MMA News
Jake Paul will be on PEDs for Tyron Woodley boxing match, says Firas Zahabi
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will be on PEDs for the upcoming Tyron Woodley boxing match, says renowned MMA trainer Firas Zahabi. Zahabi, the head coach at Tristar Gym, recently spoke to fight fans in a YouTube Q&A session and he was asked what he thinks about the upcoming Paul vs. Woodley boxing match, which is set to take place on August 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. According to Zahabi, it is an intriguing fight, but the one thing he thinks will play the biggest factor out of everything is that Zahabi believes that Paul will be on PEDs for the fight against Woodley.
Dan Hardy believes Conor McGregor has "at least four or five more fights" left in him
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
Former UFC welterweight contender-turned-analyst Dan Hardy believes that Conor McGregor has “at least four or five more fights” left in him. McGregor suffered a broken leg in his TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 last month. He is expected to be out of action for the better part of a year, and considering how much money he already has, there have been plenty of suggestions that this could be it for McGregor in combat sports. However, if you ask Hardy, McGregor will fight again.
Coach claims Jon Jones would prefer Jan Blachowicz over ‘Stylebender’ in potential return to 205: “Israel’s not the guy anymore”
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
Jon Jones’ coach says he would prefer Jan Blachowicz over ‘Stylebender’ in a potential return to 205, saying “Israel’s not the guy anymore.” Jones and the UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya talked a lot of trash to each other over the last few years, and at one point in time, it seemed like a meeting between these two superstars was inevitable. However, with Jones moving up to the UFC heavyweight division, and with Adesanya losing to Blachowicz in his bid to become the promotion’s 205lbs champion, it appears as though there is not as much interest in this fight now. At least that’s what Jones’ coach Mike Winkeljohn claimed in a recent interview with Submission Radio, where the veteran striking coach explained what motivates Jones.
Khamzat Chimaev explains previous comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov: “If you are a real man, you have to think like that”
Harry Kettle - August 10, 2021
Khamzat Chimaev has explained the situation regarding his supposed feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Back in 2020 it seemed as if Chimaev was easily going to become the UFC’s next breakout star after three magnificent wins to kickstart his run with the promotion. Alas, a long bout with COVID-19 left his promising career in jeopardy, but after a year away he’s set to return to the Octagon at UFC 267.
Kevin Lee calls out Mike Perry, among other welterweights: "I’m ready to fight anybody with the balls to step up"
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2021
Kevin Lee has made it clear he wants to remain on the August 28 card and has called out several welterweights. Lee was set to face Sean Brady on the card but the undefeated prospect was forced out of the fight with a foot infection. Shortly after the news broke, Lee revealed to BJPENN.com he was going to remain on the fight card.
TJ Dillashaw reveals he will only be out three months after successful knee surgery following Cory Sandhagen fight
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2021
TJ Dillashaw will only be out three months after having knee surgery. In Dillashaw’s return fight against Cory Sandhagen, he appeared to hurt his knee in the first round. It threw off his footwork but he still hung in the fight and ended up winning a split decision. However, Dillashaw knew his knee was injured and on Thursday underwent successful surgery.
Nate Diaz continues to mock Conor McGregor, suggests he will show the Irishman how to beat Dustin Poirier
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Nate Diaz continued to mock his UFC rival Conor McGregor while also suggesting that he will show the Irishman how to beat Dustin Poirier. Diaz took to his social media on Monday afternoon to make two tweets mocking both McGregor and Poirier while suggesting he knows what it takes to defeat “The Diamond.”
Dana White gushes over new UFC champion Ciryl Gane: "He's a big, powerful, badass heavyweight who moves like a middleweight"
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
UFC president Dana White gushed over new champion Ciryl Gane, calling him “a big, powerful, badass heavyweight who moves like a middleweight.” Gane finished Derrick Lewis in the third round of their UFC 265 main event this past Saturday night in Houston, Texas. It was a dominant performance by the Frenchman, who moved to a perfect 10-0 in his MMA career, including a 7-0 mark in the UFC alone, with the win over Lewis. It was the biggest victory of Gane’s career to date and it earned him the interim heavyweight title, and a fight against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Julianna Pena calls for interim UFC women's bantamweight title with Amanda Nunes sidelined
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Julianna Pena called for the creation of an interim UFC women’s bantamweight title with the current champion Amanda Nunes sidelined. Pena was supposed to fight Nunes in the co-main event of UFC 265 on Saturday night in Houston, Texas, but the fight was postponed until later this year after Nunes tested positive for COVID-19. Nunes’ wife Nina recently took to social media to confirm that the Nunes family is now healthy and negative of COVID-19, but the UFC has still not re-booked this fight. The original plan was for the UFC to get this fight going in December, but as far as Pena goes, that is too long of a wait considering she is ready to scrap now.
Edmen Shahbazyan returns at UFC 268, expected to fight rising contender Nassourdine Imavov
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
UFC middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan will return to the Octagon at UFC 268 when he faces off with rising contender Nassourdine Imavov. La Sueur first broke the news that Shahbazyan vs. Imavov is on tap for UFC 268, which is scheduled to take place on November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. With the card already featuring a main event rematch between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and rival Colby Covington, the UFC continues to stack the deck for the promotion’s return to “The Big Apple.” With the addition of Shahbazyan vs. Imavov, this fight makes the undercard even stronger as this should be a very exciting matchup.
What's next for Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis after UFC 265?
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2021
In the main event of UFC 265, the interim heavyweight title was up for grabs as Ciryl Gane took on Derrick Lewis. Gane entered the fight with a perfect 9-0 record and only turned pro back in August of 2018. The Frenchman signed to the UFC at 3-0 and has looked unstoppable. Lewis, meanwhile, was riding a four-fight winning streak and was coming off a KO win over Curtis Blaydes.
Junior dos Santos disappointed by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking: "I don't understand why"
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Heavyweight Junior dos Santos is disappointed by the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking, saying that “I don’t understand why.” Emelianenko is set to return to the Bellator cage this October in Moscow, Russia, and when the news first broke that “The Last Emperor” was going to fight again, immediately big names like dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, and even Jake Hager all threw their names in the hat to get the chance to face off with the legend. However, Bellator decided to choose Johnson instead, and that disappointed dos Santos.
Vicente Luque wants title shot against Kamaru Usman following incredible finish at UFC 265
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Top contender Vicente Luque wants a title shot against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman following his incredible finish at UFC 265. Luque finished Michael Chiesa with a D’Arce choke in the first round of their welterweight bout on the UFC 265 main card. The win was the fourth in a row for Luque, all by stoppage, and he improved his UFC record to 14-3, with 13 of those wins coming by stoppage. “The Silent Assassin” has become one of the most exciting fighters in all of the UFC, and he is hoping that finishing his opponents in such devastating fashion earns him a title shot.
Ciryl Gane thrilled with "masterclass" TKO win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane says he is thrilled after putting on a “masterclass” performance against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. Gane knocked out Lewis in the third round with strikes to earn the interim heavyweight title in dominant fashion. The Frenchman controlled nearly every minute the fight lasted as he was able to manage his range and distance against the KO artist Lewis, and then knock his opponent out in the third to take home the interim strap. It was another incredible showing by Gane, who improved to 10-0 as a professional MMA fighter, including a 7-0 mark in the UFC alone. The win over Lewis was arguably the best Gane has ever looked.
Sean O’Malley claims a “drunk” Luke Rockhold pestered his father in Montana
Harry Kettle - August 9, 2021
Sean O’Malley has claimed that a drunk Luke Rockhold mocked him during a recent interaction with O’Malley’s father. There are many rising figures within the sport of mixed martial arts but you could argue few are as unique as Sean O’Malley. From his fight style to the manner in which he carries himself, he really does stand out amongst the pack at bantamweight.
Rafael Fiziev criticizes Khabib Nurmagomedov's fighting style: "I was never his fan"
Adam Martin - August 8, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev explained why he did not enjoy watching Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, saying that “I was never his fan.” Fiziev is one of the top strikers in the UFC lightweight division and he just put on a show against veteran Bobby Green at UFC 265. In a three-round war, Fiziev outpointed Green to take home the decision and improve to 4-1 in the UFC. The pair of fighters also took home $50,000 each for “Fight of the Night.” The talented Fiziev is quickly closing in on the top-15 of the UFC lightweight division and could potentially make an even bigger push should he be able to get a fight against one of the top dogs in the division. And even though he’s retired now, there’s no bigger fish in the sea than the former champion Nurmagomedov.
Stephen Thompson believes he can make another UFC title run despite loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 264
Adam Martin - August 8, 2021
Despite losing by unanimous decision to Gilbert Burns at UFC 264, Stephen Thompson still believes he can make another welterweight title run. The 38-year-old Thompson was coming into UFC 264 off of back-to-back wins over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal, but his striking attack was thwarted by Burns, who was able to take “Wonderboy” down to the ground and control him for the duration of the bout. It was not the most exciting fight, and UFC president Dana White admitted he wasn’t a fan of it. But at the end of the day, Burns got his hand raised and Thompson saw his win streak snap.
Jose Aldo calls out TJ Dillashaw for No. 1 contender fight in December
Adam D Martin - August 8, 2021
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo called out TJ Dillashaw for a No. 1 contender fight in the bantamweight division in December. Aldo defeated Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 265. It was the legend’s second straight win following a unanimous decision victory over Marlon Vera in his last outing. After being left for dead by many fans following a three-fight win streak that culminated in a brutal TKO loss to former champion Petr Yan last summer, “Junior” has bounced back in a big way and is looking like a championship-quality fighter once again. Only this time, the championship belt he is chasing is in the 135lbs division.