MMA News

Natasha Hooper - April 9, 2020

Josh Thomson has slammed Dana White for endangering lives by proposing future UFC fights go down on a private island. A former UFC fighter and current Bellator analyst, Josh Thomson isn’t afraid to give his take on MMA controversies. That includes the hot topic of White’s proposed fight island.

Tom Taylor - April 9, 2020

Conor McGregor has made no secret of his admiration for former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. The feeling seems to be mutual.

Tom Taylor - April 9, 2020

Joe Rogan is hesitant about serving as a commentator for UFC 249, and from the sounds of it, for any other UFC cards that occur during the coronavirus pandemic. Rogan previously stated that he wouldn’t be on commentary duty for UFC 249.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2020

Dustin Poirier has said that he understands why he wasn’t the man chosen to replace Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC 249 main event. When Nurmagomedov’s removal from the UFC 249 card was confirmed, speculation began regarding who may be the man to replace him on the seemingly doomed card. Poirier was one of several fighters to offer to step in. It was eventually revealed to be Justin Gaethje, with many believing “The Highlight” had more than earned the right to fight for the title — even if it’s only the interim alternative.

Mike Pendleton - April 9, 2020

UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou is preparing for a possible title eliminator at UFC 249 on April 18 against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but he has very high goals for his entire fighting career. In an exclusive interview with BJPENN.com’s Inside The Cage, Ngannou was asked about a potential crossover to boxing later in his career, and he said it’s something he’s very serious about because it was his first dream.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2020

Jacare Souza has admitted that he is scared of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but that he will still fight at UFC 249 in order to help pay his bills. As of this writing, UFC 249 is scheduled to go ahead on April 18 on tribal land in California. One of the most intriguing undercard fights will see Jacare, 40, go head to head with Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Uriah Hall.

Christopher Taylor - April 9, 2020

Justin Gaethje will be stepping up on short notice to battle Tony Ferguson for the UFC interim lightweight title in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. Ferguson was originally slated to challenge undisputed lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the event. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘The Eagle’ was grounded in Russia and unable to participate at the California-based event.

Christopher Taylor - April 8, 2020

Former UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo will no longer be challenging Henry Cejudo for the promotions bantamweight title at UFC 250. As reported by Combate, Aldo’s removal from the event stems from the Covid-19 pandemic which has forced the legend to remain in Brazil.

Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020

Joe Rogan has nothing but praise for Justin Gaethje ahead of his UFC 249 fight against Tony Ferguson. Gaethje will be stepping up on short notice against Ferguson for the interim lightweight title. For Rogan, he knows “The Highlight” could pose some problems for Ferguson given his insane power and knockout ability.

Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020

Frankie Edgar is the latest UFC fighter to call out Henry Cejudo. Cejudo is scheduled to defend his bantamweight title against Jose Aldo on May 9 at a location to be announced. The scrap is set to headline UFC 250, which was expected to go down in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the venue was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adam Martin - April 8, 2020

UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira criticized Jon Jones for his recent DUI arrest and said he wants the UFC to suspend Jones for one year. Jones was arrested a few weeks back for a DUI and gun charges but reached a deal with prosecutors that involved house arrest but no jail time. The deal was criticized by fans and media for being too weak a punishment for a repeat offender. Most of his fellow MMA fighters have been supportive of Jones, but Teixeira has no problem throwing down the hammer on the champ.

Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020

Dana White has remained adamant he wants all UFC events to go on as planned beginning April 18 at UFC 249. It now appears USADA will also be testing fighters on the card. USADA had originally released a statement on March 17 saying they would only test fighters as deemed fit. But, the USADA director of communications has now provided a statement to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. As of right now, they say they will do everything in their power to test UFC 249 fighters.

Mike Pendleton - April 8, 2020

As he mulls a return to the UFC, Hall Of Famer Urijah Faber has some opponents in mind for the right price, and also has taken notice of bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo. Cejudo became the fourth double-champ in UFC history when he defeated Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 238 while he was already holding the flyweight title. There’s a long history between Faber and Cejudo, who happen to get some time in together back in 2009, when Cejudo was first getting started in MMA. Since then, the two have gone back-and-forth in recent social media interactions, but Faber says he has respect for “Triple C”.

Natasha Hooper - April 8, 2020

Israel Adesanya has given props to UFC president Dana White for pushing forward with fights despite the coronavirus pandemic. The middleweight champion joined Ariel Helwani this week to discuss the updated UFC 249 card. The event is scheduled to take place on April 18, but has undergone major changes in the wake of COVID-19. Khabib Nurmagomedov is out of the main event and has been replaced by Justin Gaethje. He will fight Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title and a new fight card has been announced. According to The New York Times, the event has also been moved to Tribal Land in California.

Natasha Hooper - April 8, 2020

MMA judges are refining their skills with the help of referee Big John McCarthy, as they rejudge the controversial UFC 247 Jones vs Reyes fight. Judges competency is a common cause of contention in the evergrowing sport. MMA professionals such as Joe Rogan and Dominick Cruz have slammed judges for inaccurate point-scoring. During UFC 247 in February 2020, Rogan accused one of the judges of not watching, and blasted their scorecards for the closely contested Jon Jones vs Dominick Reyes bout. Jones claimed the decision victory, but UFC president Dana White revealed that he scored the UFC 247 main event in favor of Reyes.

Christopher Taylor - April 8, 2020

UFC 249 has taken a major hit as it is being reported that former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been forced off of the April 18 fight card. Namajunas was slated to rematch Jessica Andrade in the co-headliner of UFC 249. However, according to a recent report from Combate, Rose has been forced to withdraw from the card due to undisclosed reasons.

Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020

Conor McGregor is not only a fighter, but a fight fan as well. The former two-division UFC champ often takes to social media to weigh in on the latest MMA action or praise fighters from generations past. On Wednesday, McGregor took to Twitter, where he expressed his admiration for the signature moves of some of MMA’s greatest fighters: Ronda Rousey’s armbar, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s high kick, Dan Henderson’s “H-Bomb” — you get the picture.

Adam Martin - April 8, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is down to scrap rival Dan Hooker in a welterweight bout — and on a private island, to boot. UFC president Dana White announced this week that the promotion is going to have its next four fights at an undisclosed location (since revealed to be Tachi Palace), and then hold weekly fights on a private island after that. Poirier vs. Hooker was set to headline UFC San Diego on May 16, which was the fifth upcoming card on the UFC schedule. That means it could be the first event that would take place on White’s private island.