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In the build-up to the long-awaited bantamweight showdown between champion Petr Yan and challenger Aljamain Sterling, there’s been no shortage of trash talk.
However, things have gone a bit quieter on Sterling’s end in the eyes of Yan.
“He likes to talk a lot,” Yan told MMA Fighting. “He’s a big mouth and sometimes I just happen to answer his tweets. For me, he’s just another opponent, but I understand that he’s the challenger [and] he needs to attract attention that he needs so much. As I started training and preparing, recently he’s gone quiet. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened to his big mouth.
Midnight Mania! UFC parts ways with Anthony Rocco Martin
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Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Longtime Welterweight and Lightweight athlete Anthony Rocco Martin is no longer a member of the UFC roster per MMAJunkie. Martin was last seen competing in June at UFC 250 opposite Neil Magny, coughing up a close decision to the veteran clinch fighter. Though that bout is well over half a year ago, it is only now that UFC and Martin have opted to go their separate ways.
“I am excited for what the future holds,” Martin told MMAJunkie in a written statement. “I’m ranked 22 on Tapology. I feel like I am entering my prime and can’t wait for a new home. I want to find a place that I can compete to be a world champion and push to be the best in the world.”
Welcome to year eight of the annual “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series, in which we’ll examine five MMA prospects per division the UFC should sign in the upcoming year.
This series started during my time as a writer for Bleacher Report, continued through my tenures at Today’s Knockout and FanSided, and now it stays alive another year here at Combat Press.
Let’s examine the bantamweight division, a weight class that is loaded with good, young talent. It is rapidly becoming one of the most entertaining divisions in the UFC.
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In picking these prospects, I’ll try my hardest to stay away from fighters who are currently in top organizations, such as Bellator or the Professional Fighters League, but a couple may pop up. In the past, I’ve had some great picks on the list and some that haven’t worked out. Below are the previous year’s selections, followed by the five men the UFC should offer roster spots to in the coming year.