MMA News
Ben Askren reveals he had to ask permission from UFC president Dana White to fight Jake Paul
Harry Kettle - January 29, 2021
Retired UFC star Ben Askren has revealed that he had to ask permission from Dana White in order to get the green light for his Jake Paul fight. Askren and Paul are set to lock horns in an eight-round boxing fight on April 17 as the YouTuber attempts to continue his rise to prominence in combat sports.
Marvin Vettori puts Jake Paul on blast: 'F*ck whoever is trying to take shortcuts'
Drake Riggs - January 28, 2021
Jake Paul’s recent turn to the boxing scene isn’t the first thing he’s done to piss people off. Add Marvin Vettori to the list of the annoyed. In wake of the 24-year-old YouTuber and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren coming to a bout agreement, the top UFC middleweight contender let his feelings be known.
Rory MacDonald open to UFC comeback following million-dollar title run in PFL
Adam Martin - January 28, 2021
Former UFC title challenger and current PFL welterweight Rory MacDonald said he is open to a return to the Octagon in the future. MacDonald is currently signed to PFL and will participate in the promotion’s upcoming third season on ESPN. Ever the consummate veteran, “The Red King” is of course currently focused on winning the PFL welterweight tournament and taking home the $1 million dollar grand prize. But when a fan asked him during a recent Q&A session if he would ever make a return to the UFC, MacDonald said he would be open to it.
UFC reportedly targeting Singapore event featuring the return of Zhang Weili
Drake Riggs - January 28, 2021
It has almost been over a full year since we last saw UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili in action. Thursday, John Hyon Ko of South China Morning Post reported that the UFC is currently targeting an April event for their return to Singapore with the hopes that the 115-pound champ will headline.
Henry Cejudo tells Francis Ngannou to bend the knee and "sign the contract"
Cole Shelton - January 28, 2021
Henry Cejudo has issued a callout to heavyweight title challenger, Francis Ngannou. Despite the fact that Cejudo retired at UFC 249, he has been vocal about calling people out. He called out Alexander Volkanovski, Petr Yan, Deiveson Figueiredo, and boxer Ryan Garcia. Now, however, he has issued his biggest callout to date and that is against Francis Ngannou.
Megan Anderson lashes out at Casey Kenney for “disgusting” comments on recent podcast, Kenney issues quick apology
Adam Martin - January 28, 2021
UFC women’s featherweight contender Megan Anderson lashed out at Casey Kenney for the “disgusting” comments he made on a recent podcast. Kenney, the UFC bantamweight contender, was a guest during a recent edition of the “Timbo Sugar Show” with hosts Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch. After a bizarre discussion about using heroin between the hosts, Welch later asked Kenny if he would ever have sex with Anderson. Here’s how the exchange went and he said.
Justin Gaethje interested in fighting Nate Diaz if UFC offers it
Cole Shelton - January 28, 2021
Justin Gaethje says he has not been offered Nate Diaz but would be open to the fight. Recently, UFC president, Dana White revealed Diaz would be returning to lightweight and would fight a top contender. Many thought that would be Gaethje but he says he was not offered him and thought maybe Diaz can fight Diego Sanchez.
Ben Saunders reveals Bellator and Bjorn Rebney almost made him retire
Cole Shelton - January 28, 2021
Ben Saunders was close to walking away from MMA in 2012 and 2013. After Saunders’ first stint in the UFC, he signed with Bellator. The hope for Saunders was to win a Bellator tournament and become the face of the promotion or eventually get back to the UFC. However, throughout his time in the promotion, he realized Bellator and Bjorn Rebney had him in a horrible contract that nearly made him walk away from the sport.
Charles Oliveira hoping to fight Dustin Poirier in May or June, predicts submission win
Adam Martin - January 28, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Charles Oliveira is hoping to fight Dustin Poirier in May or June for the title, and he is promising a submission. In the wake of Poirier’s knockout win over Conor McGregor at UFC 257 — and with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov liking set to retire and vacate his belt any day now — there has been strong support for a Poirier vs. Oliveira vacant title fight among fans and media. It’s a fight that Oliveira himself badly wants, too.
Raquel Pennington self-reports doping violation, suspended six months by USADA
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Raquel Pennington has been suspended six months by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after self-reporting a doping violation. USADA explained the Pennington situation in a statement on Thursday.
City council members seek to remove Tito Ortiz for lack of "honor and dignity"
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Several Huntington Beach City Council members are seeking to remove former UFC champ Tito Ortiz from his position as Mayor Pro Tem of the city. Ortiz was elected onto Huntington Beach City Council last year, and was subsequently selected to serve as the city’s Mayor Pro Tem. Regrettably, his time in office has been marred by a long list of serious blunders and embarrassments.
Gilbert Burns: I will finish Kamaru Usman at UFC 258
Adam Martin - January 28, 2021
Gilbert Burns is confident that he will be the new UFC welterweight champion, boldly predicting he will finish Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns and Usman had been booked to fight twice previously, at UFC 251 last July and then again at UFC 256. The first time the fight fell apart was due to Burns testing positive for COVID-19, and the second time it was due to Burns needing more time to heal from injuries. The two are now booked to fight for the third time and they are set to meet in the main event of UFC 258, on February 13 in Las Vegas.
Jake Paul drills 4-second KO punch with Jorge Masvidal
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Jake Paul is already training for his April 17 boxing match with Ben Askren, and he’s enlisted the help of UFC star Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal fought Askren in 2019, knocking the wrestling specialist out with a flying knee in just five seconds. It was the fastest knockout in UFC history. In anticipation of his April boxing match with Askren, Paul has moved to Miami to pick Masvidal’s brain. The pair are already working together, and drilling attacks that Paul hopes will beat Askren even faster than Masvidal did.
Manny Pacquiao no longer interested in fighting Conor McGregor
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Manny Pacquiao and his team feel there’s no longer any demand for a boxing match with former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor. Heading into his UFC 257 fight with Dustin Poirier, McGregor was linked to a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao sometime later in the year. After McGregor lost to Poirier via second-round TKO, however, interest in the matchup has waned.
Jorge Masvidal needs "very big, very entertaining" fight, says coach
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
American Top Team coach Mike Brown believes UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal has earned a marquee fight. Masvidal has not fought since July, when he lost a decision to Kamaru Usman in a short-notice welterweight title fight. Prior to that, he was riding stoppage wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz, which turned him into one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Justin Gaethje "will think about never fighting in the UFC again" if Conor McGregor gets title shot
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Justin Gaethje would consider walking away from the UFC forever if Conor McGregor is granted an immediate lightweight title shot. McGregor fought in the main event of UFC 257 last weekend, when he was knocked out by Dustin Poirier. With this result, McGregor and Poirier entered into a 1-1 tie, as McGregor beat Poirier by first-round knockout in the featherweight division in 2014.
Marc Goddard sends message to "cold and cynical souls" who kick fighters when they're down
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Veteran mixed martial arts referee Marc Goddard has a message for fans who berate fighters when they’re riding tough losses. Goddard took to Twitter to share this message over the weekend, seemingly in response to Conor McGregor’s shocking, second-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier.
Dillon Danis: "I would submit Justin Gaethje in under 30 seconds"
Tom Taylor - January 28, 2021
Bellator MMA star Dillon Danis believes he could submit UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje in less than 30 seconds. Danis, an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelt who never shies away from a little pot-stirring, made this bold proclamation on Twitter on Wednesday night.