‘Jacare’ Souza’s manager criticizes Vitor Belfort for picking opponents, offers to replace him in interim title bout your sports feeder

Vitor Belfort was offered an interim title bout with Lyoto Machida when Chris Weidman pulled out from UFC 184 with a rib injury, but “The Phenom” turned down the fight. Fellow middleweight contender Ronaldo Souza is willing to step up and replace him against anyone if that’s what the UFC wants.

Souza is undefeated in the UFC with four wins in a row, capped off by a third-round submission over Gegard Mousasi. Jacare’s manager Gilbert Faria believes that an interim title has to be created after another injury from the middleweight champion, and Belfort should not choose who he wants to fight.

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‘Jacare’ Souza’s manager criticizes Vitor Belfort for picking opponents, offers to replace him in interim title bout

TUF 20 Finale salaries: Carla Esparza earns $50,000 for UFC title win

No surprise here, but if you’re fighting on The Ultimate Fighter, it’s better on your wallet to make the finals. UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza handily out-earned the rest of her fellow TUF 20 castmates at Friday’s The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, pocketing $50,000 for her main event win according to figures released to MMAFighting.com by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Despite being the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and reigning Invicta FC champion, Esparza entered her finals bout against 22-year-old Rose Namajunas as a betting underdog. It didn’t matter though, as Esparza dominated Namajunas with her wrestling before securing a third-round submission finish to be crowned the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound champion.

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TUF 20 Finale salaries: Carla Esparza earns $50,000 for UFC title win

Rose Namajunas on title loss to Carla Esparza: "I kind of felt just like a child in there"

LAS VEGAS — It is potential Rose Namajunas got a little bit ahead of herself leading into her historical fight with Carla Esparza on Friday night.

Namajunas fell to Esparza by third-round entry (rear-naked choke) in the UFC’s initiative women’s strawweight title fight in The greatest Combatant 20 Ending here in the Pearl in the Palms. Namajunas was the smart pick to win the fight and end up being the surface of the recent section.

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Rose Namajunas on title loss to Carla Esparza: "I kind of felt just like a child in there"

Ultimate Fighter 20 Ending in Tweets: Experts respond to Carla Esparza being crowned UFC strawweight winner

History was produced in Las Vegas Friday night as the UFC crowned its first strawweight winner. Following the remaining TUF 20 cast fought each other in the undercard, the show’s finalists tangled for the crown. Former Invicta FC strawweight winner Carla Esparza survived a scrappy opening round from Rose Namajunas, but would use her wrestling to fix a third-round rear-naked choke to become UFC champ.

See in what way the experts responded to every one of the night’s activity.

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Ultimate Fighter 20 Ending in Tweets: Experts respond to Carla Esparza being crowned UFC strawweight winner

UFC Fight Night 57 bonuses: Paige VanZant vs. Kailin Curran wins Fight of Night

Two UFC newcomers earned an extra $50,000 on Saturday night.

Paige VanZant and Kailin Curran, two women’s strawweights both making their UFC debuts, earned ‘Fight of the Night’ honors for their clash on UFC Fight Pass. VanZant won the fight via third-round TKO.

Frankie Edgar earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his fifth-round submission win over Cub Swanson.

Oleksiy Oliynyk earned the night’s final performance bonus for his efforts when he rallied past Jared Rosholt to deliver a first-round KO.

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UFC Fight Night 57 bonuses: Paige VanZant vs. Kailin Curran wins Fight of Night

Neil Magny willing to fight for sixth time this year

RIO DE JANEIRO — Neil Magny, who won his fifth straight fight in 2014 using a third-round TKO over William Macario, talks about his position in lightweight section, his run, if he really wants to fight again in 2013, and much more.

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Neil Magny willing to fight for sixth time this year

Jordan vs. Cannonier, Horiguchi vs. Gaudinot added to UFC 182

A heavyweight competition comparing Shawn Jordan and Jared Cannonier, and a flyweight competition between Kyoji Horiguchi and Louis Gaudinot, happen to be added to UFC 182 on Jan. 3, according to UFC officials Thursday.Jordan (16-6), who has won three of his previous five fights, is returning to the Octagon after a third-round TKO of Jack May at UFC Fight Night 47 this past August.Cannonier (7-0) is making his UFC debut. He’s three knockout and three entry wins on his record. Horiguchi (14-1) is 3-0 in the UFC , and it has won eight straight fights. He conquered Jon Delos Reyes via first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 52 on Sept. 20.Gaudinot (6-3, 1 no-contest) is returning to the Octagon for the first time since his entry win against Phil Harris was overturned because of a failed drug test for a diuretic. Jon Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier in the main event.

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Jordan vs. Cannonier, Horiguchi vs. Gaudinot added to UFC 182

Sergio Pettis vs. Matt Hobar scheduled for UFC 181

A bantamweight clash between Sergio Pettis and Matt Hobar has been scheduled for Dec. 6 at UFC 181. The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the bout.

Pettis (11-1), the 21-year-old younger brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, looks to capture the third UFC win of his young career. Previously Pettis earned decisions over both Will Campuzano and Yaotzin Meza, but fell victim between them to a third-round rear-naked choke at the hands of Alex Cacares in UFC on FOX 10’s ‘Fight of the Night.’

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Sergio Pettis vs. Matt Hobar scheduled for UFC 181

Firas Zahabi: ‘[The fans] all want to see Rory MacDonald get the next title shot’

If 2014 goes down as the year Rory MacDonald cemented his claim to the UFC welterweight throne, then Saturday’s performance against Tarec Saffiedine will be remembered as the moment everything came together for the young Canadian, as MacDonald outclassed Saffiedine at his own game for two rounds before shaking his decision-prone stigma and ending the former Strikeforce champion’s night with a textbook third-round salvo of heavy punches.

Afterward, MacDonald made his intentions clear: he wants a shot at the UFC’s welterweight title.

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Firas Zahabi: ‘[The fans] all want to see Rory MacDonald get the next title shot’

UFC Fight Night Halifax in Tweets: Pros react to Rory MacDonald"s TKO, Raphael Assuncao makes it seven

A bit of a slow night picked up right when it was supposed to. In a bout pitting top UFC welterweight contenders against one another, Rory MacDonald scored an emphatic, third-round TKO stoppage of Tarec Saffiedine in the main event.

Looking to hold on to his top contender status, Raphael Assuncao stretched his winning streak to seven with a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway. Here’s how the pro’s reacted to tonight’s action:

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UFC Fight Night Halifax in Tweets: Pros react to Rory MacDonald"s TKO, Raphael Assuncao makes it seven

Tim Kennedy, Yoel Romero full post-fight UFC 178 exchange

The UFC released on Wednesday full video of the exchange that took place between Yoel Romero and Tim Kennedy immediately following the controversial ending to their UFC 178 fight. Kennedy appeared to be on the verge of knocking Romero out in the closing moments of round two of the pair’s middleweight contest, however Romero survived to the horn, then was awarded almost a minute-and-a-half to recover between rounds due to a series of bizarre circumstances which UFC President Dana White called “the dirtiest trick in the book.” Kennedy subsequently lost the fight via third-round TKO.

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Tim Kennedy, Yoel Romero full post-fight UFC 178 exchange

Trainer: Yoel Romero was not out between rounds at UFC 178, considers top 5 competition should be next

Yoel Romero scored the greatest win of his MMA career on Saturday night, but it did not come without some controversy.

Romero conquered Tim Kennedy via third-round TKO at UFC 178 in Vegas, but that stoppage arrived seconds after he got more time to recuperate between rounds. Kennedy protested following the loss, saying that he should happen to be given the TKO success when Romero did not answer the bell, but Romero’s team is convinced nothing will change.

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Trainer: Yoel Romero was not out between rounds at UFC 178, considers top 5 competition should be next

UFC 178 medical suspensor: Tim Kennedy possibly out six months after contentious end

Tim Kennedy may be held out of action for half a year after enduring a controversial third-round TKO loss to Yoel Romero at UFC 178, based on information released to MMAFighting.com from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Kennedy seemed to be to the brink of knocking Romero out in the closing seconds of round two of the pair’s middleweight competition, yet Romero lived to the horn, subsequently was given nearly a minute-and-a-half to recuperate between rounds as a result of number of outrageous situation which UFC President Dana White called “the dirtiest trick in the book.”

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UFC 178 medical suspensor: Tim Kennedy possibly out six months after contentious end

Nevada official: Chance of Romero-Kennedy result being overturned is "really slender"

LAS VEGAS — UFC 178’s featured middleweight fight took a turn for the weird on Saturday night when Yoel Romero received extra time to recuperate involving the 2nd and third round after almost being ended under a flurry of punches by Tim Kennedy.

within an action of evident gamesmanship, Romero stayed on his stool almost 30 additional seconds more compared to required one-minute break between rounds despite continued demonstrations from Kennedy, who finally lost the fight via third-round TKO due to strikes.

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Nevada official: Chance of Romero-Kennedy result being overturned is "really slender"

UFC 178 results: Cat Zingano states case for title shot with savage finish of Amanda Nunes

LAS VEGAS – You could be forgiven if you’d a feeling of deja vu watching Cat Zingano on Saturday night.

In her last fight, 17 months past, Zingano overcame a horrid start and scored a brutal third-round finish Miesha Tate in her UFC introduction.

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UFC 178 results: Cat Zingano states case for title shot with savage finish of Amanda Nunes

"Jacare" Souza"s strategies have not changed despite Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort postponement

Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort will not occur on Dec. 6 after all, but that will not alter Ronaldo Souza’s strategies.

“Jacare”, who scored his fourth straight triumph below the UFC banner using a third-round entry over Gegard Mousasi in September, will still work to be the ‘plan B’ in case something occurs to Belfort before his title fight against Weidman in February.

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"Jacare" Souza"s strategies have not changed despite Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort postponement