MMA News

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2018

When Californian featherweight Brian Ortega knocked out Frankie Edgar at UFC 222, he usurped the New Jersey native’s spot as the division’s number one contender. Ortega is now poised to challenge reigning featherweight champion Max Holloway for the title, just as soon as the champ is fighting fit. Speaking on The MMA Hour this week, Holloway explained that, while he’s very excited to fight the undefeated Ortega, he can also envision a world where Edgar racks up a few wins  and earns another title shot.

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2018

UFC women’s bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes and top flyweight contender Valentina Shevchenko have previously engaged in two competitive scraps, with Nunes’ emerging the victor by a narrow margin on both occasions. While the grounds for a third fight would certainly seem to be there as a result, this is not something Nunes is interested in. “I don’t care about [Shevchenko],” Nunes told MMAJunkie this week. “She’s, like, only Valentina. She’s going to talk about me. I’m the best, you know? That’s why she talks about me.”

Justin Golightly - March 21, 2018

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. We still have awhile before UFC Liverpool, but the UFC did their big, snazzy announcement package with Darren till front-and-center yet he still doesn’t have an opponent. Till has been eyeing number one contender Stephen Thompson, but he may not be fully healed by May 27th. Regardless, that won’t stop Darren Till from calling him out. “I made it all happen. I worked hard and believed in myself. People can climb on this train or jump off. I do not care. I did it all. I asked to face Robbie Lawler or Jorge Masvidal [at UFC Liverpool]. I know they talked to Masvidal, but he said he would not be in shape in time. I do not know who my opponent will be, but I do not care. Stephen Thompson is a great striker. He’s smart, he’s not a brawler. His style is very well thought out, just like mine is as well.”

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2018

Last weekend, in the main event of the UFC’s exciting trip to London, England, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum was knocked out by former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. Speaking to MMAFighting in the wake of this loss, Werdum explained that he feels his lack of patience was one of the main factors that contributed to this loss.

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2018

Tony Ferguson’s training habits have always been… interesting… Ahead of his UFC 223 headlining bout with undefeated contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, which will crown the UFC’s new lightweight champion, Ferguson’s training habits have reached new levels of unconventional. Just days after he shared video of himself conditioning his shins by kicking a steel pipe, Ferguson has shared footage of himself working the speed bag in dress pants and dress shoes.

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2018

UFC 223 lightweight title challenger Khabib Nurmagomedov and recent UFC interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee have had plenty to say about each other recently. The pair’s latest feud began when Lee dumped all over Nurmagomedov’s UFC 219 win over Edson Barboza.

Drake Riggs - March 20, 2018

The UFC’s 170-pound weight class is easily one of if not the best and deepest division they have to offer. However, none of the many top talents have any fights booked at the moment. And some are starting to get a little antsy. Those of which include the likes of rising contenders, Kamaru Usman and Darren Till. Till has been vocal about wanting to just fight whoever and where ever. He now has the date set for May 27th in his home of Liverpool, England but no opponent. Today, the “Nigerian Nightmare” Kamaru Usman took to Twitter to put the division(and Till) on notice. In which the outspoken Brit would respond resulting in some fun banter.

Drake Riggs - March 20, 2018

Tecia Torres: “Well here in Brazil…we’re friends so we’re gonna be friends but when it comes down to the fight in May, business is business. Amanda [Nunes] is the champion for a reason. She deserves to be there but in this sport we all want that same spot so we have to fight for it and Raquel [Pennington] is going in there to fight for it. At the end of the day, business is business. Outside that, we’re friends and there’s no reason to be rivals.”

Drake Riggs - March 20, 2018

“Well let’s put it this way… We saw Conor McGregor cross over to boxing within six to eight months and face what has said to be the best boxer on Earth, yes or no? Yes. I would say that if Floyd Mayweather needs six to eight months to prepare for his first MMA fight and he wants to fight one of the best in the world, I could make that with one arm and fight him. And that’s just the way it is.

Justin Golightly - March 20, 2018

It just so happens that when Alexander Gustafsson is ready to come back, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is jumping up in weight to try and hold belts in two divisions. Regardless if he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, Cormier will be retiring before March of last year so he’s on his way out. This leaves Gustafsson asking what about him? He thinks he deserves to fight for an interim belt. “Me fighting [Daniel Cormier] for the real title, that opportunity went out the window. I feel I earned my spot off my last performance, but here we are. With DC moving up, the next step for me should be for an interim title. I brought it up to the UFC. Let’s see what happens. All I know is that in my situation, whoever they put in front of me next, it must be for the interim title. I feel like I’ve been taking fights and climbing ladders, climbing rankings, my entire career.”

Justin Golightly - March 20, 2018

It looks like Frankie Edgar wants to get back in the Octagon quick and get this UFC 222 loss out of his head. Although, the match-up may cause you to lose your own. Edgar and Cub Swanson are in the works to fight at UFC Atlantic City according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, which no doubt will be a fire fight of epic proportions. The fight is only half of the newsflash, the other part being that this means Cub Swanson will have signed back with the UFC after testing out free agency. Some news … https://t.co/Vwf1lreqBg pic.twitter.com/kRxaAXPiSH

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

Though former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is currently embroiled in an ugly scandal stemming from a failed drug test, he’s not willing to close the door on his fighting career completely. Even though there is a legitimate chance he could be sidelined with a lengthy suspension as a result of this latest steroid-related SNAFU, he still envisions a future where he could fight for again. He even believes he could fight for the title again one day. “I’m happy with everything that I’ve conquered,” Silva told Globo Esporte in a recent interview (via Bloody Elbow). “Nothing is forever. I still have my UFC contract and I’m very happy with it. Only time will tell what’s next. I’m feeling well, I train everyday, I’m a healthy guy. Waiting is all there is to it. I’m still alive in the division and there may be a chance to fight for the title again.”

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Francis Ngannou re-upped on his previous calls for a fight with former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE star Brock Lesnar. “Please Brock, come back, come back my friend. We need you here,” Ngannou said (h/t MMAFighting). “We need you to put the fun in this division. I need you to give me that f*cking fight I’ve been waiting for for a long time, I’ve been dreaming for [it].”

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

It’s looking more and more likely that 41-year-old retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather will step into the Octagon in the near future – though most of us still have understandable doubts that it will actually happen. If Mayweather does step into the cage, of course, he’ll be discounted against pretty much any opponent he fights. That is likely to be particularly true if he battles his arch rival Conor McGregor, who he defeated in the boxing ring back in August of 2017. As talk of Mayweather’s move to MMA continue to louden, sportsbook Westgate Las Vegas has released odds for a potential MMA showdown between the boxer and the MMA star. As expected, McGregor is considered a massive favorite, while Mayweather has been pegged as a significant underdog.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

Nicco Montano is the UFC women’s flyweight champion. She earned that distinction with a December decision defeat of Roxanne Modafferi. While Montano is the champion, however, many fans seem to consider flyweight contender Valentina Shevchenko the division’s best fighter. There are even some fans who believe Montano is avoiding Shevchenko. Speaking to KRQE earlier this month, Montano explained that this simply isn’t the case. She’s currently doing her best to heal up from a nasty foot injury, and his happy to defend against Shevchenko when she’s fighting fit.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract could wrap up after WrestleMania this April, and UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou is hoping that means Lesnar will return to the Octagon. Speaking on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Ngannou begged the hulking pro wrestler to return to the UFC, where he hopes they can fight.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

In a few short months, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will be a mother. Of course, she’s already a mother in a less traditional sense, as the owner of a dog named Skooter. On Monday, Tate took to Facebook to share a harrowing tale, during which Skooter’s very life was in jeopardy. Apparently, while out for a walk in the neighborhood, Tate’s furry companion was attacked by a Cane Corso – those are big dogs if you’re not familiar.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2018

After a flawless, 12-0 start to her run as a professional mixed martial artist, Ronda Rousey‘s career was derailed by two brutal losses. The first came courtesy of Holly Holm, who put her down with a second-round head kick, while the second was dealt by Amanda Nunes, who put her away with punches in less than a minute.