MMA News

Justin Golightly - February 17, 2018

#UFCAustin headliner Yancy Medeiros (@ymedeiros) came bearing gifts for @Cowboycerrone at today’s official weigh-ins. Full results here: https://t.co/AXtmjnNRZ7 pic.twitter.com/8eonXGALjC

Justin Golightly - February 17, 2018

The upcoming UFC 223 pay-per-view card that hits on April 7th is going to be huge. If Daniel Cormier wasn’t fighting Stipe Miocic later on in the Summer at UFC 226, UFC 223 would be the biggest PPV of the year. Rose Namajunas will attempt to defend her new UFC strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk who is thirsty for revenge. The card is headlined by Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov, in a fight that will determine the very best lightweight on the planet not named Conor McGregor. A card this crazy deserves a big budget promo video and it looks like we’re getting just that. Whether he was supposed to or not, Tony Ferguson shared some footage on his Instagram of the shoot. It looks like he’s the new John Wick fighting invisible ghost ninjas in the rain. In other words, it looks completely awesome. After an exhaustive search on social media, no one else in the main or co-main has let anything slip besides a picture of Joann Jedrzejczyk just smiling and saying she spent the morning in Los Angeles on the same shoot. With this sneak peak though, just imagining her, Nurmagomedov, and Namajunas inserted in the scenario has our hype at maximum levels.

Justin Golightly - February 17, 2018

For those that believed Donald Cerrone when he said he was slowing down and going back to lightweight, think again. He recently opened up about the terrifying road to fight day in an interview that produced chills, but in it spoke about how the old Cowboy is back. A revelation that led to him sticking to welterweight and fighting the very game Yancy Medeiros. The cut is just too big and Cowboy loves the fight game too much. So much in fact, that he wants to step inside the Octagon four times this year. “[I plant to fight] four [times in 2018]. Who knows? If they call me and say they need me to fight next week, I will. I love it, I literally love my job. […] I think I did a good job branding myself young in this sport. But other than that, those young guys, you can’t just have one fight in the UFC and think, ‘Oh man, I’m going to sign a huge deal.’ It doesn’t work like that. Just like I can’t say, ‘I’m going to fight Floyd Mayweather and make $100 million.’ The opportunity isn’t there for me – you’ve got to take it when you can get it.”

Justin Golightly - February 17, 2018

.@RusHammerMMA on @TheNotoriousMMA: “There’s going to be a clear challenger decided April 7th, and that’s who Conor’s going to fight.” Full interview with @niallmcgrath4 on this week’s @talkingbrawls: https://t.co/yoiIESN5gH

Drake Riggs - February 16, 2018

The current UFC lightweight champion, Conor McGregor has been out of the MMA scene for over a year now. Since he last stepped foot in the octagon, he stepped into the ring to face one of the greatest boxers of all time in Floyd Mayweather. Rumblings have been all over the place in regards to what McGregor’s next move will be. Whether it’s back in MMA, back in boxing or not even fighting at all. Whatever it may be, it hasn’t stopped “the Notorious” from throwing out several jabs on social media to his fellow possible opponents for a potential return to action. Most recently…current featherweight champion and former opponent, Max Holloway:

Drake Riggs - February 16, 2018

The electrifying Russian featherweight prospect has another fight. Zabit Magomedsharipov has burst onto the scene among the star-studded 145-pounders. He shared the news today that he has his UFC 223 fight and his opponent will be Kyle Bochniak. https://www.instagram.com/p/BfRZPI2lSAg/?utm_source=ig_embed

Drake Riggs - February 16, 2018

Very few performances were quite as impressive as the debuting Israel ‘Stylebender’ Adesanya’s at UFC 221. The Nigerian born kickboxer put on a striking masterclass against Rob Wilkinson after stifling his takedown attempts in the first round. Adesanya systematically broke Wilkinson down with punches, kicks and elbows before he eventually wilted and the referee was forced to stop the action. At only 28, Adesanya doesn’t care who he fights next because quite frankly as he told MMAJunkie…he believes the result will be the same no matter who he fights.

Drake Riggs - February 16, 2018

What has been a fantasy matchup to longtime fans for the past decade appears to be on it’s way to reality. MMAFighting reports that a fight between former UFC light heavyweight champions, Vitor “the Phenom” Belfort and Lyoto “the Dragon” Machida is in the works for UFC 224 in Brazil.

Justin Golightly - February 16, 2018

Fresh on the heels of the news that Jon Jones will be appearing in front of the California State Athletic Commission for his hearing, Jon Jones has been releasing inspirational tweets and talking to fans on social media. There have even been a couple of short training videos showing that Jones fully intends on fighting soon. It’s that sort of confidence that has set him apart his entire career, and propelled him through his triumphs, as well as got him through his greatest tragedies. Today he had a different message though, for the people who continue to try and bury the man’s name. Let me talk to my haters. Blame my greatness on things you simply will never understand. Hard work. Passion. Suck one

Justin Golightly - February 16, 2018

We know that Conor McGregor stepped in the boxing ring and fought Floyd Mawyeather to rake in an obscene amount of money, but even before that he was in an intense feud with another boxer. After a controversial knockdown during a training session with Paulie Malignaggi at the UFC Performance Institute got posted to Twitter, all hell broke loose. McGregor and Malignaggi went back and forth with trash talk, confronted each other in public, and were rumored to even be in talks for another boxing bout. After over six months, Malignaggi still has unfinished business with the Irishman. “I know I have the truth [about the knockdown video], so for me it’s funny to crack on [Conor McGregor] because I know it gets on his nerves, it gets on his fans nerves. [..] You know what world I come from? I come from Brooklyn in the Eighties and Nineties. If somebody is talking sh-t about you the way I’m talking sh-t about [McGregor], you gotta come see him. So, he’s gotta come see me. If he doesn’t like it, he can come see me. We don’t have to do it in the ring, we don’t have to do it in the cage, come see me. You come to New York, we can talk about it like two men. Come see me. Man to man. He’s gotta come see me because I’m just going to keep sh-tting on him.”

Justin Golightly - February 16, 2018

If the fourth time is the charm, Khabib Nurmagoemdov and Tony Ferguson will finally fight in what is one of the most anticipated and high level fights in the world. There is another lightweight fight that everyone is talking about, which is Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier’s wild scrap at UFC Glendale. Nurmagomedov is adamant that he’ll be fighting for the real belt, and so is Poirier. He’s focused on taking out the former WSOF lightweight champion and testing himself against Nurmagomedov, who he predicts will be the true UFC lightweight champion. “I’m on the right track. I’ve just got to keep winning and winning solves everything. So, I’m going to come out here in two months and beat [Justin] Gaethje, and I feel like I might get a title shot. I feel like I should get a title shot with that win. I think they’re stripping Conor [McGregor] here, and they’re going to fight for the real belt. This sport is a crazy thing, and what happens, it’s unpredictable. But I think the winner of Tony Ferguson versus Khabib [Nurmagomedov] is going to be the real, undisputed UFC lightweight champion. Just the two styles, I think Khabib’s going to pressure him and be stronger and better on top, harder to submit. I mean, if Kevin Lee can take Ferguson down, Khabib is going to do the same.”

Justin Golightly - February 16, 2018

Let’s get real here for a minute. The things that Demetrious Johnson has done are incredible. He’s literally lapped his entire division, he’s the most dominant champion in UFC and ZUFFA history, and if the superfight with UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw happens and Johnson is able to win, it will be hard to argue that he’s not one of – if not the – greatest of all time. What makes Johnson so great are things like UFC 216. Not only did he break Anderson Silva’s title defense record defending his UFC flyweight title against Ray Borg, he did it by submitting him with a freaking German suplex into an armbar. It’s not surprise the fans voted that it was the best submission of all-time. “I’ve done that submission for like three of four years now and everybody out there is like, ‘Oh, that’s The Mouse Trap’. That’s not the Mouse Trap, I have another submission series for the Mouse Trap. That’s the Mighty Wiz Bar because Matt Hume showed me that armbar, I can’t remember how long ago, but I’ve got such a big arsenal working with the same coach for 13 years that you build that database over time. […] “It’s always been in my back pocket, in my toolbox, but I never try to force submissions. When you start trying to force things, that’s when you over-extend, you make mistakes.”

Justin Golightly - February 16, 2018

It’s hard to keep track of MMA with everything moving the speed of light, but chances are you were still confused on the UFC’s lightweight title scenario. Dana White seemed intentionally vague about the whole situation, even pissing off one-half of the UFC 223 title fight, Tony Ferguson. The other half of that highly anticipated fight Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t seem phased though. He just recently said his contract states that he’s fighting for the ‘real’ belt: Conor McGregor’s belt. “When is Conor [McGregor] compete last time in MMA? I forget about this. Long time. He’s a  boxing guy. He’s good to stay in boxing, because you have to compete in MMA, like wrestling, grappling, conditioning 25 minutes — it’s like different. It’s very hard to him. [They say he’s going to come back], but when? They talk about a [Floyd] Mayweather fight. I don’t think he gonna come back. We’re going to fight for [McGregor’s] belt.

Drake Riggs - February 15, 2018

The consensus number one ranked female flyweight in the world(at least to those that have been paying attention) has officially and finally joined the UFC roster. Invicta FC flyweight queen, Jennifer Maia made the announcement today on her Instagram page that she is now a UFC fighter.

Drake Riggs - February 15, 2018

No one expected the youngest man in The Ultimate Fighter house on season 17 to end up winning the whole show. In fact, that guy was the underdog in all of his fights. Yet Kelvin Gastelum won them all and continues to look like one of the best young fighters in MMA today. Gastelum won TUF 17 as a middleweight but would drop to welterweight immediately after. He would miss weight twice in five fights before going back up to middleweight, but that stay at 185 would not last. Gastelum would fight once against Nate Marquardt then drop back down to 170 for two more fights before now having his last four all at middleweight.

Drake Riggs - February 15, 2018

The “UFC” and “Ben Askren” have never been two things that have been synonymous with each other. At least not in a positive light… But lately, now that Askren is free of fighting obligations as a “semi-retired” fighter, talks between fans and pundits have heated up, maybe more so than ever before. Including from Askren himself who has stated he wants to fight Georges St-Pierre and that that’s the only fight that could make him come back. Askren even stated recently that he believes the fight will happen by next year.

Justin Golightly - February 15, 2018

All things come full circle. We’ve been awaiting Conor McGregor’s triumphant return to the UFC, but way back before the sweat dried from his boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather, Nate Diaz was expected to be his opponent when he came back. A lot has gone on since then, but now it seems the interest has been renewed along with Diaz’s anticipated return as well. However, there is a catch. While McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh would love a giant conclusion to their trilogy, he says that the winner between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is next in line. “There’s a beautiful relationship between Conor [McGregor] and Nate [Diaz], in terms of there [being] a great back and forth between them outside of the cage and inside of the cage. It’s a lovely fight. His five-round rematch is still one of my favorite fights. That being said, I did assume that Nate would be as busy, or busier, than Conor. You know, Conor’s had an MMA fight and a boxing fight since. We haven’t seen Nate since so I started changing. You could see it among the fans who, I’ve always said and I still do believe, are the most important factor because they pay for the pay-per-views they want to see.”

Justin Golightly - February 15, 2018

With as many awesome things that happened at UFC 221, it’s still hard to move on from that absolutely egregious eye gouge that Li Jingliang did to Jake Matthews to get out of a guillotine choke. While Matthews was all class about it after the fact, it hasn’t stopped fans, media and other fighters from scolding Jingliang for the foul. Joe Rogan recently spoke up about it on his recent show and wasn’t happy about what he did in the very least. “I thought it was f-cking bullsh-t. You can’t let a guy get away with that, or he’s going to do it again. […] You don’t do it that way. You tap. It’s straight up cheating; it’s not just shady. It’s cheating. They should tell him, ‘If this ever happens again, if you ever think you’re going to do this again, we’re going to kick you out of the league.’ You can’t do that. You can’t gouge someone’s eye when they’re choking you. It felt like the fingers were in long enough for him to know the fingers were in there. The referee f-cked up. The UFC should do something. Someone should do something.”