MMA News

Justin Golightly - February 1, 2018

UFC London was the Bermuda Triangle of match-ups. It was long supposed to be the card basically made for Michael Bisping’s retirement fight. After opponents were ruled out one-by-one, finally either Bisping or the UFC decided he would not be fighting on that card. Darren Till and Stephen Thompson was also ruled out. Finally, we have a big name attached to the card and a finalized main event. Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will square off against Alexander Volkov. Your heavyweight #UFCLondon main event!! 🇧🇷 @FabricioWerdum vs. @AlexDragoVolkov 🇷🇺

Justin Golightly - February 1, 2018

The match of the century has been booked. The UFC light heavyweight champion challenging the UFC heavyweight champion. Two of the biggest and baddest men on the planet colliding in an incredible fight that has ‘legendary’ written all over it. However, before Daniel Cormier puts on the gloves to fight Stipe Miocic, there’s going to be an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter as build up. The two will coach a cast of undefeated fighters for their chance at greatness, before they prepare for their own legacy-defining clash. These two champions can’t do it alone though, they’ll need a group of coaches to help build their teams to success. Daniel Cormier will bring along all the people who have been with him for the long haul, including former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Stipe Miocic will have UFC fighter James Krause, as well as GLORY kickboxer, former UFC fighter, and new ACB signee Chris Camozzi.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

While Rory MacDonald spent the last few months preparing for his Bellator welterweight title fight with Douglas Lima (which he won via hard-fought decision), he’s also repeatedly expressed interest in serving as an alternate in Bellator’s Heavyweight Grand Prix. This Heavyweight Grand Prix is populated by far larger men in Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson, Chael Sonnen, Ryan Bader, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Frank Mir, and Fedor Emelianenko. Despite the fact that entering this tournament would force MacDonald to fight men three weight classes heavier than him, his coach Firas Zahabi is all for it. In fact, he believes MacDonald could thrive in this tournament, even KO the likes of the legend Fedor Emelianenko.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is not modest about the amount of money he’s made, or the lavish lifestyle it has afforded him. Interestingly, though, McGregor keeps quite quiet about the charitable work he does, and as it turns out, he does a lot.  Last night, McGregor attended the New York’s Children Medical Research Foundation 7th Annual Best of Ireland Gala in New York City, where he was honored for his substantial donations to the Our Ladies Children’s Hospital of Crumlin, in his native Dublin, Ireland.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

One of the most talked about fights in MMA today is a possible superfight between dominating UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Pretty much everybody has an opinion on this possible blockbuster, and that includes John Dodson, who has fought both Johnson and Dillashaw in the past. Dodson fought Dillashaw back in 2011, stopping him with a volley of first-round punches. He’s battled Johnson twice, losing both fights by unanimous decision. In Dodson’s mind, this Johnson vs. Dillashaw could well be predicted with a bit of MMA math: if he beat Dillashaw, but lost to Johnson, then Dillashaw is likely to lose to Johnson.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

Earlier this month, fan favorite UFC lightweight Nate Diaz drove the MMA community into a crazed frenzy, asserting in a Instagram post that he planned to end his long hiatus, and return to the perilous Octagon this spring. Sick of sitting around waiting for you fuckers to do shit there’s no excitement in this fight shit step your games up I’ll see u around may,June. Sincerely The Real Champ 🖕🏼

Drake Riggs - January 31, 2018

UFC 221 plays host to a big-time Middleweight showdown. Originally supposed to be a battle between the former UFC champion, Luke Rockhold and current undisputed champion, Robert Whittaker has turned into an interim title clash now between Rockhold and Yoel Romero. One great fight goes to another. The title fight is taking place next week on February 10th in Perth, Australia. Before fight week, Rockhold spoke with MMAJunkie about his opponent, Romero:

Drake Riggs - January 31, 2018

The second month of 2018 might be lacking some star power when it comes to fights, but it is more than loaded with plenty of great matchups which made this a very hard top 5 to rank. There’s one big title fight surrounded by several top contender bouts, a tournament fight, UFC debuts, and great prospect showdowns. There’s a little bit of everything this month for MMA fans. Let’s take a look.  

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

Fire-spitting Lamborghinis. Mink coats. Cruising crystal seas on skyscraper yachts. It’s no question that Conor McGregor knows how to spend his money. It’s something that was a constant even before his multi-million dollar boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather. It’s something that McGregor flaunts, but is also self-aware about. He recently too to Instagram to speak about his spending, but also about managing the fortune he’s acquired in his short but incredibly profitable career thus far. “Here is today’s thoughts: Financial awareness is key at all times. Look at many of our favorite athletes and performers post career. Often it is not a pretty sight. [Mike] Tyson made over $300 million in his fighting career and today stands at a net worth of just $1 million. You must be switched on at all times with your money. We cannot switch off here. Know your money and where it is going at all times and never ever go broke, trying to look rich.  This is coming from me. I am the most flashiest. I just posted a picture on a yacht sipping Fiji water from an ice cold glass before this. But trust me, I am the most intelligent also.”

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

Somewhere someone is looking at numbers skyrocket. The engagements and impressions are out of control. Suddenly, a dull UFC week is sparked with an army of 14,000 fire emoji. This is what happens when the UFC announces a fight the magnitude of Daniel Cormier moving up to face Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. A tweet like that holds its own gravitational pull. It drags in thousands who release their own satellites out to orbit around the news. People message friends, they send out hyperlinks and quote RTs. The drop of the information is like an event in and of itself. However, not every match-up is like this. Most entire cards aren’t like this. Nowadays, it takes an adrenaline shot to remind fans that MMA is still exciting as hell. Is this the way the UFC stays alive?  Before the ginormous sale, the UFC ramped up their fight cards like the climax of a Michael Bay movie. This all culminated in their pay-per-view draw poster boy fighting Eddie Alvarez in unprecedented champion versus champion main event at UFC 205. Since then however, things have dwindled. Conor McGregor is gone along with other marquee names like Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones.

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

It’s the fight everyone is talking about right now. In June, Daniel Cormier will challenge Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title. It’s out of nowhere, it’s insane, and we get a full season of The Ultimate Fighter for a build-up. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic isn’t just a fight between two of the best champions ever in the sport, it’s between two pretty solid dudes. If you needed anymore proof to that statement, just check out the conversation with Miocic that Cormier revealed that had Miocic’s wife screaming DC’s praises in the background. “I did speak with [Stipe Miocic before the fight was done]. I spoke with Stipe, I called Stipe. Obviously, you know, great guy, I got to spend some time with him, fantastic champion, just a pillar of his community. I can’t say enough good things about Stipe Miocic. With that being said, I told Stipe for $500,000, I’m not fighting Stipe Miocic. I threw out a big number and said for that number, I’m fighting Stipe Miocic. He goes, ‘I f-cking love you.’ That’s what he said. I said for the right numbers we need to do this. His wife is in the back going, ‘Yes, DC!'”

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir finally has a chance to fight one of the very best fighters of all time. Bellator has turned back all the clocks to the ol’ glory days of MMA when the grand prix tournament was still king. They’ve also brought in fighters that have never gotten a chance to face each other in all their years of being in the sport. One fight has already gone by with Chael Sonnen and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and they’ll be another one in between Mir fighting Fedor Emelianenko. While many feel he’s passed his prime, Mir assures everyone that Fedor is still Fedor. “Damn, that’s a tough first fight. No joke, Fedor [Emelianenko] is still a phenomenal fighter. I know a lot of people don’t have the eyes that I have and they look at him and go, ‘Well, look at his results.’ And that’s easy to say in our sport, you know. […] Fedor is extremely good. He’s still very quick. He hasn’t lost his power in his punches. Even when he threw the punch against [Matt] Mitrione, Mitrione fell down. Mitrione’s a big kid, y’know, a big guy. I think the difference I try to explain to everybody, [people will say], ‘Well, he used to be unbeatable.’ Yeah, that’s not because he’s gotten worse. Everybody else has gotten better.”

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Derrick Lewis, better known as The Black Beast. He’s coming back in action at UFC Austin on February 18th to fight Marcin Tybura, but he’s got his eyes on another fighter. Francis Ngannou is taking some time off after coming up short against Stipe Miocic, but whenever he comes back, Lewis is up to throw down with the big man. He doesn’t stop at the call-out though, he alleges the 31-year old is at least 40 and is on performance enhancing drugs. “Yeah, I’ll fight [Francis Ngannou] on sight you know. This guy over here, every time somebody ask me a question about him, I say something nice, but every time somebody say something about him, he’s like trying to talk down on me saying I’m not on his level, talking about how I’m too slow and this and that. I really don’t care, but, don’t try and talk sh-t about me every chance you get. He talks sh-t, but he’s never like, ‘Oh, I want to fight Derek.’ He’s always talking down on me, but he doesn’t want to fight me.”

Tom Taylor - January 31, 2018

In the wake of last weekend’s UFC Charlotte card, the UFC has adjusted its official rankings. The biggest shakeup this time surrounds Former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s ejection from the middleweight rankings. Given that St-Pierre is not expected to fight again for quite some time – if ever – his ejection from the middleweight rankings makes some sense. Contrary to this logic, however, Ronda Rousey, who is now a full-time pro wrestler for WWE, is still ranking at women’s bantamweight. Why? Who knows…

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

You’re not an MMA fan if you’re not in a constant state of confusion most of the time. Michael Bisping seemed all but confirmed for UFC London in a perfect locale for a retirement bout, but an opponent was never official. There were some reports going around that Rashad Evans, the man who dealt Bisping his first loss, was finally that opponent. After the former middleweight champion himself announced he wasn’t fighting in London after all, it looked like those talks were negated. Still, Bisping took to his podcast to make sure everyone knew he is not fighting Evans. “I’m going to have one last fight, maybe. If some two-bit journalists out there on the Internet f-cking have picked up some information, that’s great, but I’m not going to publicly go out and say things when I can’t say them. Because you know what, [co-host] Luis [Gomez]? I’m a professional. Yes, people are reporting it [that I’m fighting Rashad Evans], but I am not. So, apparently there is a rumor going around about me and Rashad. I will say this. I will say this: I don’t know what to say. Let’s start with the obvious. Rashad fights at 205. I fight at 185. So, that doesn’t even make sense.”

Tom Taylor - January 31, 2018

A little over a week ahead of Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero’s UFC 221 interim middleweight title fight, the UFC’s undisputed middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has shared a very positive update. Whittaker was originally expected to defend his title against Rockhold in the main event of UFC 221, but was forced out of the fight with an undisclosed health issue. UFC President Dana White later shared a grim update on Whittaker’s condition, eluding to an out of control staph infection.

Tom Taylor - January 31, 2018

On January 20, in the co-main event of the absolutely stacked Bellator 192, former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald captured the Bellator welterweight title with a fun, and very competitive decision win over the dangerous Douglas Lima. While MacDonald’s win was certainly impressive, not everyone agreed with it. In the eyes of some fans, Lima should have been awarded the win based on the fact that he clearly did more damage over the course of the five-round war, battering MacDonald’s face, and brutalizing his leg with kicks.

Tom Taylor - January 31, 2018

On January 20, the UFC returned to Boston with UFC 220, a massive pay-per-view that featured title fights at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. In the main event, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defended his title by outworking dangerous challenger Francis Ngannou to a unanimous decision, derailing one of MMA’s biggest hype trains in the process.