Partial Credit: Dana Becker, and Sherdog
– UFC president Dana White made a “State of the Union” address during a recent edition of “UFC Tonight,” breaking down a number of key issues. One of those centered around the recent removal of fighters Nate Diaz and TJ Grant from the official UFC rankings.
“Everyone is taking about Nate being removed and so has TJ for inactivity,” White said in the interview, which you can watch in the video above. “Early on we let Dominick Cruz hold the title for as long as we did. But it’s unfair for the guys who are staying active. When you have a guy like TJ and they have an injury, that’s pretty serious, so they get dropped. But when they come back, they’ll get added back. Same for Diaz. He’s not taking any fights and we’re not sure when he will.”
Diaz (17-9) fought in November, defeating Gray Maynard via knockout. That snapped a two-fight losing streak for Diaz, which included a decision defeat to then-UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. He has gone on record saying he wants a new contract, despite having just signed one before the Henderson fight in 2012.
Grant (21-5) has been off since last May due to a concussion suffered in training. Cruz, who White mentioned, has not fought since 2011, but remains listed in the bantamweight Top-10.
– Ronda Rousey isn’t a fan of what the producers decide to show and not show when it comes to editing The Ultimate Fighter. The UFC female bantamweight champion coached opposite Miesha Tate on season 18 last year.
“I don’t watch ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ now that I know how much bull is in it,” said Rousey, during an interview with The Canadian Press. “I don’t support it. I used to watch it all the time. Now I won’t watch it.”
Rousey was very critical of the way she was depicted on the program, believing it led many to side with Tate heading into their title match last December. She lashed out at the production team, Pilgrim Studios, who have produced the show since 2005.
“They don’t know the first thing about fighting,” said Rousey, who meets Alexis Davis later this year at UFC 175. “They only know about reality TV and they treated us like we were ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and not elite athletes that should be respected. I don’t support people like that so I don’t watch the show anymore.”
– Despite receiving clearance from his doctor to amp up his training, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva remains focused on 2015 – not 2014 – for his return to the Octagon. Silva appeared on “UFC Tonight” to discuss the decision.
“My doctor said, ‘You crazy!’ I say, ‘Yeah, I’m a little crazy,'” Silva said. “(The doctor) said, ‘It’s ok. You’re ready for kick, no problem. You’re ready for bag, when you’re ready, you’re back.’ I’ll be back next year.”
Silva suffered a broken leg in December when Chris Weidman checked a kick of his during their middleweight title match. The Brazilian hasn’t announced any plans regarding who he would like to face in his return.
