MMA News
Sergio Moraes details battle with "aggressive" COVID-19
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
Sergio Moraes is one of several MMA stars to contract COVID-19, and he says it was the toughest opponent he’s ever faced. Consider he’s battled the likes of Kamaru Usman, Neil Magny, and James Krause, that’s saying something.
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.
Henry Cejudo explains why Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan don't deserve title shots
Tom Taylor - May 6, 2020
UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo is days out from a title defense opposite the former champ Dominick Cruz. Beyond that he has his sights set on former featherweight champ Jose Aldo. Speaking on Tuesday’s UFC 249 conference call, Cejudo explained why Cruz and Aldo are the top of his list.
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.
Dana White disputes Stipe Miocic’s claim that “fighting will be there forever”
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2020
Dana White doesn’t agree with Stipe Miocic that fighting will last forever after the heavyweight champion says he won’t fight during the pandemic. Daniel Cormier has been clamoring for the trilogy to happen against Miocic for weeks now. Yet, Miocic, who’s also a part-time firefighter, says he’s focused on helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But, for White, he’d rather see the heavyweight champ fight and do so often.
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.
Stipe Miocic wants full training camp, targeting Daniel Cormier trilogy in late fall
Adam Martin - May 5, 2020
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic says he requires a full training camp and is aiming to complete his trilogy with Daniel Cormier in the late fall. Miocic and Cormier first met at UFC 226 in July 2018 with Cormier taking home the title with a first-round KO. The pair then rematched at UFC 241 in August 2019, with Miocic winning back his belt with a fourth-round TKO. The UFC has been targeting a trilogy fight between the two rivals ever since, but to date, the fight has not been booked due to injuries to both men and also to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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.
Henry Cejudo willing to "marry" Jose Aldo to get him into the US for title fight
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo really wants to fight Jose Aldo. So much so that he recently joked he’s willing to “marry” the Brazilian to get him into the US for a fight. Cejudo was originally expected to battle Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. Regrettably, this event fell apart amid the coronavirus crisis.
UFC 249 | Pro fighters make their picks for Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje title fight
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2020
In the main event of UFC 249, Tony Ferguson is taking on Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. Heading into the fight, “El Cucuy” is a -190 favorite while Gaethje is a +155 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe it is a pick’em fight but the majority believe we will see Gaethje pull off the upset.
Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer title fight rescheduled for June 6
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer’s featherweight title fight will now go down on June 6 in a to-be-determined location. This news comes from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.