MMA News
Volkan Oezdemir issues statement on canceled Ilir Latifi fight
Tom Taylor - May 31, 2019
Volkan Oezdemir expected to return the Octagon at UFC Stockholm this weekend opposite his friend Ilir Latifi. Unfortunately, Latifi was forced off the card at the last minute, leaving Switzerland’s Oezdemir without a dance partner. “Due to a back injury, Ilir Latifi has been forced to withdraw from his Saturday UFC Fight Night bout against Volkan Oezdemir,” the UFC announced in a statement.
UFC Stockholm weigh-in results: Headliners hit marks
Natasha Hooper - May 31, 2019
All fighters scheduled for UFC Stockholm have made weight. The card is scheduled for tomorrow in Stockholm, Sweden and is headlined by Sweden’s own Alexander Gustafsson (18-5) vs Anthony Smith (31-14). Gustafsson was the first to be weighed and came in at 205 pounds. The former middleweight Smith hit the scales at 206 but made weight comfortably as he was still wearing shorts and socks. Both fighters are coming off a loss to light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and will be looking to get back on track.
Andrea Lee's estranged husband jailed after 9 months on the run
Tom Taylor - May 31, 2019
Donny Aaron, the estranged husband of UFC flyweight contender Andrea Lee, was finally captured and jailed Wednesday after nine months on the run, per MMA Junkie. According to a Shreveport, Louisiana jail spokesperson, he bonded out later the same day.
Dana White fires back at fan following backlash over UFC Sacramento main event
Chris Taylor - May 30, 2019
Dana White has a clear message for the fight fans who are unhappy with Aspen Ladd vs. Germaine de Randamie being named as the headliner for UFC Sacramento. The UFC President responded to fans criticizing the July 13 main event booking with a suggestion to ‘Stay home’.
Conor McGregor, Rafael dos Anjos and the red panty night that needs to happen
Jordy McElroy - May 30, 2019
Conor McGregor needs an opponent, and Rafael dos Anjos deserves a “baby we’ve done it” moment. There have been far worst ideas than pitting a pair of iconic lightweight figures together for a fist fight. Pop open a champagne bottle, bring out the chocolate strawberries and don’t forget about the red panties. It’s about to get weird.
Frankie Edgar says underdog status against Max Holloway similar to UFC 112 fight against B.J. Penn
Cole Shelton - May 30, 2019
In the main event of UFC 240, Frankie Edgar will once again be fighting for a UFC belt when he takes on Max Holloway. However, the oddsmakers don’t favor “The Answer” to win this fight. He is a +350 underdog, given he is just 1-1 in his last two. And, his last win was against Cub Swanson back in April of 2018.
Daniel Cormier shares thoughts on Brock Lesnar choosing WWE over UFC
Drake Riggs - May 30, 2019
At UFC 241 on August 17 in Anaheim, California, UFC heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier will look to successfully defend that title for the second time. However, as we all kind of expected it to be against a former champion in Brock Lesnar, that will not be the case after all.
Jessica Andrade and wife robbed at gunpoint in Brazil
Drake Riggs - May 30, 2019
The newest UFC champion, Jessica Andrade dealt with a scare in her native country of Brazil on Thursday morning as she and her wife were robbed at gunpoint. Fernanda Gomes, Andrade’s wife, shared on Facebook that the couple had been driving in their Honda HRV in Niteroi before the car was stopped and they were robbed of their smartphones and the vehicle by perpetrators with guns.
Michael Bisping reacts to Yoel Romero's $27M lawsuit
Thomas Taylor - May 30, 2019
Earlier this week, top UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero struck it rich, winning a case against a supplement company and pocketing a whopping $27 million. Michael Bisping, one of the Cuban’s chief rivals, is happy to hear it. Bisping reacted to Romero’s massive payday on a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast.
First bout for UFC Sochi revealed
Adam Martin - May 30, 2019
The first matchup for the UFC’s return to Russia has been revealed. According to a report from Combate’s Ralph Mariano, welterweights Claudio Silva and Ramazan Emeev will meet at UFC on ESPN 5, which takes place August 3 at a TBD venue in Sochi, Russia. Silva vs. Emeev is the first confirmed matchup for the card.
Anthony Smith reveals simple gameplan for Alexander Gustafsson fight
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
Anthony Smith will face a stark test when he battles Alexander Gustafsson at UFC Stockholm this weekend. He’s approaching this task with a simple yet violent gameplan. “I’m going to march across the cage, I’m going to put pressure on him, he’s going to run from me for 25 minutes if I let him,” Smith said ahead of this fight (via MMA News). “I’m going to swing hammers the whole time. If he gets too close, I’m going to drag him to the ground and if he gets away, I’ll do it again. That’s it. That’s the game plan. I’ll react to all the other s—t.”
Rashad Evans: Jon Jones is 'the best in history'
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
There was a time, not all that long ago, when Rashad Evans and Jon Jones were two of the most bitter rivals in MMA. Their rivalry came to a boil in a five-round title fight at UFC 145 in 2012, which Jones won by unanimous decision. Since then, Jones and Evans have put their animosity behind them. In fact, Evans actually has some very high praise for his former rival and opponent. He says Jones is the best fighter of all time.
Gilbert Burns names multiple top lightweights who turned him down
Cole Shelton - May 30, 2019
Gilbert Burns is looking to get into the top-15 of the UFC lightweight division, but that has been easier said than done. The Brazilian is riding a two-fight winning streak with wins over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Mike Davis. However, the 32-year-old says many ranked fighters have simply turned down the contract to fight him. Burns wanted to fight Alexander Hernandez, Gregor Gillespie, and Charles Oliveira — among others. Unfortunately, he’s had no luck finding a willing dance partner.
Elias Theodorou comments on UFC release
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
Canadian middleweight Elias Theodorou is among the latest crop of fighters to be released from the UFC roster. Given the fact that he was previously ranked in the division’s top-15, and that he boasts a solid 8-3 UFC record, this news came as a bit of a surprise. Speaking on his Twitter account on Wednesday, Theodorou himself shared a few quick thoughts on this surprising twist of fate.
UFC releases Nate Diaz promo with no footage from Conor McGregor fights
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
At long last, Nate Diaz is set to return to the Octagon. The fan favorite is scheduled to fight former UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis in a welterweight showdown at UFC 241 on August 17. The UFC is already doing its part to promote this dynamite welterweight scrap, having recently published a Nate Diaz highlight reel on social media.
Cosmo Alexandre wants to welcome Vitor Belfort to ONE Championship
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
Earlier this month, Brazilian striking expert Cosmo Alexandre derailed the ONE Championship debut of Sage Northcutt with a jaw-dropping first-round knockout. For those unfamiliar with Alexandre’s body of work, this outcome came as a shock. Yet it’s just the kind of outcome the Brazilian destroyer had envisioned for himself.
Bas Rutten responds to Johny Hendricks' WBKFF criticism
Tom Taylor - May 30, 2019
Earlier this week, former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks — one of many fighters not to be paid by World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation (WBKFF) last fall — implied that former WBKFF president Bas Rutten likely knew something about the promotion’s dicey finances. “Dude, why didn’t you tell us? He had to have known something,” Hendricks told Bloody Elbow‘s Pull No Punches podcast recently (transcript via MMA News). “He had to have. Was he sitting here thinking along the same line as that guy… Why hasn’t he said anything? It sucks, the whole aspect of it.”
John Lineker expands on frustrations with UFC, 'I cannot survive like this'
Drake Riggs - May 29, 2019
The man known as ‘Hands of Stone’ would like to get more active as John Lineker made some demands via Twitter on Wednesday. In a tweet directed towards the UFC, Lineker mentioned the fact that his most recent opponent, Cory Sandhagen fought four times in the space of a year while he’s only fought that many times in the last three years. Which prompted the disgruntled bantamweight to ask for a fight or his release.