MMA News

Adam D Martin - November 15, 2021

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is open to fighting anyone, but he says that Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev top the list. Burns is the No. 2 ranked welterweight in the UFC, so it’s natural that he is connected to fights with the other top fighters in the division. On Sunday, reports emerged that Burns could be matched up against Chimaev sometime in 2022, though that fight is far from a done deal. Speaking to MMAjunkie.com in a recent interview, Burns was asked what he wants next. As far as Burns goes, he is down to fight anyone that the UFC offers him, but if he had to choose someone, in particular, it would be either Covington or Chimaev next.

Adam D Martin - November 15, 2021

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira says that he has “way more weapons” than rival Dustin Poirier ahead of their UFC 269 title fight. Oliveira steps into the Octagon next month on December 11 when he meets Poirier in the headliner of UFC 269. For Oliveira, this marks his first title defense since winning the vacant belt over Michael Chandler back at UFC 262 in May, while for Poirier he is getting this title shot following back-to-back stoppage wins over Conor McGregor. It’s expected to be an awesome matchup for as long as it lasts, but Oliveira is confident he will prevail.

Adam D Martin - November 15, 2021

Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao has got his first fight booked since being given his release from the UFC a couple of years ago. Barao was cut by the UFC in 2019 after losing five straight fights. It was a remarkable fall from grace from the former UFC bantamweight kingpin, who at one point in his career was considered one of the top pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the sport. In fact, UFC commentator Joe Rogan even once famously called him a “monster” at the height of his career in the UFC. Of course, all of that came to a dashing halt when he got knocked out by TJ Dillashaw, as he was never the same after that. Although Barao won a few fights in the UFC after the loss to Dillashaw, he was clearly never the same fighter and never experienced the same success, and it ultimately led to him being released by the company.

Adam D Martin - November 15, 2021

UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal questioned why Nick Diaz is still fighting, bringing up the IRS as a potential reason as to why. Diaz returned from a six-year layoff at UFC 266 in September, losing in the third round via TKO to longtime rival Robbie Lawler. For Diaz, it was a losing effort, and Masvidal is questioning why he even came back in the first place. Not only did Diaz not win the fight, but he also showed up fight week too heavy to make welterweight, forcing the fight to be moved up to middleweight. That has led to speculation among fans, fighters, and media as to why Diaz returned to the cage, and Masvidal believes it could be financially related.

Harry Kettle - November 15, 2021

Conor McGregor has claimed that Khamzat Chimaev offered to help him prepare for Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. In the last few days we’ve seen some interesting developments regarding the future of Khamzat Chimaev. Between being offered top contenders and calling out the likes of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, it’s safe to say “Borz” is one of the most talked-about fighters on the roster.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

Rising UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev is reportedly in discussions to fight top-five ranked Gilbert Burns in his next outing. Frontkick.Online reported on Sunday that the latest their sources have told them is that the UFC is currently in discussions to book Chimaev vs. Burns, characterizing the talks as “not done, but likely to get booked.” According to the report, the UFC is planning on booking this fight in January, rather than the December date that Chimaev originally wanted. Once again, the contracts for this fight are not officially signed yet, but talks are progressing.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev took to his social media to issue fiery callouts of both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Chimaev is one of the UFC’s biggest and brightest young stars heading into 2022. In his last fight at UFC 267, Chimaev smashed Li Jingliang in the first round in what was an absolutely incredible performance. It was a great win for Chimaev, and there are some fans and media who now believe that he could fight for the title with just one more win. He is already 4-0 in the UFC and has looked absolutely amazing, so there is reason to believe that this is a fighter who has all the makings of someone who could be a champ one day.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul sent a warning to Nate Diaz, saying that “I’m going to Stockton slap the sh*t out of that bitch.” Paul is set to take on Tommy Fury next month in Tampa in his last test professional boxing match. On the undercard, Diaz’s teammate Chris Avila takes on Anthony Taylor, the man who Fury just defeated. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Paul was asked about having Diaz’s teammate on his undercard, and if he is interested in facing Diaz. Paul responded by taking a shot at Diaz’s boxing skills, slagging his record, and then saying he would beat him up.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC featherweight Sean Woodson called himself and Max Holloway the UFC’s two best boxers following their big wins at UFC Vegas 42. Woodson finished Collin Anglin in the first round via TKO with body shots in what was the best performance of his UFC career to date. As for Holloway, he defeated Yair Rodriguez by unanimous decision in an incredible performance in the main event. In both fights, each of the winners showed off their boxing skills. Woodson showed major improvements with his hands as he picked apart Anglin and then finished him with punches to the body, while we all know that Holloway is one of the best boxers in the business. As far as Woodson goes, though, not only are they both talented at boxing, they are the two best boxers in the UFC.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC welterweight knockout artist Khaos Williams reacted after knocking out divisional rival Miguel Baeza on the UFC Vegas 42 main card. Williams improved to 4-1 overall in the UFC with the third-round knockout over Baeza. After finishing Alex Morono and Abdul Razak Alhassan in his first two UFC fights, Williams dropped a decision to Michel Pereira before bouncing back with a decision win over Matthew Semelsberger. Coming off of that big win, he came into this fight against Baeza with plenty of momentum and he got the job done with a brutal knockout in the third round. Following his win, which saw Williams earn a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award, “The Oxfighter” took to his social media to react to what is one of the best wins of his career.

Adam Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Joel Alvarez issued a statement following his career-best KO win over Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 42. Alvarez knocked out Moises in the first round with elbows from the clinch for the biggest win of his career to date. The 28-year-old Spaniard improved to 19-2 overall in his MMA career, including a 4-1 record in the UFC with all four of his wins coming by stoppage. Unfortunately for Alvarez, he did miss weight for this fight, which left him ineligible to win a “Performance of the Night” award, which he surely would have otherwise. However, it was still a great win for Alvarez and he could take Moises’ spot at the bottom of the top-15.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

MMA legend Cris Cyborg praised Sinead Kavanagh following her KO win at Bellator 271, calling her “One of the toughest women I’ve ever met.” Cyborg took on Kavanagh in the main event of this past Friday’s Bellator 271 event, and she won the fight in spectacular fashion when she knocked out Kavanagh in the first round. Take a look at the video of the knockout below. As you can see, Cyborg caught Kavanagh on the feet with a heavy blow, dropped her to the mat, then finished her with strikes.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC welterweight Miguel Baeza reacted following his brutal third-round KO loss to Khaos Williams during Saturday’s UFC Vegas 42 event. Baeza and Williams met in the center of the Octagon in a welterweight bout that took place on the UFC Vegas 42 main card. After two back-and-forth rounds to start the fight, the third round saw Williams land the final blow when he caught Baeza during an exchange, dropped him to the mat, and then finished him with ground and pound. It was an amazing win for Williams, who improved to 4-1 in the UFC with three knockouts, while for Baeza this was a tough loss. After starting his UFC career with a 3-0 record and finishes over Matt Brown, Takashi Sato, and Hector Aldana, Baeza has now dropped his last two fights to Williams and Santiago Ponzinibbio. That led to him take to his social media to release a statement following this latest defeat to Williams. Take a look at his statement below.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez showed off his right foot that was an absolute mess following his fight with Max Holloway. Rodriguez and Holloway went toe-to-toe in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 42 event. It was an absolute war of a fight between two of the best featherweights in the world, but at the end of the 25 minutes, it was Holloway who got his hand raised by unanimous decision. Still, it was an amazing fight by both men, and despite losing the fight on his record, Rodriguez’s stock will likely go up after putting on such a great performance.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

Islam Makhachev responded after former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez said Justin Gaethje getting the next lightweight title shot “is only right.” Makhachev recently defeated Dan Hooker at UFC 267 to improve to 10-1 overall in the UFC with his current nine-fight win streak. Makhachev is clearly one of the best lightweight fighters in the world, and he is hoping to get the next title shot at 155lbs against the winner of UFC 269’s Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier main event. However, after Gaethje defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 268 in a “Fight of the Year” candidate last weekend, there seems to be more support for Gaethje getting the next title shot. One of those supporters is his former UFC rival Alvarez, who took to his social media to stump for him.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway listed three potential rematches for his next fight after picking up a win at UFC Vegas 42. Holloway defeated Yair Rodriguez via unanimous decision in an absolute war that headlined UFC Vegas 42. It was an amazing fight from both men as they went the distance and tried to finish each other the entire time. In the end, it was Holloway who defeated Rodriguez by 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 scorecards, and now that he has gotten by “El Pantera,” Holloway seems like he’s next in line for a big fight next time.

Adam D Martin - November 14, 2021

UFC analyst Daniel Cormier blasted Henry Cejudo for training with Jon Jones, and “Bones” has responded to the criticism of his former rival. Jones was recently kicked out of Team Jackson-Wink following an alleged domestic battery incident at a hotel in Las Vegas following his Hall of Fame induction ceremony back in September ahead of UFC 266. With Jones no longer part of the team, at least until he cleans his act up, he has admitted that he is now looking into other gyms to potentially join, and one of those options appears to be Fight Ready. This past week, photos emerged of Jones training at the camp alongside the former UFC champion Cejudo and alongside UFC middleweight Eryk Anders as he looked to be enjoying Fight Ready. However, while Jones might like the move, there are others who do not like it.

Christopher Taylor - November 13, 2021

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen was not impressed with Max Holloway’s performance against Yair Rodriguez. Holloway (23-6 MMA), the UFC’s former featherweight champion, was returning to action on Saturday for the first time since laying a beating on Calvin Kattar back in January. ‘Blessed’ had gone just 2-3 over his past five fights.