MMA News

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

On May 12, in the co-main event of UFC 224, Colby Covington will head down to Brazil to battle local hero Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight title. As always, Covington is incredibly confident heading into this fight, and promises to dominate dos Anjos in front of his legions of Brazilian fans.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

Shortly after his October defeat of Demian Maia in Sao Paulo, Brazil, welterweight contender Colby Covington went off on an ant-Brazil tirade, referring to the country as “a dump” and its people as “filthy animals.” Needless to say, Covington is not exactly loved in Brazil. All the same, he’ll head back to the country this May 12, where he’ll battle Rio de Janeiro’s own Rafael dos Anjos for interim welterweight gold in the co-main event of UFC 224.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman has not fought since his July 2017 defeat of Kelvin Gastelum. The reason for this prolonged absence is a complicated thumb injury that he sustained during the fight. Unfortunately, Weidman’s thumb is still not healthy. Far from it, in fact.

Nick Nadel - April 4, 2018

Part one of a series celebrating badassery in film and TV. Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes may pulverize their opponents in the ring. But when it comes to kicking butt and taking names on the big and small screen, these pop culture heroines just might have them beat.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

Weeks after our initial report that Colby Covington and Rafael dos Anjos will battle for interim welterweight gold at UFC 224, the bout is now official. One of the most interesting details of this contest is that it will occur in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Covington, of course, is public enemy number-one in the country, having referred to it as “a dump” and its people as “filthy animals” after his autumn defeat of Demian Maia.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

Back in November, Rose Namajunas ended the incredible strawweight title reign of Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the most emphatic way possible, stealing her belt with a first-round knockout. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that the formerly dominant Jedrzejczyk would receive an immediate rematch, and the chance to reclaim her title. This rematch co-headlines UFC 223 this Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

On May 27, when the UFC touches down in his native Liverpool, England, Darren Till has the chance to propel himself to the uppermost reaches of the UFC welterweight division, as he’s set to battle fellow striking specialist and two-time former welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. While the evermore popular Till will be fighting in front of a partisan crowd, he believes the majority of fight fans are hoping he comes up short to Wonderboy in Liverpool.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2018

If things had gone according to the initial plan, former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit would have battled Matt Brown in the co-main event of the UFC’s April 14 trip to Glendale, AZ. Regrettably, Brown was forced out of the fight with an ACL tear, leaving Condit without an opponent. “Wish it was all April Fools but I did tear my ACL over the weekend,” Brown said in a statement on Twitter. “I hope [Carlos Condit] gets an opponent and doesn’t have to lose out on the opportunity. We’ll do it for sure when I’m back.”

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

With Khabib Nurmagomedov fighting on the same card as Artem Lobov, a long time friend and training partner of Conor McGregor, one had to assume they’d have some kind of run-in during the UFC 223 fight week.

Russell Sai - April 3, 2018

It is still hard to believe that Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be fighting this weekend at UFC 223. Ferguson was involved in a “freak accident” and suffered an injury on Friday at a “UFC-obligated media event” where he tore a ligament in his knee. Ferguson was forced to pull out of the main event fight taking place this weekend against Nurmagomedov, which marks the fourth time that a UFC matchup between the two UFC lightweights has been canceled.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

If you’re an MMA fan, chances are you’ve heard of Tapout, a clothing brand that helped transform the sport from the controversial spectacle it began as into the international sensation it is today. The Tapout brand was founded by a extraordinary man named Charles “Mask” Lewis—the first non-fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame— in the year 1997, and the new documentary Mask celebrates that founder’s incredible life. See a trailer for the documentary below.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

By now, you’ve probably heard the news. Days after news broke that Tony Ferguson had been forced out of his UFC 223 fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, we lost a similarly anticipated matchup as Matt Brown has been forced out of his UFC Glendale scrap with Carlos Condit with a torn ACL. Late Monday evening, Brown confirmed this news, which was first reported by Ariel Helwani.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

Max Holloway’s choice to act as Tony Ferguson’s understudy and fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on just six days notice was met with immediate praise and excitement. Yet there is a darker side to Holloway’s accepting this short-notice fight. Even though he’s the champion of the 145-pound featherweight division, and will be afforded an extra 10 pounds to work with in this 155-pound title fight, Holloway will have to endure a massive and potentially hazardous weight cut for this bout with Nurmagomedov. In fact, his nutritionist George Lockhart says Holloway’s cut to 155 will be the tied for biggest that he’s ever been a part of.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

When Tony Ferguson was forced out of the UFC 223 main event with a freak leg injury—on April Fools of all days—the UFC began a frantic hunt for a replacement opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedov. Though the promotion also considered Eddie Alvarez and Brian Ortega, it ultimately landed on UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, who will have just 6 days to prepare for the massive challenges Nurmagomedov presents. Nurmagomedov, of course, is happy Holloway stepped up, as it means he’ll still have a chance to fight for the lightweight title this weekend, and he’ll still get paid. If he were in Holloway’s position, however, and the UFC came calling asking him to step up and fight on 6 days notice with no preparation, he’d have said no.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

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Tom Taylor - April 3, 2018

When Tony Ferguson was forced out the UFC 223 main event with a freak injury, the UFC began a desperate search for a replacement opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedov. While they ultimately landed on UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, there were a few other options on the table, including Brian Ortega and Eddie Alvarez. Speaking during an Instagram Live video session on Monday night, Alvarez explained why he wasn’t able to accept a short-notice fight with Nurmagomedov.

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2018

Bad news, fight fans. Just a little over 24 hours removed from the news that Tony Ferguson has been forced out of his scheduled UFC 223 showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov and replaced by Max Holloway, we’ve lost another high profile bout, as Matt Brown has been forced out of his ultra-violent UFC Glendale showdown with Carlos Condit. News of Brown’s withdrawal from this April 14 bloodletting, which is due to an ACL tear, was first reported by MMAFighting‘s Ariel Helwani.

Drake Riggs - April 2, 2018

You’re lying if you don’t think that the last forty-eight hours have been ridiculous in the MMA world. The joke of all MMA jokes was delivered on the day of jokes but…it wasn’t a joke… The highly anticipated lightweight title battle between interim champion, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov was called off for the fourth time after Ferguson sustained a freak injury. This puts the two at 2-2 when pulling out of booked fights between them. This one might just not be meant to happen.