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It’s time to put on a bow on the year that was and get ready to turn the page. Before that can happen, though, we must examine the top storylines of the past year. That was the focal point in the final 2022 episode of MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique,” on which we count down the top five storylines. In late February, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was arrested after he allegedly chased down a truck in his SUV and shot into it. He allegedly was aiming at Harry Goularte, who had been arrested and released on bail prior to that for alleged sexual abuse of Velasquez’s 4-year-old son. Goularte’s stepfather was hit with a bullet allegedly fired by Velasquez, and the former fighter eventually was charged with attempted murder and nine other counts. Velasquez, after a number of court appearances, finally was granted bail in November, and in early December he was allowed to travel to Arizona to take part in a lucha libre wrestling event. Velasquez is on house arrest i

Bellator boss Scott Coker saw his team go unbeaten in their clash against Rizin FF on Saturday. In a promotion vs. promotion event to close out 2022, Bellator fighters went 5-0, giving their American promotion a clean sweep at Saturday’s  Rizin FF vs. Bellator event in Japan. The fights took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Showtime via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET. These bouts included A.J. McKee defeating Rizin FF lightweight champion Roberto de Souza in the main event of the card, Patricio Freire topping Kleber Koike Erbst in the co-main, Kyoji Horiguchi outpointing Hiromasa Ougikubo, Juan Archuleta beating Soo Chul Kim, and to open up the main card Gadzhi Rabadanov defeating Koji Takeda. Coker is happy with the result, but feels that perfect record could’ve been denied in the final fight of the card. “I always said my wish was to go 5-0, and I’m happy that my guys won, but to me, it was very competitive out there,” Coker told reporters

Michael Bisping has five fights he’d love to see happen in 2023 – including one in boxing. The former UFC middleweight champion and current commentator thinks four UFC fights eluded us in 2022 and hopes they finally come to fruition in 2023. The boxing match he’d like to see is Tyson Fury vs. fellow unbeaten heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. But the UFC fights on his list include some of the sport’s biggest stars – as well as a highly anticipated rematch that could be on the horizon. Check out Bisping’s UFC wishlist below. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/OMLmue7 via IFTTT

An up-and-coming light heavyweight prospect was one of two men killed in a Christmas Eve shooting in California. Tanner Marlow (4-0), 30, reportedly was at a home in Bakersfield, Calif., on Dec. 24 when an armed man forced his way into the house. Marlow was armed, as well, according to a report from ABC TV 23 in Bakersfield , and the resulting shooting between the two resulted in Marlow’s death, as well as Jacob Malena. The report said Malena forced his way into the home where his estranged girlfriend lived, that Marlow was there, and the result was the double homicide. Iridium Sports Agency, which represented Marlow, released a statement that read: “We’re heartbroken over the tragic passing of our Team Iridium brother Tanner Marlow. Tanner is remembered fondly as one of the most promising unbeaten prospects in the sport of MMA, and a very proud family man. Tanner is missed greatly, and we extend our sincerest condolences and prayers to his family, friends, and team at this diffic

Paddy Pimblett is settling differences in the old fashioned way. The UFC standout called an internet troll to a fight after getting heckled for a good while on social media. Surprisingly, the troll accepted and went to Pimblett’s (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) gym in Liverpool, England, to throw down. Pimblett gave him a warm welcome, turned on the camera, laced up the gloves and gave the fellow a good beat down. Following two rounds of fighting, the troll said no more and the pain ended. Pimblett gave him some money for building up the courage to fight him and then sent him his way. You can watch the video above. Related Yair Rodriguez: 'It would be in my benefit' for Alexander Volkanovski to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 UFC 282 'Fight Motion': Watch the controversial Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon highlights in super slow motion Pimblett is coming off a closely contested split decision win over Jared Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282 earlier this month. Al

Roberto de Souza hopes a win over A.J. McKee puts Rizin’s name on the map globally. Rizin FF’s lightweight champ de Souza (14-1) faces former Bellator featherweight champ McKee (19-1) in Saturday’s Rizin 40 headliner at Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime via tape delay and the fights will take place in Rizin’s ring under the promotion’s ruleset. De Souza’s lone career loss came to Johnny Case by TKO in 2019 – a result he avenged by first-round submission in his recent outing in April. De Souza acknowledges that McKee is well-versed everywhere, but wants to show Rizin’s level in this big cross-promotion bout. “I think he’s a dangerous fighter, but that’s about it,” de Souza said through an interpreter during the Rizin 40 pre-fight press conference. “But he’s from Bellator and he’s been chosen by Bellator so I have to be careful in that sense.” He continued, “I know it’s gonna be a difficult fight and maybe one of the most dif

Juan Archuleta plans on breaking Kim Soo Chul . Archuleta (26-4) takes on Chul (18-6-1) on Saturday’s  Rizin 40 event at Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime via tape-delay and the fights will take place in Rizin’s ring under the promotion’s ruleset. Having gone 25 minutes on six different occasions, Archuleta is confident that he’ll have both experience and endurance on his side. “I hope he’s fast enough to keep up with me,” Archuleta said during the Rizin 40 pre-fight press conference. “I hope he has the endurance to keep up with me because it’s gonna be a long f*cking 15 minutes for him.” He continued, “I know where my conditioning is, I know how hard I can push my body, I know where I could take myself mentally, physically and spiritually to get a victory. I don’t think he does. I don’t think he understands why I train so hard, why I wake up day in and day out to be so diligent in my work that it shows in my performances. I

Bryan Barberena ’s name is not on the table for a potential fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov . Barberena (18-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) posted on Instagram on Friday to say his request to step in on short notice to fight Rakhmonov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 217 on Jan. 14 was shut down. Rakhmonov originally was scheduled to fight top contender Geoff Neal, but a Neal injury canceled the bout, it was reported Thursday. Barberena quickly campaigned for the bout and began to get support from the fan base online. Rakhmonov himself also liked the idea, as he agreed to the bout on Twitter. “I have been informed that I will not get the fight with Shavkat,” Barberena wrote. “I know I don’t deserve it, especially after my last showing, but I’ve had 2 other great showings this year and every fight you go into is different. I know I’m a very dangerous individual, and I truly believe I can beat Shavkat and give the fans a fight they want to see. But it’s completely up to the UFC if the fight happ

Henry Cejudo is bothered to see Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera ’s headliner take place at the UFC Apex. Sandhagen (15-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) faces Vera (20-7-1 MMA, 14-6 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 219 on Feb. 18 in the UFC’s smaller cage in Las Vegas, and former two-division champ Cejudo thinks a fight of this magnitude should be in front of a sold-out crowd. “I don’t like it,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I think this fight – the bantamweight division is the toughest division in the world right now, bar none. Any of those guys could challenge for the title and beat the champ right now, who is (Aljamain Sterling), but I think a fight like that belongs in a big stadium, belongs in a sold-out arena. The Apex is not doing justice for any of the fighters. “Yeah, the UFC is saving money, but again, it’s not promoting the sport. It’s not giving these fighters these different experiences because every time I fought, I wasn’t fighting in a damn 300-seat arena. I’ve always fought in front

We’re not even to 2023 yet, and the UFC already has a fight booked for the second quarter of next year. Bantamweights Adrian Yanez (16-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Rob Font (19-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) are set to meet at a UFC event planned for April 8. A location and venue have not yet been announced. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with people with knowledge of the booking. They asked to remain anonymous because the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement. MMA Fighting was first to report the news. Yanez won his way into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 and surged to 5-0 in the promotion with reasonable quickness, including four knockouts in those fights and a post-fight bonus in every one of them. After three wins in 2021, Yanez fought just once in 2022 with a first-round finish of Tony Kelley in June. Font is looking to rebound from the first skid of his career. After four straight wins over current Bellator champion Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, former WSOF champ Marlon Mora

John Dodson can’t wait to head stomp and soccer kick people in the face – legally. The former UFC title challenger is giddy to the thought that a whole new arsenal has opened up for him now fighting under Rizin FF banner in Japan. Dodson (22-13) signed a multi-fight deal with the promotion and is set to make his debut on Saturday against Hideo Tokoro (35–31–2) at Rizin 40 in Saitama Super Arena, just outside Tokyo. The shift in promotions comes with many new changes – a new audience, new opportunities, and more importantly for Dodson, a new rule set. Under Rizin FF rules, fighters are allowed to knee and kick their opponent’s head while they’re on the ground. This is something that has Dodson over the moon. “They can expect a whole new level of John Dodson because of the fact that I get to implement the rules that I’ve been using on the streets without legal laws,” Dodson told reporters on Thursday in Japan. “I can head-stomp, soccer kick somebody in the face, and knee them on t

Magomed Ankalaev will look to increase his media presence in pursuit of another UFC title shot. Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) failed to capture the vacant light heavyweight title when he battled Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in the UFC 282 main event – a fight he thought the judges robbed him of. Instead of getting to run things back with Blachowicz, both men were snubbed out of the title picture when the promotion opted to book Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill for the vacant belt in the UFC 283 headliner on Jan. 21. According to Ankalaev , the UFC has asked him to promote himself better and that’s what he plans on doing. “Hi everyone, this is my American account. To be a great fighter is not enough to get my title, I have to become a media active too.  @UFC  is asking for it, and I will do it.” Hi everyone, this is my American account. To be a great fighter is not enough to get my title, I have to become a media active too. @UFC is asking for it, and I will do it. pic.tw

Daniel Cormier thinks the best way Paulo Costa can get leverage on the UFC is by beating Khamzat Chimaev . Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has one fight left on his UFC deal, but doesn’t want to complete his contract or renew it unless he gets a significant bump up in pay. Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) said he’s struggling to book a fight as four opponents allegedly turned him down – but Costa called shenanigans . The pair have history and even had a brief altercation at the UFC Performance Institute. So with unbeaten star Chimaev looking for an opponent, Cormier thinks Costa would benefit from fighting him. “Paulo Costa is about done with his UFC contract,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “The UFC will give you a fight to make you prove why we should pay you if you’re at the end because if Paulo Costa goes and beats Khamzat Chimaev, he might get anything he wants. So for him, it makes sense. “But if he gets beat and wiped out, now what? That bargaining power is a little bit less

A.J. McKee sees his fight against Roberto de Souza  as a stern test for the both of them. McKee (19-1) meets Rizin lightweight champion de Souza (14-1) on Saturday’s  Rizin 40 headliner at Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime via tape-delay and the fights will take place in Rizin’s ring under the promotion’s ruleset. Like McKee, de Souza only has one loss on his resume. But the former Bellator featherweight champion expects to present de Souza’s toughest challenge to date. “He’s good,” McKee said during the Rizin 40 pre-fight press conference. “I feel he hasn’t fought anybody in my caliber yet, so I’m looking forward to just bringing him a good fight and pushing the pace.” He continued, “It’s gonna be a fun fight, it’s gonna be an exciting fight. It’s gonna be a fight where I think the people are gonna love it, I’m gonna love it, I’m just gonna be out there having fun, doing what I love to do. It’s a ring, so for me it’s gonna

Patricio Freire is already familiar with Rizin FF’s rules. Bellator featherweight champion Freire (34-5) will take on Rizin featherweight champ Kleber Koike (31–5–1) in the co-main event of Rizin 40 on Saturday at Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime and the fights will take place in Rizin’s ring under the promotion’s ruleset. But Freire isn’t concerned with the ruleset change, which includes soccer kicks to a grounded opponent. Having competed in Brazil in his come-up, Freire is accustomed to Vale Tudo, which translates to anything goes. “In my debut, I was training in those rules so I’m very used to kick some heads on the ground,” Freire said during the Rizin 40 pre-fight press conference.”I’ve been fighting in MMA from when I was a little kid and in Brazil of course there’s Vale Tudo which is similar to the Rizin rules so I’m used to those too.” Freire didn’t offer too much insight on his game plan, but with Koike boasting a

The first UFC event of 2023 has taken a major hit. Due to an undisclosed injury, Geoff Neal (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has been forced out of his UFC Fight Night 217 welterweight co-main event bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on Jan. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It is unknown if Rakhmonov will remain on the card. Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the news to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Reporter Igor Lazorin was first to report the news. Rakhmonov took to Twitter to react to the news. “ Apparently @handzofsteelmma  is all talk” Apparently @handzofsteelmma is all talk — Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) December 29, 2022 Neal, meanwhile, wrote on Facebook that “nobody’s scared” and he’s looking to reschedule the fight. Rakhmonov, 28, has finished all his professional wins – eight by knockout and eight by submission. The unbeaten rising star is coming o

Tatiana Suarez seems to be on the verge of a return. The promising, unbeaten UFC contender says she’s fighting in February and making her highly anticipated comeback in a weight class above – women’s flyweight. Suarez (8-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) revealed the news in a series of replies to fans in one of her Instagram posts on Tuesday. Related Tracy Cortez making mental health a priority, but vows to return to UFC stronger UFC's Manon Fiorot targets champ Valentina Shevchenko, welcomes Rose Namajunas if she moves up Suarez hasn’t competed since defeating Nina Nunes at UFC 238 in June 2019. The 32-year put her career on hold after a series of injuries, including neck and knee problems , prohibited her from training and much less fighting. Suarez remains unbeaten in her professional fighting career. The wrestling standout holds wins over Nunes, Alexa Grasso, and former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza. Gallery Photos: Best of Tatiana Suarez view 8 images from MMA

(NOTE: This story originally published on MMAJunkie.com sister-site BoxingJunkie.com ) Gervonta Davis is in more legal trouble less than two weeks ahead of his Jan. 7 fight with Hector Luis Garcia. Davis was arrested and jailed after allegedly striking an unidentified woman Tuesday afternoon at a home in Parkland, Florida, according to multiple reports. ESPN is reporting that he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, citing a Broward County Sheriff’s Office report. The lightweight contender was released on bail Wednesday. Davis reportedly slapped the woman on the right side of her head by what was described as a “closed hand,” which caused an abrasion in her upper lip. The police report indicated that he “did actually and intentionally touch and strike [the woman] against her will [and] did intentionally cause bodily harm to her.” Audio of the alleged victim’s 911 call was obtained by multiple outlets. She reportedly told the operator: “I need help, please! I’m trying