MMA News

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

In the blink of a bloodshot eye, ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley has lifted himself high onto the main card of a pay-per-view. His blazing performance against Terrion Ware placed him just under the co-main event slot against Andre Soukhamthath at tomorrow’s UFC 222. O’Malley plans to puff, puff, and pass through the former CES MMA bantamweight champ and celebrate in Vegas. When the smoke in the Octagon clears, Sean O’Malley plans to spark up once again at the after-party with his own custom strain. “We’re releasing the new strain, Suga Show OG. It’s a mix between Lemonhead and OG 92. I think they’re going to bring a good amount of that. They’re gonna have dab rigs set up. We’re gonna have a juice bar. The ultimate recovery: Smoking some weed and drinking some veggies. I’ve never been more excited to go knock someone out. It’s on a pay-per-view card, it’s at T-Mobile. There’s going to be millions of people watching it. I love proving people wrong. […] You need to buy the PPV to witness this hype train is real. I’m going to go out there and prove everyone who is calling this fake wrong. I’m going to go out there and get another viral knockout.”

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

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.

Drake Riggs - March 1, 2018

The UFC light heavyweight division is all over the place these days. Their champion is moving up to challenge the heavyweight champion, the number one contender might be moving up as well, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua currently holds the longest winning streak in the division. But the wheels have to keep turning! Word out of the rumor mill is that there is potential for a meeting between former title challenger, Glover Teixeira and the most recent title challenger, Volkan Oezdemir. A report initially came out by Graciemag but Nolan King has since said that nothing is official just yet.

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

bjpenndotcom - March 1, 2018

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Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

The UFC is always bolstering its roster with promising prospects. Sometimes, these prospects don’t amount to much. Other times, however, they transform from prospects into contenders, and in rare cases, into world champions. At present, there are a number of rising prospects on the UFC roster who have earned the opportunity to test their mettle against the top-15 fighters in their respective divisions.

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

The kid tested, mother approved Sage Northcutt is no stranger to doing death-defying flips inside the Octagon. We all have grown familiar with his Power Ranger post-fight celebrations and his fruit-crushing outside of the cage. Back in October of last year, he nearly gave us a heart attack hiking with Team Alpha Male, but it turns out he nearly had one himself on another day by himself when he almost reenacted the bear scene from The Revenant. “One of the first times that I was up in Sacramento, California, I was up in the mountains – and this is almost towards the Lake Tahoe area – I’m up in the mountains, I went running and climbed this waterfall by myself. I’m in the middle of nowhere, I climbed about two miles past the waterfall, and all of a sudden everything gets real quiet. Well, I didn’t know at the time, but there’s black bears up there. So I heard something grunting. All I had was a little tiny knife on me just for like protection, just because I need it, but it couldn’t do anything to a black bear, I don’t think. So, what I did was I hid behind the water that was coming out of the waterfall, and it was absolutely freezing. So, I hid for about five minutes. I didn’t move. And when I heard the grunting stop I just took off sprinting.”

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

From the sounds of it, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s next title challenger could well come in the form of reigning UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, flyweight contender Sergio Pettis gave his take on this compelling flyweight title superfight. “I mean it’s and interesting fight to make, I think it’s definitely cool for the fans,” he said. “Definitely a super fight.”

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

When you talk about UFC’s welterweight division, you can’t mention it without bringing up Jon Fitch. He was never able to capture the title, but he damn near came close before falling short against Georges St-Pierre and ending his 16-fight win streak and still maintains a slot as one of the best 170-pounders ever. Eventually, he’d move on and become the PFL (formerly WSOF) welterweight champion, now he’s about to enter yet another chapter. As first reported by MMA Fighting, Jon Fitch has officially signed to Bellator. “Unfortunately, yes [I believe choosing a promotion is like picking your poison] because it’s not a real sport. MMA is not a real sport, it’s a production. There is no meritocracy, there is no if you beat this guy, you do this and you move forward. it’s casting. Their casting roles of TV shows, which is why we’re lobbying to try to get the Ali Act expanded to cover MMA because we’ll have sanctioning bodies, we’ll have an actual third party rankings system, and we’ll have some protections economically with our contracts. Basic, basic stuff that we don’t have.”

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

At this point, all signs point to former WWE star CM Punk getting another shot in the UFC’s Octagon – perhaps as soon as UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9. If Punk does step back into the Octagon, of course, he’s likely to be counted out by the vast majority of fans and pundits, no matter who he’s matched up with.

Justin Golightly - March 1, 2018

We are finally nearing the end of this next rough chapter in the epic tale of Jon Jones. After his hearing on Tuesday, the California State Athletic commission revoked his license and fined him $205K. He can re-apply for his license as early as August this year, but USADA still has to deal out a suspension on the GOAT candidate. For some fans, like former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate who spoke about her feelings yesterday, this last set-back was the last straw. Jones has since responded on social media. @MieshaTate I don’t quit when things get tough for me, I get stronger. You just wait and see, maybe you’ll even find motivation in it. Sucks I lost you as a fan. Enjoy retirement sister

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

Ever since he defeated former title challenger Demian Maia in October, Colby Covington has felt he is the welterweight division’s number-one contender. Unfortunately for him, the UFC seems to be leaning in the direction of Rafael dos Anjos in the search for champion Tyron Woodley’s next challenger. “I don’t get why UFC wants to do RDA-Woodley,” Covington said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I mean, RDA is 3-2 in his last five. Last five fights, I’m 5-0, so RDA was just getting melted by lightweights last year. Eddie Alvarez. The guy’s a complete bum. He’s just looking to piggy back and get one more fight, then he’s out of the game man. And that’s what these guys don’t understand. I’m the future. These guys are all old, at the end of their careers. I’m just getting started. I’m just getting warmed up. You haven’t even seen my potential yet.”

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

Sergio Pettis now his crosshairs locked firmly on two-time UFC flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez, who he’ll meet at UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago. Though this is one of the toughest tests of his career thus far, the younger Pettis brother is confident its a fight he can win.

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis shared his thoughts on UFC welterweight Colby Covington –– and they weren’t exactly positive. “While we’re on the mic, fuck Colby, whatever his name is,” Lewis said. “Fuck you, motherfucker. Just so you hear that. Go ahead and put that out. I heard he was talking shit. He’s one of those boys that wears Polo shirts and as soon as you touch him, he’s going to call the cops on you. One of them preppy motherfuckers. I don’t know where it was on, I just heard he was talking shit.”