MMA News
Manny Pacquiao's coach uninterested in Conor McGregor fight: "Why destroy your legacy for a bum like McGregor"
Cole Shelton - August 26, 2020
Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune is not interested in seeing his pupil box Conor McGregor. Ever since Pacquiao signed with Paradigm Sports Management, the same management as McGregor, many wondered if a fight could take place. The Irishman spoke openly about his desire to box again after his bout with Floyd Mayweather and a fight against Pacquiao certainly made sense.
Diego Sanchez admits he's contemplating retirement: "I can see at the end of the tunnel"
Adam Martin - August 26, 2020
UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez admitted that he is contemplating retirement, saying that he can “see at the end of the tunnel.” Sanchez is one of the longest-tenured fighters on the UFC roster, having joined the UFC in 2005 after winning the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Throughout the years, Sanchez has been one of the most active fighters on the entire roster, fighting at weight four weight classes: 185lbs, 170lbs, 155lbs, 145lbs. In 2009, Sanchez fought BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight title and lost the bout via fifth-round doctor stoppage.
Anderson Silva confirms Uriah Hall fight will likely be his last
Adam Martin - August 26, 2020
UFC legend Anderson Silva confirmed that his fight against Uriah Hall on Halloween will likely mark the end of his incredible MMA career. At age 45, Silva is the oldest fighter currently on the UFC roster and so him retiring should be no shock to anyone. UFC president Dana White said this week that Silva’s fight against Hall would be the final fight of his career and Silva has now confirmed that. Speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Silva admitted that the Hall fight will likely be the end of his career.
Conor McGregor reminisces on fight with Floyd Mayweather: "I carried Floyd for his final boxing match"
Cole Shelton - August 26, 2020
Conor McGregor has reflected on his legendary boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, which happened three years ago today. On August 26, 2017, McGregor made his way into boxing to battle arguably the greatest boxer of all-time in Floyd Mayweather. The fight took the world by storm and was a must-watch event.
Fabricio Werdum believes he'll secure first round finish in potential rematch with Fedor Emelianenko
Harry Kettle - August 26, 2020
MMA veteran Fabricio Werdum is confident that he’ll beat Fedor Emelianenko in the first round if they do have a rematch. Even at the age of 43, there’s a whole lot of intrigue surrounding Werdum and what the future may hold for him. The Brazilian sensation is coming off the back of a huge submission victory over Alexander Gustafsson, and while he may be leaving the UFC, that doesn’t mean his future isn’t going to contain some exciting match-ups.
Anthony Smith envisions quick path to light heavyweight title shot
Tom Taylor - August 26, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith believes he’s quite close to another shot at the division’s ultimate prize. Smith, who lost a decision to Jon Jones in a light heavyweight title fight in 2019, is currently riding a TKO loss to Glover Teixeira. However, after Jones vacated the light heavyweight title to move up to heavyweight, the former title challenger sees a clear path back to the championship, despite suffering a setback in his last outing.
Georges St-Pierre: UFC has "not made me an offer yet" for superfight with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - August 26, 2020
We’ve got a small update on a potential superfight between former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and reigning lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. St-Pierre recently joined Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star for an interview, and divulged that, as of yet, he hasn’t received an offer from the UFC with respect to a potential fight with the lightweight champion.
UFC rankings update: Frankie Edgar rockets into bantamweight top-15
Tom Taylor - August 26, 2020
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 7 card, and as expected, there have been some interesting changes. Most notably, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is now a ranked bantamweight having defeated Pedro Munhoz with a controversial split decision in the card’s main event. Edgar, who has spent the last few years competing in the featherweight division, was making a debut at bantamweight, and has swiped the division’s No. 5 spot in victory.
Bryce Mitchell returns on Halloween UFC event, takes on Andre Fili
Adam Martin - August 26, 2020
A featherweight bout between Bryce Mitchell and Andre Fili has been added to the UFC card that is scheduled to take place on Halloween. Mitchell vs. Fili will take place on the undercard of the UFC Fight Night card set for October 31 at a location that has yet-to-be-determined. The event will be headlined by a five-round main event fight between former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall. UFC president Dana White has confirmed that this will be Silva’s retirement fight.
Full betting odds released for UFC on ESPN+ 33: Smith vs. Rakic
Adam Martin - August 26, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for the 11 fights scheduled to take place Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 33: Smith vs. Rakic event. In the main event, two of the top-10 light heavyweights in the UFC go at it as Aleksandar Rakic takes on Anthony Smith. Rakic is coming off of a split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir in his last outing, while Smith is coming off a brutal TKO loss to Glover Teixeira. With Jon Jones recently vacating his title, this is a very important fight in the 205lbs title picture.
Luke Rockhold warns rivals ahead of comeback: "I’m still the best motherf**ker" in the gym
Tom Taylor - August 26, 2020
Former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold believes he still has what it takes to hang with the top fighters in his weight division. Rockhold has not fought since a 2019 knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz in the light heavyweight division. After that loss, he gave reason to believe he might end up retiring, but he recently announced his intention to fight again.
Report | UFC 253 to go down on Fight Island
Tom Taylor - August 26, 2020
UFC 253 is one of the biggest events on the combat sports calendar, but the location of the event has been a mystery until now. According a report from Brazilian combat sports publication AgFight, the card will go down on the UFC’s Fight Island—Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The UFC has promoted four events on Fight Island thus far, all in July, and it certainly makes sense that UFC 253 will be the fifth. The card features many international fighters who likely have a far easier time getting to Abu Dhabi than they would to Las Vegas.
Former UFC fighter "Mayhem" Miller charged for residential burglary and car theft in California
Harry Kettle - August 26, 2020
Controversial former MMA fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller has been charged for residential burglary and car theft in Irvine, California. Miller, 39, has had his fair share of run-ins with the law throughout the course of his life, and he even served jail time — but following an interview with Ariel Helwani a few months back, many fans were hoping that he’d been able to turn his life around.
Dana White announces the UFC will build a hotel by HQ to be completely self-sufficient
Natasha Hooper - August 26, 2020
Dana White has rapid expansion plans for the UFC and that even includes creating the first UFC hotel. The UFC president is attempting to grow the company on a global scale by building more UFC gyms, signing more partnership deals, and hosting more international events (especially when not in the midst of a pandemic).
Anthony Johnson eligible for UFC return in early 2021 after re-entering USADA pool
Natasha Hooper - August 26, 2020
Anthony Johnson is eligible to return to the UFC’s Octagon in early 2021 after re-entering the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool. In April 2017, the heavyweight fighter came up short in his second shot at UFC light heavyweight gold when he fought former champion, Daniel Cormier. Despite his submission loss in the second round, he was still regarded as one of the top 205-pound fighters, and his subsequent retirement from MMA shocked fans around the world.
Anderson Silva will retire following Uriah Hall fight on Halloween, confirms Dana White
Adam Martin - August 25, 2020
UFC legend Anderson Silva will retire following his fight against Uriah Hall on Halloween, confirmed UFC president Dana White. Silva is 45 years old and is the oldest fighter on the UFC roster. On October 31, he returns to the Octagon one last time when he takes on Hall in a battle between two incredible strikers. For Silva, the fight against Hall will mark the final time he makes the walk to the Octagon. The long-time UFC middleweight champion is one of the greatest fighters of all time, but in recent years he has really struggled, losing four of his last five fights.
Dana White says Jon Jones could get immediate heavyweight title shot: "Jon Jones is undefeated"
Adam Martin - August 25, 2020
UFC president Dana White says that Jon Jones could get an immediate title shot if he decides to move up to heavyweight as expected. Jones recently vacated the UFC light heavyweight title and announced that he is planning on moving up to heavyweight. Jones made the move in the wake of UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic beating Daniel Cormier in their trilogy match, though White has said that heavyweight slugger Francis Ngannou is the No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division. However, Jones moving up to heavyweight complicates things.
Alexander Volkanovski sends a message to the featherweight division: "Start fighting"
Cole Shelton - August 25, 2020
Alexander Volkanovski has a simple message to the featherweight division: Start fighting. Volkanovski is coming off his first title defense against Max Holloway at UFC 251. Following the win, many wondered what would be next for the champ. He made it clear the division needed to start fighting, and nearly two months later, the message remains the same.