MMA News

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Last night, in the main event of the action-packed UFC Milwaukee card, Kevin Lee came up short for a second time against Al Iaquinta, giving up a hard-fought unanimous decision to his rival. Post-fight, a distraught Kevin Lee admitted that this loss to Al Iaquinta has him considering a move up to the 170-pound welterweight division, where he would have to endure a less taxing weight cut.

Cole Shelton - December 16, 2018

Last night, the UFC held its final show on FOX and had two very important lightweight fights as the main and co-main events. Both fights had major implications on the rankings and on the contendership situation.  In the end, Al Iaquinta defeated Kevin Lee by unanimous decision in the main event, while in the co-main, Edson Barboza put on a dominating performance with a TKO win over Dan Hooker. With these wins, Iaquinta will surely soar up the rankings, while Edson Barboza is likely to hover around the number five spot. The biggest question to emerge from the card is what will Kevin Lee do next. Many believe he should go up to welterweight, but he is one of many fighters clamoring for a 165-pound division.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

On Saturday night, in the co-headlining bout of Bellator Hawaii, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida made his promotional debut opposite former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho. After three closely contested rounds, Machida was announced the winner by split decision. While the former UFC champ is happy about this victory, he says he was a bit thrown off by the new setting.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Until very recently, Bellator and the UFC were engaged in something of a turf war, as both promotions were set to touch down in Southern California on January 26. Bellator boss Scott Coker booked The Forum in Inglewood for Bellator 214, while Dana White and the UFC were expected to take over the Honda Center in Anaheim with UFC 233. Ultimately, however, the UFC opted to cancel its planned UFC 233 card, having had difficulty locking down a suitable headliner for the event. And just like that, Bellator was the only game in town.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Last night, the UFC touched down in Milwaukee with UFC on FOX 31 — the promotion’s final card on the network before moving to ESPN in the New Year. Mid-way through this broadcast, we got a four-minute tribute to the seven years that the UFC spent on FOX. If nothing else, it provided an interesting trip down memory lane.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Last night, Bellator MMA capped off an action-packed weekend in Hawaii with its second show in as many nights. In the main event of this second show, Hawaii’s own Ilima-Lei MacFarlane returned to the cage to defend her Bellator flyweight strap against former UFC strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau. As expected, the Hawaiian champ had en epic walk to the cage for this fight, which she won by third-round submission.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

The UFC’s outfitting deal with sports apparel giant Reebok is frequently criticized by fans, fighters, and pundits alike. Not only does this deal deprive fighters of the chance to pursue more lucrative sponsorship deals for themselves, it also deprives them have the chance to dress up during their walkouts and set themselves apart from their peers. Veteran MMA referee John McCarthy is glad this isn’t the reality in Bellator, where he now serves as a cage-side commentator. Speaking during Saturday’s Bellator Hawaii broadcast, as former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida walked out for his Bellator debut, John McCarthy explained how pleased he was to see Machida walking out in his traditional karate gi rather than Reebok gear.

Tom Taylor - December 16, 2018

Last night, in the main event of the UFC’s final broadcast on FOX, Al Iaquinta and Kevin Lee stepped into the cage for a second time. Just as he did in their first encounter, Iaquinta was able to out-perform Lee, earning a unanimous decision win and a scoring a significant upset. With this win, Iaquinta rebounds from a decision loss to reigning UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov — a fight he accepted on only a day’s notice. Perhaps more importantly, this win over the fourth-ranked Kevin Lee establishes Iaquinta as one of the foremost contenders in the UFC lightweight division.

Christopher Taylor - December 15, 2018

Current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was clearly watching tonight’s UFC Milwaukee main event fight between fellow 155-pounders Kevin Lee and Al Iaquinta. Shortly following Kevin Lee’s unanimous decision loss to Al Iaquinta in tonight’s UFC on FOX 31 main event, “The Eagle” took to Twitter where he delivered the following message to “The Motown Phenom”.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane put her Bellator women’s flyweight title on the line against Valerie Letourneau in tonight’s Bellator 213 main event in Honolulu. Macfarlane enters tonight’s main event sporting a perfect professional record of 8-0. The Hawaiian‘s most recent win came via submission over Alejandra Lara at Bellator 201 this past June in California.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

The promotional debut of former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida took place at tonight’s Bellator 213 event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Machida squared off with former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho in the evenings co-main attraction.

Christopher Taylor - December 15, 2018

The co-headliner of tonight’s UFC on FOX 31 event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin featured a key lightweight battle between perennial division contenders Dan Hooker and Edson Barboza. Edson Barboza (19-6 MMA) entered tonight’s contest looking to rebound, this after suffering losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee in his two most recent octagon appearances.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

A key lightweight rematch featuring Kevin Lee taking on Al Iaquinta headlined tonight’s UFC on FOX 31 fight card in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lee and Iaquinta had first met at UFC 169 in February of 2014, with “Raging Al” emerging victortious by way of unanimous decision.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

A key lightweight rematch featuring Kevin Lee taking on Al Iaquinta headlined tonight’s UFC on FOX 31 fight card in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lee and Iaquinta first met at UFC 169 in February of 2014, with “Raging Al” emerging victortious by way of unanimous decision.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

In the co-main event of UFC on FOX 31, lightweights Dan Hooker and Edson Barboza squared off in hopes of moving up the 155-pound ranks. Barboza (19-6 MMA) entered tonight’s contest looking to rebound, this after suffering losses to the aforementioned Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee in his most recent octagon appearances.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Sergio Pettis made his return to the UFC’s bantamweight division at tonight’s UFC on FOX 31 event in his hometown of Milwaukee against Rob Font. Pettis entered tonight’s contest on the heels of a unanimous decision setback to Jussier Formiga in his most recent octagon appearance at September’s UFC 229 event in Las Vegas.

Thomas Taylor - December 15, 2018

Aung La N Sang, who currently holds the ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight titles, is a massive star in his native Myanmar. So massive, in fact, that he’s been honored with a pretty awesome statue in Manau Park in his hometown of Myitkyina. Aung La N Sang discussed this incredible honor in a post on his official Instagram page. Apparently, he wasn’t sure about the idea at first, but as come to see it as a way to inspire a whole generation of young people in his country.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

The octagon returns to Milwaukee this evening for the promotions UFC on FOX 31 event. The fight card is headlined by a lightweight rematch between Kevin Lee and Al Iaquinta. Lee and Iaquinta first met at UFC 169 in February of 2014, with “Raging Al” emerging victortious by way of unanimous decision.