MMA News
Gilbert Burns confirms "bout agreement is signed" for Tyron Woodley fight
Tom Taylor - May 19, 2020
Streaking UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns says he’s signed a bout agreement for a long-rumored scrap with former UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. Burns has gone 3-0 since moving from the lightweight division to the welterweight division, defeating Alexey Kunchenko, Gunnar Nelson, and most recently, former title challenger Demian Maia, who he knocked out in March.
PHOTO | Niko Price shows off battle scars one week after war with Vicente Luque
Harry Kettle - May 19, 2020
UFC welterweight Niko Price has shown off the war wounds he sustained in his epic battle with Vicente Luque at UFC 249 in Jacksonville. Price is well known for his ability to steal the show on any card the UFC puts him on, and while he may not always come out on top, he almost always gives fans what they came to see in the form of thrilling entertainment and drama.
Khabib Nurmagomedov confirms his father has COVID-19, says multiple relatives are battling the virus
Natasha Hooper - May 19, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed that his father Abdulmanap’s recent hospitalization is the result of COVID-19, and that multiple other family members are battling the virus. During an IGTV Livestream, the lightweight champion revealed that his father has suffered significant health problems stemming from COVID-19.
Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor is the number one contender at welterweight
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2020
Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor could very well get a welterweight title shot next if he so desires. McGregor recently went on a Twitter rant where he called out several lightweights. Yet, Sonnen isn’t convinced the Irishman fights at 155 pounds next. Instead, he thinks a fight against Jorge Masvidal or the trilogy with Nate Diaz makes sense.
Daniel Cormier praises Jon Jones for "gangster" move of calling out Francis Ngannou
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2020
Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones calling out Francis Ngannou is a gangster move. Ever since Ngannou knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik in just 20 seconds at UFC 249, Jones has talked about moving up to fight him. It immediately caught the attention of the MMA world who has called for “Bones” to move up to heavyweight for years.
Alistair Overeem will get top-five opponent next, says Dana White
Adam Martin - May 18, 2020
UFC president Dana White says that Alistair Overeem will get a top-five opponent for his next bout after knocking out Walt Harris at UFC Florida. Overeem survived an early onslaught of blows from Harris in the first round to come back and dominate the second round and get the TKO stoppage. It’s the third win by knockout for Overeem in his last four fights, setting him up for a highly-ranked opponent in his next fight. Currently, Overeem is the No. 8 ranked heavyweight on the UFC roster.
Eric Albarracin says Henry Cejudo's retirement is "permanent" and goes down as all-time GOAT
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2020
Eric Albarracin wasn’t surprised that his pupil Henry Cejudo finished Dominick Cruz inside two rounds, but was shocked he retired. Cejudo was looking for his first bantamweight title defense when he landed a perfect knee that dropped Cruz. “Triple C” followed it up with ground and pound shots to win the fight by TKO. For Captain Eric, he says Cejudo followed the gameplan perfectly.
Sayif Saud making Fortis MMA into a top gym with five ranked UFC fighters
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2020
Sayif Saud didn’t expect Fortis MMA to become this successful so early on. Saud, who used to be an MMA fighter and trained at JacksonWink MMA, became a coach due to injuries limiting his pro career. After coaching around at various gyms, Saud, alongside former NBA player Deron Williams opened up Fortis MMA in 2017.
Dana White responds to COVID-19 testing criticisms from John Oliver
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
Dana White has responded to a piece of criticism from John Oliver, who discussed the UFC’s operations during the coronavirus pandemic on the latest episode of Last Week Tonight. Despite the ongoing pandemic, White and the UFC recently managed to promote a trio of fight cards in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jon Jones questions Chael Sonnen's "gangster" persona
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has fired another volley at his former opponent Chael Sonnen, this time challenging his rival’s “gangster” persona. Jones and Sonnen have been jawing back and forth for several days, with Sonnen most recently burying the light heavyweight champ under an avalanche of virulent Tweets.
John Oliver reacts to Dana White's "insane" Fight Island plan on Last Week Tonight
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
Count late night television host John Oliver among the skeptics of UFC President Dana White’s much discussed Fight Island plans. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, White and the UFC recently managed to promote a trio of entertaining fight cards in Jacksonville, Florida. That being said, the lineups for these cards were composed completely of American fighters and fighters based in the United States, as travel restrictions have made it difficult to get international fighters onto US soil.
Tyron Woodley responds to ranking gripe from Dominick Reyes
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has responded to a rankings-related gripe from recent light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes. Reyes recently took to Twitter to air his disappointment about being bumped out of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings by Woodley, who currently holds the No. 15 spot.
Conor McGregor reviews performance in Mayweather fight ahead of "part 2"
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
Conor McGregor recently rewatched his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and he seems to be very happy with his performance. McGregor, a former two-division UFC champ, and Mayweather, an undefeated boxing legend, met in the boxing ring in 2017. The pair’s crossover fight generated massive mainstream interest and went down as one of the most lucrative bouts in combat sports history.
UFC on ESPN 8 salaries: Alistair Overeem leads the pack
Tom Taylor - May 18, 2020
Alistair Overeem was the biggest earner for Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 8 card in Jacksonville, Florida, pocketing a hefty $400,000 for his second-round TKO win over Walt Harris. The next biggest earners on the card were Claudia Gadelha and Krzysztof Jotko, who earned $108,000 each for their defeats of Angela Hill and Eryk Anders respectively.
Dana White says next UFC card could take place in Arizona
Adam Martin - May 18, 2020
UFC president Dana White says he hopes the next UFC card will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, but he’s prepared to go to Arizona if that can’t happen. The UFC’s next show is set for May 30, but the location is still up in the air at this point. The event was originally targeted to take place in Jacksonville but White later said the UFC was hoping to put on the event at the Apex in Las Vegas. However, Nevada still hasn’t given White the go-ahead to start running events again, and with the card just two weeks away the UFC is already on Plan B in the event it can’t hold the card in Vegas.
What's next for Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris after UFC on ESPN 8?
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2020
In the main event of UFC on ESPN 8, Alistair Overeem was looking to get back into the win column when he fought Walt Harris. “The Big Ticket” was making his return to the Octagon after the murder of his stepdaughter Aniah. The emotions were high for this one. But, in the end, it was Overeem who got the job done by second-round TKO. Harris, though, did have success early on as he dropped the Dutchman in the first round but Overeem survived.
Edson Barboza denied ability to appeal controversial loss to Dan Ige
Harry Kettle - May 18, 2020
Edson Barboza has been denied the chance to appeal his controversial defeat at the hands of Dan Ige this past weekend. Barboza made his featherweight debut in Jacksonville and while many fans and pundits thought he’d struggle with the weight cut, he looked to be in the shape of his life — leading many to believe he’d put in an impressive display against Ige.
Alistair Overeem targets one last run at UFC title in the “final phase” of his career
Natasha Hooper - May 18, 2020
Alistair Overeem wants one more shot at the heavyweight title as he enters the “final phase” of his career. On May 16, Overeem returned to a winning position in the main event of UFC on ESPN 8. He collided against Walt Harris who entered the bout on a two-fight win streak. It was the first time Harris had fought since the tragic death of his stepdaughter in 2019 and he started the fight leading the way. He knocked down Alistair Overeem with a big combo, and followed up with an onslaught of ground and pound. “The Reem” miraculously recovered and managed to turn the tide on the ground. He carried the momentum into the second round and finished Harris by TKO.