MMA News

Drake Riggs - October 1, 2018

What October lacks in the notable event count, it more than makes up for with some major highlight points with massive and historic fights. I mean, it’s still mind-blowing that some of them are even happening at all let alone in the same month. These are the top 5 upcoming fights for October 2018.

Drake Riggs - October 1, 2018

UFC 230’s headliner still has yet to be announced, but the same can not be said for UFC 231 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the featherweight title bout is on. In August, the highly anticipated 145-pound showdown between champion Max Holloway (19-3) and challenger Brian Ortega (13-0) was initially reported as in the works for UFC 231. Now it has been set and the two will indeed meet at the December 8 event, confirms TSN.

Cole Shelton - October 1, 2018

Conor McGregor is just six days away from the biggest fight in MMA history. McGregor will be taking on current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, where McGregor is looking to regain his belt. Although it may be McGregor’s toughest challenge yet, he is already looking towards his future.

Thomas Taylor - October 1, 2018

In a recent conversation with MMA Fighting, former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre implied that former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones should not be included in MMA’s GOAT debate on the basis of his previous failed drug tests. “Just look at the difference with some of the — I’m not saying any names, because I don’t want to attack an individual, I want to change the system — just look at the difference with some people,” he said. “Look, I remember there was a fight between two opponents, and one guy said, ‘Oh, it’s not the performance-enhancing [drugs] that threw the kick. It’s me.’ Actually, it’s not true. That’s the performance-enhancing drugs that threw the kick, because you wouldn’t have thrown the kick [like that] if you would have not taken them. You know what I mean? So to give you an example, it makes you more creative, it makes you more hungry. It changes the physique.

Thomas Taylor - October 1, 2018

The first episode of UFC 229 Embedded is here, and it’s just as interesting as you’d expect.

Cole Shelton - October 1, 2018

Arguably the biggest rivalry currently taking place in MMA exists between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. Cormier and Jones have gone back and forth with each other at press conferences, through social media, and in interviews over recent years. While they both talk the talk, only Jones has been able to walk the walk thus far. Jones won the pair’s first encounter by decision, while the second bout — originally a KO win for Jones — was ruled a no contest when he failed a drug test.

Drake Riggs - October 1, 2018

The return of Jon Jones is inevitable at this point. After getting his suspension settled at 15-months, he’s eligible to fight anytime after October 28. Prior to the news of what the former light heavyweight champion’s suspension would be, many speculated that he would end up being the headliner for the big UFC 230 card that takes place in Madison Square Garden on November 3. Who it would be against was presumed to likely be his old adversary, Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson.

Mike Straus - October 1, 2018

Recently signed heavyweight fighter Tim Johnson plans on opening some eyes at Bellator 208 when he takes on Cheick Kongo in a feature main card bout. Johnson, 33, signed with the Viacom owned promotion after going a very respectable 4-3 inside the Octagon. He holds notable victories over Shamil Abdurakhimov, Marcin Tybura, and Daniel Omielańczuk while under the UFC’s banner. As impressive as those wins are, Johnson wanted more.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

Khabib Nurmagomedov has long been considered one of the best lightweights in the world, but for a time between 2014 and 2016, his standing in the division was seriously hurt by his inability to stay healthy. During that period, Khabib Nurmagomedov was scheduled for three fights — two with Donald Cerrone, and one with Tony Ferguson. Unfortunately, not one of these bouts came to fruition as the Russian star kept sustaining injuries that rendered him unable to compete.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

Having received a two-year sanction from the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Fabricio Werdum will not be able to fight until May of the year 2020. By that time, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who is presently 41, will be almost 43 years old. Despite this unfortunate fact, Fabricio Werdum says he still hopes to continue fighting. He’s just not sure where or when it might happen.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 1, 2018

Filipino spitfire Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is getting the opponent that he has wanted for a very long time, as he is booked to lock horns with Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes in a highly-anticipated bantamweight title unification bout at ONE: HEART OF THE LION, set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 9 November. Belingon and Fernandes squared off inside the ONE Championship cage in January 2016, with the latter pulling off a quick submission victory over the hard-hitting member of the fabled Team Lakay.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

Ahead of his showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which goes down in the main event of UFC 229 this Saturday night, Conor McGregor has assured he plans to fight again in the future. He’s even got some potential opponents in mind. That being said, Conor McGregor says there are two factors in the fight game that cause his motivation to falter: ceaseless media obligations and brutal weight cuts.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, who was recently handed a two-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), says the agency offered him the same opportunity to ‘snitch’ that they allegedly offered Jon Jones. Had Werdum agreed to “cooperate and provide credible substantial assistance“, he might have received a greatly reduced punishment, such as the 15-month term Jones received at the end of his dealings with USADA. Apparently, however, he was not interested in sharing intel on any of his associates or training partners. “What surprised me the most was at the end of the interview [with USADA], it was something that I found absurd,” Fabricio Werdum told Combate (translation via MMAjunkie). “They said, ‘Werdum, here’s the thing: If you tell on someone …’ It was what you could call ‘delacao premiada’ (plea bargain). ‘Werdum, if you tell on someone’ – using the slang, if you’re a snitch – ‘we’ll shorten your suspension. Because you’re going to have to pay something. Even if we find the substance in any of the products we test, even if we find it, you’ll have to pay something.’

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

This Saturday night, in the main event of UFC 229, Conor McGregor will step into the Octagon for the first time since November of 2016, where he will battle the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title. If you thought this comeback fight was a one-off deal for Conor McGregor, think again. The Irish MMA star just signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC, and from the sounds of it, he plans to honor at least some of those obligations.

Drake Riggs - October 1, 2018

Conor McGregor‘s MMA journey began in March 2008 and since then he has gone on to become the biggest star in the sport’s history. Having not fought since November 2016 when he won his second UFC title by defeating the then lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, McGregor is now set to make his long-awaited return this Saturday at UFC 229. Standing across from him will be the current champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Drake Riggs - October 1, 2018

“I’mma be honest, f*ck no [I didn’t honor my bet with Chael Sonnen]! I owe Chael 30 grand. But, I’mma tell you somethin’, the reason why I haven’t gave Chael the money yet is because he never put nothin’ up, so it wasn’t really solidified. I’m like, ‘Chael, every takedown you get I’mma give you 10 G’s. Like, what do I get, motherf*cker if I block all your takedowns? I blocked every takedown except for those f*ckin’ weak-ass trips he got me with.

Tom Taylor - September 30, 2018

On Saturday night, in the main event of Bellator 206, Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald moved up to the middleweight division to challenge divisional champ Gegard Mousasi. If Rory MacDonald had succeeded on this gutsy mission, he would have become the first fighter in Bellator history to hold titles in two divisions concurrently. Unfortunately for the welterweight champion, this middleweight title fight did not go as planned. Instead, he was soundly beaten by Mousasi, succumbing to a thunderous bombardment of strikes in the bout’s second round.

Tom Taylor - September 30, 2018

Bellator 206, which went down in San Jose, California on Saturday night, was among the biggest fight cards the company has ever promoted. As it turns out, this card featured some suitably hefty paydays as well. The biggest earner of the night was former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who pocketed a significant $300,000 for his second-round TKO of his rival Wanderlei Silva. Silva, meanwhile, was the second biggest earner of the night, pocketing $200,000 in defeat.