Anti-Doping agency (USADA) has announced that UFC women’s flyweight Rachael Ostovich has accepted a one-year sanction for violating UFC’s anti-doping policy. Ostovich tested positive for ostarine and GW1516 metabolites.
Ostovich tested positive after her out-of-competition urine sample was collected on Jan. 3. However, USADA said that because she received a four-month credit “due to time served under a provisional suspension in the latter half of 2019 for an atypical finding, Ostovich will be eligible to return from August 3.
Although it was proved that Ostovich didn’t intentionally consume the banned substances to enhance her performance, she was still subjected to a sanction because the substance has been declared as illegal by the UFC.
#1 - Paulo Costa wants a fortune to fight Israel Adesanya
Paulo Costa has quoted his price to Dana White for coaching in The Ultimate Fighter series and fighting reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
UFC president Dana White recently announced the return of UFC's very own and massively popular reality series TUF is coming back and named a few potential superstar coaches for the upcoming season. One pairing fans were eager to see was Adesanya and Costa. The pair share a heated rivalry and if things go according to plan, they will soon lock horns inside the Octagon in a middleweight summit clash.
Costa himself teased the potential fight on Twitter but when fight fans asked him if a deal was signed for the potential fight, the Brazilian revealed that the booking isn't done yet and laid down the number he wants in order to step inside the Octagon and fight "The Last Stylebender".
It seems unlikely that Costa would get $15 million but the recent trend of fighters coming out and talking about how low fighter pay really is and why they want more money to compete seems to be gaining massive interest and though I might be getting a little ahead of myself, we could be looking at the beginning of what could be a whole new wage structure for UFC fighters in the future.