MMA News
Matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Justin Willis on tap for UFC Nashville
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
As it was revealed today, the UFC looks to be returning to Nashville, Tennesse in March as the first fight for the event was reported to be the welterweight scrap pitting Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Now we’ve gotten word of the next potential matchup which is a clash at heavyweight.
Justin Gaethje vs Edson Barboza in the works for late March
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
After a big one-punch knockout win over James Vick in his last time out at UFC Lincoln in August 2018, Justin Gaethje (19-2) is ready to get back at it. Late last month, Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz revealed that he was looking at Edson Barboza (20-6) for Gaethje’s next matchup.
Kelvin Gastelum rips Tyron Woodley, gets backlash from Ben Askren and others
Thomas Taylor - January 15, 2019
UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently announced that he plans to move up to the middleweight division in the near future. This news generated an interesting reaction from top middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum, who Woodley defeated in a catchweight bout in 2015. https://twitter.com/KelvinGastelum/status/1085252534401265664
EXCLUSIVE | Stamp Fairtex seeks to inspire young female fighters by becoming three-sport champion
Thomas Taylor - January 15, 2019
At just 21 years old, Stamp Fairtex is already the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Champion. When she battles Janet Todd at ONE: Call to Greatness in Singapore on February 22, she’ll look to capture the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Atomweight Title and become the first two-sport champion in ONE Championship history. As this potentially history-making challenge towers on the horizon, Stamp has her nose to the grindstone.
VIDEO | Firas Zahabi hopes for 165-pound division where 'Georges St-Pierre vs Khabib Nurmagomedov makes a lot of sense'
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
“[Georges St-Pierre is] back in training as usual.” Tristar head coach Firas Zahabi told MMA Betz. “Hopefully, he’ll get back in the game in 2019… So keep an eye out for that.
Stephen Thompson vs Anthony Pettis targeted for March 23
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
The power of social media is real, people. Former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis has fought as low as 145-pounds in his career. Although it was a brief stint, Pettis did make the cut… At least for one fight.
Dillon Danis declares himself 'the hottest prospect in MMA history'
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Say what you will about BJJ ace and Conor McGregor training partner Dillon Danis, but the man does not lack confidence. Despite being chided his rivals fairly regularly, he truly believes he’s a future great, and isn’t afraid to share that opinion with the world. Speaking on his Instagram on Tuesday afternoon, that’s just what he did.
EXCLUSIVE | Isaac Vallie-Flagg updates on missing WBKFF pay, lists exciting possibilities for next fight
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
On November 9, UFC veteran Isaac Vallie-Flagg stepped through the ropes of the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation (WBKFF) ring for a gloveless scrap with Corey Simpson. More than two months later, Vallie-Flagg and many other fighters who competed on the inaugural WBKFF card are still awaiting payment. When Vallie-Flagg drew attention to his outstanding WBKFF payment on Twitter last week, he received a response from MMA legend Bas Rutten, who was appointed as WBKFF president ahead of the November card. Rutten assured Vallie-Flagg that his payment is coming soon, allegedly once WBKFF founder Tomasz Stankiewicz receives the pay-per-view revenue for the card.
ONE Championship adds Japanese MMA legend Genki Sudo to commentary team
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
On March 31, Asian martial arts powerhouse ONE Championship will make its anticipated debut in Tokyo, Japan with the stacked ONE: A New Era card. When Japanese fans tune in to watch this exciting ONE Championship card on local television, they’ll be greeted by a familiar voice — that of Japanese MMA legend Genki Sudo.
EXCLUSIVE | Elias Theodorou willing to fight Derek Brunson after being called out
Cole Shelton - January 15, 2019
Elias Theodorou already has his next opponent in mind. Derek Brunson, who is currently ranked eighth in the middleweight division, recently called out the 14th ranked Theodorou. and Theodorou is all for it. “I think it is a good fight. Obviously, he is a tough competitor,” Theodorou said to BJPENN.com. “He has shown there are ways to beat him, obviously by being on a two-fight losing streak. I’m looking for, if all goes well, to make it three. It is a great fight and he presents challenges but I have shown time and time again that I’m one tough puzzle to solve and I look forward to getting my hand raised.”
Leon Edwards challenges Darren Till, rips Jorge Masvidal for attempting to get fight
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Rising UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards his hoping to fight his fellow Brit Darren Till in the main event of the UFC’s March 16 return to London, England. https://soundcloud.com/mmafighting/eurobash-w-leon-edwards-aleksandar-rakic-soren-bak-episode-19
Anthony Smith: 'I don't care' if Jon Jones is clean at UFC 235
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Anthony Smith, who is expected to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 235 on March 2, has some questions about the champion’s recent drug tests, several of which of turned up traces of the banned substance ‘turinabol.’ “I think that the definition of a clean fighter has become mighty grey in the last six months,” Smith said on the latest episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (transcript via MMA Mania). “And it didn’t used to be like that, it was pretty black and white.”
Henry Cejudo pokes fun at TJ Dillashaw's physique ahead of flyweight fight
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw looks like a different man entirely as he cuts down to 125 pounds for his Saturday night flyweight title fight with Henry Cejudo, which will air on ESPN+. In Cejudo’s eyes, this slimmed-down version of Dillashaw does not look good.
VIDEO | Joe Rogan makes his pick for 'the best women's MMA KO ever'
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Over the years, we’ve seen women produce some pretty jaw-dropping knockouts inside the cage. There were Holly Holm’s knockouts of Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia. There was Jessica Andrade’s knockout of Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Most recently, there was Amanda Nunes’ first-round knockout of Cris Cyborg. Speaking on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, UFC commentator Joe Rogan made his pick for the best knockout in the history of women’s MMA.
Al Iaquinta explains why Justin Gaethje fight does't interest him right now
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Al Iaquinta was recently called out by former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje, who he was briefly scheduled to fight this summer. For the moment, however, this is not a fight that Iaquinta is especially interested in. “I’m looking up in the rankings,” Iaquinta told MMAjunkie Radio. “I think Gaethje, he’s kind of had his opportunity, and he chose to fight Vick. He wanted to do what was best for him, so now I’m going to do what’s best for me. Fighting below me in the rankings is definitely not (it). It’s a good fight, but I think there’s guys that’ll put me right up there. Those are the guys I’m gunning for.
Henry Cejudo on defending his division: 'I’m trying to employ people here'
Drake Riggs - January 14, 2019
At UFC 227 in August 2018, Henry Cejudo made history by becoming the second ever UFC flyweight champion. Unfortunately, since then the division has had a big black cloud surrounding it and it seems as if they all may be finding themselves out of roster spots in the near future.
Tyron Woodley eyes move to middleweight by year's end
Drake Riggs - January 14, 2019
At UFC 235 in March, Tyron Woodley will look to successfully add another welterweight title defense to his list of accomplishments by taking out the red-hot Kamaru Usman. As the 170-pound king since July 2016, Woodley’s time in the division may be coming to an end by the time that 2020 rolls around.
Darren Till responds to UFC London fight offer from Jorge Masvidal
Thomas Taylor - January 14, 2019
The UFC’s return to London, which goes down on March 17, is still without a main event. That being said, it’s been widely rumored that British welterweight contender Darren Till will get the call to headline the card — he’ll just need to find a willing dance partner. On Monday morning, he found just that, as long time UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal offered to fight Till in his backyard.