MMA News
Ben Askren determined to handle loss better than Ronda Rousey
Tom Taylor - September 30, 2019
Ben Askren recently had his first taste of defeat as a pro mixed martial artist. This bitter dish was served up by Jorge Masvidal, who finished the pair’s UFC 239 fight with a flying knee knockout in just five seconds. While it’s hard to imagine a more brutal way to lose, Askren has been extremely open about this setback. That, he says, is by design. He feels anything else would have been counterproductive, and he points to the career-ending losses of Ronda Rousey as proof of that.
Urijah Faber ready to 'even things out' with TJ Dillashaw
Natasha Hooper - September 30, 2019
Now Urijah Faber is back to doing what he does best, there are plenty of potential opponents for him to pick from…and who better to choose than his former teammate turned foe, TJ Dillashaw. The UFC vet believes 2021 could be the time to defeat Dillashaw and “even things out.” “The California Kid” returned from retirement with a swift and successful defeat against Ricky Simon in July. Faber believes his extensive track record is enough to earn him a title shot against Henry Cejudo, but a battle against his former training partner could also be in the cards.
Henry Cejudo and Kelvin Gastelum call out Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather
Natasha Hooper - September 30, 2019
Whether it’s Valentina Shevchenko, Dominick Cruz or Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo is always willing to call out his fellow fighters. This weekend was no exception. On Saturday, Cejudo took to Twitter to call out Conor McGregor as well as boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
Alexa Grasso considering move up to UFC flyweight division
Adam Martin - September 30, 2019
UFC women’s strawweight contender Alexa Grasso is reportedly open to making a move up to the flyweight division following a majority decision loss to Carla Esparza at UFC Mexico. According to an article from UFC.com, Grasso wants to fight at UFC South Korea this December in Busan. That’s the card headlined by Brian Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie, which was recently announced as the main event.
Gilbert Burns offers to take short-notice middleweight fight
Tom Taylor - September 30, 2019
Long-time lightweight contender Gilbert Burns is now 2-0 in short-notice welterweight fights. Having discovered how well he performs in these short-notice fights, Burns is now angling to take another — in the middleweight division. When Eric Spicely was forced out of his UFC Boston showdown with Brendan Allen, Burns promptly offered to step in and replace him — despite the fact that the fight will be contested a full 30 pounds above his former division. And in case you thought he was kidding, he assures he’s not.
Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg title fight official
Natasha Hooper - September 30, 2019
Cris Cyborg will fight Julia Budd for the Bellator featherweight title on January 25th at an event in Inglewood, California. Bellator announced this news during the Bellator 228 broadcast on Saturday night.
Tyron Woodley: I'm a nightmare for Kamaru Usman 'every day of the week’
Tom Taylor - September 30, 2019
When Tyron Woodley and Kamaru Usman first shared the cage, Usman walked away with a unanimous decision victory. Yet Woodley is not convinced Usman is the better fighter. “When you watch the Kamaru Usman fight, I don’t have to watch it. It was a silhouette of Tyron in the Octagon or something happened when I jumped up and stomped down, I think my spirit left my body,” Woodley said during a recent fan Q&A (via MMA Fighting). “I can give him credit for what he did. He stayed focused, he executed but we all know that wasn’t Tyron Woodley.
PHOTO | Check out the new UFC 244 poster
Adam Martin - September 29, 2019
The official UFC 244 poster has been released. The main event is a five-round title fight for the new BMF belt between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Take a look at the poster below, courtesy of the UFC’s Instagram.
Holly Holm issues statement after being forced out of UFC 243
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm has released a statement after being forced to pull out of her rematch against Raquel Pennington, which was set for next week’s UFC 243 event in Melbourne, Australia. Here’s the statement “The Preacher’s Daughter” released, courtesy of her Instagram.
Cain Velasquez in talks with WWE
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is in talks with several major professional wrestling promotions, including the WWE and AEW. ESPN’s Marc Raimondi shared the news, which came on the heels of a report by wrestling news guru Dave Meltzer. Here’s what Raimondi said.
Jared Cannonier breaks down UFC 243's Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
Top middleweight contender Jared Cannonier was asked to give his thoughts on next weekend’s main event at UFC 243 between UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and interim champ Israel Adesanya, as he could potentially be next in line for the belt. With his knockout win over Jack Hermansson in the main event of UFC Copenhagen, Cannonier is closing in on a title shot. He’s likely still behind fellow contender Paulo Costa in the title pecking order, but that’s still a great spot for “The Killa Gorilla” to be in. After his TKO win over Hermansson, Cannonier was asked what he thinks about next week’s title fight, and he admitted he’ll be paying close attention to the matchup given he could potentially face the winner of it.
Scott Coker says he hoped Patricio "Pitbull" Freire picked another opponent in grand prix
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
Bellator president Scott Coker was asked what he thought about the Bellator featherweight world grand prix quarterfinals matchups, and he said that while he liked the matchups, he was hoping at least one of them was different. The fighters drew numbers and picked their matchups, with champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire having the final say during the selection show at Saturday night’s Bellator 228 event. The champ could have picked anyone he wanted to fight, including top prospect AJ McKee or his rival Darrion Caldwell. Instead, he chose little known Pedro Carvalho, a decision which raised eyebrows by fans who wanted the champ to take on a bigger name.
Bellator featherweight world grand prix quarterfinals set
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
The Bellator featherweight world grand prix quarterfinals have officially been set following the promotion’s selection show at Bellator 228, where champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire had the final say. Check out the bracket below, courtesy of Bellator president Scott Coker’s Twitter.
Jack Hermansson issues statement following loss at UFC Copenhagen
Adam D Martin - September 29, 2019
UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson has issued a statement following his TKO loss to Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC Copenhagen. “The Joker” posted a message for his fans on Instagram. Here’s what he said.
Bellator 228 Results: Gegard Mousasi defeats Lyoto Machida (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - September 28, 2019
A key middleweight bout between Gegard Mousasi and Lyoto Machida co-headlined tonight’s Bellator 228 event in Los Angeles. Tonight’s fight served as a rematch, as Mousasi and Machida had previously met in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 36 in February of 2014. There, they were the ‘fight of the night’ but it was Machida who did enough to edge out a unanimous decision.
Bellator 228 Results: Patricio Freire defeats Juan Archuleta (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - September 28, 2019
Bellator ‘champ champ’ Patricio Freire put his featherweight title on the line against Juan Archuleta this evening in Los Angeles. The highly anticipated bout served as tonight’s Bellator 228 co-headliner.
Jack Hermansson reacts following TKO loss to Jared Cannonier
Natasha Hooper - September 28, 2019
Tonight, Jack Hermansson fought Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC Fight Night 160 in Denmark. The Swedish warrior, Jack Hermansson, faced his opponent in the capital city of Denmark: Copenhagen. ‘The Joker’ trains out of Norway at Front Line Academy and hadn’t lost since his 2017 bout against the recent light heavyweight title challenger, Thiago Santos. Hermansson entered the Octagon on a four-fight win streak and was coming off an upset win against ‘Jacare’ Souza in April 2019.
Gilbert Burns reacts to win against Gunnar Nelson at UFC Copenhagen
Natasha Hooper - September 28, 2019
Brazilian standout Gilbert Burns squared off with Gunnar Nelson in a welterweight bout earlier today at UFC Fight Night Copenhagen. Burns accepted the opportunity to fight Nelson on just two-weeks notice. Gunnar Nelson’s original opponent, Thiago Alves had to withdraw leaving the position open for Gilbert to fill. As a three-time BJJ champion, Gilbert Burns wanted the opportunity to challenge the ground game of Gunnar Nelson and put his grappling skills on full display.