MMA News
John McCarthy weighs in on Jon Jones' recent arrest
Harry Kettle - March 30, 2020
Veteran referee John McCarthy has given fans his thoughts on the recent arrest of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. The incident involving Jones in Albuquerque has been discussed to death by the mixed martial arts community, with the general consensus being that “Bones” probably needs to get some help before things continue to escalate.
Odds revealed on who will replace Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249
Adam Martin - March 30, 2020
The sportsbooks have revealed the odds on who will replace Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249. Nurmagomedov revealed on Monday that he is stuck in Russia and likely will not be able to compete at UFC 249, which is set to take place on April 18 at a location that still has not been revealed to the public. That leaves Ferguson without a dance partner for the main event, and now the sportsbooks are taking bets on who that may be.
Report | Tony Ferguson offered Justin Gaethje for UFC 249
Adam Martin - March 30, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has reportedly been offered a fight against Justin Gaethje if Khabib Nurmagomedov cannot fight at UFC 249. Nurmagomedov said on Monday that he is stuck in Russia and, at this point, is not confident he will be able to leave his home country to fight at UFC 249, which is scheduled to take place April 18 at a location to-be-determined. With Nurmagomedov seemingly out of action, it leaves his opponent Ferguson without a dance partner. But perhaps not for much longer.
Jorge Masvidal willing to fight at UFC 249
Tom Taylor - March 30, 2020
If the UFC needs a big name to step in and fight at UFC 249 on April 18, the promotion doesn’t need to look any further than welterweight star Jorge Masvidal. Speaking on Twitter early on Monday morning, Masvidal boldly proclaimed he’s free to fight on the upcoming fight card.
MMA community reacts to potential cancelation of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
Tom Taylor - March 30, 2020
Early on Monday morning, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he is stuck in Russia due to the country’s new travel restrictions. The implication here, of course, is that his long-awaited fight with Tony Ferguson now seems nearly impossible. While the bout is not officially cancelled yet, it seems very unlikely that it will have to be. Considering Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight four times previously to no avail, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Tony Ferguson sends message to 'hiding' Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - March 30, 2020
Early on Monday morning, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he is stranded in Russia due to the country’s new travel bans, thrusting his fight with Tony Ferguson into jeopardy. “We were training in the AKA without any information regarding the fight, where and how is it going to happen,” Nurmagomedov stated on Instagram, updating on the status of his fight Ferguson. “Then the UFC told us that the fight 100% isn’t happening in the States and they said that 99% that it will happen in Emirates, Abu Dhabi. After talking to the UFC we decided to fly over to the Emirates a month before the fight. I don’t remember the exact date, it was 19th or 20th, I’ll have to check. But when we landed in Emirates we learned that they are going to close borders and no one will be able to leave or fly in, with the exception of residents. So we had to fly back to Russia. Currently, I am in Dagestan and I am training and preparing every day. Although I don’t know what am I preparing for because after we came to Russia we also learned that the borders are going to be locked. Same as in the States, the same as in Europe, Emirates, everywhere. The whole world is in quarantine right now.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov stranded in Russia: UFC 249 will go ahead 'with or without me'
Alfredo Zullino - March 30, 2020
It seems that the UFC 249 main event, which was expected to pit Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson, could be off the table again. There has been widespread worry over the last few days about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s whereabouts, and on Monday morning, “The Eagle” took to Instagram Live to confirm that he is seemingly stranded in Russia now that the country has closed its borders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Vicente Luque wants on new UFC 249 card
Adam D Martin - March 29, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque says he is willing to step up on short notice to fight on the new UFC 249 card in three weeks. UFC president Dana White is trying his best to make UFC 249 a go despite all the red tape due to the coronavirus outbreak, but he admitted that the card would likely be different than the original card that was set to take place in Brooklyn. The UFC is now in the process of finalizing the rest of the card, and Luque could potentially be a part of it.
VIDEO | Stephen Thompson shows off dance moves during coronavirus quarantine
Adam D Martin - March 29, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson shared a video of the dance moves he’s been practicing while waiting out the coronavirus quarantine. Thompson, like most athletes, is currently holed up while the world waits out the coronavirus outbreak. It’s difficult for MMA fighters to find proper training at the moment given all the restrictions due to the coronavirus crisis, but Thompson isn’t letting his free time go to waste. Instead of just sitting around his house like many are doing, Thompson has been working on his dance moves.
Diego Sanchez denies having CTE: "There is no proof of CTE"
Adam D Martin - March 29, 2020
UFC welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez is denying he has CTE despite having absorbed a historic number of head strikes in the Octagon. Sanchez, the winner of the first Ultimate Fighter, has competed in the UFC since 2004 and has been involved in numerous wars throughout his future Hall of Fame career. However, he has been criticized in recent years for continuing to fight despite taking over 1000 shots to his head during his UFC career, including multiple knockout losses in the last few years.
Will Brooks signs with ARES Fighting Championship
Adam D Martin - March 29, 2020
Former Bellator lightweight champion and UFC veteran Will Brooks has signed a new contract with ARES Fighting Championship. News of Brooks signing with ARES was first relayed by BJPenn.com’s Al Zullino and later confirmed on Twitter by Alan Murphy, the matchmakers for ARES.
Ali Abdelaziz denies UFC 249 will take place in Saudi Arabia
Adam D Martin - March 29, 2020
Manager Ali Abdelaziz is denying that UFC 249 will take place in Saudi Arabia despite speculation the event could be shifted there. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC has been forced to postpone UFC London, UFC Columbus, and UFC Portland. But UFC president Dana White has been adamant UFC 249 will take place, and he even says he has a location in mind for the event if it does go on as planned, only he’s not telling the media where that location may be. White is doing everything he can to save the event headlined by Abdelaziz’s client Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the UFC lightweight belt.
Future UFC events could feature countrymen only competition
Christopher Taylor - March 28, 2020
If the UFC plans to hold future events as scheduled, they are likely going to have to do so by pitting fellow countrymen up against one another. With cross-border closures already being implemented by many countries due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the only way fighters will likely to be able to compete is if it comes against someone from their home nation. That is at least for the foreseeable future.
Francis Ngannou will not defend Jon Jones, but says people "shouldn't throw stones" either
Christopher Taylor - March 28, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou has shared his thoughts on the recent arrest of promotional light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Early on Thursday morning, Jones was arrested for allegedly firing a gunshot in downtown Albuquerque. According to police reports, ‘Bones’ was also found to have marijuana residue on his clothing in addition to failing a sobriety test.
Dana White confirms "four or five" potential locations for UFC 249
Christopher Taylor - March 28, 2020
UFC President Dana White is determined to have next month’s UFC 249 pay-per-view event take place as scheduled on April 18, 2020. The fight card was originally slated to take place in Brooklyn, however, due to the Covid-19 outbreak the promotion was forced to move the event on short-notice.
Donald Cerrone willing to help save UFC 249, receives callout from Gilbert Burns
Chris Taylor - March 28, 2020
Former UFC lightweight title challenger Donald Cerrone is willing to help save next month’s UFC 249 event by participating on the fight card. UFC 249 is slated to take place at a currently undisclosed location on April 18. The event is expected to be headlined by a highly anticipated lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
Prop bets released on the future of Jon Jones following recent arrest
Chris Taylor - March 28, 2020
The future of current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones remains in question following his recent arrest in Albuquerque. Early Thursday morning, police responded to a gun shot call and found Jones in a running jeep. According to police reports, ‘Bones’ was in possession of a firearm and also had marijuana residue on his clothing. The light heavyweight champion also failed the sobriety test that was administered by police.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk details "rough" days dealing with facial injuries following UFC 248
Chris Taylor - March 28, 2020
Joanna Jedrzejczyk went to war with Weili Zhang in the co-main event of UFC 248, producing one of the greatest fights in mixed martial arts history. The brutal five-round contest culminated in a split-decision win for the Chinese champion, although many fans and analysts had scored the bout in favor of Jedrzejczyk.