MMA News

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2019

UFC President Dana White has previously claimed that he plans to venture into the world of boxing promotion. “I had a meeting in LA yesterday. We are continuing to move forward, and we will absolutely, positively be in the boxing business,” White told ESPN last year. “If you know how I run my business and what I like, yes I want all the best boxers in the world,” he added. “I want them all to fight each other and find out who the real champ is. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2019

This July, amid the buzz of the UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Rich Franklin will be inducted into the Pioneer Era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. The former UFC middleweight champion, who now serves as the Vice President of ONE Championship and CEO of ONE Warrior Series in Singapore, learned of this incredible honor on a phone call with UFC President Dana White.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2019

UFC heavyweight Walt Harris has accepted a four-month sanction from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for the anabolic agent LGD-4033. In addition, Harris’ UFC 232 split decision victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has been overturned to a no-contest. USADA announced this news in a release, explaining that Harris’ violation was the result of his use of a tainted supplement:

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2019

Jon Fitch is fighting for the Bellator welterweight title on Saturday night, in the last first-round bout of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix. The 41-year-old, who is 1-0 inside the Bellator cage, will be taking on the champion Rory MacDonald in the main event of Bellator 220. Although Fitch is the underdog heading into this fight, the veteran is more than ready to do what he has to do to win.

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2019

According to a report from The Daily Mail, former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been fined more than 700 euro ($788 USD) in Spanish court after ransacking a hotel room and stealing a taxi in Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. According to this report, Till and his cohorts have also been ordered to reimburse the hotel for the damage caused — a sum totalling more than 8,500 euro ($9,570 USD).

Tom Taylor - April 23, 2019

Last week, Tristar head coach Firas Zahabi went off on Rory MacDonald’s UFC 220 opponent Jon Fitch, accusing the former World Series of Fighting welterweight champion of PED use. Speaking on The MMA Hour on Monday, Jon Fitch responded to these comments from Zahabi.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2019

There is no question the emotions were running high for Ilima-Lei MacFarlane’s last fight. MacFarlane got to defend her Bellator flyweight title at home in Hawaii where she defeated Valerie Letourneau in the third-round by submission. The win capped off an emotional fight week for MacFarlane. Now, she is set for yet another title defense this Saturday when she takes on Veta Arteaga at Bellator 220 in San Jose, California. Although Hawaii was MacFarlane’s real homecoming, she lives and trains in California which makes this yet another fight ‘at home’.

Cole Shelton - April 22, 2019

Max Holloway was looking to become a two division champion at UFC 236. The featherweight king was moving up in weight to take on 155-pound contender Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight championship. Ultimately, Poirier beat Holloway by unanimous decision to snap the Hawaiian’s 13-fight winning streak. Although Holloway lost, he had some good moments in the fight, but many thought the size discrepancy between he and Poirier played a huge factor. However, MMA coach, Firas Zahabi believes Dustin Poirier simply fought a smarter fight, which resulted in him getting the win.

Mike Straus - April 22, 2019

UFC St. Petersburg is in the books. Seven Russian fighters got their hand raised and a familiar heavyweight contender cemented his position in the ranks. The second trip to Russia proved beneficial for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The fights were entertaining with more than half of the 11 fights scheduled ending in a finish.

Tom Taylor - April 22, 2019

According to a report from Brazilian news outlet Globo, former UFC fighter Rodrigo de Lima was killed by an Uber driver in Belem, Brazil on Sunday night. This news was subsequently confirmed to MMA Fighting by UFC fighter Michel “Trator” Prazeres.

James Lynch - April 22, 2019

Maycee Barber has her next opponent in mind but isn’t confident it will happen The undefeated 20-year-old is currently recovering from a broken thumb, but spoke to Luke Thomas on The MMA Hour and explained why Paige VanZant would be an ideal next opponent.

Tom Taylor - April 22, 2019

TJ Dillashaw is no longer the UFC bantamweight champion. He surrendered that title when he tested positive for EPO, an injectable-only performance-enhancing drug, and was suspended for two years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Many members of the MMA community were shocked to learn of Dillashaw’s PED use. But not everybody.

Tom Taylor - April 22, 2019

Back in January, UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo conquered a supremely tough test in former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who he knocked out in less than a minute. His next challenge will come in the form of Brazil’s Marlon Moraes, who he’ll meet for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 238.

Tom Taylor - April 22, 2019

At 27-0, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is looking more and more like an unbeatable fighter. Yet former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje believes he’s got the skillset to dethrone the UFC lightweight king. “I think my wrestling credentials alone would benefit me so much in that fight, my ability to stop the takedown,” Gaethje said on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, rating his chances against Nurmagomedov (transcript via MMA Fighting). “And I’m very confident in my standup, I’m confident in my coach and the gameplan that we would come together with and go out there and execute. I think with my athletic ability I’m a tough out for anybody.

Tom Taylor - April 22, 2019

Over the weekend, in the main event of UFC St. Petersburg, Russian heavyweight contender Alexey Oleynik stepped into the Octagon with former Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Oleynik had some moments of success in this brief but thrilling encounter. Yet in the end, he came up short, succumbing to a storm of Overeem strikes late in the first round.

Chris Taylor - April 21, 2019

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was not happy with the lack of promotion for Saturday’s UFC event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The undefeated Russian, Khabib, said he would like to see the promotion adapt a new policy, one which would pay attention to his countries fighters.

Chris Taylor - April 21, 2019

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva believes that reigning light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones has done more good than bad for the sport of MMA. Like Jones, Silva has had issues with drug testing in the past, which has caused some fans and analysts to question each fighters legacy.

Cole Shelton - April 21, 2019

The Octagon headed to St. Petersburg, Russia for UFC Fight Night 149 on Saturday. In the main event, Alistair Overeem took on Alexey Oleynik. Alexey found some success early in the fight, but Overeem was able to turn the tide thanks to a barrage of knees and finished the fight via ground and pound.