MMA News
Montana De La Rosa expects to "dominate" Ariane Lipski on the ground en route to stoppage win
Cole Shelton - May 31, 2021
Montana De La Rosa knows she has a clear path to victory over Ariane Lipski on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 28. De La Rosa is making a quick turnaround after her draw against Mayra Bueno Silva in February. For the 26-year-old, she still thinks she won the fight but wanted a quick turnaround after the result.
Leon Edwards confident he will finish Nate Diaz at UFC 263: "He's not no invincible man"
Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards is confident that he will finish Nate Diaz at UFC 263, suggesting that “he’s not no invincible man.” Edwards and Diaz meet in a five-round fight on the UFC 263 main card, which takes place on June 13 in Phoenix, Arizona. The two welterweights were supposed to meet last month at UFC 262, but the fight was postponed due to a minor training injury suffered by Diaz. Thankfully, the UFC was able to get the fight re-booked quickly and we’ll see it in just two weeks. On paper, it’s a great fight and the winner could very well be in line for a title shot.
Rob Font lays out UFC plan: Fight winner of TJ Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen, then fight for the belt
Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021
UFC bantamweight Rob Font laid out his plan, which including fighting winner of TJ Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen, then fighting for the belt. Font is coming off of the biggest win of his UFC career to date, a five-round unanimous decision victory over former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Vegas 27. With four wins in a row and a top-three ranking at 135lbs, Font knows that he is coming up on a title shot in the stacked UFC bantamweight division, and speaking to TMZ Sports, he laid out his plan.
Teofimo Lopez praises Jorge Masvidal: "I like his style and I like his swag"
Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021
Boxing superstar Teofimo Lopez praised UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal, saying that he’s a big fan of the way “Gamebred” conducts himself. Lopez puts his lightweight belt on the line in June when he takes on George Kambosos Jr. With a 16-0 record as a professional boxer and coming off of an upset win over Vasyl Lomachenko, Lopez’s star has never been brighter. Ahead of his upcoming fight, Lopez was a guest on the “1, 2 with James and Kendrick” podcast and he was asked what he thinks about MMA fighters. Speaking to the hosts, Lopez was quick to point out that he’s a big fan of Masvidal, the UFC fighter who exploded into a true superstar over the last few years.
Brandon Moreno trashes Deiveson Figueiredo ahead of UFC 263 rematch: "Man, the guy's so ugly"
Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021
Brandon Moreno trashed UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo ahead of their UFC 263 rematch, saying that “man, the guy’s so ugly.” Moreno and Figueiredo met in the main event of UFC 256 last December for the 125lbs title. In one of the best fights of 2020, the Mexican Moreno and the Brazilian Figueiredo went toe-to-toe for the full 25 minutes, with the fight being scored a draw at the end of the five rounds after a point deduction to the champ for a low blow cost him the decision. The UFC decided that the fight was so good and so competitive that an immediate rematch was necessary, and the two will meet in the co-main event of UFC 263 on June 13 in Phoenix.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk shoots down the idea of a UFC rematch between Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas
Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021
Joanna Jedrzejczyk has shot down the idea of a title fight rematch between Carla Esparza and UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought since UFC 248 in March 2020, when she lost a spirited split decision to former champ Weili Zhang in one of the best fights of last year. Since then, the Polish fighter hasn’t stepped back into the Octagon, but she is hoping to return to the cage later this year, and she has been adamant that she fights for the belt when she returns. However, Esparza’s recent TKO win over Yan Xiaonan would indicate she’s next in line.
Zabit Magomedsharipov "will not return to the Octagon" until health problems are resolved
Adam Martin - May 30, 2021
The manager for UFC featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov says he “will not return to the Octagon” until his health problems are resolved. Magomedsharipov was one of the top-five ranked featherweights on the UFC roster but he was taken out of the rankings earlier this year due to inactivity, as his last fight was a decision win over Calvin Kattar in November 2019. Since then, Magomedsharipov has been connected to numerous fights with rival Yair Rodriguez, but the fight never materialized due to COVID-19 logistical issues, injuries, and Rodriguez’s issues with USADA. It’s led to an extended layoff for Magomedsharipov, and he recently said he was considering retiring.
Jorge Masvidal reacts after first-ever Gamebred Fighting Championship event announced
Adam Martin - May 30, 2021
UFC welterweight superstar Jorge Masvidal reacted after the first-ever Gamebred Fighting Championship event was officially announced. Masvidal last month announced that he would be launching Gamebred FC, which is a bare-knuckle MMA promotion. We have seen bare-knuckle fighting make a rise in popularity over the last few years with organizations such as BKFC at the forefront, but we haven’t seen a bare-knuckle MMA promotion really take off. With Masvidal leading the way, the hope is that this first Gamebred FC event is the first of many events for the UFC welterweight star.
Gregor Gillespie open to Islam Makhachev fight down the road: "That's a guy that's probably ranked lower than he's capable of competing at"
Adam Martin - May 30, 2021
UFC lightweight Gregor Gillespie is open to fighting Islam Makhachev fight down the road, suggesting the Russian could be ranked even higher. Gillespie is currently the No. 10 ranked lightweight in the UFC after going 7-1 overall in the promotion, including a stoppage win over Diego Ferreira that recently won him $100,000 in bonuses. One of the top grapplers in the UFC lightweight division, Gillespie is now looking for his next opponent, and one of the suggestions from fans has been Makhachev, who is ranked one spot ahead of Gillespie at No. 9 in the UFC. Makhachev is slated to fight Thiago Moises in July in his next fight, but Gillespie is keeping an eye on him for the future.
Bigfoot Silva excited for MMA comeback after four years away: "Pezao from 10 years ago will return"
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
Former UFC heavyweight Bigfoot Silva is excited for his MMA comeback after four years away, saying “Pezao from 10 years ago will return.” Bigfoot hasn’t fought in MMA since June 2017, when he was knocked out by Vitaly Minakov in Russia. He has competed in Glory Kickboxing and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship since then but he lost to Rico Verhoeven and Gabriel Gonzaga by brutal knockout. Overall, Bigfoot has lost his last five MMA fights dating back to 2015, with his last victory coming against Soa Palelei all the way back at UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia in August 2015.
Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Dustin Poirier will be UFC lightweight champion within the year
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes that former rival Dustin Poirier will be crowned the new champion within a year. Nurmagomedov was the best lightweight fighter in the sport before officially announcing his retirement from MMA earlier this year. As part of his retirement, Nurmagomedov vacated the UFC’s 155lbs belt, which Oliveira won when he knocked out Michael Chandler at UFC 262. Speaking to Sport 24, Nurmagomedov praised the new champion Oliveira for his victory, but cautioned that he won’t be champion for long. As far as “The Eagle” is concerned, Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier will take Oliveira’s belt from him.
Dana White explains why Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards was scheduled for five rounds
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
UFC president Dana White explained why the upcoming Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards welterweight bout at UFC 263 was scheduled for five rounds. For the first time in UFC history, a fight other than a title bout or main event will be scheduled for 25 minutes when Diaz takes on Edwards on June 12 at UFC 263. The fight was originally slated as the co-main event for UFC 262 and was set for five rounds, but even after the fight was moved to UFC 263, which already has two five-round title fights set to take place, the fight between Edwards and Diaz was kept for the five rounds.
Carla Esparza hopes UFC gives her next title shot against Rose Namajunas: "Come on Dana"
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight contender Carla Esparza hopes the UFC gives her the next title shot against Rose Namajunas, saying “Come on Dana.” Esparza is coming off of an incredible TKO win over Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 27 last weekend that was the statement she needed to make in order to earn a title shot with Namajunas. Esparza has now won her last five fights in a row, including notable victories over the likes of Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson during that stretch, and she’s hoping that the win over Yan in such devastating fashion will earn her the next title shot.
Sylvester Stallone believes Dustin Poirier has "big-time advantage" over Conor McGregor at UFC 264
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
Movie star Sylvester Stallone believes that Dustin Poirier has a “big-time advantage” over Conor McGregor in their trilogy fight at UFC 264. Stallone, the star of “Rocky,” spoke to TMZ Sports and was asked about who he believes will take the trilogy fight between Poirier and McGregor at UFC 264 in July. The two rivals are 1-1 so far in their first two fights, with McGregor knocking out Poirier at UFC 178 in September 2014, and Poirier returning the favor at UFC 257 with a knockout of his own. The two will now meet for the third and final time for all the marbles, but if you ask Stallone, one of the two fighters in this particular matchup has the upper hand in the fight.
Colby Covington says George St-Pierre would have been an "extremely easy fight" for him
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
UFC welterweight Colby Covington says that a potential matchup against George St-Pierre would have been an “extremely easy fight” for him. Covington is one of the best welterweight fighters in the UFC right now and GSP is, of course, one of the all-time greats ever in the 170lbs division. Although GSP is now 40 years old and retired, there have been rumors about him potentially fighting again for the last several years, with the most recent rumblings suggesting a matchup with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at a 165lbs catchweight.
Video | Chris Weidman walks on own for first time since breaking leg at UFC 261
Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman shared a video of himself walking on his own for the first time since breaking his leg. Weidman suffered one of the most brutal injuries we’ve ever seen in the Octagon when he shattered his right leg on the first kick he threw against Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in April. Immediately after breaking his leg, Weidman was rushed to the hospital and he had surgery on his leg. It was a terrible injury for “The All-American” but he has been working hard during his rehab and recovery in order to not only walk again but return to the UFC.
Chuck Liddell does not think Jake Paul will accept his challenge: "He’s going to risk getting hurt like that?"
Chris Taylor - May 29, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell does not expect that YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will respond his recent callout. Earlier this month, Liddell responded to a fan who had suggested that he should be the next man to square off with the younger Paul brother.
Colby Covington claims Jon Jones is trying to get one final cash grab with Francis Ngannou fight: "He’s done, he doesn’t have the right scientist, the right juice to do anymore."
Chris Taylor - May 29, 2021
Colby Covington believes Jon Jones as trying to get one final “cash grab” by securing a fight with current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Jones (26-1 MMA) vacated his light heavyweight title last summer in hopes of making a run at the promotions heavyweight championship. It was initially thought that ‘Bones’ would fight the winner of March’s rematch between Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic.