MMA News

Tom Taylor - January 3, 2019

Shortly after Jon Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 232, he did an interview with the crew of UFC Tonight — including Michael Bisping. Apparently, during an off-air segment, Bisping asked Jones a question that did go over well. As you might have guessed, it pertained to the trace amounts of turinabol detected in several of Jones’s recent drug tests.

Drake Riggs - January 2, 2019

It seems like every now and then we will inch closer and closer to clarity in regards to the top of the UFC’s always stacked, 170-pound welterweight division. However, after looking like we may know the next title fight, the champion shut that down and fast. Top contender, “The Nigerian Nightmare” Kamaru Usman recently dominated former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos on route to a unanimous decision win. Thus setting himself up for a title shot or at the very least, one fight from it.

Drake Riggs - January 2, 2019

“I think a lot of people want to see that fight,” UFC President Dana White said of a rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. “We gotta see how this thing… Obviously, again, we still haven’t gone before the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That’s gotta happen, and when that does we can figure out how this whole thing plays out. Is Max [Holloway] moving to [1]55 [pounds]? Tony Ferguson… Obviously in the mix. So we gotta see how this thing plays out.

Thomas Taylor - January 2, 2019

From the sounds of it, Kamaru Usman will get the next crack at UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Speaking on Twitter on Thursday evening, the surging UFC welterweight contender announced that his next fight is “a done deal” — and it sure seems like he’s talking about a title fight.

Drake Riggs - January 2, 2019

In recent years, title challengers in the 205-pound light heavyweight division have come few and far between. As of right now, Anthony Smith feels he’s the very clear next challenge to the once again champion, Jon Jones. At UFC 232 this past Saturday night, Jones regained the division’s title by defeating his old foe, Alexander Gustafsson via third-round TKO.

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

The UFC rankings have been updated in the wake of last Saturday’s UFC 232 card, and as expected, there have been some major changes. After defeating Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC 232 main event, Jon Jones is once again perched atop the light heavyweight rankings, though he still sits behind Daniel Cormier — a man he’s beaten previously — on the pound-for-pound list.

Cole Shelton - January 2, 2019

Lyman Good will face his toughest test in the UFC when he takes on Demian Maia in Brazil on February 2. Good used to be the Bellator welterweight champion and CFFC’s interim welterweight champion before signing with the UFC. Since then, Good has has gone 2-1 in the UFC, most recently knocking out Ben Saunders at UFC 230. That win earned him the biggest fight of his career against Maia.

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

Alexander Gustafsson hoped to cap of 2018 by toppling the seemingly unbeatable Jon Jones and capturing the UFC light heavyweight title. Regrettably, things did not go as planned for the fearsome Swede, as he wilted amid a storm of third-round ground-strikes from his foe. In the wake of this tough loss to Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson is now considering a move to the perilous UFC heavyweight division for a fresh start.

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

On New Years Eve, Sean O’Connell won a million dollars.  The 35-year-old UFC veteran earned this massive payday by bludgeoning an exhausted Vinny Magalhaes to a stoppage in the finals of the 2018 PFL light heavyweight season.

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

The UFC is going to be busy in the second quarter of 2019. After a rousing first quarter that will include some big pay-per-views and some stacked cards on ESPN, the promotion will keep things rolling in April, May and June with a whopping 10 cards. The UFC schedule for this second quarter of 2019 was announced during the UFC 232 broadcast last weekend. Here’s when we can expect to be watching UFC cards this spring and early summer (h/t MMA Fighting).

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

Several weeks ago, Dana White told ESPN that a welterweight bout between fan favorites Nick Diaz and Jorge Masvidal had been added to UFC 235 on March 2. Unsurprisingly, this matchup generated quite a bit of excitement among fans. Unfortunately, it now sounds as though its announcement was premature. Since the fight was first reported, Nick Diaz has repeatedly refuted its legitimacy. 

Tom Taylor - January 2, 2019

On New Years Eve in Tokyo, Japan, in the main event of RIZIN 14, 20-year-old Japanese kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa stepped through the ropes for an exhibition boxing match with undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. Because this fight was an exhibition, it would not wind up on either fighters record, no matter the outcome. All the same, Nasukawa hoped to do the unthinkable and knock the Floyd Mayweather out.

Drake Riggs - January 1, 2019

The Ultimate Fighter reality show has been running since 2005 and just recently wrapped up its 28th season in November. And it’s fair to say that the season may have been the most criticized season yet. The two divisions that were featured on TUF 28 were the heavyweight and women’s featherweight divisions. This was the first time that the heavyweights were showcased on TUF since the iconic season 10 which was only the second other time that they have been on the show (excluding TUF: Brazil 3).

Drake Riggs - January 1, 2019

After a multitude of awesome bouts to close out 2018, it’s onto the new year. December was loaded with a little bit of everything, January, on the other hand, will be on the lighter side as it acts as a transitional month for the world of MMA. The UFC will be beginning their new era with ESPN while Bellator’s heavyweight Grand Prix comes to its conclusion.

Drake Riggs - January 1, 2019

Trust can be hard to come by just in life in general. Unfortunately, that is often times the case in business as well, including sports. Former Invicta FC bantamweight champion and current UFC flyweight contender Lauren Murphy found this out the hard way. Murphy entered the UFC in 2014 as an undefeated 8-0 champion fresh off her title-winning victory over Miriam Nakamoto who she defeated via fourth-round TKO.

Drake Riggs - January 1, 2019

UFC 232 was an important event for the light heavyweight division as it marked the return of Jon Jones who reclaimed the title. Also on the card was the rising contender, the season 19 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Corey Anderson who extended his winning streak to three as he defeated Ilir Latifi by unanimous decision.

Tom Taylor - January 1, 2019

Last Saturday night, in the co-main event of UFC 232, UFC women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes did the unthinkable, handing long-time featherweight champ Cris Cyborg her first loss in well over a decade with a thudding, first-round knockout. With this jaw-dropping victory, Amanda Nunes became the first female UFC fighter to hold titles in two divisions concurrently. She also became one of just three fighters ever to accomplish this feet, joining Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier in that prestigious chapter of the MMA history book.

Tom Taylor - January 1, 2019

Pretty much everybody has an opinion on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa bout that topped Monday’s RIZIN 14 card. That includes former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor. McGregor, who previously engaged in his own battle with Mayweather, recently took to Twitter to give his take on the madness. Surprisingly, however, he had little to say about Mayweather’s performance. Instead, he seems more concerned with Mayweather’s rumored $9M payday, and how it will position him on the list of the highest earning athletes in the world.