MMA News

Cole Shelton - February 11, 2019

Anthony Smith has been on a roll since moving up to light heavyweight. First, he had quick knockouts over former champions in Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua. Then, he submitted Volkan Oezdemir in the main event of UFC Moncton in October. That third win set Smith up for a title shot at UFC 235 against arguably the greatest fighter of all time, Jon Jones.

Drake Riggs - February 11, 2019

As not all heroes wear capes, not all heroes are perfect, but they don’t always have to be. In the grueling world of combat sports and as is the case with every sport at the highest professional level, the magnitude of each and every setting gets magnified to the broadest possible audience with the more and more success that is gained.

Mike Straus - February 11, 2019

No that it is over let’s take a look at the biggest winners from last weekend’s UFC 234 card. Unfortunately, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was forced to have surgery to fix a hernia rather than defend his title against Kelvin Gastelum in the main event, but luckily the co-main event featured Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

As long suspected, UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will not be retiring when he turns 40 in March, as he originally planned. The champ confirmed this news on The MMA Hour on Monday.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

Daniel Cormier recently became the first fighter in UFC history to wear the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles concurrently, first capturing the vacant belt with a defeat of Anthony Johnson, then thumping Stipe Miocic to capture the heavyweight belt. Ryan Bader recently accomplished the same feat under the Bellator banner, first defeating Phil Davis to win the light heavyweight belt, and then defeating Fedor Emelianenko to capture the vacant heavyweight belt.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

According to a report from TMZ, PFL heavyweight contender Josh Copeland has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife in front of their child. Per a police report obtained by TMZ, law enforcement in Adams County, Colorado received a call about an attack and rushed to the couple’s home on Feb. 2. When officers arrived at the scene, Copeland’s wife had “an obvious bruise on her left eye, a cut and was bleeding. There was blood down the front of her face and neck.”

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

Speaking at the UFC 234 post-fight press conference, Anderson Silva called for a rematch with former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz, who he battled to a no contest in early 2015. In fact, Silva claimed he’d actually been in contact with Diaz’s team about this fight. “I think it’s a very interesting fight,” Silva told the media on the scene (via MMAjunkie). “I talked to Nick’s manager a couple months ago, and Nick said, ‘OK, let’s go do it. Let’s talk to Dana (White).’ I’m just waiting for Dana.”

Cole Shelton - February 11, 2019

At UFC 235, Holly Holm was expected to return to the bantamweight division to take on a rising undefeated prospect in Aspen Ladd. However, at the UFC 235 pre-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White announced that the fight was off. That left many wondering if one of the fighters was hurt or if Holm was perhaps getting a title shot against Amanda Nunes. Ladd’s team didn’t know anything about it as they told BJPenn.com’s Cole Shelton the change was news to them, and they are “still figuring stuff out.”

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen UFC heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier in the cage — since he defeated Derrick Lewis by submission at UFC 230 in November, to be exact. The champ’s prolonged absence is due to a back injury he sustained in that fight.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was supposed to defend his title opposite Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234 over the weekend. Unfortunately, a serious health issue forced him out of this fight, leaving the middleweight title picture mired in uncertainty. Whittaker and Gastelum’s fight is now expected to be rescheduled for sometime later this year, and top middleweight contender Israel Adesanya plans to wait for his shot at the winner.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

On Saturday night, in the short-notice headliner of UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia, streaking middleweight contender Israel Adesanya picked up the biggest victory of his career thus far, out-duelling former champion Anderson Silva for three, enthralling rounds, en route to a unanimous decision nod. With this career-changing triumph in the rear-view mirror, Israel Adesanya has emerged as one of the top contenders in the perilous UFC middleweight division, and remains one of the most hyped fighters on the UFC roster.

Tom Taylor - February 11, 2019

Back in January, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov was finally disciplined for his role in the wild brawl that followed his UFC 229 victory over Conor McGregor. The Dagestani champion received a $500,000 fine and a nine-month suspension, which can be reduced to six months if he completes an anti-bullying PSA approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Nurmagomedov will not be partaking in the NSAC’s proposed PSA — he recently made his thoughts on that quite clear. Furthermore, the champ actually plans to sit out until November, standing in solidarity with his teammates Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who were suspended for one year for their roles in the brawl.

Tom Taylor - February 10, 2019

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has recently expressed interest in a fight with former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Though Conor McGregor would be the much smaller man in the cage in this prospective showdown, he seems up for the matchup too — even calling it an ‘honor.’ Anderson is one crafty, crafty Martial Artist. You only develop these methods through years of hard fought experience. Phenomenal performance.The crafty veteran. Big respect always. It would be an honor!

Tom Taylor - February 10, 2019

Mid-way through the first round of a compelling UFC 234 light heavyweight contest, Australia’s Jim Crute rocked his foe Sam Alvey, leaving the American on spaghetti legs. With Alvey hurt, Crute quickly swarmed to force a stoppage, and eventually got one. Yet many onlookers felt that stoppage came a little too early — that includes UFC President Dana White. Speaking at the UFC 234 post-fight press conference, Dana White criticized referee Marc Goddard for his handiwork in this Jim Crute vs. Sam Alvey matchup.

Cole Shelton - February 10, 2019

On Saturday night, the UFC held its first pay-per-view of the year in UFC 234, which went down in Melbourne, Australia. The card was originally expected to be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Robert Whittaker and challenger Kelvin Gastelum. Unfortunately, Whittaker was forced out of this matchup on the day of the fight.

Tom Taylor - February 10, 2019

UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was expected to defend his title against Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday night. In a devastating, fight-day twist of fate, however, Whittaker was forced out of this matchup with a hernia, and rushed into surgery on the very evening he was supposed to compete. Given that the middleweight champion has not fought since his June 2018 defeat of Yoel Romero — a win that technically didn’t register as a title defense because Romero missed weight — some members of the MMA community have wondered if he might be stripped of his title.

Tom Taylor - February 10, 2019

Last night, Floyd Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis delivered a thunderous, first-round knockout win over short-notice replacement opponent Hugo Ruiz, retaining his WBA super-featherweight belt in the process. According to Mayweather, Davis’ next challenge will pit him against Japanese kickboxing ace Tenshin Nasukawa in April.

Tom Taylor - February 10, 2019

UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was expected to defend his title against Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday night. In a devastating, fight-day twist, however, Whittaker was forced out of this battle with a hernia, and rushed into surgery on the very evening he was supposed to compete. If the champ had gotten his way, however, the fight might have gone ahead as planned — hernia and all.