MMA News

Tom Taylor - July 9, 2020

Mackenzie Dern is set to take on Randa Markos in a compelling strawweight fight targeted for September 12 in Las Vegas, according to a report from MMA Fighting. Dern last fought in late May, when she picked up a first-round submission victory over Hannah Cifers with a knee-bar. The win separated her from the first loss of her professional career, a decision defeat at the hands of Amanda Ribas. With her win over Cifers, Dern improved to a solid 8-1 overall in mixed martial arts.

Adam Martin - July 9, 2020

UFC fighters including Jon Jones and Dustin Poirier have made generous donations to UFC makeup artist Suzy Friton, who is battling stage 4 breast cancer. On Wednesday, a GoFundMe was started for Friton by Brittany Churchill, the wife of UFC light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov, who battled breast cancer herself last year. Since the GoFundMe was made public, nearly $100,000 has been donated to Friton, including thousands of dollars of donations from MMA fighters.

Tom Taylor - July 9, 2020

Former Bellator commentator Sean Wheelock has taken on a gig as a play-by-play man for an adult webcam website called ImLive.com. His objective will be to enhance the experience for blind users. Here’s how an official press release explained it (via MMA Junkie):

Natasha Hooper - July 9, 2020

Ben Askren recently reflected on his infamous KO loss at the hands of Jorge Masvidal. He admitted the final punches Masvidal administered weren’t “super necessary” but were at least “kinda funny”. The “BMF” winner, Masvidal is preparing to face off against the welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 251 this weekend on UFC Fight Island. The anticipated matchup comes after a long list of career triumphs for “Gamebred”.

Tom Taylor - July 9, 2020

Footage has emerged from inside the arena on UFC Fight Island, where Saturday’s UFC 251 card and three subsequent events will occur. See this footage, which comes from Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, below:

Harry Kettle - July 9, 2020

Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren has said he isn’t surprised by the recent actions of controversial UFC fighter Mike Perry. Footage emerged last night of Perry, who recently beat Mickey Gall in a decisive unanimous decision, getting into a fight with a man before going on a verbal tirade to both those in attendance and his girlfriend.

Natasha Hooper - July 9, 2020

Mike Perry allegedly assaulted three individuals at a restaurant and could also reportedly face theft charges. Yesterday, a video was released of the welterweight punching an older man.

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2020

Daniel Cormier believes Jorge Masvidal is in a no-lose situation when he fights Kamaru Usman at UFC 251. Masvidal is entering this fight on just six days notice and is a sizeable underdog. Many people are picking against him and counting him out, yet for Cormier, he believes even if “Gamebred” loses, his stock doesn’t change.

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2020

Ben Askren believes he played a major part in Jorge Masvidal’s rise to superstardom. After “Gamebred” knocked out Darren Till in the main event of UFC London, “Funky” was taking shots at Masvidal to try and get him to accept the fight. After several jabs, it worked and the two fought at UFC 239 where it was expected the winner would get a title shot.

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2020

Volkan Oezdemir knows his UFC 251 fight against the promotional newcomer, Jiri Prochazka, will end by knockout. Prochazka is the former RIZIN light heavyweight champ and both he and Oezdemir are known as knockout artists. Yet, for the Swiss native, he says when the fight was originally offered he didn’t love the idea of fighting an unranked opponent. But, he knows he is a tough foe. So, he’s eager for the opportunity to welcome him to the Octagon.

Adam Martin - July 8, 2020

UFC welterweight superstar Jorge Masvidal is drawing big betting action heading into UFC 251, with bettors laying Conor McGregor kind of money on him. Masvidal takes on UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 251, filling in on short notice for Gilbert Burns. According to BestFightOdds.com, Usman is currently as high as a -280 favorite at some sportsbooks, while Masvidal is as high as a +230 underdog. With few other professional sports to bet on right now, the sportsbooks have been taking in record numbers of handle for their UFC fights as of late, and Usman vs. Masvidal is no exception, as the fight is proving to be a popular bet for sports bettors.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 8, 2020

Brendan Schaub has weighed in on UFC welterweight Geoff Neal having to return to his job at Texas Steakhouse. Back in Dec. 2019, Neal turned in a statement-making win over Mike Perry. Neal dusted “Platinum” in the opening round, which is a feat not often accomplished against someone as tough as Perry. While many expected the UFC to attach the rocket to Neal and have him take off, that hasn’t been the case.

Adam Martin - July 8, 2020

Bellator is set to hold its first show since February as the promotion is scheduled to make its return to your television screens on July 24. Sherdog.com reported that Bellator is scheduled to return on July 24 with an event from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. According to the report, the event is tentative pending the Mohegan Tribe Department of Regulation clearing it to go on. For that to happen, Sherdog reports it likely depends on “extensive testing, social distancing measures, cleaning procedures and Bellator holding its fights with no fans in attendance.”

Harry Kettle - July 8, 2020

UFC middleweight Uriah Hall has outlined his strategy as he prepares to go head to head with top contender Yoel Romero next month. The former Ultimate Fighter finalist has had his fair share of ups and downs in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but with three wins in his last four fights, it appears as if he’s finally starting to live up to the potential that fans knew he had when he first appeared on TUF.

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2020

In the co-main event of UFC 251 on Fight Island, Alex Volkanovski looks to defend his featherweight belt when he rematches Max Holloway. Heading into the fight, the champ is a -230 favorite while the Hawaiian in Holloway is a +180 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority of the fighters believe Holloway will make the necessary adjustments to reclaim his featherweight title.

Tom Taylor - July 8, 2020

On Monday, UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman and his challenger Jorge Masvidal nearly came face-to-face at their hotel in Abu Dhabi. See this tense moment below:

Alfredo Zullino - July 8, 2020

Greece has not been a hotspot for fighters lately, but mixed martial arts was basically born there in 648 BC, when Pankration was introduced for the first time as an Olympic sport. Andreas Michailidis is here to change this trend.

Tom Taylor - July 8, 2020

Jorge Masvidal claims UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who he’ll fight in the main event of UFC 251 this Saturday, has “multiple personalities.” Masvidal made this claim on Twitter on Wednesday, pointing to the way Usman travels as an example.