MMA News
Dustin Poirier makes prediction for Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler
Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021
Dustin Poirier has made a prediction for the upcoming lightweight fight between top-10 contender Dan Hooker and former Bellator champ Michael Chandler. Hooker and Chandler will collide in the co-main event of UFC 257 on January 23—a card that will be headlined by a rematch between Poirier and Conor McGregor.
Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera rematch moved to UFC 258
Adam Martin - January 7, 2021
An intriguing bantamweight rematch between top-10 ranked fighters Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera has been moved to UFC 258. Munhoz and Rivera were previously slated to hook up on Fight Island on the January 20 card that’s headlined by Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny. The fight has now been moved to UFC 258, which takes place on February 13. That event is likely going to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was no immediate reason for why the fight was moved. MMAFighting.com was the first to report Munhoz vs. Rivera will be at UFC 258.
Dustin Poirier flaunts impressive physique ahead of Conor McGregor fight
Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier looks to be in phenomenal shape ahead of his upcoming rematch with Conor McGregor. Poirier and McGregor will collide in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23. The bout, which is rife with lightweight title implications, will be a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight, which McGregor won by knockout.
Glover Teixeira willing to serve as backup for Blachowicz vs. Adesanya fight
Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021
Glover Teixeira is willing to serve as the backup fighter for the upcoming light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. Blachowicz, the UFC light heavyweight champion, is slated to defend his title against Adesanya, the promotion’s middleweight champion, in the main event of UFC 259 on March 6.
Dustin Poirier discusses motivations heading into Conor McGregor rematch: "This isn't about payback"
Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021
Dustin Poirier has opened on what’s motivating him heading into his upcoming rematch with Conor McGregor, which headlines UFC 257 on January 23. Poirier and McGregor have fought once before, having met in the featherweight division in 2014. McGregor won that fight by first-round knockout.
Logan Paul pleads with Dana White: "Take me back, I'm not Jake"
Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021
YouTube star turned boxer Logan Paul has a message for Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Logan is currently slated for a high profile exhibition bout with undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. At the same time, his brother Jake has also been making headlines in the combat world, having recently knocked out former NBA star Nate Robinson, and called out a host of MMA stars, most notably former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor.
Cris Cyborg expresses interest in moving up to 155-pounds to face Kayla Harrison
Drake Riggs - January 6, 2021
Cris Cyborg is currently reigning supreme as Bellator’s featherweight queen while Kayla Harrison runs rampant at lightweight. Could the two ever meet in the cage? If you ask either, the two will tell you that they both have an interest in the challenge that the other presents. Further confirming that notion as recently as this New Year’s day on Harrison’s end, Cyborg did the same on Tuesday.
Henry Cejudo takes a shot at "bum fighter of the year" Deiveson Figueiredo
Adam Martin - January 6, 2021
MMA great Henry Cejudo took another shot at UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, calling him the “bum fighter of the year.” Figueiredo just finished a tremendous campaign in 2020 that saw him win the vacant UFC flyweight champion with a stoppage win over Joseph Benavidez on Fight Island. He also had another win over Benavidez earlier in the year, plus a successful title defense over Alex Perez at UFC 255. Figueiredo then stole the show along with fellow flyweight contender Brandon Moreno when they two put on one of the best fights of the year when they fought to a draw at UFC 256.
Junior Dos Santos still upset about knockout loss to Ciryl Gane: “Like the victim being guilty of crime, theft, murder, or rape”
Adam Martin - January 6, 2021
Junior Dos Santos is still upset about his loss to Ciryl Gane, saying it’s “Like the victim being guilty of crime, theft, murder, or rape.” Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, suffered his fourth straight loss by knockout when he was finished by Gane at UFC 256. Gane landed an elbow on dos Santos right when he turned his head, and the elbow landed partially to the back of the Brazilian’s head. However, the referee felt that because dos Santos was turning his head at the same time that Gane threw the strike, it was considered a legal blow and Gane won via knockout.
Leon Edwards reveals he offered to fight Magny and Chiesa but UFC said no
Cole Shelton - January 6, 2021
Leon Edwards wanted to remain on the January 20 fight card. Originally, Edwards was set to headline the card against Khamzat Chimaev but the Swede was still recovering from COVID-19 so the fight was off. After the news was reported, Edwards sent out a tweet letting everyone know he still will fight on the card. However, when the dust settled, Edwards was off the card and Neil Magny will face Michael Chiesa in the main event.
ONE Championship showcases triumphs in 2020 amid COVID-19 in new video feature
bjpenndotcom - January 6, 2021
Singapore-based martial arts organization, ONE Championship, recently posted a new short feature on their official Youtube channel, highlighting the challenges we’ve all faced over the last 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the video, the promotion also took time out to thank its staff, fans, partners, athletes, and media for the integral part each played in its story in 2020.
Anthony Pettis wants to be trailblazer for the future of free agency in MMA
Adam Martin - January 6, 2021
Newly-signed PFL lightweight Anthony Pettis says he wants to be a trailblazer for the future of free agency in the sport of MMA. Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion, became a free agent for the first time in his career after finishing out his previous contract with decision wins over Alex Morono and Donald Cerrone. Many expected Pettis to either re-up with the UFC on another contract or to join his brother Sergio Pettis in Bellator, but he instead decided to sign with PFL, where “Showtime” joins the likes of other former UFC champions in Fabricio Werdum and Rory MacDonald there.
Daniel Cormier explains what Dustin Poirier needs to do to "give himself a chance" in McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - January 6, 2021
Daniel Cormier believes Dustin Poirier must convince himself he “just got caught” in his first fight with Conor McGregor if he hopes to win their imminent rematch. McGregor and Poirier first fought in the featherweight division in 2014, with McGregor winning by first-round knockout. The pair are now set to rematch in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23, this time meeting in the lightweight division.
Alexander Volkanovski admits he's growing tired of "annoying" Max Holloway trilogy talk
Tom Taylor - January 6, 2021
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski admits he’s growing tired of discussing a potential trilogy fight with Max Holloway. Volkanovski is riding back-to-back decision wins over Holloway. The first, a fairly decisive unanimous decision, occured in late 2019, and earned Volkanovski the featherweight strap. The second, a split decision that occurred in July, was much more controversial, but nonetheless marked a successful title defense for the champion.
Dan Hooker admits possible red panty night was "a big reason" he agreed to UFC 257 fight
Tom Taylor - January 6, 2021
Dan Hooker has revealed that the possibility of a fight with Conor McGregor is a big reason why he accepted a fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 257. McGregor is set to return to the Octagon in the main event of UFC 257, which goes down on January 23 on Fight Island. Hooker, meanwhile, will return to the cage in the card’s co-main event, when he’ll take on former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler.
Dana White: "Rankings are very important" to UFC matchmaking
Tom Taylor - January 6, 2021
UFC President Dana White says the promotion’s controversial official rankings are very important to its matchmaking strategy. The UFC rankings have been the subject of controversy at many points since they were introduced. Most notably, it was revealed in 2019 that many of the media members that vote on the UFC rankings do not even regularly cover the sport.
Fight Circus promoter promises even wilder shows for 2021
Andrew Whitelaw - January 6, 2021
We all know 2020 was a wild year. Needless to say, it wasn’t the best. But there were definitely some MMA highlights. Depending on your tastes, Fight Circus was arguably one of them. Powered by adult streaming site, CamSoda, the Bangkok-based promotion caused quite a stir online.
Cory Sandhagen: It will be "a bummer" if TJ Dillashaw gets immediate title shot
Tom Taylor - January 6, 2021
Cory Sandhagen says it will be “a bummer” if TJ Dillashaw is granted an immediate opportunity to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title. Dillashaw ruled over the bantamweight division for several years, but was stripped of his title after testing positive for EPO, an injectable-only performance enhancing drug. After being stripped and admitting his mistake, Dillashaw was suspended for two years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. As his suspension nears its conclusion, he’s campaigned for the immediate opportunity to reclaim his title.