MMA News

Drake Riggs - August 17, 2018

We’ve been without the UFC since UFC 227 at the beginning of this month, but next week they’re back with a bang in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before the highly anticipated guaranteed fireworks that is Justin Gaethje vs James Vick in the night’s headliner, we’ll be treated to plenty of fun matchups. One of which includes the welterweight veteran Jake Ellenberger who will be making the walk to the Octagon for the 21st time.

Drake Riggs - August 17, 2018

The UFC is set to make their return to Argentina as the year winds down and fights will be needed. Today we have gotten the first of many. Expected to have the country’s biggest name on the card in Santiago Ponzinibbio, nothing has come together yet for the top welterweight contender.

Drake Riggs - August 17, 2018

UFC welterweight veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is one of the most fearless men in all of MMA and he has made that very clear over the years. Whether it be from his in the cage antics and frequency to take fights or all of his crazy non-fighting related activities and hobbies, Cowboy has had a crazy life.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

For a moment in late 2017, it looked as though Darren Till and “Platinum” Mike Perry might become mortal enemies in the perilous UFC welterweight division. Since then, however, their rivalry has blossomed into a mutual respect that borders on a bromance.  Earlier this month, while visiting Los Angeles for the UFC’s 20th Anniversary Press Conference, the two welterweights got some face-time in. Apparently, they even got a bit of sparring in — that was after Darren Till realized Mike Perry hadn’t invited him to the spa. 

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

A bit of good news for fight fans in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and anybody that was planning on watching the September 22 UFC Sao Paulo card. Days after Glover Teixeira was forced out of his main event battle with Jimi Manuwa, the UFC has found a replacement opponent for Manuwa: middleweight contender Thiago Santos. The bout will occur at light heavyweight. This bout was confirmed by Chamatkar Sandhu of ESPN after Ariel Helwani reported it as a possibility.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

At UFC 227, TJ Dillashaw defended the UFC bantamweight title with a first-round drubbing of his rival Cody Garbrandt. Earlier on the same night, Henry Cejudo scored a shocking upset, unseating long-dominant UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson via split decision. Since then, there’s been much discussion about a potential superfight between the two champions. If this fight were to occur, of course, it would seem like a bit of a slap in the face to Johnson. He was the most dominant champion in UFC history, he lost the title via split decision, and he holds a 2016 knockout win over Cejudo. He deserves an immediate rematch with Cejudo.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has recently been linked to a rematch with Chris Weidman, who he defeated back in 2015. While negotiations for this middleweight bout are ongoing, Rockhold says he still plans to move to the 205-pound light heavyweight division in the near future. The reason he hasn’t made the move yet, he says, is that his friend and training partner Daniel Cormier is still the UFC light heavyweight champion. Rockhold, who of course wants to capture light heavyweight gold for himself, says he might wait until Cormier retires to move up to this new weight class.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

Bellator bantamweight contender James Gallagher, one of Conor McGregor’s training partners at SBG Ireland, says the Irish MMA superstar is looking good as he prepares for his UFC 229 showdown with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. In fact, Gallagher claims McGregor is looking better than ever. “[Conor] looks better than ever,” Gallagher told MMA Fighting‘s Peter Carroll this week. “He’s got that fire back inside of him. When you’re on the top of the world like he’s been for so long, you need to chill out for a little bit to get that hunger back. It’s hard to keep that hunger when you have everything that you’ve ever wanted.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

Former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold believes fighters who fail drug tests — particularly those who fail multiple drug tests — should face harsher punishments from the UFC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Speaking with MMAjunkie recently, Luke Rockhold discussed former UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who has recently been teasing a comeback, and former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who has recently been linked to a fight with heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier. In his eyes, both of these men should be facing lengthy suspensions for their recent failed drug tests.

Drake Riggs - August 16, 2018

As UFC 230 began to stack up last month, it did so with a plethora of awesome top 10 middleweight matchups. One of which included a rematch between former champions. Late in July, it was reported that the second encounter between Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman was in the works for the New York City return on November 3rd.

Thomas Taylor - August 16, 2018

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones continues to tease his long-awaited return to the cage. Though his return is not set in stone just yet, he assures that, when he does make his comeback, he’ll be better than ever. Considering he’s widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, that’s definitely saying something. Every part of the journey matters. Triumphs and setbacks all combine to make the climb what it is supposed to be. My feet are dug in and I have clear motivation as to what I’m going after and why. I promise you’ve never seen anything like what’s coming #comebackseason

Drake Riggs - August 16, 2018

Crossing through the end of July to the beginning of August, the RIZIN Fighting Federation put on two successful shows in two weeks. After a huge and wildly entertaining show with RIZIN 11 on July 29th at the famous Saitama Super Arena, RIZIN 12 followed on August 12th but was in a much smaller venue.

Drake Riggs - August 16, 2018

The heavyweight division over the past so many years has been one of the shallower ones in MMA. But that has begun to change recently. Leading the charge are several talented fighters from all over the world.

Tom Taylor - August 16, 2018

Al Iaquinta was briefly expected to return to the cage opposite Justin Gaethje in the main event of the upcoming UFC Lincoln card. Regrettably, Iaquinta withdrew from this fight, citing nagging injuries. He was subsequently replaced by James Vick. According to Ariel Helwani, Al Iaquinta is now healthier than he’s been in some time, and he’s keen to return to the cage soon. More specifically, he’d like to fight this November against former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, who he apparently “can’t stand.”

Tom Taylor - August 16, 2018

On November 10, in the co-main event of the UFC’s anticipated return to Denver, Colorado, “Platinum” Mike Perry will step into the cage with fellow fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. This fight comes with an interesting storyline built in, as it was just weeks ago that Perry and Cowboy were training together at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque. In fact, Cowboy even took Cerrone out for a bit of outdoor fun.

Tom Taylor - August 16, 2018

Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou’s UFC 226 heavyweight contender bout was expected to produce fireworks. Given the pair’s shared propensity for violent, one-punch knockouts, it seemed almost impossible that the fight would go to a decision. In the end, of course, it did. And, man, it wasn’t pretty.

Tom Taylor - August 16, 2018

UFC light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir recently adopted the nickname “No Time.” This nickname is based on his predilection for first-round finishes. Yet Oezdemir’s next opponent, Anthony Smith, feels he is more deserving of that monicker. Anthony Smith, who battles Volkan Oezdemir in the main event of UFC Moncton on October 27, reminds that he’s produced more first-round finishes than his upcoming opponent. In fact, he’s got more first-round finishes than Oezdemir has fights.

Tom Taylor - August 16, 2018

In the opinion of former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who is one of the frontrunners in MMA’s Greatest of All Time debate, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently the game’s best fighter. Silva also believes former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor is in the running. “Khabib is a great fighter,” Anderson Silva said in a recent interview with Inquisitr. “I’m very impressed. Conor is a great fighter. Having a new generation of fighters, especially in the UFC… this is a huge company that’s worked for a long time to get the great fighters in the sport.