MMA News

Justin Golightly - February 6, 2018

Out of nowhere before UFC 219, all of us thought that Nate Diaz was going to march scowl-faced into the Octagon once again to fight none other than Tyron Woodley. It never ended up happening, despite Woodley relentlessly putting Diaz on blast with what he saw as hypocritical statements. Now it looks like we can get our hopes all up again. Nate Diaz recently said he was interested in saving UFC 222, but Woodley actually has his eye a fight with the Stockton soldier later this year. “I think that fight [with Nate Diaz] will happen. I think it will happen this year. I think it’s way more likely than people realize. There are conversations about Nate and I fighting in July. The UFC has offered Nate that fight. They just have to make it worth his while. I think I’ll fight Nate this year, and I think it will be my return to the Octagon. If I had to bet the house on it, that’s my next opponent. In four weeks? No. I wouldn’t fight him. If we’re fighting, I’m pretty sure it would have to be for my belt.”

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2018

Lat last week, UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway was forced out of his UFC 222 scrap with Frankie Edgar, leaving the card without a headliner. From there, the UFC kicked off a desperate search for a suitable replacement main event. One of the options was a rematch between bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw and former champ Cody Garbrandt, who fought back in November in a fight that saw Dillashaw weather a first-round scare to win by second-round KO. While talk of this potential do-over generated plenty of excitement, Dillashaw was pretty quick to express his complete disinterest in it. He did just beat Garbrandt, after all, and with a newborn son at home, and plans for a superfight with flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in the works for July, the timing doesn’t make a lot of sense for him.

Justin Golightly - February 6, 2018

With Michael Bisping’s career coming to a close, it’s been difficult to say the least to find an opponent for his swan song. With tons of big names at middleweight locked up or ineligible, it looked like the UFC finally had it all put together with Rashad Evans at UFC London. To our surprise — as well as Evans — it didn’t work out. The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently opened up about how he’s not sure why the fight isn’t happening, but doesn’t blame Bisping one bit. “I thought [the fight with Michael Bisping was going to happen] too, man. I got the call and I thought it was going to happen, but then things didn’t work out on the negotiation side between the UFC and Bisping. I don’t exactly know what it was about, but I guess the talks just broke down after the agreement happened. I think it was contract stuff. I think Bisping is getting to the end of his contract and that he’s been talking about retirement. I’m not too exactly 100-percent sure about what they were talking about.”

Justin Golightly - February 6, 2018

You may be lucky enough to already know about ‘Style Bender’ Israel Adesanya, but most tuning into the UFC 221 card in Perth this weekend probably won’t. …But they most likely will be trying to learn how to pronounce his name soon after he steps into the Octagon for the first time. This 28-year old prospect has all the ingredients to make a breakout UFC star if he brings it altogether in his debut. Although, to call Adesanya a ‘prospect’ may seem to the uninitiated that he hasn’t been tested or he’s an amateur. This is absolutely not the case. “I look forward to this moment in time. It’s easy to sit on your ass and type. Only a chosen few on this planet have the balls (and ovaries) to say what they wanna do, put everything on the line in front of millions, and do it despite what others think. It’s been a long road to get here, man. In 2005, you couldn’t pay me enough to hop in a cage and fight another trained killer. F-cking plot twist, huh? They laughed at me when I said Imma’ be in the UFC one day. Where are they now? Point being, their opinion is none of your business. Let them hate. They hate us cause they anus.” — Israel Adesanya via his official Instagram.

Justin Golightly - February 6, 2018

As the UFC and combat sports in general rockets into the future. It’s more important than ever to preserve the history of these fights so they aren’t lost in time. New fans are constantly pouring in an cycled through generations, then separated into eras. There are the group of people who became fans after the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, then there are fans who were drawn to the sport like moths from the bright lights of Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor. No matter when someone got into the chaotic spectacle of MMA, researching everything they can about Anderson Silva is a mandatory homework assignment. The build up going into this fight appeared to be animosity free. But that quickly changed at the weigh ins.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2018

Over the weekend, Brazilian fighter Priscila Cachoeira experienced a brutal beatdown at the hands of Valentina Shevchenko, absorbing a brain-rattling 230 strikes en route to a second-round submission loss. In the wake of this lopsided and bloody contest, many fans, pundits and UFC personalities have argued that referee Mario Yamasaki should have stopped the fight far earlier than he did.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2018

Shortly after his recent split decision win over Eryk Anders, former UFC light heavyweight champion and middleweight title challenger Lyoto Machida called out former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. “That’s a fight that should’ve happened a couple times and it didn’t,” Machida said at the UFC Belem post-fight presser. “I think we both matured together in this sport, so I think fight between Michael Bisping and myself would mean a lot.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2018

If things had gone according to the original plan, UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker would be defending his title against Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 this weekend. Unfortunately, Whittaker was forced out of this fight with some pretty severe health problems, and replaced by Yoel Romero, who will now battle Rockhold for the interim title. From the sounds of it, it wasn’t easy for Whittaker to withdraw from this fight. The champ has fought injured before, and were it not for the firm guidance of his team, he may have attempted to fight through his current health issues. He recounted the process that led to his UFC 221 withdrawal on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour:

Drake Riggs - February 5, 2018

.@Rampage4real believes cornermen should throw in the towel more often in MMA: "I don't see nothing wrong with throwing in the towel if a guy is getting f*cked up really bad." Watch #TheMMAHour live: https://t.co/11sYrEm5Ug pic.twitter.com/216ZwzozGq — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 5, 2018

Drake Riggs - February 5, 2018

When it comes to the current UFC schedule, UFC Fight Night 128 in Atlantic City, New Jersey is the latest card with fights booked right now. The event will take place on April 21. The first fight announced for the event was a welterweight matchup between Siyar Bahadurzada and Luan Chagas. We now have three more additional bouts booked and ready! Most notably of the three is a bantamweight clash between top 15 talents, the veteran, Leslie Smith and the rising prospect, Aspen Ladd.

Drake Riggs - February 5, 2018

The unfortunate news broke over the weekend that the featherweight title fight between former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar and featherweight champion, Max Holloway has fallen through once again. It was Holloway this time that was forced out with a leg injury. The fight was scheduled to headline UFC 222. Currently, the UFC is still looking to find a new headliner. Edgar is still wanting to stay on the card regardless of opponent and the UFC appears to be trying to set up a fight between him and Brian Ortega. Other options have included a rematch between bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt and very recently…Garbrandt vs Edgar.

Drake Riggs - February 5, 2018

Two of Poland’s finest fighters across all divisions happen to be the former strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and the former challenger, Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Since they met each other in the octagon at UFC 205, they have each gone 1-1 in their two fights that followed. Ironically enough, each of their upcoming bouts take place on the same night at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York on April 7.

Chris Taylor - February 5, 2018

Mario Yamasaki issues statement following controversial co-main event at UFC Belem. Mixed martial arts referee Mario Yamasaki faced a ton of criticism following his controversial stoppage in the co-main event of last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 125 event in Belem, Brazil.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has been vocal in his belief that, if he gets his desired fight with UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, the winner of said fight will be MMA’s pound-for-pound king. “[The fight is about] who’s the best pound-for-pound,” Dillashaw said on a recent episode of BJ Penn Radio. “It’s not some bullshit, hyped drama. This is what the sport is really about, it’s who is the best in the world. Demetrious got that number one spot. I feel like I’m the best fighter in the world, man, and I just want to prove it. DJ has my spot and I want to claim it. I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter. I had a couple split decision losses that I didn’t agree with it. If you throw those ones out of the way, I’d be on a 13 fight win streak, seven fight title defense. I’d be where I’m supposed to be, but this is the way for me to get to where I want to be. Demetrious is on top and it’s time for me to take him out.”

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

Last weekend, Priscila Cachoeira was brutalized by the far more experienced Valentina Shevchenko en route to a second-round submission loss. Cachoeira’s loss was so decisive that many fans and pundits have been berating her corner for not throwing in the towel mid-fight, thereby allowing an undeniably spacey Mario Yamasaki to let the bloodshed continue for far longer than necessary. According to Priscila Cachoeira herself, however, criticism of her corner and coaching staff is unwarranted. The reason her team didn’t throw in the towel is because they understood where her physical limits were, and she just wasn’t there yet.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko could not have been more impressive in her Saturday night flyweight debut, out-landing her opponent Priscila Cachoeira by a 230-3 margin en-route to a second-round submission win. Regrettably, much of the buzz surrounding this fight has been negative, as the widespread perception is that referee Mario Yamasaki let this one-sided beatdown go on for far longer than it should have. Priscilla Cachoeira, you showed so much heart and toughness in that fight. I’m honored to have you fight in the UFC. Unfortunately the ref is there to protect you and Mario DID NOT do that. This isn’t his first disgusting performance in the octagon. Another unfortunate thing is that i can’t do anything about I️t only the Brazilian commission can and i am hoping after this scary, incompetent showing he hopefully will never set foot in that Octagon again. Strikes landed was 230-3.

Jordan Colbert - February 5, 2018

After going on a social media tirade in true Diaz Brother fashion, it seems Nate Diaz is ready to get back in the Octagon. The return would mark the first time Diaz has stepped into the Octagon since dropping a majority decision to Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor almost a year and a half ago at UFC 202. Since the social media announcement, we’ve seen fighters flock from multiple weight classes looking to get the shot at fighting the famed Stockton native known for his consistently entertaining wars inside of the Octagon and for being the only man to defeat Conor McGregor in the UFC.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

At present, there are two clear frontrunners in the race to the next shot at UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. One is surging contender Colby Covington. The other is former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Colby Covington explained why he, not Rafael dos Anjos, deserves the next crack at Tyron Woodley.