MMA News

Tom Taylor - February 28, 2020

Stamp Fairtex is no longer a two-sport champ. In the main event of Friday’s ONE: King of the Jungle card in Singapore, Stamp sought to defend her ONE atomweight kickboxing title against California’s Janet Todd — who she defeated by decision to win the ONE atomweight Muay Thai title roughly one year ago. It was an extremely competitive fight, with Todd finding success with her boxing and volume, and Stamp bludgeoning her challenger with a steady diet of leg kicks. Ultimately, however, the judges handed Todd a split decision victory. She’ll return to California with a ONE world title belt in her luggage, while Stamp’s dreams of becoming a three-sport champ are dashed for the time being.

Tom Taylor - February 28, 2020

Yoshihiro Akiyama picked up an incredible knockout victory at Friday’s ONE: King of the Jungle card in Singapore. Akiyama appeared on the event’s main card, battling Egypt’s Sherif Mohamed in a 185-pound scrap.

Harry Kettle - February 28, 2020

Movsar Evloev is out of his scheduled fight against Jamall Emmers at UFC 248 as a result of a nasty motorcycle crash. The big event next weekend will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada with the headline bout being Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Further down the card, though, many fans were intrigued by the possibility of seeing Evloev square off with Emmers on the prelims.

Natasha Hooper - February 28, 2020

Diego Sanchez came up short against Michel Pereira this month at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho. Pereira appeared to have the upper hand until he struck his opponent with an illegal knee that changed the course of action. Sanchez decided not to continue the bout and was awarded a disqualification victory.

Cole Shelton - February 27, 2020

Dustin Poirier has hinted at his next fight on social media. Poirier has been campaigning for a scrap for weeks and now has taken to Twitter to hint at a possible main event fight against Dan Hooker. The Kiwi, of course, had stated that he would like to fight Poirier, if Justin Gaethje was not available.

Alfredo Zullino - February 27, 2020

Another member of the Nurmagomedov family is joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship ranks, and it’s Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of current and undisputed promotion’s lightweight belt-holder, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Just like his cousin, Umar is still undefeated in his professional mixed martial arts career, holding a record of 12 victories and no losses.

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

Michael Bisping had plenty to say about former UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva ahead of their 2016 scrap, and almost none of it was positive. As it turns out, Bisping actually had a lot of respect for the former champion, but realized a little bit of trash talk was crucial to getting the victory — which he wound up doing via unanimous decision.

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

Troy Worthen was in line to ride Doctor Doom’s Fearfall at Universal Studios in Orlando when he got an email that changed his life. Several weeks prior, he applied to try out for Evolve MMA, a famed fight team based in Singapore — a world away from his Central Florida home. As he waited to get on the ride, he finally heard back.

Mike Pendleton - February 27, 2020

After his fight against Tyson Fury was stopped in the seventh round by his corner and trainer Mark Breland, Deontay Wilder was visibly upset. He’s even considering removing Breland from his team. While some have understood Wilder’s desire to “go out on his shield” many have criticized him for his reaction towards Breland and now another name is being added to that list.

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

Tito Ortiz is not happy that his recent win over Alberto Del Rio has been overturned. Ortiz and Del Rio fought in the Combate Americas cage in late 2019. Ortiz wagered his UFC title on the matchup, while Del Rio promised to give his WWE belt to Ortiz in defeat. In the end, it was Ortiz that walked away with a new belt, as he defeated Del Rio via first-round submission.

Adam Martin - February 27, 2020

The UFC is headed back to Austin, Texas, and the first bout on the card is a women’s flyweight match between Jennifer Maia and Viviane Araujo. Combate was the first to report the UFC will head back to Austin on June 27 for a Fight Night card and the first to report the Maia vs. Araujo matchup. At this time, no other bouts for the card have been revealed.

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

UFC strawweight champ Weili Zhang has made it to the United States for her UFC 248 title defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, but the journey was not easy. Zhang’s homeland is still reeling from the headline-dominating novel coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed many lives and caused complicated travel restrictions worldwide. These restrictions made it extremely difficult for Zhang to make it to the US, and left her feeling like a “refugee.”

Cole Shelton - February 27, 2020

In the main event of UFC Norfolk, the vacant flyweight title is on the line as Joseph Benavidez battles Deiveson Figueiredo. Heading into the fight, Benavidez is a slight -145 favorite while the Brazilian is a +115 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority are leaning towards Joseph Benavidez finally becoming a UFC champion but they realize how dangerous Deiveson Figueiredo is.

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Cat Zingano has opened up on her struggles with Breast Implant Illness, a condition that can affect people who have undergone breast augmentation surgeries. According to Surgery.org, BII is “a term used by women who have breast implants and who self-identify and describe a variety of symptoms including (but not limited to) fatigue, chest pain, hair loss, headaches, chills, photosensitivity, chronic pain, rash, body odor, anxiety, brain fog, sleep disturbance, depression, neurologic issues and hormonal issues that they feel are directly connected to their saline or silicone, textured or smooth breast implants.”

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2020

Conor McGregor is still at the top of the fight game, but the former two-division UFC champ recognizes that his time as a fighter will eventually come to an end. When that happens, and he’s no longer collecting his massive fight purses, he’ll seemingly be well prepared. In a recent interview with The Mac Life, McGregor opened up on the importance of preparing for life after fighting. He says he’s studied the careers of other athletes — both inside and outside the combat sports industry — as he readies for the next chapter of his life. Based on his comments, it sounds like this research was a big part of his decision to launch ventures like his Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey and his August McGregor fashion line.

Cole Shelton - February 27, 2020

Deiveson Figueiredo is confident he will become the UFC’s flyweight champion on Saturday. In the main event of UFC Norfolk, Figueiredo will battle Joseph Benavidez for the vacant flyweight title. When the Brazilian got the news that he would be fighting for the belt he knew it meant he could finally achieve his goal of being a UFC champion.

Harry Kettle - February 27, 2020

A physician with notable links to UFC legends and veterans has been charged in a money laundering scheme worth over $120 million. As confirmed by the United States Department of Justice in a statement yesterday and initially reported by MMA Fighting, 65-year-old Francisco Patino has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, in addition to one count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Harry Kettle - February 27, 2020

A 2018 interview between Deontay Wilder and Joe Rogan appears to debunk Wilder’s theory that his heavy costume played a role in his loss last weekend. The combat sports world was stunned on Saturday night when Deontay Wilder was comprehensively beaten by his rival Tyson Fury, with “The Gypsy King” securing the finish in the seventh round after knocking the previously unbeaten “Bronze Bomber” down twice in the third and fifth rounds of the fight.