MMA News

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC London this Saturday. In the end, however, the coronavirus pandemic made this card impossible, and both men will have to wait for the next fights. Since the cancelation of this event, Edwards has been vocal about his desire for a rescheduled fight with Woodley. Woodley, however, has shifted his attention to his long-time rival Colby Covington.

Natasha Hooper - March 19, 2020

MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz is confident that Justin Gaethje would line the pockets of many fans as the underdog in a Conor McGregor matchup. Abdelaziz, the CEO of Dominance MMA, is responsible for a plethora of MMA stars including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. One of his lightweight talents is none other than “The Highlight” Justin Gaethje.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Joe Rogan wasn’t on commentary duty for last weekend’s UFC Brasilia card, but he did film a Fight Companion episode of his podcast for the event, alongside his friends Eddie Bravo, Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen. The UFC Brasilia card included plenty of interesting moments. One of the more interesting moments came at the end of the main event, which pitted lightweight contenders Charles Oliveira and Kevin Lee against each other.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Jacare Souza is training in his garage for his UFC 249 middleweight scrap with Uriah Hall. The coronavirus pandemic is affecting the fight game on multiple levels. The most obvious effect, of course, is the widespread cancelation of fight cards. That said, the fighters competing on cards that have not yet been canceled.

Mike Pendleton - March 19, 2020

John Kavanagh has been the head coach of SBG Ireland since 2001, and most fans know him as the coach behind Conor McGregor. Yet he’s far more than just that.

Harry Kettle - March 19, 2020

Colby Covington has moved on from his plan to fight Tyron Woodley on short notice in favor of a rematch with Kamaru Usman. Covington, who was beaten by Usman back at UFC 245, was hoping to replace Leon Edwards on short notice in order to go head to head with long-time rival Woodley this weekend. Alas, the UFC couldn’t quite get it done, and now, “Chaos” has decided that he wants to try and avenge his loss to “The Nigerian Nightmare” with immediate effect.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Diego Sanchez has responded to a recent callout from Demian Maia. Maia competed on last Saturday’s UFC Brasilia card, suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of Gilbert Burns in the co-main event.

Harry Kettle - March 19, 2020

UFC president Dana White has a defiant message for fans who believe that the promotion won’t be able to host UFC 249 next month. Following the announcement of three upcoming events being canceled, many fans have been wondering whether or not White and the UFC will be able to stage UFC 249 on April 18 — which, of course, is set to play host to the highly anticipated Lightweight Championship bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

Mike Pendleton - March 18, 2020

Ashlee Evans-Smith had been scheduled to face Molly McCann this upcoming weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 29 in London, but the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world effected the entire event. Before the combat sports world had been affected by the sudden changes, Evans-Smith went out to London ahead of time even though she recognized she might not be able to return home to the United States right away.

Mike Pendleton - March 18, 2020

Although the status and location are up in the air for his main event lightweight title fight for UFC 249 against Tony Ferguson, champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is still focused on his training, under difficult circumstances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic gyms have been forced to close down and the UFC has had to cancel their next three upcoming events, and now Nurmagomedov has to go through unique preparation. Training out of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California with head coach Javier Mendez, only the champion Nurmagomedov has been in the building. During an interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Mendez revealed that Khabib has been training by himself for two hours, and the gym has remained closed for the other 22 hours of the day.

Cole Shelton - March 18, 2020

UFC 249 is still up in the air, but the promotion has now released a statement on the event. With the state of New York banning large gatherings, and in accordance with the New York State Athletic Commission, the UFC announced the event will not take place in Brooklyn.

Natasha Hooper - March 18, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez explains why Tony Ferguson is the UFC lightweight champion’s toughest challenge yet. The head coach and mastermind behind American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) has been training the UFC’s lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov for many years. Despite the looming threat of Coronavirus, today is no exception as they continue to prepare for his anticipated showdown against Tony Ferguson on Saturday 18th April.

Cole Shelton - March 18, 2020

It appears Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes 2 will not happen next, according to UFC light heavyweight, Sam Alvey, a training partner of Reyes’. Jones and Reyes fought in the main event of UFC 247 where it was “Bones” who won a very close decision. Yet, for many fighters and fans, they thought Reyes did enough and should have been awarded the belt.

Mike Pendleton - March 18, 2020

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman most recently fought in the light heavyweight division, and things didn’t go according to plan. Weidman suffered a first-round knockout loss to recent light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes, and now “The All-American” is headed back to 185 pounds. During a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani on Instagram Live, Weidman explained his decision to drop back down to middleweight, citing that although he believes he can beat those in the light heavyweight division, he wants to make sure he goes and gets a win in his next fight.

Natasha Hooper - March 18, 2020

“Sugar” Sean O’Malley has taken inspiration from Tony Ferguson in a hilarious new workout video. This week, Ferguson posted an unusual workout online. The lightweight showcased his insane flexibility whilst flipping and grappling with a workout box, all accomplished in just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt:

Tom Taylor - March 18, 2020

It’s not yet clear when Conor McGregor will return to the UFC’s Octagon, or who he’ll fight in his return. That being said, the most likely option at present seems to be a fight between the Irish star and former World Series of Fighting champ Justin Gaethje. The opening odds for this potential McGregor vs. Gaethje fight were recently released by the sportsbook BetOnline. The oddsmakers have pegged McGregor as a slight betting favorite at -180, meaning a successful $180 bet on the Irishman would win $100. Gaethje, meanwhile, has been labelled as a +155 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on him would win $155.

Adam Martin - March 18, 2020

The UFC recently announced it has created the Forrest Griffin Community Award for exceptional volunteer and charity service by a UFC athlete. Named in honor of the UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC light heavyweight champion, the first recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community award will be revealed at International Fight Week in July in Las Vegas.

Natasha Hooper - March 18, 2020

Former MMA fighter Cedric Marks has been convicted for the 2009 murder of a Minnesota mother. Authorities confirmed on Monday that the former fighter is accused of multiple Texas murders and is one of two people charged in the death of an abducted woman from a Minnesota domestic violence shelter 11 years ago.