Notorious for Attention

It has been a crazy week for the UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor. Last week, the Irishman shockingly announced his retirement via Twitter, saying "I have decided to retire young." The entire world was stunned by his announcement. A few days later, McGregor tweeted, "Happy to announce that I am back on UFC 200!" This episode McGregor put on left fans very confused. Fans suspect McGregor did this for attention and publicity. Another reason is that McGregor was actually thinking about retiring, then changed his mind. But the thing the world wants to to is why. Why is Conor McGregor considering retirement?

Conor McGregor is just a few years in the UFC. He is the UFC Featherweight Champion. He won the title in record time at UFC 194. He is on a roll. But one loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196 has really changed McGregor, and fans have noticed this. His behavior has changed. He hasn't been the same since his defeat against Diaz. And this scene McGregor made on Twitter was just to attract attention. Many have called him a wimp and a jerk, but McGregor doesn't care what people think of him. He doesn't need to worry about anything because he has a loud mouth and a pocket full of cash; thats all he needs. He is so obsessed with beating Nate Diaz that he has requested a non-title rematch, which will take place at UFC 200. This will be another great welterweight bout that I'm looking forward to.

Another Shot at Redemption

UFC 200 will feature a huge main event as Conor McGregor will battle Nate Diaz in an epic rematch! The two competitors clashed earlier at UFC 196 where Diaz scored the upset against the current UFC Featherweight Champion. Now McGregor looks to get some redemption from his loss to Nate Diaz.

UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor will be fighting outside his weight class once again. At UFC 196, McGregor suffered his very first defeat in his UFC career to Nate Diaz. The match was incredible, with the two fighters going back and forth. But in the end, it was Diaz who did the impossible and submitted the featherweight champion via rear naked choke. UFC President Dana White explained how this rematch came together. He and UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta met with McGregor after UFC 196 to talk about what was next for the Irishman. White told the media that McGregor was obsessed with fighting Nate Diaz again. He couldn't let an upset overwhelm him, so beating Diaz will remediate his obsession of fighting him. McGregor needs to win this match. Another loss will put a major setback in his career.

Furthermore, a highly-anticipated mid card bout will feature José Aldo taking on Frankie Edgar. This fight will be for the interim featherweight title. This is also a rematch from UFC 156 in February 2013, where Also defeated Edgar. Aldo has been wanting a rematch since suffering a loss to McGregor at UFC 194 and losing the UFC Featherweight Championship. So this interim title match will determine who will face Conor McGregor for the featherweight championship in the future.

¡Pura Vida!

Over Spring Break, I went to Costa Rica along with my high school jiu jitsu team. What an experience! We did so many activities there, including jiu jitsu of course.

The trip lasted 6 days, from Saturday to Friday. My team and I arrived at Newark Airport at 5:00 in the morning to catch a 7am flight to San José. After the 5-hour flight, we arrived in San José. When we got outside, we immediately had a scheduled bus ride to our hotel, which was 2 hours from the airport. This was our personal bus throughout the entire trip. We finally got to the hotel and everyone decided to relax since we've been traveling all day. This was the start of a vacation I will never forget.

The next morning we all woke up, ate breakfast, and hopped in the van to go to a local beach for surfing lessons. Everyone was atrocious at surfing at first, but we all got the hang of it and it was really fun. Later that day we went back to our hotel to get ready to do some jiu jitsu on the beach. We set up mats on the sand and rolled for about an hour. While rolling, a local comes up to us and asks us to roll with us. After watching this man do some amazing jiu jitsu techniques, he later told us that he's a local UFC fighter. Everyone was so impressed that we got his contact name and social media name. That was a really cool moment for all of us considering we're UFC fans.

The next day, my team and I went ATV riding. All 12 of us mounted an ATV and followed the instructor to the trails. The instructor took us to a waterfall that was located somewhere on the trail. It was a good place to cool off and clean ourselves from the dirt. We got back on our ATVs and headed back to the town. Although it was the dirtiest activity we did, it was my favorite part of the trip. Later that night, we went to this local jiu jitsu school near our hotel. One of my jiu jitsu instructors knew the head of the jiu jitsu school we went to. My team met some of the locals who practiced jiu jitsu there. It was very humble to meet some of these people because they really don't have a lot but they are happy in how they live. This shows that we are very fortunate and we should appreciate what we have. We continued to go to this academy to practice with the locals until the end of the trip.

Throughout the rest of the trip, we did other fun activities such as hiking at a national park, zip lining, and horseback riding. All while we maintained doing jiu jitsu. The day coming home was sad but everyone was ready to go. We thanked the bus services and everyone who contributed to the trip, especially my teachers. Without them, going to Costa Rica wouldn't have been possible. So thank you so much, Mr. Tomaino and Mr. Butler. I learned a lot from this trip. I learned that there's another meaning to life other than expenses and materialistic lifestyles; it's about enjoying what you have. The smallest things in life can make anyone the happiest person in the world.

Rear Naked Choke

Today I will be explaining the origins and describing the move that made the two champions from UFC 196 tap out: the rear naked choke. 


The rear naked choke, originating from hadaka jime, which means "naked strangle," is a chokehold applied to the opponent's neck from the back. It's a technique rooting from judo and jiu jitsu. The choke can be applied by using one arm to encircle the opponent's neck and then grabbing the other arm or bicep. Another variation is clasping both hands together instead of grabbing the other arm or bicep. The hold restricts oxygen to the brain by blocking both arteries on the neck. It causes temporary unconsciousness for a few seconds if done correctly. It's very hard to escape this chokehold because the attacker has complete control of the opponent's back and the pressure on the neck just adds difficulty. In jiu jitsu, the attacker usually hooks his legs the opponent's legs to control his victim. This is the most common chokehold used to choke out the opponent. In UFC, the fighter usually clasps his or her hands together instead of grabbing the other arm or bicep.

This move is done frequently in UFC fights. Most submissions occur via rear naked choke. Take the endings of the two main events of UFC 196 for example. Both ended in tap outs from the rear naked choke submission maneuver. It doesn't matter about the size or strength of the attacker, once he or she applies this hold, it's very easy for the opponent to submit or render unconscious.

A Dramatic Night of Upsets

What a shocking turn of events it was last night at UFC 196 in Las Vegas! Both main events of the evening had surprising results. First, Miesha Tate defeated Holly Holm for the coveted UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship! Also, Nate Diaz defeated the undefeated UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor in a non-title match!

UFC 196 will forever go down in the history books as it hosted two unbelievable main-event caliber fights. The first was for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship as Holly Holm defended her bantamweight title against Miesha Tate. This was her first title defense. After 5 rounds of slugging it out in the octagon, the former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion was able to lock on a rear naked choke to the worn out champion. Holm had no other choice but to submit, receiving her first loss in the UFC. Therefore, a new champion was crowned. The outcome of this fight leads to a lot of questionable decisions in the near future involving Tate, Holm, and as well as Ronda Rousey. Rousey is supposed to fight in July for the bantamweight championship, but it's said that Holm will cash in her rematch clause by then, leaving the women's bantamweight division in a bit of controversy. UFC President Dana White has a lot on his plate to deal with in order to figure out who's next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title.

The other upset that occurred was between Nate Diaz and the current UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor. The match ended in the 3rd round with McGregor shooting a takedown on Diaz. However, Diaz countered and mounted the featherweight champ, using his jiu jitsu techniques. Diaz then took his back and secured a rear naked choke on McGregor. McGregor had no choice but to tap out. Diaz was declared the winner in stunning fashion. Prior to this fight, the two competitors were constantly talking trash to each other, especially McGregor. Tensions grew during the UFC 196 Press Conference with McGregor instigating and insulting Diaz, calling him "too scrawny" and "not a real UFC fighter." Diaz proved him wrong and made McGregor swallow his words. This is the biggest win in Diaz's career and a major setback for the brash Irishman. Now McGregor has a choice of either returning to his rightful place in the featherweight division and defend his title or wait until Rafael dos Anjos returns from injury and challenge him for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

UFC fans and the media were shocked at the results of UFC 196. They witnessed the crowning of a new bantamweight champion in Miesha Tate, and Conor McGregor submitting to Nate Diaz, all in the form of upsets. UFC fights are very unpredictable, anything can happen. I'm so excited to see what's going to happen in the future between the triangle rivalry involving the bantamweight title as well as Conor McGregor's next phase in his career.

The Game Has Been Changed

A major change to one of the main events of UFC 196 has been made. UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor will no longer be fighting UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos for lightweight title. Instead, Nate Diaz will be fighting McGregor in a non-title match.

Rafael dos Anjos was supposed to put his title on the line against Conor McGregor in what would've been a historic championship match. But a broken foot sidelined dos Anjos and got him taken out of the fight. McGregor now has his sights set on Nate Diaz. He has been interested in fighting Diaz for a long time. There has been talk about these two competitors fighting each since UFC 189 last July. Now Diaz, being dos Anjos' replacement, has the opportunity to score a potential upset against the featherweight champion. Diaz is the perfect candidate to fight McGregor because he has beaten everyone that McGregor has beaten as well. So this welterweight bout will definitely open the eyes of many promoters, agents, and media personnel.

There has also been a lot of smack talk between the brash Irishman and the upstart. The two were going back and forth at the UFC 196 Press Conference. Furthermore, the amount of money put into this fight is astronomical. Since dos Anjos was scheduled out of the fight, the UFC needed to find a replacement immediately. This poured out thousands of dollars for Diaz and McGregor. UFC 196 will either make or break Nate Diaz as he looks to defeat the arrogant, but confident featherweight champion. This could also heighten McGregor's career as Diaz could put him even more over. I am excited to see how this welterweight fight will go down on March 5.

Rowdy Thoughts

Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey claims she thought about killing herself right after her knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 back in November.

Rousey appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and spoke about her loss. While in the hospital for sustaining injuries after the match, she said that "without the championship she is nothing. No one will care about her." Her boyfriend ultimately got her through that moment. She realized that she wants to be with him the rest of her life. Rousey told DeGeneres that she intends to return to the octagon in a rematch against Holm. Rousey says that everyone picks themselves up and continues to fight. She claims that she went through many ordeals to get where she is at in her career and her life. Her longtime trainer told ESPN that Rousey returned to her gym for training last month.

It's scary to think that arguably the best female fighter in the world had thoughts of suicide right after she lost her bantamweight championship. Her defeat to Holm really ate her alive. She hasn't been the same since. Rousey is a role model to all the women who struggle to be the best. She represents all the women who fight each day to better their lives and accomplish things for themselves. She realized that killing herself would affect everyone, from her family and friends to the people who look up to her. Plus committing suicide is never the solution; there is always a way out.

Jones vs. Cormier 2: The Rematch

It was announced that former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will get a shot at the championship he never lost when he faces the current light heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier. Jones was stripped of the title and suspended from the UFC after his arrest for a hit-and-run felony. Now Jones has the opportunity to win back the belt from his bitter rival.

This was confirmed by UFC President Dana White. White has announced that the most probable spot for this epic rematch is set for UFC 197 on April 23. In January of last year, Jones successfully defended the light heavyweight title against Cormier. However, he was stripped of the title 3 months later after being arrested on hit-and-run charges. In Jones' absence, Cormier went on to win the vacant title. He defended his championship while the former champion was sorting out his legal issues. Jones eventually pleaded guilty and was handed probation before being reinstated by the UFC. Jones will now get the chance to reclaim the title he never lost when he looks to defeat Cormier.


Jon Jones' irresponsible actions, that resulted in his arrest, will never be forgotten by the UFC and the media. However, many people believe that he deserves the opportunity to fight Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title. This is because he has been a fighting champion up until he was stripped of the belt. Plus, everyone deserves a second chance. Jones has successfully defended the title a record 8 times, making him the fighter with the most consecutive title defenses in the light heavyweight division. I am very eager to see how this fight will go down at UFC 197, considering Jones has defeated Cormier before.

Enhancing the Champ

The current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm has signed an endorsement deal with a supplement maker that sells products banned from the UFC and deemed illegal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


Holm agreed to a 2-year deal with Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals. In an ad, Holm is seen next to 5 bottles of Hi-Tech products, 3 of which are advertised to contain DMAA, which poses serious health risks as said by the FDA. DMAA is an amphetamine-like stimulant and an unsafe food additive. DMAA is most commonly used in supplements promising weight loss, muscle building, and performance enhancement. It can lead to cardiovascular problems, including cardiac arrest. In 2013, US Marshals seized more than $2 million worth of dietary supplements that contained DMAA that were manufactured by Hi-Tech. But that has not stopped Hi-Tech from selling products with DMAA. The company is in litigation over the matter. DMAA is also on the list of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The UFC's administrator of its doping protocol is the US Anti-Doping Agency, which adheres to the rules and regulations of WADA.

Holm and her manager did not respond to several comments made by the media concerning her use of the product herself. Although Holm sponsors a company that sells products containing a banned substance, it does not mean she uses the supplements. It is not the first time Holm has promoted a banned product. During her fight against Ronda Rousey, Holm was sponsored by Intel Pharma, a company that sold products labeled as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS). They were considered steroid alternatives. They were on WADA's banned substance list. Langdon Suggs, owner of Intel Pharma, said Holm and the company have parted ways.

Holm has been tested several times since the inception of UFC's anti-doping program in July. All of her results have been negative.

The Next Generation is Here

Two blockbuster championship main events have been scheduled for UFC 196 on March 5. The first is Holly Holm defending her newly-won UFC Bantamweight Championship against the challenger Miesha Tate. The other title match will be for the UFC Lightweight Championship between the current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and the challenger... Conor McGregor!

Now a lot of people are shocked that current UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor will be challenging for the lightweight title. McGregor will move up a weight class and fight Rafael dos Anjos for the championship. McGregor is coming off a 13-second knockout victory over José Aldo for the featherweight title. Fighting out of Dublin, Ireland, McGregor is 7-0 in the UFC. He will look to become only the 3rd man in history to win UFC championships in multiple weight classes. Randy Couture and BJ Penn are the other fighters.

The co-main event that will headline UFC 196 will be for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship as Miesha Tate will challenge Holly Holm for the title. This will be Holm's first title defense. She will compete under new terms of a contact extension she signed last week. Holm is coming off a spectacular title win over former champion Ronda Rousey. Rousey is expected to fight Holm again, but a rematch for the bantamweight title is uncertain.