MMA News
Anthony Smith recounts fighting, partying with opponent who got out of jail the same day
Tom Taylor - May 13, 2020
UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith once fought an opponent who got out of jail the very same day as their bout. Smith, who takes on Glover Teixeira in the main event of tonight’s UFC Jacksonville card, shared this wild story in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.
Conor McGregor: Without me, this whole ship would sink
Tom Taylor - May 13, 2020
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor recently suggested he’s keeping the entire fight game afloat. McGregor has been very active on Twitter over the last few days, jawing back and forth with stars like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and Kamaru Usman.
Report | UFC forced to postpone May 23 event
Harry Kettle - May 13, 2020
The UFC has been forced to postpone its May 23 event, with May 30 being lined up as a potential new date. The report comes from MMA Junkie who have spoken with several people close to the situation, with the belief being that it just wasn’t possible to get all of the pieces in place in time for May 23.
Former UFC fighter arrested with 121 pounds of marijuana
Natasha Hooper - May 13, 2020
On May 11, an Iowa man later identified as former UFC fighter Tim Gorman was arrested for carrying 121 lbs of marijuana as well as other substances such as cocaine and steroids. Gorman, 37, of West Des Moines has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver and possession of money during a drug violation.
Jon Jones says he has spoiled fight fans: “Now victory isn’t enough”
Harry Kettle - May 13, 2020
UFC light heavyweight king Jon Jones feels he has spoiled fight fans to the point that simply winning his fights is not longer enough. While many fans and pundits alike consider Jones to be the greatest of all time, he has certainly had some difficulty in defending the Light Heavyweight Championship in his last two fights.
Dana White reacts after Joe Rogan expresses frustration with UFC 249 commentary setup
Christopher Taylor - May 12, 2020
Joe Rogan expressed his frustration over not being able to sit beside fellow commentators Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik multiple times during the UFC 249 broadcast. The longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator in Rogan said it made no sense that the commentary team should have to work apart after they each endured and passed multiple tests for Covid-19.
Conor McGregor absolutely unloads on Tony Ferguson in heated rebuttal
Christopher Taylor - May 12, 2020
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor made headlines earlier this week when he took aim at Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Just days after the Ultimate Fighting Championship held their highly anticipated UFC 249 event, which marked the promotions first fight card in over a month, McGregor took to Twitter where he proceeded to unload on multiple lightweight standouts.
Dan Hardy believes he would catch Anthony Pettis clean and "put him away" in potential fight
Cole Shelton - May 12, 2020
Dan Hardy believes he would knockout Anthony Pettis if they were to fight. Hardy was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome in 2013 leaving him unable to fight. Yet, in 2018 the Englishman announced he was cleared to compete again and in 2019 said he has joined the USADA testing pool.
Edson Barboza ready for a "new beginning" in featherweight debut against Dan Ige
Cole Shelton - May 12, 2020
Edson Barboza has been a perennial lightweight contender for years but on Saturday, he will make the move down to 145 pounds to take on Dan Ige. When Barboza announced he was going to make the move to featherweight, it was surprising for some. Yet, for the Brazilian, he says he needs some new challenges, and fighting at 145 pounds gives him that opportunity.
Jon Jones wants "exhibition" catchweight fight at 220 pounds before he moves up to heavyweight
Cole Shelton - May 12, 2020
Jon Jones is looking to get his feet wet at heavyweight before he makes the move permanent. For years, many have said Jones should move up in weight as he has cleared out the light heavyweight division. Yet, he has stayed at 205 pounds, but now, he seems interested in making the move.
Dana White wants Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje on UFC Fight Island
Cole Shelton - May 12, 2020
Dana White is hoping Khabib Nurmagomedov can defend his belt against Justin Gaethje on Fight Island this summer. This past weekend, Gaethje TKO’d Tony Ferguson in the fifth round to win the interim lightweight title. It was a phenomenal performance which has setup the ‘Highlight’ for a title unification bout with Nurmagomedov. That contest will take place on Fight Island, according to Dana White.
Francis Ngannou opens as betting favorite over Daniel Cormier
Adam Martin - May 12, 2020
Following his win at UFC 249, Francis Ngannou has opened as the betting favorite for a potential heavyweight showdown against Daniel Cormier. Ngannou knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik in just 20 seconds on the UFC 249 PPV card to reaffirm his position as one of the top contenders in the UFC heavyweight division. “The Predator” is now running a four-fight win streak, with first-round knockouts over Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes.
Jon Jones would "love" to fight Dominick Reyes again, but he has some conditions
Adam Martin - May 12, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones says he would “love” to fight rival Dominick Reyes as long as the UFC meets his conditions. Jones and Reyes met back at UFC 247 in early February. In one of the most controversial decisions of the year, the judges scored the fight unanimously in favor of Jones, despite many fans and media members scoring it for Reyes, not to mention UFC president Dana White doing the same.
Conor McGregor "super excited" for lightweight title fight in July
Tom Taylor - May 12, 2020
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor says he’s “super excited” for a lightweight title fight in July. McGregor made this comment on Twitter on Tuesday.
UFC rankings update: Cruz returns to bantamweight top-15, Gaethje debuts on p4p list
Tom Taylor - May 12, 2020
The official UFC rankings have been updated in the wake of last weekend’s UFC 249 card, which marked the promotion’s return after a brief, pandemic-induced hiatus. These new UFC rankings feature some interesting changes. Most notably, former UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, who came up short to the reigning champ Henry Cejudo in the co-main event, has returned to the bantamweight rankings.
Michelle Waterson issues statement after controversial loss to Carla Esparza
Tom Taylor - May 12, 2020
Former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson has issued a statement after her controversial decision loss to former UFC strawweight champ Carla Esparza at UFC 249. Waterson and Esparza battled for 15 minutes on the UFC 249 undercard. While Esparza was awarded a decision win, many fans felt the judges got the verdict wrong.
Aljamain Sterling calls for vacant UFC bantamweight title fight against Petr Yan
Adam Martin - May 12, 2020
With Henry Cejudo abruptly retiring from MMA, UFC bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling is calling for a vacant title fight against Petr Yan. Cejudo shocked the MMA community when he announced after this TKO win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 that he would be vacating the belt and retiring from the sport. Though the title being vacated is not official yet and White has held the door open to Cejudo potentially changing his mind, if he does indeed give his belt up then we would need a new fight to determine who the best in the world at 135lbs is.
Dominick Cruz doubles down on Keith Peterson accusations: "These guys are getting hammered the night before"
Tom Taylor - May 12, 2020
After Dominick Cruz came up short in his UFC 249 bantamweight title fight with Henry Cejudo, he claimed that referee Keith Peterson, who stopped the bout in the second round, smelled like booze and cigarettes. This remark generated immediate controversy, as many fans felt it was irresponsible of Cruz to make such an incendiary claim about an official with a very good track record.