MMA News

Drake Riggs - December 24, 2018

When it comes to the UFC’s decision to make a last minute moving of UFC 232 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, it effects a whole lot more than just the person that it was moved for. The reason for the move is because of the event’s headliner, the returning former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones not being granted a license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). He, however, does have a temporary license from the California State Athletic Commission.

Drake Riggs - December 24, 2018

There never seems to be quite anything like a Jon Jones fight week. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been for good reasons in recent years. After an ‘atypical finding’ in one of Jones’ drug tests ahead of UFC 232, the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to grant Jones his license to compete. Seeing as UFC 232 was to take place in Las Vegas, this was clearly a problem for him and the UFC.

Christopher Taylor - December 23, 2018

Undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov shares his thoughts on the news of an ‘atypical finding’ in Jon Jones USADA drug test. “The Eagle” took to Twitter shortly following the news that Jon Jones had been denied a license to fight from the NSAC after being flagged for the banned substance turinabol… again.

Christopher Taylor - December 23, 2018

Former two-division UFC champion BJ Penn was already in Las Vegas when news broke that the promotion was moving Saturday’s UFC 232 event to Inglewood, California. The UFC felt obligated to move the fight card from Nevada to California after it was announced that main event attraction Jon Jones was denied a license to compete in the state from the NSAC.

Christopher Taylor - December 23, 2018

Earlier this evening it was revealed that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had been flagged by USADA after trace amounts of the banned substance turinabol were found in “Bones” system. With that said, the UFC has been forced to move Jones’ title fight with Alexander Gustafsson — and the entire UFC 232 card it is headlining — from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Christopher Taylor - December 23, 2018

Earlier tonight it was revealed that former UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones had been flagged by USADA for trace amounts of turinabol, the same substance “Bones” had popped for following his UFC 214 fight with Daniel Cormier. Due to Jones test, the Nevada State Athletic Commission would not sanction the former champion to compete at this weekend’s UFC 232 event.

Thomas Taylor - December 23, 2018

A recent Jon Jones drug test has detected trace amounts of turinabol, the same banned substance the former champion tested positive for after his UFC 214 title fight with Daniel Cormier. This wild twist has forced the UFC to move the upcoming UFC 232 card, where Jon Jones was expected to rematch Alexander Gustafsson, from Las Vegas to The Forum in Inglewood, California. The card will still occur on December 29 as initially planned. Jones and Gustafsson’s fight will also go ahead as planned in this new California setting.

Thomas Taylor - December 23, 2018

After a drug test detected trace amounts of the banned substance turinabol in Jon Jones’ system, the UFC has been forced to move Jones’ title fight with Alexander Gustafsson — and the entire UFC 232 card it is headlining — from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Forum in Inglewood, California. Speaking to MMAjunkie, UFC President Dana White gave his take on this chaotic situation. He maintained that Jon Jones is most likely innocent.

Thomas Taylor - December 23, 2018

Chaos has rocked the UFC 232 card, which was scheduled for December 29 in Las Vegas. According to a report from MMAjunkie, a drug test taken by former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has caught an ‘atypical finding’ — a trace amount of Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone or turinabol. This is the same drug Jones tested positive for after his UFC 214 fight with Daniel Cormier. According to this report from MMAjunkie, the Nevada State Athletic Commission does not have adequate time to investigate this finding and clear Jones to fight on the 29th. As a result, the UFC has moved the entire UFC 232 card to The Forum in Inglewood, California. The card will still occur on the same night.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

Nestled among the winding streets of Baguio City, which sits 5000 feet above sea level in the Philippines, Team Lakay is about the closest thing you’ll find to a gym in the clouds. Yet this MMA training facility only recently began to achieve the lofty successes you’d expect from a place at its altitude. In 2018, almost fifteen years after its inception, Team Lakay produced a whopping four ONE Championship titleholders. Geje Eustaquio captured the promotion’s flyweight title, Kevin Belingon assumed the throne at bantamweight, Joshua Pacio became the strawweight champion, and Eduard Folayang, the most notable fighter to emerge from the gym, capped off the year by reclaiming the ONE lightweight title.

Thomas Taylor - December 23, 2018

Former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez is officially scheduled to return to the Octagon in the New Year. The heavyweight star is booked for a showdown with recent heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou, which will headline the UFC’s return to Phoenix on February 17. While Cain Velasquez and Francis Ngannou are certain to fight each other with the ferocity of sworn enemies, it’s clear that there’s not actually any bad blood between them. In fact, the former champion Velasquez recently took to Twitter to let Ngannou know that his plane ticket to Phoenix is a Christmas present.

Cole Shelton - December 23, 2018

2018 has been a great year for the UFC. Yet 2019, which will see the promotion debut on ESPN, could be even greater. While nothing is certain yet, the promotion could make some very big moves in the New Year. Here are a few things we can see happening in 2019.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

In the co-main event of UFC 232, which goes down on December 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will step up to the featherweight division to battle fearsome divisional champion Cris Cyborg. Ahead of this mammoth super fight, the UFC has released video footage of one of the most impressive victory Amanda Nunes has delivered to date: a late 2016 execution of former champion and WMMA icon Ronda Rousey.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has had a turbulent few years. Though his recent career has included some unforgettable victories over some of the best fighters in the world, it’s also included a number of troubles outside the cage, and a pair of brushes with the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Jones’s troubles outside the cage have cause some of his fans to turn their backs on him. Yet he’s hopeful that he can find a way to win those fans back.

Cole Shelton - December 23, 2018

Canadian Kyle Nelson will indeed be a UFC fighter for the foreseeable future. Nelson stepped in on short notice to fight Diego Ferreira at UFC 231. However, he lost the fight in the second round by TKO. Even though he lost the fight, Nelson was satisfied with his performance.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

Alexander Gustafsson is not a fan of Jon Jones, who he’ll battle for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 232 on December 29. The Swedish contender believes professional fighters should be role models, and that Jones’s actions outside the cage make him anything but. “I’m not a fan,” Gustafsson said at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas earlier this week (via MMAjunkie). “We’re all role models here. We have to represent the sport good. I’m not a fan at all. But we’re not here to be friends. We’re here to compete.”

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

On January 19, in the main event of the UFC’s first card on the streaming service ESPN+, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will drop down to flyweight to challenge divisional champ Henry Cejudo for his belt. Heading into this fight, one of the biggest challenges TJ Dillashaw is expected to face is the weight cut down to the 125-pound flyweight limit itself. He tends to look pretty buff when he fights in the 135-pound bantamweight division, and some fans have a hard time envisioning him safely making the cut down to flyweight.

Tom Taylor - December 23, 2018

When UFC women’s bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes steps into the cage with Cris Cyborg in the co-main event of UC 232 on December 29, she thinks it will be biggest fight of her career — bigger even than her late 2016 showdown with MMA superstar Ronda Rousey.