MMA News
Agilan Thani ready to topple another veteran in Yushin Okami
Tom Taylor - September 16, 2019
Agilan Thani entered the year 2019 on shaky ground. The Malaysian welterweight had been stopped in his last two fights of 2018, first succumbing to Zebaztian Kadestam’s strikes, then, then tapping to a Kiamrian Abbasov rear-naked choke. Despite this rough patch, Thani’s first contest of the year was a big one. In June, he was tasked with welcoming Japanese MMA legend Yoshihiro Akiyama to the ONE Championship cage.
What's next for Justin Gaethje and Donald Cerrone after UFC Vancouver
Cole Shelton - September 16, 2019
Justin Gaethje took on Donald Cerrone in the main event of UFC Vancouver. It was a critical fight in the lightweight division, and one with the potential to propel the winner to the cusp of a title shot. In the end, it was Gaethje who got it done. The former World Series of Fighting champ knocked out Cowboy in the first round to extend his winning streak to three. It also puts Cerrone on a two-fight losing streak and makes him 2-2 at lightweight since dropping back down to the division earlier this year.
Al Iaquinta says Cowboy loss provided 'wake-up call'
Tom Taylor - September 16, 2019
Back in May, in the main event of UFC Ottawa, New York’s Al Iaquinta stepped into the cage with the dangerous Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Iaquinta’s objective was to gun down Cowboy and take a big step toward a shot at lightweight gold. Unfortunately for Al Iaquinta and his team, this fight didn’t go as planned, as he was defeated by unanimous decision.
Georges St-Pierre cedes next title lightweight shot to Tony Ferguson
Tom Taylor - September 16, 2019
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has been campaigning for a fight with former UFC welterweight and middleweight champ Georges St-Pierre for quite awhile. Nurmagomedov’s manager has even claimed St-Pierre is the next opponent in line for Nurmagomedov. Given that streaking UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has irrefutably earned a lightweight title shot, talk of a potential Nurmagomedov vs. St-Pierre fight has been met with quite a bit of backlash. The good news for fans who want to see Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson next, however, is that St-Pierre himself believes this is the way it should happen.
Paulo Costa trashes 'skinny clown' Israel Adesanya, says Dana White has promised him next title shot
Cole Shelton - September 16, 2019
Paulo Costa will be in attendance at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. But, he will not be there as a backup fighter to weigh-in. Instead, he will be there to watch the main event and see who he is fighting next. Of course, the main event of the card is the middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya. According to Paulo Costa, UFC President Dana White has promised him the next title shot.
Donald Cerrone still has big goals for MMA career
Tom Taylor - September 16, 2019
Over the weekend, in the main event of UFC Vancouver, Donald Cerrone was knocked out by lightweight finisher Justin Gaethje. With this outcome, Cerrone has now lost six of his last 10 fights, but the fan favorite is still focused on his lofty goals. One of those goals is to win 50 MMA fights. Cerrone is currently at 36 wins, which means he’s got some work to do, but with the busy schedule he keeps, it’s certainly doable.
How Samy Sana could upset Giorgio Petrosyan
BJPENN.COM Staff - September 16, 2019
Samy Sana has already pulled off one improbable victory during the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. On 13 October in Tokyo, Sana will be faced with his toughest challenge since signing with ONE Championship. He’ll face kickboxing legend Giorgio Petrosyan in the final with the USD $1 million prize on the line and the right to call himself the first-ever ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion. The Sana-Petrosyan match is just one bout on a stacked, two-card event emanating from the iconic Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Dillon Danis rips into Tyron Woodley concert
Natasha Hooper - September 16, 2019
Dillon Danis didn’t hold back on social media yesterday. The New Jersey native trashed Tyron Woodley and his budding singing career in a Twitter post. He added the caption, “You know you hit rock bottom when you go to a Tyron Woodley concert.” Danis shared footage of Woodley performing in (what appears to be) a club. He is rapping to fans who are filming the event. Everyone in attendance was impressed, but Dillon Danis certainly was not.
The Korean Zombie responds to Brian Ortega's challenge
Natasha Hooper - September 15, 2019
‘The Korean Zombie’ responds to Brian Ortega’s call out for a featherweight fight this year. The pair are targeted for a throw down at UFC 244 or UFC 245. Brian Ortega is ready to return to the Octagon and vindicate his last loss. He fought featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 231 in 2018 but lost during the fourth round.
Justin Gaethje says Khabib Nurmagomedov beats him on paper, but he still plans on winning
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
Justin Gaethje picked up arguably the biggest win of his MMA career on Saturday night when he defeated Donald Cerrone via first-round TKO at UFC Vancouver. Following the fight, the media spoke to Gaethje and asked for his thoughts on a number of topics, including a potential title match against UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The reporters asked Gaethje who would win in a fight between him and Nurmagomedov, and “The Highlight”‘s answer might surprise you.
Georges St-Pierre names his top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre was in Las Vegas this weekend for a special promotion, and he was asked the question of who he believes are the top pound-for-pound fighters currently in MMA. Helen Yee interviewed GSP and asked him to name his list of the top P4P fighters in the sport. Here’s what GSP said when asked.
UFC exec says referee stopped Justin Gaethje vs. Donald Cerrone fight too late
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
UFC president Dana White was not in attendance for Saturday night’s UFC Vancouver event. However, top executive David Shaw was, and he believes the main event between Justin Gaethje and Donald Cerrone was stopped too late by referee Jerin Valel. Shaw was asked by the media post-event what he thought about the stoppage. Both Gaethje and Cerrone complained about when the referee stopped the fight. For Gaethje, he believes the referee waited too long, and for Cerrone he believes it was stopped too early. If you ask Shaw his opinion on the matter, he believes the referee stopped the fight too late.
UFC Vancouver bonuses: Justin Gaethje adds to bonus tally, Tristan Connelly wins 100k
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
UFC lightweight star Justin Gaethje continued to rack up the bonus money, winning a Performance of the Night award for his TKO win over Donald Cerrone at UFC Vancouver. The promotion announced the winners of the $50,000 bonus awards after the event had concluded. Gaethje won one of the Performance of the Night bonuses for defeating Cerrone in stunning fashion. The other POTN bonus went to Misha Cirkunov, who submitted Jimmy Crute with a rare Peruvian necktie submission to kick off the main card.
Eddie Alvarez says Justin Gaethje is the most exciting fighter in the UFC
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
Eddie Alvarez said that he believes Justin Gaethje is the most exciting fighter in the UFC and he wants to see his former opponent get paid more. Alvarez and Gaethje fought each other in an absolute war back at UFC 218 in December 2017. At the time, Gaethje was an undefeated rising star while Alvarez was looking to bounce back into title contention. It was a fight for the ages, with Alvarez eventually winning via third-round KO (knee), handing Gaethje his first career loss.
Dustin Poirier says he will give Justin Gaethje rematch
Adam D Martin - September 15, 2019
We could potentially see a rematch between two of the best lightweights in the world. Following his TKO win over Donald Cerrone at UFC Vancouver on Saturday night, Dustin Poirier said that he would be open to a rematch with Justin Gaethje. Here’s what Poirier said on his social media following Gaethje’s latest TKO win.
Tyson Fury reacts to points win over Otto Wallin
Natasha Hooper - September 15, 2019
Tyson Fury maintained his undefeated record by beating Otto Wallin to a points win on Saturday evening. The Boxers collided at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas. Tyson Fury was the superior boxer, but damage inflicted on his face significantly impacted his fight performance. Fury received a gaping cut to his right eye at the hands of his Swedish opponent but fought through valiantly. Wallin’s punch in the third round drew blood which noticeably distracted Fury. However, with blood running down his face, Fury powered on and delivered some destructive shots. Fury was forced to go to the hospital after the fight and miss the post-fight press conference.
Justin Gaethje discusses what’s next following TKO win over Cowboy
Natasha Hooper - September 14, 2019
Tonight, fighting legend Donald Cerrone touched gloves with one of the UFC’s most ruthless brawlers, Justin Gaethje. The warriors collided at the Rogers Arena at UFC Vancouver and as expected the fight win produced fireworks. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone had 36 professional wins to his name going into the fight. He secured stoppage wins over Mike Perry and Alexander Hernandez, followed by a unanimous decision victory Al Iaquinta at UFC Ottowa. However, Tony Ferguson broke Cerrone’s 3 fight win streak by defeating him via doctor’s stoppage at UFC 238.
Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone reacts following TKO loss to Justin Gaethje
Natasha Hooper - September 14, 2019
Tonight, Canadian fans had the privilege of watching a monumental matchup live: Justin Gaethje vs Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in the main event of UFC Vancouver. Justin Gaethje entered the Octagon on a two-fight winning streak. He defeated James Vick with a sensational first-round knockout and secured a first-round victory in his subsequent -fights have earned him a reputation as a ‘first-round finisher’. Before beating James Vick at UFC Lincoln, Gaethje lost to worthy opponents, Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alverez. They were the first two losses of his professional career.