MMA News
TJ Dillashaw admits that he lied to the referee during Cory Sandhagen bout
Adam D Martin - September 14, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw admitted that he lied to the referee during the recent Cory Sandhagen bout. Dillashaw and Sandhagen fought for 25 minutes to a narrow split decision back in July that the judges ultimately gave to the former champ. Speaking to Submission Radio following the fight, Dillashaw admitted there was a chance that the fight could have been stopped because he had an injury to his eye that meant he had vision problems. According to Sandhagen, however, he lied to the referee and told him that he could still see fine.
Luke Rockhold calls out Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman for not backing Francis Ngannou: “They should’ve just stood by him and been men”
Adam D Martin - September 14, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold called out Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman for not backing Francis Ngannou. Rockhold makes his return to the Octagon after more than two years away in November at UFC 268 when he takes on Sean Strickland. Ahead of his comeback to the cage, Rockhold has been doing the media rounds and one of his stops was Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour.
Jake Paul responds following call out from MMA legend Anderson Silva
Harry Kettle - September 14, 2021
YouTuber turned pro boxer has given his thoughts on what would happen if he stepped into the ring to face Anderson Silva. While he may still be basking in the glory of his win over Tyron Woodley, Jake Paul is still having to face questions about what could be next for him as his boxing journey continues.
Mackenzie Dern claims she was offered a fight with Carla Esparza but ‘The Cookie Monster’ turned it down
Harry Kettle - September 14, 2021
Mackenzie Dern has claimed she was offered a fight against Carla Esparza – only for “The Cookie Monster” to turn it down. Dern managed to extend her win streak to four back in April with a nasty submission triumph over Nina Nunes, bringing her overall record to 11-1. On the flip side, Esparza has won five straight with her victory over Yan Xiaonan putting her firmly in line for a title shot against Rose Namajunas.
Nate Diaz continues to show interest in Vicente Luque fight
Drake Riggs - September 13, 2021
Nate Diaz seems to be looking to get back in the octagon before 2022. After recent back and forths with his old foe in Conor McGregor and Gilbert Burns, Diaz has shown interest in the surging Vicente Luque. On Monday, the Stockton, California native shared even further openness toward the matchup.
Luke Rockhold warns 'f*cking idiot' Sean Strickland not to come at him in parking lot
Drake Riggs - September 13, 2021
The bad blood between Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland is heating up. Before their upcoming bout was made official, Strickland (24-3) took to Instagram to address the idea of him taking on Rockhold (16-5). In the video, the surging 185-pound contender let it be known that if he sees Rockhold in the RVCA gym parking lot, he will “walk up to you and smack you in the f*cking face.”
Jake Paul blasts MMA fighters after beating Tyron Woodley: 'You guys cannot box for sh*t'
Cole Shelton - September 13, 2021
Jake Paul has taken another shot at MMA fighters, but this time, he has critiqued their boxing skills. Paul, the brash YouTuber-turned-boxer, has made it clear he wants to box MMA fighters and a lot of MMA fighters want to box him. Paul is coming off a split decision victory over Tyron Woodley and before that, he knocked out Ben Askren in the first round.
Vitor Belfort, Anderson Silva's wins won't count on pro record as all Triller fights were ruled exhibitions
Cole Shelton - September 13, 2021
Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva will not see their boxing record with an additional win. In the lead-up to Triller Fight Club Legends 2, it was uncertain if the main event between Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort was an exhibition. Triller CEO, Ryan Kavanaugh revealed the day before Holyfield would decide if it would be considered a pro bout.
Jorge Masvidal shares prediction for Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 2
Adam D Martin - September 13, 2021
UFC welterweight superstar Jorge Masvidal shared his prediction for the upcoming Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 2 fight at UFC 266. Diaz and Lawler meet next Saturday night in a five-round, non-title welterweight bout at UFC 266. It’s the long-awaited rematch between the two fan favorites after Diaz knocked Lawler out with punches back in 2004. 17 years later and these two are now set to face off again in a fight that doesn’t really feature any title implications considering both Diaz and Lawler are not ranked fighters. But they are both huge names in the sport, so it’s no wonder that Masvidal recently said that he would like to face the winner of the fight.
Anthony Smith fires back at "f*cking dork" Ryan Spann ahead of UFC Vegas 37
Adam D Martin - September 13, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith fired back at “f*cking dork” Ryan Spann ahead of their fight this weekend at UFC Vegas 37. Smith, the No. 6 ranked fighter at 205lbs, meets the No. 11 ranked Spann in the headliner of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card. Ahead of their fight, “Superman” had some choice words to say about “Lionheart” in the UFC’s video promo package for UFC Vegas 37. Smith heard those comments, and speaking on The MMA Hour, he responded to what Spann said.
Phil Davis ecstatic to welcome Yoel Romero to Bellator, plans to make 'the fight difficult for Yoel'
Cole Shelton - September 13, 2021
Phil Davis is eager to get the chance to welcome Yoel Romero to Bellator. In the main event of Bellator 266 on September 18 in San Jose the two will share the cage. Davis is coming off the grand prix loss Romero will be moving up to light heavyweight for is debut. It’s an intriguign mathup and for Davis, when he got the call he would be fighting Romero, he says it was an immediate yes.
Michael Bisping praises Anderson Silva: "He is a modern-day Bruce Lee"
Adam D Martin - September 13, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping praised his former middleweight division rival, Anderson Silva, saying that “he is a modern-day Bruce Lee.” Silva is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and, at age 46, he is adding to his reputation as one of the best combat sports athletes of all time with his performances in boxing. After picking up an upset split decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earlier this summer, Silva got back into the win column this past weekend when he finished Tito Ortiz with punches in Triller Fight Club. It was another exceptional performance by “The Spider” and, as far as his former rival Bisping goes, it’s proof of his legendary status in martial arts.
Georges St-Pierre explains how training martial arts changed his life
Adam D Martin - September 13, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre, the former welterweight and middleweight champion, explained how training martial arts changed his life. St-Pierre is, of course, considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. But for GSP, it’s not something he was born with, but rather something he learned. Speaking to Burt Watson on the latest “Legend 2 Legend” podcast, St-Pierre explained how finding martial arts changed his life. According to GSP, he was a very shy and unconfident child, but after finding karate, he says he could see he was gaining more a lot more confidence.
Michael Bisping would “love to tee off on Jake Paul” if he can find a commission that will let him fight
Adam D Martin - September 13, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping says he would “love to tee off on Jake Paul” if he can find a commission that will let him fight. Bisping confirmed earlier this year that Team Paul had made contact with him about a potential boxing match, but that never ended up happening. Instead, Paul fought former UFC fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley this year instead, and he beat both of them. The sky is now the limit for Paul in regards to what potential opponent he could face. By beating Askren and Woodley, there is a chance Paul could lure in a bigger-name rival.
Transgender fighter Alana McLaughlin responds to critics after winning pro MMA debut
Harry Kettle - September 13, 2021
Alana McLaughlin has responded to critics after becoming just the second transgender fighter to compete in professional mixed martial arts this past weekend. Following in the footsteps of Fallon Fox, McLaughlin took part in her first pro MMA fight with Combate Global where she secured a second round submission over Celine Provost after a fascinating back and forth bout in the first round.
Preliminary estimate released for Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley pay-per-view buys
Harry Kettle - September 13, 2021
As per Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley boxing event drew an estimated 480,000-500,000 buys. The report indicates that other sources are suggesting the final figure could be slightly lower than that but ultimately, it’s going to be around the half a million range. Some will opt to see this as a decent outcome whereas others are of the belief that given the build it received, Paul vs Woodley probably should’ve done better in the long run.
Conor McGregor, Machine Gun Kelly get into a scuffle on red carpet at VMA's (Video)
Cole Shelton - September 12, 2021
Conor McGregor and rapper, Machine Gun Kelly got into it on the red carpet at the VMA’s on Sunday. A video emerged showing the two getting into a scuffle on the red carpet. According to TMZ, McGregor asked MGK for a photo, which the rapper declined and reportedly shoved the Irishman which caused him to spill his drink. McGregor then threw his drink at Kelly and the two then got into an altercation and they were forced to be separated.
Sean Gannon, UFC veteran who once fought Kimbo Slice, passes away
Adam Martin - September 12, 2021
Sean Gannon, a former Boston police officer and a UFC veteran who once fought Kimbo Slice in a street fight, has passed away. Gannon’s death was first reported on social media as friends and family confirmed the sad news. MMA reporter Marcel Dorff also confirmed that Gannon has passed away. His age is unknown as is the cause of death, which has not been made available to the public yet.