MMA News
UFC Contender Weili Zhang inks new deal
Nolan King - March 31, 2019
One of the UFC’s fastest rising strawweight isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Currently ranked #7, China’s Weili Zhang (19-1) has signed a new multi-fight deal with the UFC, per her manager Brian Butler-Au. BJPenn.com’s Drake Riggs has since learned the deal is for six-fights.
Angela Lee issues statement on first pro loss against Xiong Jing Nan
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
On Sunday night, in one of four title fights on the ONE: A New Era bill, ONE atomweight champ Angela Lee experienced her first pro loss, coming up short in a wild fight with strawweight champ Xiong Jing Nan. Speaking on Instagram on Monday, Angela Lee reacted to her first taste of defeat.
Demetrious Johnson reflects on ONE Championship debut
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
Many fans expected former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to blow through former Pancrase champion Yuya Wakamatsu in his ONE Championship debut. Yet while Johnson ultimately earned himself a second-round submission win, the first frame of his fight with the young Japanese knockout artist was actually quite competitive. Demetrious Johnson opened up on his entertaining scrap with Yuya Wakamatsu at the ONE: A New Era press conference in Tokyo.
Conor McGregor rips 'little rat' Khabib Nurmagomedov, lightweight champ fires back
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor share one of the most heated rivalries in MMA. Not even their record-breaking UFC 229 showdown was enough to end their beef. There’s still some serious animosity festering between the two lightweight stars to this day. Their beef continued on social media over the weekend.
EXCLUSIVE | Former UFC flyweights give their thoughts on the state of the division
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2019
The future of the UFC’s flyweight division is murky. It was previously reported that the division was going to close down at the end of 2018. However, that was not the case. Rather, the division stayed on, and headlining the first card of 2019 was a flyweight title fight. Although the fight was considered a ‘superfight’ given TJ Dillashaw was moving down in weight to take on Henry Cejudo.
Bellator 219: The biggest winners
Mike Straus - March 31, 2019
Bellator 219 from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California sure delivered. The televised portion on of Bellator 219 Paramount network concluded with a wild lightweight scrap between Brandon Girtz and Saad Awad. However, the Viacom owned promotion still had seven fights for their usual post-lim showcase. Many of those fights were entertaining as well.
Ray Borg issues emotional statement on controversial loss to Casey Kenny
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
After a host of cancelled fights and opponent changes, former UFC flyweight title challenger Ray Borg finally returned to the cage at UFC Philadelphia on Saturday night. Borg, whose young son has been battling serious health issues, badly needed a victory in Philly. Unfortunately for him, Kenny wound up winning a controversial split decision.
What's next for UFC Philadelphia main event fighters?
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2019
The Octagon returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday night for UFC on ESPN 2. In the main event, Justin Gaethje was taking on Edson Barboza in a fight that promised to bring fireworks. Ultimately, the fight delivered as Gaethje ended up knocking out Barboza in the first round. Now, Gaethje could very well be one win away from a title shot. Meanwhile, Barboza will have to take a step back in his next fight.
ONE: A New Era Results | Shinya Aoki sleeps Eduard Folayang in round one
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
ONE: A New Era Results | Xiong Jing Nan survives near finish, smashes Angela Lee in the fifth
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
At ONE: A New Era in Tokyo, which marked the first ONE Championship in Japan, ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee moved up a weight class to battle ONE Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan in a bid to become the first female two-division champion in the promotion’s history. This bout was originally expected to occur at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore in November of 2018, but was unfortunately postponed when Angela Lee was forced out of the bout with a back injury. After this delay, anticipation for this bout was extra high.
ONE: A New Era Results | Aung La N Sang KOs Hasegawa, sets up fight with Brandon Vera
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
When ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion Aung La N Sang first met DEEP Openweight Champion Ken Hasegawa, the result was a 2018 Fight of the Year contender. The two fighters, contesting for the ONE middleweight strap, battled for four and half frenetic rounds until finally, Aung La put a decisive end to things with a ridiculous one-punch knockout in the fifth. From the moment this unforgettable war ended, it was quite clear that we would eventually see a rematch. It was simply too good a fight not to run back.
ONE: A New Era Results | Bibiano Fernandes wins title with DQ win
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
In November of 2018, Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon went to war for the ONE Championship bantamweight belt. After five, frenzied rounds of action, Belingon was awarded a razor close decision victory, ending Fernandes’ longstanding reign as the ONE bantamweight king in the process. On Sunday night in Tokyo, Japan (Sunday morning in North America), at ONE: A New Era, Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes met again. This time around, it was Fernandes vying for Belingon’s belt. Because the pair also fought in 2016, with Fernandes winning by first-round submission, this bout marked the tie-breaking of their riveting trilogy.
ONE: A New Era Results | Demetrious Johnson survives early adversity to submit Yuya Wakamatsu (video)
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
On Sunday night in Tokyo, Japan (early Sunday morning in North America), former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson made his anticipated debut in the ONE Championship cage at ONE: A New Era. The flyweight legend’s welcoming committee was Japanese knockout artist Yuya Wakamatsu. Both fighters entered the ONE Championship cage with losses in the rear-view mirror. Demetrious Johnson last competed in August, when he surrendered the UFC flyweight title to Henry Cejudo in a bout that would go down as his last in the Octagon. Yuya Wakamatsu, meanwhile, recently came up short in his ONE Championship debut, giving up a decision to the streaking Danny Kingad.
ONE: A New Era live results and highlights
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2019
On Sunday night (early Sunday morning in North America), Singapore-based martial arts powerhouse ONE Championship debuted in the MMA hotbed of Tokyo, Japan with the aptly named ONE: A New Era card. To celebrate this Tokyo debut, ONE Championship bolstered this card with some of the biggest names on its roster.
Conor McGregor challenges ‘Hollywood actress’ Mark Wahlberg for UFC shares
Christopher Taylor - March 30, 2019
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor recently retired from the sport of mixed martial arts, but he’s still issuing challenges. McGregor took aim at Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg on Saturday night, suggesting the pair fight for “all the shares”.
Pros react after Justin Gaethje KO's Edson Barboza at UFC Philadelphia
Chris Taylor - March 30, 2019
A key lightweight bout between perennial division contenders Justin Gaethje and Edson Barboza headlined tonight’s UFC Philadelphia event. Gaethje entered tonight’s main event on the heels of a first round knockout victory over James Vick at UFC Lincoln.
UFC Philadelphia Results: Justin Gaethje KO's Edson Barboza (VIDEO)
Chris Taylor - March 30, 2019
A key lightweight bout between perennial division contenders Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje headlined tonight’s UFC Philadelphia event. The former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje, enters tonight’s main event looking to build off the momentum of his first-round knockout victory over James Vick this past August at UFC Lincoln.
UFC Philadelphia Results: Jack Hermansson submits David Branch (VIDEO)
Chris Taylor - March 30, 2019
UFC Philadelphia Results: Josh Emmett KO's Michael Johnson (VIDEO)
Chris Taylor - March 30, 2019
A featherweight bout between Josh Emmett and Michael Johnson took place during tonight’s UFC Philadelphia main card on ESPN. Josh Emmett (13-2 MMA) enters tonight’s fight looking to rebound, this after suffering a knockout loss to Jeremey Stephens in his most recent appearance in February of 2018.
UFC Philadelphia Results: Michelle Waterson defeats Karolina Kowalkiewicz (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - March 30, 2019
A key women’s strawweight bout between fab favorites Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Michelle Waterson took place on tonight’s UFC Philadelphia main card. Karolina Kowalkiewicz enters the octagon for the first time since suffering a devastating knockout loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 228.