MMA News
Dana White: Stipe Miocic could "possibly" be stripped if he doesn't defend title
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
UFC President Dana White says it’s possible UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will be stripped of his title if he doesn’t defend it in a timely manner. Miocic has long been linked to a tie-breaking trilogy fight with fellow heavyweight legend Daniel Cormier. That being said, Miocic moonlights as a firefighter, and is focused on his duties as a first-responder during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He doesn’t intend to rematch Cormier until the pandemic is under control and he’s able to undertake a complete training camp.
Dana White confirms return of The Ultimate Fighter, names possibilities for TUF coaches
Adam Martin - May 6, 2020
UFC president Dana White confirmed that the return of The Ultimate Fighter is in the works and named a number of potential coaching pairs for the next TUF. White recently dropped a bombshell during a Reddit AMA when he said the UFC was working on the potential return of TUF. Many figured the show would be dead due to the emergence of the Contender Series, and so it was surprising when White said that TUF would be returning “soon.”
Coach hails Yoel Romero as "the greatest athlete I've ever seen"
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
Yoel Romero is currently riding consecutive decision losses to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, top contender Paulo Costa, and former champ Robert Whittaker, but his coach Mike Brown believes he’ll work his way back up to the top — even at 43 years old. In fact, Brown feels Romero is the greatest athlete he’s ever worked with.
MMA veteran Sergei Kharitonov tried to contract coronavirus "to feel what it is like"
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
Bellator heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov recently admitted that he tried to contract COVID-19 in order “to feel what it is like.” Kharitonov made this shocking admission in a recent Instagram post, adding that he believes soaking oneself in cold water is an adequate way of staving off the virus.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Cory Sandhagen discussed for June 6 event
Adam Martin - May 6, 2020
The UFC is reportedly discussing a bantamweight bout between top contenders Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen for an upcoming event on June 6. Sterling vs. Sandhagen was previously targeted to take place on the UFC San Diego card that was supposed to take place on May 16 before it was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the bout was never confirmed, and when the event fizzled out so did all of the matchups that were set to take place on the event, including the main event between lightweights Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker.
Report: "No real talks" underway for Conor McGregor fight
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
It sounds like we can pump the brakes on talk of an imminent Conor McGregor comeback. UFC president Dana White recently claimed that McGregor is ready to return to the Octagon.
Justin Gaethje says he needs his nose broken, hopes a Tony Ferguson elbow does the trick
Natasha Hooper - May 6, 2020
Justin Gaethje has a problem with his nose, and he’s hoping his UFC 249 opponent Tony Ferguson will fix it. On May 9, the postponed UFC 249 will finally take place despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In the main event, Gaethje will take on the number one ranked lightweight, Ferguson.
Dana White says May 23 UFC event will take place in Las Vegas
Adam Martin - May 6, 2020
UFC president Dana White has confirmed the world’s leading MMA promotion will be holding an upcoming event on May 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC is scheduled to hold events on May 9, May 13, and May 16 in Jacksonville, Florida, and many assumed the promotion would continue to hold its events there until the coronavirus pandemic subsides. But according to White, the UFC is already targeting its return to its home base of Las Vegas very soon.
Brendan Schaub suggests he would fight an opponent with COVID-19
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub recently suggested that he would fight an opponent even if they tested positive for COVID-19. This weekend, the UFC will return to our screens with UFC 249, a stacked card in Jacksonville, Florida. The UFC has undertaken extensive measures to simultaneously ensure fighter safety and dispel public skepticism, but it’s still not clear how the promotion will proceed if a fighter test positive for COVID-19.
UFC 249 safety protocol includes no post-fight interviews inside the Octagon
Natasha Hooper - May 6, 2020
The updated safety protocols for UFC 249 during the coronavirus pandemic include a policy of no post-fight interviews in the Octagon. The eagerly anticipated UFC 249 fight card was inked for April 18 but was postponed due to the pandemic. Not one to be defeated, UFC president Dana White rescheduled the event for May 9.
VIDEO | Tony Ferguson receives COVID-19 nasal swab test for UFC 249
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2020
UFC 249 headliner Tony Ferguson has released footage of himself receiving a COVID-19 nasal swab test ahead of this weekend’s event. One of the biggest concerns from critics of the event on Saturday going ahead has been the safety of the fighters involved. While there’s still no guarantee as to what the accuracy of these tests will be, it does appear as if the UFC has put certain measures in place to try and ensure things go as smoothly as they possibly can.
Henry Cejudo outlines his plans following victory at UFC 249, Aljamain Sterling responds
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2020
UFC champion Henry Cejudo has outlined his plans following UFC 249 this weekend — with divisional rival Aljamain Sterling taking exception to it. Cejudo will defend the UFC Bantamweight Championship against former king Dominick Cruz on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to the event itself being controversial, the decision to make Cruz the number one contender has also received quite a bit of pushback.
Tony Ferguson sends message to Khabib, says he's defending his belt for a third time at UFC 249
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2020
Tony Ferguson believes he is the UFC’s undisputed lightweight champion. In the main event of UFC 249, Ferguson will take on Justin Gaethje for the promotions interim lightweight title, this after reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was stuck in Russia. So, “El Cucuy,” said the Russian should be stripped of his belt.
Michelle Waterson plans on knocking out Carla Esparza to put her in talks to fight for belt
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2020
Michelle Waterson believes her UFC 249 fight against former champion Carla Esparza has title implications on the line. Waterson will make her return to the Octagon after a decision loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk back at UFC Tampa last October. She says she learned a lot about herself in that fight and says it proves she belongs at the top.
Dana White updates on plan for Conor McGregor
Mike Pendleton - May 5, 2020
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor promised that he’d be active during his 2020 “season” while he was preparing for his return at UFC 246 in January, and then the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. McGregor had a successful return to the Octagon when he defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone with a 40-second first-round TKO victory and immediately jumped back into the conversation for big fights in 2020. With the UFC having to shuffle events and matchups due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s uncertainty around many of the superstars in the sport including McGregor.
Dana White promises safety will be a priority at UFC 249: "I don't wanna die"
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
The UFC will return to our screens with UFC 249 this Saturday, and UFC President Dana White promises safety is going to be a priority. White was asked about the precautions he’s taking for this event in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Dana White responds to accusations of "corporate greed"
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
UFC President Dana White is hellbent on getting the UFC back up and running in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, starting with a whopping four events between now and the end of May. The UFC boss’s determination to keep his show on the road has led to a fair amount of backlash, much of which stems from a belief that he’s prioritizing profit over safety.
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang slams UFC over fighter pay
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
Former United States presidential candidate Andrew Yang believes UFC fighters aren’t getting a big enough piece of the pie. Yang, who recently withdrew from the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, opened up on the topic of fighter pay in an interview with Karim Zidan of BloodyElbow.