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Demarques Jackson ready to put on ‘performance of a lifeteime’ LFA 64 title fight

Apr 26 2019

Looking back over his 2018, lightweight Demarques Jackson feels like the year went almost perfectly.

In three bouts last year, Jackson managed to win all three, picking up finishes in two of the bouts, and position himself for big things in 2019.

“Last year was a big year for me,” Jackson told MMAWeekly.com. “I went 3-0 with three good wins against solid opponents. Getting those three wins there gave us this (upcoming) opportunity to fight for the belt.

“The decision over Bryce Logan I wish I could have done better in that. I wish I could have gotten a finish, but that happens sometimes against good, game, opponents. The next fight after that one, I knew I definitely had to put the guy away, and I did against Bobby Lee. I have the same mindset for upcoming fights; I have to put these guys away if I want to get a shot at the bigger shows.”

Having been four months since his win over Lee, Jackson has worked on developing his game, but doesn’t feel he’ll truly be able to see where he is at until he has his first fight of 2019.

“You can always have an idea where you’re at with in training, but it doesn’t matter until you go out there in a fight and show it,” said Jackson. “I feel like I’m next level, but I have to go out in this (upcoming) fight and show it.”

At LFA 64 on Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., Jackson (10-2) will get to showcase his skills in a lightweight championship main event against Harvey Park (11-2).

“I have to go out there and put on the performance of a lifetime; the best performance I’ve ever put on; and put him away,” Jackson said of Park.

“Every fight starts out striking, and if I like the striking and can land my shots on the feet, I will try to finish it there. If I don’t like how the striking is going, I’ll take the fight to the ground and go for the finish there. Either way I’m looking for a finish, whether it’s on the feet or on the ground.”

For Jackson, getting finishes is the biggest thing in 2019. He feels that if he can not only win, but finish all of his opponents, he’ll be able to step up to the next level before the year is out.

“I go fight by fight, finish by finish,” said Jackson. “Everybody they put in front of me, I’ll finish them until I get the call. I don’t care who they put in front of me, if I finish every fight eventually I’ll get the call.”

Cory Sandhagen: ‘I’m not down for having a life that is mediocre’ (UFC Ft. Lauderdale video)

Apr 25 2019

(Courtesy of UFC)

Cory Sandhagen is not cut out to live a mediocre life. When he decided to go after a career in mixed martial arts, it was going to be for nothing less than becoming a world champion.

Three fights into his UFC tenure, he has won all three of those bouts and has a stellar 10-1 overall record to his credit.

Sandhagen faces seasoned veteran John Lineker next at UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. If he continues his impressive UFC finishing streak, Sandhagen thinks he's only a fight or two away from challenging for the UFC bantamweight championship.

Tune in Saturday, April 27 to MMAWeekly.com for UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson full live results from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Dylan Potter plans to hand Sua Tuani another loss in CageSport 56 main event

Apr 25 2019

Looking back on his February third round TKO win over Sua Tuani at Reign FC 3, light-heavyweight prospect Dylan Potter admits he did the one thing he wasn’t supposed to do, but managed to come away with the victory anyway.

Knowing that Tuani’s strength lay in his aggressive stand-up style, Potter decided to engage his opponent there, and ultimately came out with the win.

“I strayed away from my game plan a little bit just because I was having so much fun in there brawling with (Tuani),” Potter told MMAWeekly.com. “The one thing everybody said was not to brawl with him, but I got in there and I felt comfortable and wanted to beat him at his own game.

“I like going in there and knowing if they’re good at something, I want to be better at it. It felt good to get a win. It felt good to get that belt. I trained hard for the fight and I’m happy with the results.”

Potter’s increased work in training came from the realization that if he didn’t take fighting as seriously as possible that he was never going to make it to the level he aspires to be at.

“I turned pro when I was 20 and was really still a kid; physically, mentally, my maturity level wasn’t where it’s at (now),” said Potter. “I’ve done a lot of growing and a lot of figuring out what I need to do to be at the level I want to be at.

“My first couple wins I didn’t take my training seriously and didn’t fully prepare for them. I didn’t fully realize that until a couple fights ago when I lost my fifth and sixth pro fight back-to-back. That’s when I decide I needed to buckle down and train hard. It’s really showed and I won’t go into another fight unprepared.”

On Saturday in Tacoma, Wash., Potter (7-4) will look to defeat Tuani (3-2) for a second straight time when the two meet in the 205-pound championship main event of CageSport 56.

“(Tuani) is the one who wanted to fight again,” Potter said. “I’m always down to fight anyone, but he was the one who came forward and was asking for a rematch. I’m expecting him to train harder. I’m expecting him to get better. I’m expecting him to come at me better than he was before.

“I’ve looked at (the first fight). I’ve re-evaluated it. I’ve seen a couple of things I did wrong that I cleaned up. He may have gotten better, but I’m getting better as well, and I’m looking forward to the rematch.”

For Potter, adding another title to his collection is just the next step in making his way to the biggest stages of MMA, which he hopes to accomplish by the end of 2019.

“In 2019 I want to beat the best people in the area. I want to look at anyone who is above me in the rankings or who holds a belt, and I want to take those belts and become number one again and get signed,” said Potter.

“After April 27, I’ll have won three of my last four fights, all title fights, and looking to take belts and take rankings and get signed.”

Conor McGregor’s ‘Proper No. 12’ helps push Irish whiskey sales past $1 billion in U.S. for first time

Apr 25 2019

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is laughing all the way to the bank following the successful launch of his ‘Proper No. 12’ whiskey.

A recent report from the Distilled Spirits Council via the Irish Times shows Irish whiskey sales have topped $1 billion in the United States for the first time.

It was a 12-percent increase in sales from year to year, which allowed the Irish whiskey market to cross the $1 billion sale figure in the U.S.

According to the report, Jameson remains the most sold Irish whiskey in the United States but their sales have slowed down in the past year.

A big part of the boost in Irish whiskey sales is instead being attributed to the launch of McGregor’s ‘Proper No. 12’ whiskey last year.

McGregor acknowledged the sales of his whiskey in a post on social media as well.

“Was there ever any doubt I’d turn Whiskey to a Billi? I turned “human cock fighting” to 4.2. I’m gonna toast on this fine Thursday this amazing news,” McGregor wrote on Twitter.

“Sláinte to the only true Irish Whiskey we have left, ‘Proper No. 12’. Irish owned forever. Thank you all. It has been my pleasure.”

https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1121392272329908224

The last part about ‘Irish owned forever’ is likely a dig at Jameson, the famed Irish whiskey that is owned by French company Pernod Ricard.

When McGregor first launched ‘Proper No. 12’ in the U.S. and Ireland last year, the initial order was sold out in a matter of weeks. Since that time, McGregor’s whiskey has continued to do big business in the United States and these sales figures are just the latest example that the former UFC champion will be making plenty of money outside the Octagon.