MMA News

Drake Riggs - December 22, 2017

One of Scotland’s finest may be on their way out of the UFC and MMA in general. Stevie Ray last fought at home in Glasgow last July when he battled against Paul “The Irish Dragon” Felder in a losing effort. This was Ray’s last fight on his UFC contract. Obviously, the plan was to get a big win at home and start negotiations. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and now we’re here, wondering whether or not Ray will even fight again at all. This week, he spoke with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour about how he’s feeling and his frustrating situation.

Drake Riggs - December 22, 2017

A 12 year old Edson Barboza working the bag #UFC219 pic.twitter.com/L5SYbrY3me — HONKY EXTRAORDINAIRE (@Mr_Honky) December 23, 2017

Drake Riggs - December 22, 2017

A pretty odd pairing to say the least! Strange enough alone just considering the difference in weight with Francis Ngannou being a Heavyweight and Uriah Hall a Middleweight. It’s especially odd when considering how different each’s styles are compared to that of their upcoming opponents. But hey, sparring is sparring and surely not many are too willing to spar with Ngannou these days. But damn, would you just look at the big man move!

Drake Riggs - December 22, 2017

Looks like the UFC may have heard enough of the complaints about the Reebok deal! Many fans and fighters have been highly critical of the deal since it was made in 2015. And now as we head into 2018, they are making some well-needed changes. Instead of just getting rid of the deal altogether(as a majority wanted and probably will still want) they are tweaking it so that the pay structure from Reebok is enhanced. The UFC sent the new guidelines regarding the change out to the entire roster and here’s the difference: Fighters who have had three or less fights under the UFC currently get $2,500. The new guidelines state that those fighters will now be able to earn $3,500 per fight. Fighters with four or five appearances will make $5,000. Those with four or five currently get $2,500 as well as the three or less. UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein spoke about the new changes.

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

After Nate Diaz spit flames on his longest interview since May, the world once again was talking about the Stockton soldier. For over 45 minutes, he talked about everything from Conor McGregor, the UFC’s ‘propaganda machine’, and what it would take to get him back in the Octagon. People have jumped on his quote of ‘ask nicely’ with a Sage Northcutt meme that had Team Alpha Male laughing, now kickboxing vet turned UFC fighter Gokhan Saki has joined the campaign to get Diaz to return to MMA. Dear Diaz @NateDiaz209 ,

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

After Conor McGregor heard the rumors of Floyd Mayweather squashed and that he was not going to the UFC after all, he was quick to Tweet out what seemed to be a response. However, there are some people who feel that McGregor shouldn’t be too quick to throw out insults when it comes to fighting. Frankie Edgar’s manager Ali Abdelaziz and coach Mark Henry recently joined forces to give the brash Irishman a piece of their mind on social media. Mostly centered around how the once featherweight champ allegedly ducked Edgar at all costs. “It’s crazy Conor McGregor [calls] everyone pussies when the guy’s ducked everyone that can beat him. Frankie Edgar, Khabib [Nurmagomedov], and never defended his titles. He only fights guys stylistically good for him. And his coaches only talk about guys he can’t beat. Not sure who’s the pussy here. Chad Mendes was in the mountain camping and he barely made weight. He had 10 days to train.” — Ali Abdelaziz via his official Twitter.

Russell Ess - December 22, 2017

“Ask nicely motherf**kers. Ask nicely. I’m talking about the organization, the fighters. And make it a big deal, because I’m not trying to just sign a contract just cause it’s a good idea for you guys.” Those are the words from Nate Diaz speaking with the Outside The Box podcast on getting called out by fighters and from the UFC who have been trying to get him into the Octagon for a classic Diaz scrap. Nate stated that at this point in his career, he doesn’t need to fight anyone but is willing to fight any opponent if it makes sense.

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

Orcs fighting in the UFC? ‘It’s never going to happen,’ said Dana White in a tongue-in-cheek flashback to when he made the same statement about women. Max ‘Blue Carnage’ Carlyle is just an Orc who wants to fulfill his dreams of becoming the greatest UFC heavyweight on the planet in a sport that doesn’t want him. If you’re left scratching your head, don’t worry because a lot of people are. What you’re seeing is a clever tie-in to Will Smith’s new Netflix film called Bright, where he plays a cop alongside an Orc who dealing with the same sort of discrimination as our prospect Carlyle here. “One of the central aspects of why I wanted to make the movie was the flip of the social ladder. In our world [in Bright], the elves are the one-percenters. They are the haves. And the orcs are the have-nots. And humans are smashed in the middle. So, it was a great exploration for me to be able to play a character who was higher on the social ladder and to realize how everybody is looking for a sense of superiority.”

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

In just a matter of a couple of days, it was revealed by Dana White that Floyd Mayweather was in talks with the UFC. Demetrious Johnson and a slew of other fighters were frothing at the mouth in order to welcome him to the Octagon, but directly after that, Mayweather squashed the news and said it’s not happening. Of course, this same back-and-forth occurred during the negotiations for his boxing match with Conor McGregor, so you never know where the truth actually is until something happens or it doesn’t. None of that seems to matter to the ultra dominant UFC flyweight champ, who is daring Mayweather to actually follow through with this thing and meet him in the cage. “I think [a fight with Floyd Mayweather] would go very well for me, obviously. I’m very well-rounded. It’s mixed martial arts. I would even do a handicap. I won’t even grapple with him. I won’t even go to the ground at all. I’ll get him in the clinch, bang up, hit him in the liver, kick him in the liver, take out his legs and work him. I found out that news from my management team. They were like, ‘Dude, Floyd Mayweather’s coming to the UFC. Call him out and let’s get this fight.’ I was like that’s your job, my job is to train and go out there and win the fights.”

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

No matter what, there is a ghost that haunts Khabib Nurmagomedov. It’s not a fight with Conor McGregor, it’s not a loss in the UFC because the man has none. What follows the Russian Sambo machine wherever he goes is his infamous weight cut battle. A war he lost back at UFC 209, causing his highly anticipated fight with Tony Ferguson to be scrapped. Despite all of this, coach Javier Mendez claims it has all been blown way out of proportion. “You know, the last time, people were making too much of [Khabib Nurmagomedov’s] weight cut, talking about it was disastrous, he wasn’t gonna make weight, just because his opponent says he wasn’t gonna make weight and he made fun of it. He was on schedule to make weight, his body just failed on him. It’s like, how many times do you see a fighter get ready for a fight and all of a sudden kidney stones or something happens to him?”

Justin Golightly - December 22, 2017

There’s a serious chance for Holly Holm to shock the world once again at UFC 219. She’s confident she can do it, and her coaches believe she can do it as well. If she manages to take out Cris Cyborg, she’ll have beaten two of the number one female fighters on Earth. Knowing Cyborg’s track record and how long she has been dominant, if she does beat her, then Holly Holm is graciously willing to offer her an immediate rematch, just like she was going to do with Ronda Rousey. “Yes [I would give Cris Cyborg an immediate rematch if I beat her] and with Ronda [Rousey] I was open to a rematch as well, it’s just they didn’t know how long or when she would come back or if she would want to. And that’s when I said well I just don’t want to wait around. I’ll wait if you can tell me this is going to be within six months or whatever but I didn’t want to just be waiting around for that one fight. I want to be able to fight and train and live out my passion. I didn’t want it to be based around just one fighter. So I was welcome to the fact to rematch her, it’s just they didn’t have any answer if she really was going to come back and if she did, how long it would be.”

Drake Riggs - December 21, 2017

Just a month ago we saw “Super” Sage Northcutt in action at UFC Fight Night 120 in Norfolk, Virgina. We saw somewhat of a transformation in the already talented 21-year old prospect. Or at least a big leap in a continued growth. Northcutt took on and defeated Michael Quinones with ease on route to a unanimous decision. Controlling the fight wherever it went, Northcutt looked very improved compared to his three fights prior where he went 1-2 and even in that one win between the losses he was in some trouble early on. And now Northcutt is ready to continue to show his improvements as Brett Okamoto reports that his next bout is set for UFC Fight Night 126 in Austin, Texas. His opponent will be Thibault Gouti.

Drake Riggs - December 21, 2017

33-year old, Cincinnati, Ohio native, Daniel Straus is a two time Bellator Featherweight champion. He has been one of the lighter weights classes bigger names in Bellator for the better half of their existence. Currently riding a two-fight losing streak that started this year with a loss for his title at the time. An already bad 2017 has only gotten worse for Straus as it comes to a close. It was reported today by Bleacher Report that on Sunday, Straus got into a rather bad motorcycle accident.

Drake Riggs - December 21, 2017

Last week, UFC Welterweight champion of the world, Tyron Woodley announced that he was indeed going to go through with the shoulder surgery he briefly mentioned a few weeks prior. “I’m going to go ahead and get this shoulder repaired,” Woodley said. “I’ve been saying, ‘You know what, I don’t want to get it cut on, I don’t want to get it repaired.’ But if there’s no fight that really makes a ton of sense for me to take the risk, to not be 100 percent with my shoulder, then I’m going to go ahead and have it repaired. They’re not going to do a full orthopedic rehabilitation, but they’re going to do a scope and they’re going to anchor down some sides. Then I’m going to get some PRP (platelet-rich plasma), some stem cells. I’m doing everything.”

Justin Golightly - December 21, 2017

It somehow seems like ages ago since Conor McGregor was screaming into the faces of everyone that he owned boxing. Just a handful of months ago, McGregor did the unthinkable and actually fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match. Both of them made an obscene amount of money and walked away from the ring to enjoy it all. The UFC’s self-proclaimed ‘Champ Champ’ did a lot of his training at the UFC’s Performance Institute in a ring emblazoned with the UFC and his own logo for McGregor Sports and Entertainment. However, today that ring sports new logo. The boxing ring is mine. pic.twitter.com/4lMwOXtPhT

Justin Golightly - December 21, 2017

Francis Ngannou is one fight away from fulfilling the prophecies of being the next big thing. He’s scheduled to fight Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title in Boston on January 20th. Coincidentally, on the same card as Daniel Cormier’s title defense against Volkan Oezdemir. Aside from one loss and one no contest to Jon Jones, DC is perfect in his career, both at light heavyweight and heavyweight. As his career reaches its peak and cuts get harder, Cormier could go back up to heavyweight to end his career with a bang. This could set up one of the biggest fights in UFC history. “It would be the most amazing thing in the world [to challenge the UFC heavyweight champion as my final fight], but that would take some thinking, some talking and a real solid plan to try to get back to the type of weight that I would need to compete against [Stipe Miocic or Francis Ngannou]. Because, again, I’m not going in there to lose and say I gave it my best shot. If I go in there with Miocic or Ngannou, I’m going to win. That’s just who I am. So that would just be me and my team really coming up with a solid plan on how I’m going to get up to a healthy, strong, 245, 235, 240 pounds to go and fight those dudes.”

Tom Taylor - December 21, 2017

Last weekend, in the main event of UFC on Fox 26, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos authored a dominant, unanimous decision win over Robbie Lawler, asserting himself as one of the welterweight division’s top contenders in the process. This win seemed to impress the majority of the MMA community, but don’t count surging welterweight contender Colby Covington as part of that group. “I thought RDA looked slow,” Covington said of Dos Anjos’ win on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “He looked old, man. He looked like the same guy that I’ve been calling out since [the UFC’s June stop in] Singapore. They had to put him on my undercard when I was on the main card because he didn’t want to fight me, and he’s been ducking me for a while. He knows what’ll happen if we fight. He’ll get a young buck who hasn’t been tested, a guy who hasn’t had all those miles on his chin.”

Tom Taylor - December 21, 2017

Sean O’Malley became an instant hint when he knocked out Alfred Khashakyan on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. When he smoked up with Snoop Dogg immediately after this win, however, he became a viral sensation. Unsurprisingly, this post-fight session with Snoop was an unforgettable experience for the 23-year prospect.