MMA News

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

Ronda Rousey has moved on from the UFC and an MMA career to pursue a new chapter in the WWE, but her accomplishments in MMA and before that in judo can never be forgotten. Today, she was honored for those acheivements alongside her mother. Not only was she inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame, but was promoted to a sixth degree black belt. @RondaRousey was just inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/bcRa6a2HLX

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

In just a few hours, all eyes are going to be on Brian Ortega in his high-profile, large stakes fight with former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Correction, all eyes will be on the ground. Ortega is on a crazy 13-fight win streak and 7 of those are all by submission. His latest sub was against elite featherweight Cub Swanson and he’ll look to do the same tonight at UFC 222. However, he’s been doing it long before he stepped inside an MMA cage. #UFC222 co-headliner @BrianTcity is the real deal, but you may also want to keep your eye on his lil bro. More from Ortega here: https://t.co/Cxn5uXL62i pic.twitter.com/JCd4uxJF4N

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold can add another notch on his long list of accomplishments. While he isn’t a stranger to being featured on magazine covers and doing some photo shoots thanks to his Soul Artist Management, this latest one blows them all out of the water. Rockhold is now the face of Polo Blue cologne by Ralph Lauren. “I’m a big believer in just living outside your comfort zone. You find out so much more about yourself when you push yourself further in life. You have to take risks to get rewards. Nobody achieves anything great in life without putting themselves out there. Press and push further and you’ll achieve amazing things in life.”

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

Even beasts have dreams. For ‘The Brick Layer’ Ilir Latifi, his aspirations go beyond just smashing his opponents. He’s just coming off a spectacular finish over Ovince Saint Preux, strategically calling out UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier afterwards. Finally climbing to the top five of the ranks, Latifi is closer to that gold belt than ever before. After he gets the strap though, he wants to put on a safari hat and become the new Steve Irwin. “I love being out n nature. I’m very interested in everything with nature and animals and stuff and wildlife. I just love taking a ride on a horse on the beach, you know? I never thought there was going to be such a hype about that photo. I don’t know, I think it’s just like such a natural photo. Just a little bit raw, like some kind of ancient time. I don’t know what, but it’s a cool photo, I can admit it. [The elephant photo] was in Thailand at an elephant sanctuary that helps elephants that’s been abused and they take care of them. I got the opportunity to meet some amazing animals. Elephants are very intelligent.”

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

There’s no mistake about it, Sean O’Malley has made fight week the ‘Suga’ show. He was heavily featured on the Embedded episodes, he crashed the open workouts when he wasn’t scheduled for one, even his media day outfit reminiscent of Hyde from That 70’s Show got some buzz going. Which is only fitting, since he’ll be releasing his own strain of marijuana at his after-party. His opponent Andre Soukhamthath is more than willing to take a backseat to all of this and take him out on fight night with even more eyes on UFC 222. “[Sean O’Malley] can talk all he wants. At the end of the day, he’s still going to fight, and when we fight, I’m going to make him my little brother. He’s going to call me big bro after this fight. I definitely feel like he needs to earn his stripes. It’s easy to get Dana White, Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s attention with a room full of 50 people. You’re fighting in the ‘Contender Series.’ You’re not fighting in the UFC.”

Drake Riggs - March 2, 2018

Bellator’s newest acquisition has his debut opponent. Bellator announced during the Bellator 195 broadcast that former WSOF/PFL welterweight champion, Jon Fitch will be debuting against Bellator staple, Paul “Semtex” Daley in the co-main event of Bellator 199 on May 12. The event will be headlined by the heavyweight Grand Prix matchup between Bellator light heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader and Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal. Recently, it sounded like Daley was but all done with Bellator when he posted this on his Facebook in January:

Drake Riggs - March 2, 2018

A masked invader broke into the UFC 222 open workouts and attacked the featherweight champ, Cris Cyborg the other day! Who would do such a thing?! Obviously the one and only ‘Prodigy’ BJ Penn. It was a fun surprise for MMA fans and after all was said and done, Penn took time to talk about the champ, Cyborg with MMAJunkie:

Drake Riggs - March 2, 2018

Many lists have been made over the years revolving around the best fighters outside the UFC. Atop or at the very least, always on those lists is none other than the Polish middleweight icon, Mamed Khalidov. Khalidov has pretty much been the KSW version of Tito Ortiz throughout his career as he’s been with the promotion from the beginning and continues to be their biggest star by far.

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

Year after year, there always seems to be some talk here and there about Chuck Liddell returning to MMA. From UFC 205 all the way up until some heat with Chael Sonnen, it always seems to be penciled in but never actually happens. …Until now. Our own Chris Taylor has just recently broke a report that Liddell is nearing a very profitable deal with Bellator for a career victory lap in their cage. Breaking! According to sources close to the situation, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is closing in on a multi-million dollar fight deal with Bellator MMA.

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

The latest installment of the saga of Jon Jones is finally nearing the end. At the beginning of this week, Jones appeared before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), resulting in his license being revoked and fined $205K. Tied with him seemingly forever, longtime rival Daniel Cormier has been quiet on the matter but now that The Ultimate Fighter 27 season has wrapped, Cormier broke his silence about it today. “You know, I wasn’t watching [the CSAC hearing]. I was filming [The Ultimate Fighter 27]. Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention to it. I told you guys that I’ve moved on. You know again, I’ve had to move on. My sole focus is Stipe Miocic. I have disconnected myself from [Jon Jones] and his issues. When things are sorted out, then I guess I’ll pay attention again. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. [I’ve got] Stipe Miocic to [try and] become a two-division champion. Maybe [Jones] will get an opportunity to take both belts from Cormier or something. I don’t know.”

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

Israel Adesanya believes that destiny has been leading him to everywhere he’s been so far. Traveling the world becoming a master of styles finally resulted in him breaking into the UFC and marking his territory after his successful debut. Carrying on with his mystical journey, Adesanya doesn’t see any other location his pilgrimage takes him other than against Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight title. “With Robert [Whittaker], for whatever reason, he might lose the belt then gain it back, or I gain it and he tries to take it away from me in Spark Arena. But I just know me and him are gonna fight in Auckland by the end of 2019, and I just see the way we are because he’s good, I’m great. You know, it’s just gonna be for the belt. I’ve never met the guy. I’ve seen him across the room or across places, but I’ve never really had a word with him. It’s never anything personal, it’s just business, it’s just the game we’re in. He knows. It’s a fighter thing. When you look at each other and you just kind of have this potential of like, ‘Yeah, I see you, you see me’. It’s just a thing.”

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

Daniel Cormier reflects on The Ultimate Fighter 27 season after filming has wrapped. #TUF27 #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/YBqP2vNGz8 — Justin Golightly (@SecretMovesMMA) March 2, 2018

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

The Last Style Bender Israel Adesanya isn’t intimidated by a quick turnaround. Actually, Adesanya isn’t intimidated by much of anything. He treated the bright lights of his UFC 221 debut just like another fight, which paid off in spades. Next he’ll fight former Venator welterweight champion Marvin Vettori, believing that it won’t go any different than his last dissection. “[Marvin Vettori] got pushed [to insult me on Twitter]. I mean, he wouldn’t say sh-t, he wouldn’t dare say sh-t if the fight wasn’t already signed. I already signed the fight and he took the fight, credit to him. I say whenever these guys take fights with me, I always feel like they think they have something up their sleeve. I mean, but they know who they’re f-cking with. So he may have something up his sleeve, but we’ll find out come April 14th [at UFC Glendale].”

Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018

Cris Cyborg is only a day away from defending her UFC women’s featherweight title against former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Yana Kunitskaya. Another woman who held that belt is Tony Evinger, who knows both women in the main event of UFC 222 very well. Not only has she fought Cyborg, but she fought and beat Kunitskaya back in their old home and now she’s not giving the former opponent much hope to beat Cyborg. “I definitely think Cyborg is going to take this pretty easy. It’s not even a close fight. Yana [Kunitskaya] isn’t close to that level or even prepared. She’s just taking it for the money. I heard someone try to compare her to Holly Holm because they train together, but big whoop. It’s not like over the last six months this girl has gotten so amazing that she is going to go in and win the 145-pound belt. That’s ridiculous.”

Drake Riggs - March 1, 2018

According to the bossman, Dana White, it sounds like we will definitely be seeing former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE star, Brock Lesnar returning to the octagon at some point. White isn’t the only one who believes so as multiple other fighters and analysts alike have been stating their belief on whether or not he returns after his WWE contract expires in (reportedly) April.

Drake Riggs - March 1, 2018

Did you think that March Madness was only a basketball event? Well, this year it might as well be an MMA event! The month is loaded with some crazy matchups with several different reasons as to why. Comebacks, prospect battles, title fights, champion vs champion fights, big name short notice bouts, there is a little of everything and it is going to be simply awesome.

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

The combat sports game is chaotic, sometimes you have to roll with punches outside of the cage just as much as the punches inside of it. After the main and co-main events got switched and transplanted, Cris Cyborg stepped up to defend her UFC women’s featherweight title against former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 222 this weekend. She was a highlight today at media day a brought a super special guest with her to open workouts: A masked man revealed to be none other than BJ Penn himself. A few shots of @CrisCyborg grappling mystery man BJ Penn at the #UFC222 Open Workouts. 📸: @allelbows pic.twitter.com/gfZVWicCoh

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

Well, that escalated quickly… Who you got, @SugaSeanMMA or @AndreSoukMMA? 😮#UFC222 pic.twitter.com/hMq6uPOiwg — MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) March 1, 2018