Ian McCall Signs With New MMA Promotion
One week after publicly announcing his release from the UFC, former flyweight title contender Ian McCall already has a new promotion.
News came from MMA Junkie today (Mon., October 16, 2017) that McCall has signed with Japanese promotion Rizin FF and will compete in the second round of their upcoming bantamweight Grand Prix when he takes on 23-year-old Manel Kape. The event, Rizin FF 8: World Grand Prix Second Round, will take place on December 29 from Japan’s famed Saitama Super Arena.
It’s an odd set of circumstances for “Uncle Creepy,” who has fought only one single time since 2014, losing a hard-fought decision to John Lineker. Since then, he’s been scheduled to fight several times, but for one reason or another involving injuries, illness, and weight-cutting issues, McCall has been unable to fight and therefore asked for his release from the UFC.
He got it, and now he could be fighting three times in three days after fighting once in three years. He’ll meet a rising prospect in the 7-1 Kape, who knocked out Erson Yamamoto in the opening round of the bantamweight GP last weekend.
The two squared off in a heated staredown on social media today:
https://twitter.com/QueelJp/status/919878389674131456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fmmajunkie.com%2F2017%2F10%2Fian-mccall-joins-rizin-ff-8-bantamweight-grand-prix-debuts-dec-29
