MMA News

Justin Golightly - March 17, 2018

As we draw closer to UFC 223’s fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, we wonder when Conor McGregor will be stripped and if he’ll be there to watch the lightweight fight and cheer on his friend and teammate Artem Lobov. He has the power of choice. He can choose the winner of that fight and prove he’s still the very best lightweight in the world, or he can not care at all about the title and go for bigger and better things. Whatever is the biggest, Owen Roddy believes he’ll go for that. “That would be a big pay-per-view without a doubt. I still say that Conor brings most [of the PPV buys]. Like, I think I saw something about Firas [Zahabi] putting up like ‘let’s see who takes the biggest pay-per-view draw’. I’d be confident in saying that Conor is the biggest pay-per-view draw between him and GSP, but it would be an insane fight, it would be a crazy fight, it would be huge. It would be probably the biggest fight that the UFC has thrown, and yeah, it would be great.”

Drake Riggs - March 16, 2018

Ahhh, MMA fans! Some of the most unique fans in all of the world. That can both be a complimentary or offensive statement…that’s for you to decide. Either way, with the many different social media platforms we have nowadays, it provides fans around the world with the ability to send messages and comments directly to the athletes they watch on TV. Some of these comments aren’t always nice or positive as seen in the video with former Invicta FC champion turned UFC featherweight, Megan Anderson and former fighter turned UFC and Invicta commentator/interviewer, Laura Sanko.

Drake Riggs - March 16, 2018

Whether you love him or you hate him, The Ultimate Fighter season 22 winner, BJJ master, Ryan Hall knows how to win fights and take little damage while doing so. Which has led to the discontent of fans on occasion. Hall is known for being one of the most dangerous opponents one could possibly face on the ground and if you’ve seen him fight before, you can tell that his opponents know it too.

Drake Riggs - March 16, 2018

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Justin Golightly - March 16, 2018

After Brian Ortega did what no man has done before to Frankie Edgar, the hype surrounding a big title fight against UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is growing to epic proportions. In many ways, it almost mirrors the UFC 223 fight against Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Holloway is on a 12-fight win streak and Ortega is on a 13-fight win streak. A fight like this hasn’t gone down in the division since Conor McGregor’s scrap against Jose Aldo. It’s reasons like this why Holloway believes this fight is huge. “My interest in fighting [Brian Ortega]: I’m very intrigued. I can’t wait to fight. I love fighting and I love competition. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. The best is ‘Blessed,’ and right now he’s saying and people are saying he’s the one. I can’t wait. We’ll find out. […] He proved to the world why he’s the No. 1 contender. Looks like I’ve got a new cupcake flavor, so I’m excited. I like horchata, so I can get that horchata flavor – it’s delicious.”

Justin Golightly - March 16, 2018

It looks like Fabricio Werdum is really taking this whole pro wrestling thing to heart. He had a recent meeting with the WWE and is interested in doing some sort of lucha libre, but he started getting in on the action early today. Werdum inexplicably carried a chair to the weigh-ins today to stare Alexander Volkov face-to-face but instead he used it to tower above him after a heel-move scare. Werdum comes out with a chair and fakes that he’s going to hit Volkov with it, then just puts it down so he can tower over Volkov during their faceoff #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/Sm1Q1rSkUQ

Justin Golightly - March 16, 2018

It’s happening!! #UFCLiverpool is official for May 27! 🎟 https://t.co/shPzwVYT9L pic.twitter.com/rIIwOylJxo

Justin Golightly - March 16, 2018

As far as quality of competition goes, Dan Hooker is on the best streak of his career. Two finishes back-to-back over Ross Pearson and Marc Diakiese has led him to his biggest challenge yet. Jim Miller is not only Hooker’s next opponent, but a fighter that he respects. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to try to knock him out with a liver shot at UFC Atlantic City. “Jim Miller’s been a big name since I first started watching UFC. I think this fight will tie him with Michael Bisping for the most UFC fights of all time. I think he’s on 28, and then our fight will make him 29, so that will tie him for the most UFC fights ever. So there’s a lot of guys going around calling themselves ‘UFC veterans’ after a couple of fights, but Jim Miller is about as veteran as you come. So this is a fight, you know, I relish a name like that. I love it when you get that name and it’s someone you look up to, it’s someone you recognise their name and you think back to all the fights you’ve seen them have, all the wars. So yeah, I like seeing the posters up there with our names squared off against each other.”

Justin Golightly - March 16, 2018

Big man Tai Tuivasa is on a perfect seven-fight win streak, with two of those in the UFC now. The most impressive state about the Aussie, is that all of those wins are finishes. Coming off his violent, first-round finish at UFC 221, it looks like he’s ready for his next opponent with a step up in competition. Not only that, but he’s trying to bring excitement back to a dead division. “[The heavyweight division is] boring. Heavyweights that I used to watch, you know, it would be one or two big punches, just exciting, big hits. Now I think it’s just – they’re all just going out there and f-cking sh-t. It’s boring. I feel like I’m watching the soccer or something. Oh yeah, [there’s Francis Ngannou] but that’s one guy. I’m talking about the division.”

Drake Riggs - March 15, 2018

UFC 223 on April 7th showcases two of the highest level strawweight battles one could ask for. In the co-main event, we have the rematch of the epic upset from UFC 217 when Rose Namajunas knocked out the reigning champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the very first round. But before that, we get a battle of contenders looking to inch their way that much closer to a title shot. And for Karolina Kowalkiewicz, it would be her second crack at gold.

Drake Riggs - March 15, 2018

Let there be heavyweights in Chicago! UFC 225 plays host to the UFC’s return to Chicago, Illinois on June 9th and is headlined by a middleweight title rematch between the champion, Robert Whittaker and the challenger, Yoel Romero.

Drake Riggs - March 15, 2018

Former Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight queen, Ronda Rousey isn’t fighting in MMA and earning gold title belts anymore. But she is continuing to add different kinds of combat sports titles to her resume. First, she was an Olympic bronze medalist in Judo before transitioning to MMA. From there she has now recently gone into the world of professional wrestling as part of the WWE. Now, it seems she’s gotten herself into management as well as Golden Boy Promotions announced that welterweight prospect, Ferdinand Kerobyan has been signed as the first fighter under the management of Rousey.

Justin Golightly - March 15, 2018

The superfight has been put on hold, Cris Cyborg eradicated her last foe, and Amanda Nunes has a title defense at UFC 224. Both women are down to meet up after their business is finished, but now Cyborg thinks Nunes isn’t actually going to end up showing her face in the Octagon and has just been asking for the fight to promote herself. If Nunes doesn’t fight Cyborg at UFC 226, then she says that the UFC bantamweight champ will have to get to the back of the line of featherweight. We’d tell you who that would be behind, but the division still doesn’t exist on the UFC website. “I’m starting to think that Amanda Nunes just started using my name to negotiate a new deal with the UFC. Like many other girls, she’s using my name to create her brand. If Amanda is not ready to fight at UFC 226 in Las Vegas, I have to tell my team that I want to fight whoever is ready. I explained to my manager that if Amanda wins in Rio and refuses to fight in July, I will not invest my time trying to carry out this fight.”

Justin Golightly - March 15, 2018

Unless you count the overturned win over Adam Milstead due to the Devil’s tobacco, Curtis Blaydes has quietly stacked up a five-fight win streak. His latest over Mark Hunt was the biggest of his career and he’s looking to use that as a springboard right into his huge Chicago fight with Alistair Overeem. Overeem will be battling to keep his spot, while Blaydes has a chance to finally reach the top of the heavyweight division for a shot at the title. “I feel like I’m getting a bit more of a push, but this isn’t a trap fight for [Alistair Overeem] or me, this is just good matchmaking. It’s really the only fight that made sense. Cause they weren’t gonna give him [Francis] Ngannou again, they weren’t gonna give him another title shot without beating someone else, they weren’t gonna give him Mark Hunt again. It was either me or Cain [Velasquez], and I’m guessing maybe Cain’s injured still, I don’t know what’s going on with that. But he didn’t really have too many options, so it only made sense that it would be me and him.”

Justin Golightly - March 15, 2018

MMA is a revolving door of talent. When one person leaves, hundreds more are waiting to take their place. Despite logging in nearly 80 fights in kickboxing and boxing, Israel Adesanya is just starting his UFC career as Ronda Rousey moves on in her new WWE career. Adesanya is familiar with the bandwagon jumpers, but also smart enough to know that fickle fans will abandom him just like they’ve done to so many other UFC fighters. If the young prospect could give any advice to Rousey, it’s to not care what anyone thinks and just do her own thing. “[I’m] 100 percent [behind Ronda Rousey], you see the work those guys put in and people are so quick to forget [about Rousey’s other accomplishments]. I don’t buy into the whole fandom, I just think with people who are with me. People are so quick to forget how great Ronda was, how much of a pioneer she was in the game.”

Tom Taylor - March 15, 2018

Earlier this month, we learned that Conor McGregor training partner Dillon Danis – the man who helped the Irishman sharpen his ground game in the lead-up his rematch with Nate Diaz – will make his Bellator debut at 198 on April 28. And now, he’s got an opponent for that debut. Per a Thursday press release from Bellator, Danis will make his MMA debut opposite Kyle Walker, who will be making his Bellator debut. While the expectation was that Danis would debut at welterweight, this fight will be contested at a 175-pound catchweight.

Tom Taylor - March 15, 2018

At present, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has his crosshairs set on UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who he’ll battle in the main event of UFC 226 on July 7. As buzz surrounding the possible UFC return of WWE star Brock Lesnar continues to grow, however, Miocic is likely to get more and more questions about a potential matchup with the hulking former champion. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Miocic addressed a possible matchup with Lesnar. While Miocic gives Lesnar his due respect, he is extremely confident about his chances in this prospective showdown.

Justin Golightly - March 15, 2018

You red carpet ready? I am…Join me in Hollywood, CA on April 23rd for the World Premiere of @MarvelStudios #Avengers #InfinityWar. Donate $10 to support the fabulous @ROHHAD_GLOBAL and win (2) VIP tix. Go to https://t.co/AHxJsUW3t7 pic.twitter.com/5xX6kKNAKq — Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) March 13, 2018