MMA News

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2020

Weili Zhang is one of the newer UFC champions but she has been undefeated inside the Octagon. The China native won the belt last August with a quick knockout win over Jessica Andrade. She then defended her title in an absolute war against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. Zhang has shown her knockout power but has also proven she has the cardio to go five hard rounds and keep coming forward. She also has good takedown defense and solid jiu-jitsu leaving her hard to beat. But, the strawweight division has a plethora of challenges like Tatiana Suarez, Rose Namajunas, and rematches with Jedrzejczyk and Andrade.

Adam Martin - April 23, 2020

According to a report from veteran MMA reporter Dave Meltzer, UFC 249 is set to take place on May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida. There have been rumors the UFC intended to hold UFC 249 in Florida, and now we have a city. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said that the event will take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. The UFC has not yet made this official, but Meltzer is well-connected and considering Florida seemed like a likely outcome all along, this appears to be the place where UFC 249 will finally land.

Adam Martin - April 23, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Alexander Hernandez admits that he may have contracted the coronavirus from his head coach, but still planned on fighting anyway. Hernandez was set to fight Islam Makhachev at the original UFC 249 card in Brooklyn in what would have been one of the biggest fights of his career to date. When the coronavirus pandemic meant that travel restrictions around the world were tightened, the UFC called upon Omar Morales to fight Hernandez instead, at the rescheduled card in Tachi Palace.

Adam Martin - April 23, 2020

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is already thinking about retirement and says he has “four of five more years” left of fighting in MMA. Johnson is universally regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to ever compete in mixed martial arts. The ONE Championship Flyweight Grand Prix champion is next set to take on the promotion’s flyweight champ Adriano Moraes at a ONE event on May 29 in Manila, though that event is doubtful due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

The UFC London card, which was scheduled to go down on March 21, was unfortunately one of several fight cards to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly after the card was canceled, reports surfaced that the fighters who were scheduled to compete on the bill were paid for their efforts. They had, after all, undergone expensive training camps for the event.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

Way back in 2001, we met the new president of the UFC. His name was Dana White. Maybe you’ve heard of him. At the time, White was just a young man—with a lot less experience in the combat sports business and a lot more hair. See the UFC boss’s first appearance on camera, which was recently released from the UFC archives, below.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

Ali Abdelaziz sees two key areas where his client Justin Gaethje can beat Tony Ferguson in their UFC 249 interim title fight. First, Abdelaziz believes Gaethje’s wrestling could pose problems for Ferguson, who has struggled with high-level wrestlers like Kevin Lee before.

Mike Pendleton - April 23, 2020

Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler had two classic fights during their time with Bellator MMA and while there has always been chatter of a trilogy, those hopes were ended when Alvarez went to the UFC and then later moved on to ONE Championship. As he was approaching free agency after his UFC run, Alvarez considered running it back with Chandler and recently revealed that both he and Chandler pitched the fight to other promotions.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik is very confident the promotion will be able to go ahead with the planned UFC 249 card on May 9. Anik, who is a proud “degenerate gambler,” even set the odds for the card happening at a solid 9/10.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

Ali Abdelaziz believes a fight between his star client, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, and former two-division UFC champ Georges St-Pierre is still possible. Speaking to ESPN, Abdelaziz opened up on a potential Nurmagomedov vs. St-Pierre superfight, assuring that it’s doable if the former wants it happen.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2020

Today, Joe Rogan is as much a part of big UFC cards as the Octagon itself. Way back in 1997 when he debuted with the promotion, however, he was an unfamiliar face to many fight fans. The UFC recently released footage of the first time Rogan ever appeared on a UFC broadcast, and it’s a trip. See it below.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2020

UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje has admitted that if anyone is going to prevent him from dying in the Octagon, it’ll be his head coach Trevor Wittman. Gaethje is known for being a bit of a wild man in his style and how he puts people away when he’s fighting. Thankfully for him, his last three wins have seen him escape relatively unscathed – but that isn’t always guaranteed to happen.

Natasha Hooper - April 23, 2020

If Justin Gaethje beats Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, he will earn the interim lightweight title. However, in the eyes of “The Highlight,” that won’t make him a true champion. President Dana White scrapped the plans for UFC 249 on April 18, and pushed it back to May 9. The main event was supposed to feature Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson, but the lightweight champion ultimately withdrew over the constant changes associated with the pandemic.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2020

UFC lightweight John Makdessi has taken a shot at Michael Bisping for what he believes to be biased commentary from the former champion. Makdessi saw his three-fight unbeaten run in the division come to an end back at UFC Brasilia when he was beaten by unanimous decision by veteran Francisco Trinaldo. Prior to that, his last defeat in the Octagon came back at UFC 206 in December 2016.

Cole Shelton - April 22, 2020

Paulo Costa is not a fan of the New York State Athletic Commission and USADA and says he won’t be fighting in New York anytime soon. Back at UFC 212 and 217, Costa got in trouble by the commission and USADA as his doctor gave him an IV to help him after his weight cut. The doctor was suspended and  fined, which Costa believes was the wrong decision.

Cole Shelton - April 22, 2020

Stipe Miocic reclaimed his heavyweight belt back in August with a fourth-round TKO victory over Daniel Cormier in their highly anticipated rematch. The Cleveland native holds the record for most UFC heavyweight title defenses. For many, they believe Miocic is the heavyweight GOAT. But, his first fight with Cormier proved he is beatable, as he was quickly knocked out by ‘DC’ in the opening round. Yet, the champ is very well-rounded with his wrestling and striking. So, who has the best chance of ending his reign once again?

Natasha Hooper - April 22, 2020

Top-ranked lightweight, Al Iaquinta has given a timeframe and ideal opponent for his next UFC appearance. Despite being in lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, the New-York native is keeping busy. He is ready to get back to business and is even willing to fight on Dana White’s proposed Fight Island.

Jason Kindschy - April 22, 2020

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”553535″ player=”21002″ title=”BJJ with BJ Guillatine Pass To Side Control Drill” duration=”45″ description=”BJ Penn demonstrates “Guillotine Pass To Side Control Drill”” uploaddate=”2020-04-26 18:53:03″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/15717/thumb/553535_t_1587927199.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/15717/sd/553535.mp4″”] In this segment of BJJ with BJ, “The Prodigy” demonstrates how to properly pass from an opponents guillotine attempt to side control. This technique is the most common and most effective counter to a guillotine choke.