MMA News
Georges St-Pierre responds to Kamaru Usman callout
Tom Taylor - July 23, 2020
Former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre has responded to a recent callout from reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Usman, who is fresh off a short-notice decision win over Jorge Masvidal, recently expressed interest fighting St-Pierre next.
Mike Perry calls for main event rematch against Geoff Neal since the UFC is letting “anybody headline”
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
Mike Perry is still chasing a rematch with Geoff Neal. Perry and Neal fought last December at UFC 245 where it was Neal who got the job done by knockout in the first round. Since then, “Platinum” has been campaigning for a rematch and now has taken it a step further calling for the rematch to be a main event.
Photo | Henry Cejudo calls out Alexander Volkanovski to prove he's the GOAT of MMA
Adam Martin - July 22, 2020
Former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo has once again called out Alexander Volkanovski to prove that he is the GOAT of mixed martial arts. Cejudo retired from MMA in May immediately following a TKO win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, but in the two months since then, he has been all over social media calling out the UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski. Cejudo has been critical of Volkanovski’s reign as a champion and believes that he stole a decision from Max Holloway at UFC 251.
Irene Aldana releases statement after testing positive for COVID-19
Adam Martin - July 22, 2020
UFC women’s bantamweight contender Irene Aldana has released a statement after testing positive for COVID-19 and withdrawing from the Holly Holm fight. Aldana was set to fight Holm in the main event of a UFC Fight Night event set for August 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was set to be the first main event of her UFC career, and a win over Holm could have landed Aldana a title shot against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
Dan Lambert would be "really surprised" if Amanda Nunes decides to retire
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert doesn’t expect Amanda Nunes to retire from MMA. Following Nunes’ UFC 250 win over Felicia Spencer where she defended her featherweight title, the Brazilian has hinted at retirement. Nunes has accomplished everything in the sport from being a champ-champ to now defending both titles. Nunes is also widely considered the GOAT of women’s MMA.
Jesse Ronson expects to earn Fight of the Night bonus in UFC return against Nicolas Dalby
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
Jesse Ronson didn’t believe he would make it back to the UFC. Ronson was in the UFC from September 2013 to July 2014, but the Canadian went 0-3 with three split decision losses to Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinaldo, and Kevin Lee. He was then fighting on the regional scenes when he got the call to fight Diego Ferreira on short notice at UFC 231. However, Ronson was pulled from the event due to him having to cut too much weight and Sean Shelby told him he’d never be signed by the UFC again.
Ricky Bandejas ecstatic to headline Bellator's return, eyes KO win over Sergio Pettis
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
Ricky Bandejas is excited to headline his first Bellator show. In the main event of Bellator 242, which will be the promotions first card since COVID-19, Bandejas is taking on UFC veteran, Sergio Pettis. Yet, for the longest time, the now American Top Team fighter didn’t know he would be the main event.
Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana fight postponed, August 1 UFC card gets new headliner
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
An anticipated bantamweight fight between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana, which was set to headline a UFC card on August 1, has been postponed. The bout was postponed when Aldana withdrew from the matchup and a suitable replacement could not be found for Holm. The reason for Aldana’s exit is not currently clear.
Marlon Moraes knows why Dana White hasn't given Aljamain Sterling a title shot: "Dana wants to see blood"
Adam Martin - July 22, 2020
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes believes he knows why UFC president Dana White hasn’t given Aljamain Sterling a title shot at 135lbs yet. Sterling tapped out Cory Sandhagen in the first round of their bout at UFC 250 which was supposed to be a No. 1 contender fight in the UFC bantamweight division. After Petr Yan defeated Jose Aldo at UFC 251 to win the vacant UFC bantamweight belt, fans and media naturally assumed that Sterling would be next in line for the title. However, White has been non-committal towards giving Sterling the title shot just yet. Moraes believes he knows why.
UFC on ESPN+30 medical suspensions: Joseph Benavidez out with forehead laceration
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
The medical suspensions for last Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 card are in, and as expected, Joseph Benavidez will be out for a little while. Benavidez took on Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC on ESPN+ 30 main card, and lost by way of submission after being dropped multiple times.
Jack Hermansson plans on fighting Paulo Costa for middleweight title after defeating Till-Whittaker winner
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson plans on fighting Paulo Costa for the UFC Middleweight Championship after beating the winner of this weekend’s Darren Till vs. Robert Whittaker fight. Hermansson is riding a real wave of momentum right now in the wake of his huge submission win over Kelvin Gastelum on Fight Island last Saturday night. In the immediate aftermath of the win, “The Joker” proceeded to lay out a pretty detailed plan for what he expects the middleweight division to look like over the course of the next few months.
Megan Olivi praises husband Joseph Benavidez after Figueiredo loss
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
UFC commentator Megan Olivi has penned a warm message about her husband Joseph Benavidez after he lost a flyweight title fight to Deiveson Figueiredo. Benavidez met Figueiredo in the main event of UFC on ESPN+30 last Saturday in Abu Dhabi, with the vacant flyweight title on the line. Regrettably for Benavidez and his dedicated fas, this fight didn’t go as planned, as he was knocked down and submitted by Figueiredo in the first round.
Shogun Rua explains motivation behind third bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Natasha Hooper - July 22, 2020
Shogun Rua has explained his reasons for wanting to fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira a third time, despite already beating him twice. Shogun has already picked up two victories to his name against Nogueira, but he still remains excited about their third showdown. They are scheduled to collide in the light-heavyweight co-main event of UFC on ESPN 14 this weekend on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Dan Hardy recounts time training at Shaolin temple in China
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
Long before Dan Hardy established himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC welterweight division and a UFC commentator, he trained at a Shaolin temple in China. Hardy looked back on this incredibly interesting chapter of his martial arts journey in a recent post to Instagram.
James Krause praises former foe Jorge Masvidal: "He is the toughest guy I ever fought"
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
James Krause has fought a lot of tough opponents, but he says Jorge Masvidal is the toughest opponent he’s had to date. During an interview with Fighters Only, a print magazine, Krause ranked the best fights of his career. He gave the No. 5 spot to Masvidal, and labeled the Miami native his toughest foe to date.
Diego Sanchez, Yana Kunitskaya question fairness of USADA testing
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
UFC fighters Diego Sanchez and Yana Kunitskaya recently questioned the fairness of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing protocols. Kunitskaya was the first to open up on the topic, noting that when she and her boyfriend, UFC light heavyweight Thiago Santos, were in Russia and Brazil, they weren’t tested by USADA at all.
Alexander Gustafsson says he's here to stay after retiring due to being "heartbroken" after last loss
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
Alexander Gustafsson says he is here to stay after a brief retirement from MMA. Gustafsson headlined UFC Stockholm last June against Anthony Smith. It was a very intriguing matchup where both men were looking to rebound after losses to Jon Jones.
Dan Hardy believes Adesanya, Whittaker and Till would make Paulo Costa "look quite silly" in potential fights
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
Dan Hardy believes Paulo Costa won’t fare too well against the top of the middleweight division. Costa is currently 13-0 and coming off a decision win over Yoel Romero. He has also won 11 fights by knockout including being 5-0 inside the Octagon. Yet, for Hardy, he doesn’t think the Brazilian fares too well against the elite of the division in Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Darren Till.