MMA News
Tony Ferguson takes aim at Khabib Nurmagomedov after UFC rebooks Justin Gaethje fight
Chris Taylor - April 14, 2020
Tony Ferguson decided to take a dig at reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov earlier this evening on social media. Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were slated to fight in the headliner of UFC 249 in Brooklyn on April 18. However, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the event had to be rescheduled and a new venue had to be procured by the promotion.
Tony Ferguson reacts following rebooking of Justin Gaethje fight
Chris Taylor - April 14, 2020
Former UFC interim lightweight title holder Tony Ferguson is once again slated to square off with Justin Gaethje, this time on May 9. The lightweight standouts were originally set to meet in the headliner of UFC 249, however that event was ultimately postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Valentina Shevchenko praises Dana White's "Fight Island"
Natasha Hooper - April 14, 2020
UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is ready to touch down on the organization’s “fight island.” In fact, the 125-pound queen wants to commit 100% by training and even living there. Recent UFC fight cards have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The UFC president Dana White believes the best way to resume action is to set up events on a private island. According to White, his fight island venture is in the works. Multiple fighters are jumping at the opportunity to step foot on the island’s soil, and that includes Shevchenko.
US president Donald Trump adds Dana White and Vince McMahon to economic task force
Adam Martin - April 14, 2020
US president Donald Trump has added Dana White and Vince McMahon to his team of advisors helping to restart the American economy. White, the UFC president, and McMahon, the WWE chairman and CEO, are part of a large group of pro sports league heads that will team up on the advisory board for president Trump as he looks to help America rise from the ashes after the coronavirus pandemic has destroyed the world economy.
Breaking: UFC to hold next event on May 9, multiple bouts already in the works
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2020
The UFC was forced to postpone UFC 249 and all events moving forward due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have their targeted return date. Dana White revealed to Brett Okamoto of ESPN the plan is to return on May 9 at a location to be announced. May 9, of course, was scheduled to be UFC 250. So, whether that will be the name of the event is unknown at this time. But, White revealed some matchups that will take place on the card like Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje, Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz, Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer and Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Who has the best chance to end Alexander Volkanovski's reign?
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2020
Alexander Volkanovski is one of the newest UFC champions as he dethroned Max Holloway back at UFC 245. He has yet to defend his strap once as he has been dealing with a hand injury he sustained in the scrap. So, when the UFC returns to normal Volkanovski will have a bevy of contenders to defend his strap against. The featherweight division doesn’t have a clear cut number one contender but features the likes of Holloway, Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, and Zabit Magomedsharipov among others. So, who has the best chance to end Volkanovski’s reign as champ?
Ronda Rousey defends UFC Reebok deal, suggest individual sponsorships are outdated
Adam Martin - April 14, 2020
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey defended the UFC deal with Reebok, saying that other sports set the standard for sponsorship deals. Rousey, who has been in the spotlight in recent days due to some recent comments she made about WWE, was recently a guest on the “Wild Ride! with Steve-O” podcast where she was asked about fighter pay. At one point in the interview, Steve-O pressed Rousey for her opinions on the UFC’s deal with Reebok, which Steve-O feels doesn’t do the athletes any good.
UFC's Alistair Overeem suspects he "probably already had" coronavirus
Tom Taylor - April 14, 2020
UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem suspects that he probably already had the coronavirus, although he didn’t experience any symptoms of COVID-19. Speaking on Duello Channel recently, Overeem admitted he was exposed to people with symptoms during a recent trip to Thailand, but believes that, as a finely-tuned professional athlete, he was fit enough to fend of the virus without much trouble.
Kelvin Gastelum names three potential opponents for next fight
Tom Taylor - April 14, 2020
Kelvin Gastelum is currently riding back-to-back losses in the UFC middleweight division, and is eager to get back on track. While the entire sports world is paused due to the coronavirus pandemic at present, Gastelum has three opponents in mind for his next fight, any of whom would represent excellent opportunities to bounce back.
Petr Yan chides Henry Cejudo for calling out fighters riding losses
Adam Martin - April 14, 2020
Petr Yan took to social media to criticize UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo for calling out fighters coming off of a loss. Cejudo said this week that he is targeting fights against aging legends Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz, both of whom are coming off of a loss in their last bout. Cruz’s last fight was a decision loss to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in December 2016, while Edgar was knocked out by The Korean Zombie at UFC Busan in December 2019. Cejudo was also set to fight Jose Aldo — who was coming off of a loss to Marlon Moraes at UFC 250 — before Aldo was removed from the card due to travel restrictions. Yan noticed that Cejudo has only been calling out fighters coming off of losses and decided to take a shot at the champ.
Former Houston Rockets prospect Royce White eyes MMA debut
Adam Martin - April 14, 2020
Former Houston Rockets prospect and Sacramento Kings power forward Royce White is preparing to make his debut in mixed martial arts. White was drafted 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA draft. He never ended up playing for the Rockets and was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was waived. He ended up signing with the Sacramento Kings and played three times for them in the 2013-14 NBA season, but that was the last time we saw him in the NBA.
Cody Garbrandt bashes Cejudo vs. Cruz fight, champ issues savage response
Tom Taylor - April 14, 2020
Cody Garbrandt is not a fan of the bantamweight title fight between champ Henry Cejudo and challenger Dominick Cruz that was briefly on the table for the postponed UFC 250 card. Garbrandt, who is a former UFC bantamweight champ, shared his gripes with the matchup on Twitter on Monday.
Rich Franklin admits that moving on from fighting is a “difficult adjustment”
Harry Kettle - April 14, 2020
Former UFC star Rich Franklin has admitted that the process of moving on from being a professional fighter is a “difficult adjustment”. Franklin was once considered to be one of the best middleweights in the world, and heading into his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 77, many believed he was the favorite to once again win the Middleweight Championship.
The Rock heaps praise on "beast of a man" Francis Ngannou after training offer
Tom Taylor - April 14, 2020
During a recent Q&A on Instagram, pro wrestling legend and Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had an interesting interaction with UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou. Ngannou joined the Q&A and named Johnson as one of of his inspirations. He also asked the star to join him in the gym. Johnson responded affirmatively and heaped praise on Ngannou for his skill.
Kelvin Gastelum reflects on loss to Israel Adesanya: “It burns in my heart to know I was that close”
Harry Kettle - April 14, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum has spoken about his historic defeat at the hands of Israel Adesanya back at UFC 236. It’s not an exaggeration to claim that Gastelum’s war with Adesanya for the Interim UFC Middleweight Championship was easily the Fight of the Year for 2019, which is saying something given the volume of world class fights we saw throughout those twelve months.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach has a message for critics following UFC 249 backlash
Natasha Hooper - April 14, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez has come to the defence of his fighter amidst criticism regarding his UFC 249 withdrawal. The undefeated lightweight champion was expected to face Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The UFC stars were scheduled to fight four times in the past, but the matchup was foiled for medical reasons each time. Their fifth matchup was no different as “The Eagle” pulled out a few weeks before their scheduled fight.
Florida’s new essential services guidelines allow for the UFC to hold events
Natasha Hooper - April 14, 2020
Florida has outlined new guidelines that could allow the UFC to hold events during the coronavirus pandemic. In an April 9 memo published by the office of Governor Ron DeSantis, the definition of “essential services” has been expanded to include professional sports. The definition now includes “employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience — including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production — only if the location is closed to the general public.”
Conor McGregor breaks down UFC 246 knockout win: "I’ve been striking them where they believe they can’t be struck"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2020
Conor McGregor has reflected on his remarkable UFC 246 win over Donald Cerrone. McGregor was making his highly-anticipated return to the Octagon in the main event against Cerrone. He was also moving up a weight class to welterweight, where he was looking to get back into the win column following his fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.