MMA News

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2019

Kamaru Usman’s unanimous decision defeat of long-time UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was a performance to remember. Unfortunately, the fight will also be remembered for a few controversial calls from referee Marc Goddard — most notably a handful of controversial stand-ups, issued when Usman was in dominant positions, seemingly working hard. After a comment from MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas on Twitter, referee Marc Goddard issued a lengthy explanation of his calls in this Usman vs. Woodley matchup.

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2019

While nothing is set in stone just yet, it still sounds like UFC heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier could next defend his title against former champ and long-time WWE star Brock Lesnar. Let’s just say Junior dos Santos doesn’t approve of this plan. “This thing where Daniel Cormier wants to fight Brock Lesnar; I know he wants to make money, but it doesn’t make any sense,” Dos Santos told MMA Junkie ahead of his fight with Derrick Lewis. “The only one who wants to see that fight or make that fight is him. Nobody else wants to see that. Of course Brock Lesnar, he’s a very polemic guy so people like to watch him and they pay to watch him, that’s why he wants to fight him. But man, that would be ridiculous to have him back in the sport and have him fighting for the title already.

Cole Shelton - March 7, 2019

The Octagon touches down in Wichita, Kansas for the first time in history this Saturday. In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will be taking on former title challenger Derrick Lewis. Ahead of this heavyweight fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions. Some believe dos Santos will be too much for Lewis, while others believe Lewis will land a fight-ending blow on dos Santos. Two others can’t decide at all.

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2019

In the first bout of the stacked UFC 235 main card last Saturday, former UFC bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt stepped into the Octagon with dangerous Brazilian contender Pedro Munhoz. The goal for the fighter they call “No Love” was to rebound from a pair of knockout losses to reigning champion TJ Dillashaw. Unfortunately for the former champ and his throngs of dedicated supporters, things did not go the way he planned. Mid-way through the first round, Garbrandt found himself rattled by an inadvertent head butt, and in a dazed frenzy, abandoned strategy in favor of a wild slug fest. The two bantamweights began strafing each other with massive punches — many of which landed — until Garbrandt was face-down on the canvas.

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2019

Last weekend, in the opening bout of the UFC 235 main card, former UFC bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt experienced his third-straight knockout loss. Justin Buchholz, who used to serve as Garbrandt’s head coach at Team Alpha Male, believes he knows why. Speaking on The TSN MMA Show this week, Buchholz attributed Garbrandt’s latest setback to subpar coaching at the Team Alpha Male.

Drake Riggs - March 6, 2019

When scanning through the history of the lightweight division in MMA, it can’t be viewed without seeing the name ‘Jamie Varner’ pop up at least a handful of times. A former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion that holds one of MMA’s greatest upsets and multiple fight of the night accolades, Varner was a fighter’s fighter. But bad business arguably steered his career in different directions than it could have been had things been executed in other manners.

Drake Riggs - March 6, 2019

This Saturday night the UFC heads back to Kansas state for UFC Wichita. In the event’s featured attraction, we’ll see two heavyweight knockout artists throw leather. On one side of the Octagon will be former UFC champion, Junior ‘Cigano’ Dos Santos. Standing across from him will be none other than ‘The Black Beast’ Derrick Lewis.

Drake Riggs - March 6, 2019

Without proper guidance, navigating the waters of life can be all the more difficult than it may be even with that directional aid. Like an ocean, there will be many waves that one will be hit with throughout. Some big, some small, but no matter the size of the challenge, ups and downs, positivity and negativity, contrasts are necessary requirements to evolve as individuals.

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

Vitor Belfort is now a ONE Championship fighter. While “The Phenom” can look forward to some exciting MMA bouts under the ONE banner, he’s also keen to take advantage of the fact that organization promotes other martial arts as well — namely boxing. Speaking shortly after he signed with ONE Championship, Belfort expressed interest in a special rules boxing match with the legendary Roy Jones Jr. “One fight that I’d really like, I told Chatri [Sityodtong] I’d really like to put on this fight, is me vs. Roy Jones Jr.,” Belfort said. “So Roy, wherever you are, I want to come challenge you for a boxing match — but with this condition. I’m going to be able to dirty box with you.

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 6, 2019

His sparring partners have felt the bone-crunching shots. And Aung La N Sang is adamant that he possesses more power than ever before as he prepares to put his ONE Middleweight World Title on the line. “I feel it when I grapple and I feel it when I hit,” the ONE Championship star said of his new-found strength.

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

Things are complicated at the top of the lightweight division. The reigning champ Khabib Nurmagomedov is adamant that he won’t fight until November, standing instead in solidarity with his suspended teammates. Conor McGregor’s future is as nebulous as ever. Dustin Poirier will battle UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway for the interim lightweight belt in the summer. And Tony Ferguson, the bona fide, irrefutable number one contender? Well.. who really knows? Amid all of the uncertainty atop the lightweight division, Tony Ferguson has been left without an opponent; without any kind of clear direction.

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

At UFC 236, which goes down on April 13 in Atlanta, Georgia, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will hike up to the lightweight division to battle streaking contender Dustin Poirier for the division’s interim title. Given that Holloway has always endured a pretty significant weight cut down to the featherweight division, some fans have wondered if this move up to lightweight could be permanent.

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

In the short period of time he was in Las Vegas to watch UFC 235, it seems that Colby Covington had some kind of altercation or run-in with everybody else in the city. He crashed Kamaru Usman’s open workout. He ambushed UFC President Dana White at the blackjack table. He got into it with Tyron Woodley’s mother and NFL player Todd Gurley in the crowd…. And apparently, he had words with fan favorite lightweight Nate Diaz too…

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

Audra Hughes, the wife of former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, recently had a restraining order granted against her husband after several alleged incidents of violence. In documents obtained by MMAjunkie, Audra detailed several of these incidents of alleged violence.

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2019

At UFC 235, former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler was tasked with welcoming former ONE and Bellator champ Ben Askren to the Octagon. In the opening seconds of the first round it looked as though Lawler would spoil Askren’s debut, as he executed a beautiful slam and nearly finished the wrestler with a storm of ground strikes. Miraculously, however, Askren was able to weather this storm and lock up a bulldog choke for the victory.

Drake Riggs - March 6, 2019

Believe it or not, 2016 was the last year that former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor has scored a victory in combat sports. His opponent for his second to most recent win was none other than Stockton, Calfornia’s finest, Nate Diaz. However, that win came in the pairing’s second of two outings. The first coming just a few months prior when the two met at UFC 196 an entire years ago as of yesterday. A bout that saw Diaz pull off the upset on short notice via second-round submission (rear-naked choke).

Drake Riggs - March 5, 2019

Canada’s own Georges “Rush” St-Pierre is one of, if not the greatest MMA fighter to ever live. But after accomplishing all that there is to accomplish, the legend found himself retiring on top of the mountain. Shortly after his big 2013 welterweight title defense against Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, St-Pierre would announce that he would need a break from the sport that he helped build.

Drake Riggs - March 5, 2019

Of all the fantastic performances that were witnessed at UFC 235 this past weekend, none may have been as impressive as welterweight title challenger, Kamaru Usman’s complete and total shutout of reigning champion Tyron Woodley. After months of turmoil inside the division from a business and fighter standpoint, things continued to move on which led to this title fight being made with each fighter’s repeated success.