MMA News
Dominick Reyes explains conservative approach in final rounds of Jon Jones fight
Natasha Hooper - February 10, 2020
Light heavyweight title challenger, Dominick Reyes explains why he didn’t attempt an explosive finish in the final rounds of his recent fight, as he was convinced he already had the victory over Jon Jones in the bag. In the main event of UFC 247 on Saturday 8th February, Jon Jones took on the rising contender Dominick Reyes. The light heavyweight champion previously mocked Reyes’ lack of experience, but that didn’t translate in the Octagon. Instead, the top-ranked contender used his striking arsenal to constantly pressure the champion. Jon Jones’ stronger performance in the championship rounds combined with his takedowns was enough to seal the unanimous decision victory.
Texas commission responds to Joe Rogan and judging uproar at UFC 247
Natasha Hooper - February 10, 2020
The Texas athletic commission has released a statement following major backlash spawning from last weekend’s UFC 247 event in Houston. The commission and those judging the fights were put on blast by longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan following the conclusion of Saturday night’s event. In addition, many fans and analysts voiced their displeasure with the judges scoring on social media.
Dana White praises 'absolute gangster' Valentina Shevchenko
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2020
Dana White has heaped praise on Valentina Shevchenko following UFC 247. This past Saturday night, Shevchenko put her UFC women’s flyweight title on the line against Katlyn Chookagian. While Shevchenko’s previous title defense against Liz Carmouche was widely considered to be lackluster, her bout with Chookagian was a different story. Shevchenko ended up scoring a third-round TKO victory.
Corey Anderson the betting favorite to be next opponent for Jon Jones
Adam Martin - February 10, 2020
Corey Anderson has been labeled by the oddsmakers to be the next opponent for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones following UFC 247. Jones defeated Dominick Reyes in a close, controversial unanimous decision at UFC 247 to once again defend his UFC light heavyweight strap. The question now is who is going to be next for the champion? According to the sportsbooks, it’s most likely going to be Anderson.
Leon Edwards vs. Tyron Woodley betting odds released
Adam Martin - February 10, 2020
The online sportsbooks have released the opening betting odds for the upcoming main event at UFC London between Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley. Edwards has been calling Woodley out for months and the former UFC welterweight champ Woodley finally accepted the fight. The two will headline UFC on ESPN+ 29 on March 21 at The O2 Arena in London, England.
Jon Jones makes prediction for potential Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - February 10, 2020
If Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor end up fighting for a second time, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones believes Nurmagomedov will once again come out on top. Jones explained why he’s siding with Nurmagomedov in a potential McGregor rematch during a recent interview with TMZ.
Fedor Emelianenko praises Khabib Nurmagomedov but says he needs to refine his striking technique
Adam Martin - February 10, 2020
Heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko praised UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov but says “The Eagle” needs to work on his striking technique. Emelianenko is regarded as the greatest Russian MMA fighter of all-time but in many ways, Nurmagomedov has taken the torch from “The Last Emperor” as the greatest Russian fighter on the planet right now. The two have the utmost respect for each other and both men have led to Russia becoming a hotbed for mixed martial arts around the globe.
Derrick Lewis no longer interested in fighting Greg Hardy
Tom Taylor - February 10, 2020
Long-time UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis previously stated his desire to get his hands on rising prospect player Greg Hardy, who was blackballed from the NFL after a domestic violence scandal. “I think he looked good, but as soon as the fight ended, I started thinking about his (ex-girlfriend), I was like, I wonder if he had hit her like that,” Lewis said shortly after Hardy’s 2019 no contest with Ben Sosoli. “I don’t know, man. I really don’t like guys like that because I grew up with a troubled past, and I saw my stepdad fight my mom just about every single day. I don’t even remember one day they didn’t go without arguing or fighting.
Bellator middleweight champ Rafael Lovato relinquishes belt amid health concerns
Tom Taylor - February 10, 2020
Rafael Lovato Jr. has relinquished the Bellator middleweight title after revealing he’s suffering from a cavernoma, an issue pertaining to the blood vessels in the brain. Lovato opened up on these health concerns on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, explaining that the issue has put his career on hold.
Juan Adams releases emotional statement following third straight UFC loss
Natasha Hooper - February 10, 2020
Juan Adams is doing a lot of reflecting since losing for the third-straight time against Justin Tafa at UFC 247. The heavyweights collided on the main card of Saturday night’s action. Justin Tafa only joined the UFC last year and lost in his UFC debut. However, he lived up to expectation in his second appearance after finishing Juan Adams. The Auckland native threw a huge right hook which sent Adams reeling. He followed up with a right uppercut then ground strikes to achieve the TKO win in under 2 minutes of the first round. The Samoan was happy with his performance.
Leon Edwards confident he would dethrone Kamaru Usman if he gets rematch
Cole Shelton - February 10, 2020
Leon Edwards is looking to rematch Kamaru Usman and is confident he would dethrone the champion. Edwards and Usman fought back at UFC on Fox 17 in December of 2015 where it was Usman who won by unanimous decision. It was a close fight where two judges had it 29-28, with the Englishman winning the first round. Yet it was Usman’s wrestling which was the difference-maker.
Jan Blachowicz says he'll get title shot with win over Anderson, confident he'd finish Jones
Cole Shelton - February 10, 2020
Jan Blachowicz always wanted to rematch Corey Anderson. The two first fought back at UFC 191 where it was Anderson who used his wrestling to score a unanimous decision win. Now, in the main event of UFC Rio Rancho, they will run it back where the stakes are higher, as the winner is expected to receive the next title shot against Jon Jones.
What's next for the stars of UFC 247?
Cole Shelton - February 10, 2020
In the main event of UFC 247, Jon Jones was taking on the undefeated challenger in Dominick Reyes. The co-main attraction saw flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko looking to continue her reign as she battled Katlyn Chookagian. In the end, neither titles changed hands as Jones edged out a very close decision while Shevchenko earned a TKO win.
Dillon Danis scolds Jon Jones following narrow victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247
Harry Kettle - February 10, 2020
Dillon Danis has taken a shot at Jon Jones following Jones’ narrow unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 this past weekend. Jones was able to escape from Houston, Texas with his belt intact after one hell of a title fight against the aforementioned Reyes. The fight was so competitive that many actually believed the challenger had done the unthinkable and beaten Jones on the scorecards.
Joe Rogan calls for changes to 'poor system' following 'incompetent judging' at UFC 247
Chris Taylor - February 9, 2020
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has called for changes to be made to the current scoring system, this following what he called “incompetent judging” at UFC 247. Last night’s UFC 247 pay-per-view event in Houston left much to be desired in regards to the current state of MMA judging.
Jon Jones believes 'high standards' caused misconceptions in UFC 247 win
Chris Taylor - February 9, 2020
Jon Jones earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes in the headliner of last night’s UFC 247 event in Houston, Texas. The win improved Jones’ overall record to 26-1 but did not come without scrutiny.
Brian Ortega wants Zabit Magomedsharipov for five rounds
Adam Martin - February 9, 2020
UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega says he has not yet signed to fight Zabit Magomedsharipov, but if they do fight he wants it to be for five rounds. Rumors emerged this week that the UFC was working on adding a potential featherweight firefight between Ortega and Magomedsharipov to UFC 249, the April pay-per-view featuring UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson. If the fight takes place on the card, it would only be for three rounds, so Ortega is presumably asking the UFC for him to headline another card against Magomedsharipov.
Andrea Lee calls for judge to be fired following controversial decision loss at UFC 247
Adam Martin - February 9, 2020
UFC women’s flyweight contender Andrea Lee is calling for the judge of her fight against Lauren Murphy at UFC 247 to be fired. Lee lost a controversial split decision to Murphy on the preliminary card. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 28-29, and 29-28 in favor of Murphy. However, the general MMA media consensus was that Lee should have earned the decision. In fact, all 12 media members whose scores were recorded at MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Lee.