MMA News

Adam Martin - March 13, 2020

UFC Brasilia fighters, including headliners Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira, will not be tested for the coronavirus before tomorrow’s event. Most sporting events around the globe have been postponed or canceled following the coronavirus outbreak which has sent the world into panic mode. After Bellator canceled its event scheduled for Friday night, the UFC is the only notable sporting event still taking place this weekend. As of right now, UFC Brasilia is still set to take place on Saturday afternoon with the main event featuring Lee and Oliveira in a catchweight bout. No fans will be in attendance for the card.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

This morning, Kevin Lee missed weight for his UFC Brasilia fight with Charles Oliveira. MMA veteran Diego Sanchez believes this is the latest bit of evidence that something needs to change with respect to MMA’s weight-cutting practices. Sanchez made his comments on the topic in a fiery rant posted to his Instagram page on Friday.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

Bellator President Scott Coker has now issued a statement on the last-minute cancelation of the Bellator 241 card, which was scheduled to go down in Connecticut later tonight. Coker address this last-minute shake-up, which is of course due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus, on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

Bellator MMA was supposed to return to our screens tonight with the stacked Bellator 241 card. According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, that will no longer be happening.

Adam Martin - March 13, 2020

UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou has released a statement after the UFC Columbus card was moved to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ngannou was expected to headline the UFC Columbus card on March 28 against fellow heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but the coronavirus outbreak put the entire event in jeopardy. The UFC announced on Thursday that the Columbus card, as well as April’s Portland, Oregon card, would be moved to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Cole Shelton - March 13, 2020

Johnny Walker is confident he’ll get back into the win column at UFC Brasilia this Saturday when he battles Nikita Krylov. Last time out, Walker was getting a big step up in competition where he fought Corey Anderson at UFC 244. Many thought the Brazilian would score another highlight-reel knockout but that was not the case. Instead, it was Anderson who scored a first-round TKO.

Harry Kettle - March 13, 2020

The opening odds for the middleweight showdown between Darren Till and Robert Whittaker at UFC Dublin have been released. The highly anticipated bout between these two titans of the division was first reported a few days ago, and ever since, fans and media members alike have been salivating over the prospect of seeing this fight go down in the Irish capital.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

Kevin Lee will not cut any additional weight after tipping the scales at 158.8 pounds this morning — two pounds above the 156-pound limit for his lightweight fight with Charles Oliveira. This news comes from Brazilian MMA reporter Raphael Marinho, who is on the scene of Saturday’s UFC Brasilia card.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

On Saturday night, the UFC will return to our screens with the exciting UFC Brasilia card, which will go down in an empty arena thanks to the threat of the coronavirus. The UFC Brasilia event is expected to be topped by a lightweight contender showdown between former interim title challenger Kevin Lee and streaking finisher Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira.

Natasha Hooper - March 13, 2020

Donald Cerrone has apologized to Mark Wahlberg for being a little too tough on him during a fight scene for the new film Spenser Confidential. The UFC veteran has been trying his hand at acting. His recent acting gig involved getting paid to rough up Hollywood tough guy Mark Wahlberg. It’s all in the name of entertainment for the Netflix movie Spenser Confidential, released in March 2020. “Cowboy” was brought on board to fight Wahlberg on screen, and as a part-time fight choreographer.

Harry Kettle - March 13, 2020

UFC president Dana White has provided fans with an update regarding the immediate future of all UFC events in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Sports leagues all around the world have experienced widespread postponements and cancellations as a result of COVID-19, with the anticipation being that this is just the beginning for many countries.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2020

This Saturday’s UFC Brasilia card has been closed to the public, meaning the fighters on the bill will compete in an arena completely devoid of fans. This is an experience a number of ONE Championship fighters are already familiar with. Late last month, amid growing concerns surrounding the coronavirus, ONE Championship elected to convert its ONE: King of the Jungle card to a closed-door event—just as the UFC has decided to do with the UFC Brasilia card.

Cole Shelton - March 12, 2020

Kevin Lee is entering his UFC Brasilia main event fight against Charles Oliveira with a ton of confidence. Lee, who is coming off of a first-round knockout win over Gregor Gillespie, will go into enemy territory to battle Oliveira. Yet, the atmosphere will be a little different as there will be no fans in the arena.

Cole Shelton - March 12, 2020

Joanna Jedrzejczyk will have surgery in Poland to help the swelling go down from the hematoma she sustained in her UFC 248 fight. In the co-main event, Jedrzejczyk was fighting Weili Zhang for the strawweight belt. She was looking to reclaim the title after losing it to Rose Namajunas back in 2017. Yet, after a hard-fought five rounds, where many consider it to be one of the best fights of all-time it was Zhang who won a split-decision.

Cole Shelton - March 12, 2020

Ali Abdelaziz is certain Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson will still happen on April 18 despite the Coronavirus pandemic. The two are set to headline UFC 249 in Brooklyn, New York where the lightweight belt is on the line. Yet, the state of New York recently declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that gatherings of more than 500 people will be forbidden in the state effective March 13.

Natasha Hooper - March 12, 2020

As his main event showdown against Tyron Woodley quickly approaches, Leon Edwards revealed how he went from living in a “tin shack” in Jamaica to the bright lights of the UFC. “Rocky” moved to Birmingham in the UK in his younger years, but was originally born in Kingston, Jamaica. During an interview with Adam Catterall from BT Sport, Edwards recalled living in poverty and the impact it had on him:

Tom Taylor - March 12, 2020

All hell broke loose at an MMA event in Russia last weekend. The trouble occurred at the ACA Young Eagles 12 card in Cherkessk, shortly after a fight between Dzhaddal Alikbekov and Alim Gugov. The fight ended with Alikbekov winning via a controversial submission. Evidently, Gugov’s supporters didn’t agree with the verdict.

Adam Martin - March 12, 2020

UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang shared details of an emotional moment she had with rival Joanna Jedrzejczyk at the hospital following UFC 248. Zhang and Jedrzejczyk went toe-to-toe for 25 minutes in the co-main event of UFC 248, producing a banger of a title fight that pundits immediately called an instant classic. Both women landed hundreds of strikes on each other’s faces and bodies in a bloody battle that is already being labeled one of the greatest MMA fights of all time.