MMA News
Ross Pearson comes out of retirement, November return fight planned
Adam Martin - October 4, 2019
Former UFC lightweight fighter Ross Pearson has decided to come out of retirement. He will fight on November 16 for the Probellum MMA promotion at Brentwood Centre in London, England. The promotion has not yet located an opponent for Pearson. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani first reported the news. Here’s what Helwani said.
Michael Bisping says Tyron Woodley needs to accept loss to Kamaru Usman
Fernando Quiles - October 4, 2019
Michael Bisping advises Tyron Woodley to just accept his loss to Kamaru Usman and get back on the horse. Back in March, Woodley was shutout by Usman in their UFC welterweight title bout. Usman turned in a brilliant performance and nabbed every round to take the title away from “The Chosen One.” Since that bout, Woodley has called for a rematch but the next title opportunity will go to Colby Covington at UFC 245 on Dec. 14.
Scott Coker calls Fedor Emelianenko ‘the greatest fighter in the history of MMA,’ retirement fight in Russia planned
Adam Martin - October 4, 2019
Bellator president Scott Coker was recently asked about the future of the legend Fedor Emelianenko. According to Coker, he believes Fedor is the greatest MMA fighter of all time and said the Russian still plans on fighting a few more times, including a matchup on home soil for his final retirement bout within the next few years. Here’s what Coker told RT Sport about Fedor.
Wanderlei Silva calls out Vitor Belfort for bare-knuckle fight
Adam Martin - October 4, 2019
MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, who recently signed with Bare Knuckle FC, has called out long-time rival Vitor Belfort to a bare-knuckle fight. Speaking to AgFight.com, Silva said he badly wants to get his hands on Belfort.
Robert Whittaker plotting 'five-round war' with Israel Adesanya
Tom Taylor - October 4, 2019
UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is not worried about finishing Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 on Saturday night. Instead, the champ is planning on dragging his Kiwi challenger into a hellacious, five-round war. If the finish materialized somewhere in the midst of that war, so be it.
Paulo Costa says Israel Adesanya will be the first 'kill' on his record
Adam Martin - October 4, 2019
UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa has come on the offensive against interim champ Israel Adesanya. Costa says he badly wants to fight Adesanya after UFC 243, and he wants to put the pain on him. So much so that Costa says he wants Adesanya to be the first “kill” on his MMA record. Here’s what Costa wrote on Twitter in response to Adesanya recently calling him an “overly-inflated balloon animal.”
Megan Anderson opens up on mental health struggles
Tom Taylor - October 4, 2019
As Megan Anderson gears up for a UFC 243 showdown Zarah Fairn Dos Santos, she’s opening up on the mental health struggles she’s dealt with over the course of her career. “I’m very hard on myself,” Anderson told MMA Junkie at UFC 243 media day. “I’ve always been open about that and about mental health issues and that kind of stuff. So I am my own worst critic and have kind of doubted my skills for a long time.”
VIDEO | Brawl breaks out at Brave CF 27 weigh-ins
Tom Taylor - October 4, 2019
Brave CF 27, scheduled for Friday in Abu Dhabi, will feature a welterweight title rematch between champion Abdoul Abdouraguimov and challenger Jarrah Al-Selawe. When the pair squared off at the card’s weigh-ins, all hell broke loose. What started with a bit of shoving — something we often see at weigh-in ceremonies — quickly devolved into an all-out brawl. See it below:
Conor McGregor facing assault charge for pub incident, court date set
Mike Pendleton - October 4, 2019
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor Mcgregor has been served with a summons to appear before Dublin District Court on October 11 over an incident that occurred in an Irish pub earlier this year. The Independent.ie was first to report this news.
RIZIN boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara interested in signing free agent Sergio Pettis
Tom Taylor - October 4, 2019
Sergio Pettis was scheduled to battle Kai Kara-France at UFC 245, but was pulled from the matchup when it came to light that his current UFC contract has concluded. Pettis is now exploring free agency, and from the sounds of it, he can expect some interest from Japan’s RIZIN Fighting Federation. Speaking to BJPENN.com’s Tom Taylor, RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara commented on Pettis’ free agency. He believes the long-time UFC flyweight contender could be a great addition to the RIZIN bantamweight division.
Israel Adesanya reacts to Jon Jones' Twitter attack
Natasha Hooper - October 4, 2019
During an interview with Brett Okamoto, Israel Adesanya reacted to the barrage of insults he received from Jon Jones on Twitter this week. Recently, Israel Adesanya made several comments about a potential octagon showdown against the light heavyweight champion. Jon Jones’ was not impressed with the call out and attacked the 30-year-old in a heated rant.
Eddie Hearn on Conor McGregor partnership: 'We can do it better'
Natasha Hooper - October 4, 2019
During a media event regarding the upcoming Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua 2 card, Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn spoke highly of Conor McGregor and pitched a future partnership with “The Notorious.” In an interview with Seconds Out, Jamal Niaz, mentioned Conor McGregor. Hearn spoke highly of the former two-division champion.
Conor McGregor: The Irish King Who Lost His Crown
Natasha Hooper - October 3, 2019
Conor McGregor is the king of charisma whose greatness transcends the UFC. His legendary wins bestowed him two-division gold belts and a sporting legacy that is unparalleled. But as the tales of great mythology go, has the man’s obsession with power and fortune derailed his kingdom reign? ‘The Notorious’ entered the Octagon as a working-class Irish man from Dublin who was cashing in welfare cheques before making his official debut. The self-assured and captivating fighter had garnered a cult following during his early days at Cage Warriors. Fans were enamoured with his disruptive presence and irrefutable talent that eventually commercialised the sport throughout Ireland. He became a hero for the blue-collar man and took great pride in fulfilling the role.
Bellator announces return to Hawaii featuring Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and A.J. McKee
Mike Pendleton - October 3, 2019
Bellator MMA is headed back to Hawaii, and they’re bringing two of their bright young stars with them. KHON2 in Hawaii was first to report that Bellator will be returning to Hawaii on December 21st at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Oahu, Hawaii. The card will feature Bellator’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane who will attempt to defend her flyweight title against Kate Jackson who has a 11-3-1 record in her professional career, and is also a former competitor of The Ultimate Fighter Season 23. Jackson is riding a two fight winning streak and is 3-1 since joining Bellator.
Israel Adesanya takes a shot at Yoel Romero in latest warning to Robert Whittaker
Christopher Taylor - October 3, 2019
Current UFC interim middleweight champ Israel Adesanya has taken a shot at Yoel Romero in his latest warning to reigning division kingpin Robert Whittaker. Israel Adesanya (17-0 MMA) will square off with Robert Whittaker (20-4 MMA) in the headliner of this weekend’s highly anticipated UFC 243 pay-per-view event from Australia.
Gunnar Nelson issues statement following loss to Gilbert Burns
Natasha Hooper - October 3, 2019
Fan favorite Gunnar Nelson collided with Gilbert Burns in a welterweight bout at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night Copenhagen event. It marked the second time in a year that the Icelandic warrior had fought in Europe. Gunnar Nelson faced Leon Edwards at UFC London in March and left the Octagon with another loss and a broken orbital bone after receiving a nasty elbow. After healing from his injury and getting back to training, ‘Gunni’ was inked to fight Thiago Alves. However, Alves withdrew due to injury, leaving Gilbert Burns to fill in for the fight.
Frank Lester: Jon Jones only practices stoned
Tom Taylor - October 3, 2019
According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the organization that undertakes drug testing for the UFC, “the WADA Prohibited List establishes marijuana and cannabinoids as substances that are prohibited in-competition. The use of prohibited substances in sport, without an approved Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), may lead to an anti-doping rule violation and sanction.” All the same, many fighters still use the drug recreationally and medicinally. UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is allegedly one of those fighters. At least, that’s what his former coach Frank Lester says.
VIDEO | Darrion Caldwell caldwell confronts Patricio Freire backstage at Bellator 228
Cole Shelton - October 3, 2019
Darrion Caldwell was not happy that Patricio Freire did not pick him to fight in the Selection Show following Bellator 228. Instead, the featherweight champion decided to fight Pedro Carvalho, leaving Caldwell matched up with Adam Borics on the other side of the bracket. Following the event, Darrion Caldwell went to Patricio Freire’s locker room and confronted the champ about not picking him. The entire encounter was caught by Bellator.