MMA News
Gilbert Burns details recent gym encounter with Kamaru Usman: "It was a bit weird"
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
Gilbert Burns is set to challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 251. The pair are not only the two best welterweights on earth, but long-time teammates. Both Usman and Burns have both spent their recent careers training at Sanford MMA in South Florida, under the tutelage of Henri Hooft. Ahead of the matchup, Usman will relocate to Denver, Colorado to train under Trevor Wittman, the man behind Justin Gaethje, Rose Namajunas, and others.
Petr Yan to Sean O'Malley: stick your long arms "right into your a**hole"
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
Upcoming UFC bantamweight title challenger Petr Yan has fired a shot at red-hot bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley, and it’s a doozy. Yan targeted O’Malley on Twitter, telling O’Malley to put his long arms—one of his most effective weapons in the cage—where the sun don’t shine.
Josh Emmett discusses fighting with injured leg: "I can’t even describe the pain"
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
Josh Emmett picked up a big unanimous decision win over Shane Burgos in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 11 last weekend, but it came at a cost. Emmett sustained a litany of serious injuries in the fight, including a severe leg injury in the early moments of the opening round.
UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski to publish children's book
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to release a children’s book. Volkanovski announced his book in an interview with 7 News Australia. The book, which will apparently be about his life as a world champion, is targeted for release ahead of his July 11 title fight with Max Holloway.
Justin Gaethje explains why he avoids wrestling in fights
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has explained why he tends to avoid wrestling inside the Octagon. Gaethje is known for his wild fights, his chopping leg kicks and his fight-ending punching power. However, the interim champion got his start in combat sports as an NCAA Division 1 wrestler.
UFC cutman under investigation for wearing QAnon patches on broadcast
Tom Taylor - June 24, 2020
A UFC cutman is under investigation for wearing a pair of QAnon patches on the broadcast for last weekend’s UFC on ESPN 11 broadcast. For those unfamiliar, QAnon is a far-right group that pushes a conspiracy about “a supposed secret plot by an alleged ‘deep state’ against Donald Trump and his supporters,” per Wikipedia.
Max Rohskopf defends coaches following UFC on ESPN 11 backlash
Natasha Hooper - June 24, 2020
Max Rohskopf has defended his corner after they insisted he continue to fight despite his decision to quit at UFC on ESPN 11. During last weekend’s preliminary fight card, Rohskopf made his UFC debut against lightweight standout Austin Hubbard. The striking onslaught of his opponent built up and forced the debutante to throw the towel in after the second round. His corner challenged his decision and insisted he fight it out into the third round. Rohskopf continually responded by telling his coach, Robert Drysdale, to “call it” and “I don’t have it.” This gained criticism from members of the MMA community such as Anthony Smith, who felt that the fighter’s coaches should have put an end to the action.
Sean O’Malley claims Reebok paid him $3k for generating over a million dollars in sales
Natasha Hooper - June 24, 2020
Sean O’Malley has claimed that Rebook only paid him $3k as part of their sponsorship deal, despite him generating the company over a million dollars in sales. The UFC’s underpayment of fighters has become a hot topic as of recent, and its sponsorship deal with Reebok is no exception.
Kamaru Usman changes gyms ahead of his title fight against teammate Gilbert Burns
Cole Shelton - June 23, 2020
Kamaru Usman will not be training with his longtime coach, Henri Hooft and at his longtime gym Sanford MMA for his upcoming fight. Usman is set to defend his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC 251. The two are longtime teammates but ahead of their clash, the champ decided to head to Denver and train under Trevor Wittman and work with the likes of Justin Gaethje and Drew Dober.
Michael Bisping suggests Jon Jones call out other boxers instead of Mike Tyson
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has no interest in seeing Mike Tyson fight Jon Jones in MMA, boxing, or any other arena. Last month, the heavyweight boxing legend Tyson, now 53, announced plans for a return to the ring.
VIDEO | Mike Tyson looks lethal in new training footage
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
53-year-old boxing legend “Iron” Mike Tyson has shared some brand new training footage, and he looks absolutely lethal. Tyson has been the talk of the combat sports world of late, having recently laid out plans for a return to the ring.
Michael Bisping thinks Max Rohskopf lacked heart at UFC on ESPN 11
Fernando Quiles - June 23, 2020
Michael Bisping isn’t ragging on Max Rohskopf but he does feel the young fighter will regret quitting at UFC on ESPN 11. Rohskopf collided with Austin Hubbard in the opening bout on the UFC on ESPN 11 card. The action took place this past Saturday night (June 20). It was clear that Hubbard was too much for Rohskopf and the fighter told his coach, Robert Drysdale that he was done. Rohskopf ended up telling referee Mark Smith that he wanted out of the fight and the bout was stopped.
ONE Championship makes successful return with back-to-back events in China
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
Singapore-based martial arts organization ONE Championship made a successful return over the weekend, promoting a pair of ONE Hero Series events in Shanghai, China. The bouts aired on ByteDance’s Toutiao/Xigua video platform, as well as on Douyin. Qinghai TV and Shenzhen TV5 will also air a delayed broadcast.
Geoff Neal frustrated by long UFC layoff, back serving at Texas Steakhouse: "It's bullsh*t, I need to get paid"
Adam Martin - June 23, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Geoff Neal said he’s frustrated with his long layoff and admitted that he went back to his second job as a server to make money. Neal is currently the No. 11 welterweight in the UFC rankings but he is having major troubles getting another fight lined up. Despite being a perfect 5-0 in the UFC and coming off of a huge TKO win over Mike Perry at UFC 245 last December, Neal told James Lynch of theScore that no one wants to fight him because he is such a dangerous fighter yet ranked in the bottom half of the top-15.
Full betting odds released for UFC on ESPN 12: Poirier vs. Hooker
Adam Martin - June 23, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 12, featuring a main event between lightweights Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker. The five-round main event sees Poirier look to bounce back after his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, while Hooker will look to add to his three-fight win streak after defeating Paul Felder in his last outing. In the co-main event, a pair of fan-favorite welterweights go at it as the striker Mike Perry takes on the grappler Mickey Gall.
UFC light heavyweight Gokhan Saki provides update after two-year absence
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
Kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki, a member of the UFC light heavyweight division, has provided an update for his fans after close to two years away from competition. Saki has not been in action since a shocking knockout loss to Khalil Rountree in July of 2018. Speaking on Instagram on Tuesday, the Turkish knockout artist provided an update for his followers, explaining that he recently underwent the first of two surgeries to repair injured elbows.
Daniel Cormier intends to emulate Curtis Blaydes in Miocic trilogy fight
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
Daniel Cormier says he intends to emulate the gameplan Curtis Blaydes used against Alexander Volkov when he rematches Stipe Miocic on August 15. Blaydes took on Volkov in the main event of UFC on ESPN 11 last weekend, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision with a gameplan based on relentless takedowns and top control.
Dan Hooker: If I beat Dustin Poirier "there's only three fights" that make sense
Tom Taylor - June 23, 2020
If Dan Hooker defeats Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC on ESPN 12 this weekend, he believes there’s only three opponents that make sense for his next fight. Hooker feels that a win over Poirier should earn him a lightweight title shot, which would mean a fight with the winner of the upcoming title unification bout between undisputed champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Justin Gaethje.