MMA News

Tom Taylor - September 19, 2017

Daniel Cormier was not happy when he was knocked out by Jon Jones at UFC 214. This was immediately clear, as he shed tears in his ill-advised post-fight interview with Octagon commentator Joe Rogan. While sadness and disappointment were the first emotions to course through Cormier’s body after this loss, these emotions eventually gave way to anger. Speaking on the latest edition of The MMA Hour, Cormier explained that his anger was so severe that he nearly threw his UFC titles in the garbage.

Tom Taylor - September 19, 2017

Luke Rockhold is one of the best middleweights on earth. Last Saturday, he reminded the world of this fact, returning from a hiatus of more than a year to stop David Branch with a swarm of second-round ground strikes. According to former fighter and current UFC on Fox analyst Kenny Florian, however, Rockhold needs to start being a little more careful. Speaking on his podcast with Jon Anik, Florian explained that the blueprint for beating Rockhold was set by Michael Bisping, who knocked him out in June of 2016. The analyst explained that Bisping exposed some flaws in Rockhold’s game that were still visible in his fight with Branch – flaws that could be exploited if he’s not careful.

Russell Ess - September 18, 2017

If you saw Daniel Cormier in the Octagon after he fought and lost to Jon Jones at UFC 214, you know just how much the loss meant to him. Cormier remained fairly quiet in the days immediately after the fight and was just getting over the fact that he was knocked out and finished for the first in his professional MMA career. Things took another wild turn a few weeks after UFC 214 as the news of Jones’ latest potential Anti-Doping Policy violation surfaced.

Russell Ess - September 18, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is coming off an impressive victory that place over the weekend. Rockhold was featured in the main event of UFC Fight Night 116 against former WSOF middleweight and light heavyweight champion David Branch. Rockhold earned a second-round TKO with Branch submitting to powerful strikes. Rockhold held a dominant position taking Branch’s back and flattened him out and unloaded with a barrage of punches.

Russell Ess - September 18, 2017

Jose Aldo has dreamed of fighting in New York at Madison Square Garden and was hoping to get on the UFC 217 card taking place there in November. However, it sounds like the former UFC featherweight champion will have to wait a bit longer for his chance to step into the Octagon or perhaps a ring inside the historic New York venue. Combate has reported that Aldo is being targeted to face a familiar foe in Ricardo Lamas sometime in December. With Aldo campaigning to fight at UFC 217 in New York, Lamas’ asked for a bit more time, according to the report. Combate stated that both fighters verbally agreed to the matchup, which could likely take place on December 2 in Detroit at UFC 218, or December 30 in Las Vegas at UFC 219.

Russell Ess - September 18, 2017

Just when we thought the saga between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones had come to an end, there was another twist thrown into the mix. Following the outcome of their UFC 214 UFC light heavyweight title fight where Jones became the first opponent to KO and finish Cormier, Jones was flagged for the second time by USADA for a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation. Both Jones’ A and B samples tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol and the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) overturned Jones’ win to a no-contest. With that, Cormier said that UFC President Dana White told him that he would also be reinstated as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

Tom Taylor - September 18, 2017

Over the weekend, we learned that former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was out of his planned UFC Fight Night 117 scrap with Ovince St. Preux. Surprisingly, he’ll be replaced by former UFC middleweight, and recent World Series of Fighting welterweight Yushin Okami. On Monday morning, the PRIDE legend took to Instagram with a lengthy statement explaining his withdrawal from the fight.

Tom Taylor - September 18, 2017

Last month, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. stepped through the ropes for a final time for a battle with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Though McGregor surprised by landing some nice shots, Mayweather did as expected in this fight, ultimately stopping the MMA star with a volley of 10th-round punches. With this win, Mayweather improved to a fantastic 50-0 overall.

Tom Taylor - September 18, 2017

When Nate Diaz goes for coffee. (Via his Instagram story). pic.twitter.com/OXzrYFnhCE — Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) September 18, 2017

Tom Taylor - September 18, 2017

Last weekend, in the co-main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Pittsburgh, PA, “Platinum” Mike Perry picked up yet another brutal KO, this time over UFC debutant Alex Reyes. Reyes was not, however, the man Perry was initially supposed to fight. Instead, Perry was expected to battle former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves. Unfortunately, Alves made a late exit from the fight, worrying for his family in Florida as the massive threat of hurricane Irma loomed. On Sunday evening, the Brazilian striking specialist issued a lengthy statement on his choice to withdraw from the fight:

Tom Taylor - September 18, 2017

Over the weekend, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and “GGG” Gennady Golovkin finally stepped into the boxing ring together, battling to a controversial split draw. During the broadcast, which coincided with the UFC’s latest trip to Pittsburgh, UFC commentator Joe Rogan aired a special Fight Companion edition of his podcast, throughout which he and his compatriots had a spirited live discussion about the fights. Unsurprisingly, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was a common talking point.

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2017

Last night, the UFC returned to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with UFC Fight Night 116, an exciting 10-fight card. In the main event, we saw former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold return from an absence of more than a year to batter former World Series of Fighting champ David Branch to a second round tapout via strikes. In the co-main event, meanwhile, Mike Perry picked up another brutal KO win, this time over late replacement Alex Reyes. Other highlights of the card, meanwhile, included thudding KO wins from Anthony Smith, Kamaru Usman, Uriah Hall and Gilbert Burns, who flattened Hector Lombard, Sergio Moraes, Krzysztof Jotko and Jason Saggo respectively.

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2017

Last night, in the co-main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Pittsburgh, rising welterweight knockout artist “Platinum” Mike Perry picked up a big knockout win over Alex Reyes, who replaced Thiago Alves on short notice. Shortly after this thudding KO victory, Perry made a clever callout of former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2017

Dangerous Brazilian middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has not been seen in the cage since April, when he was smashed to a second round TKO by new UFC interim middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. While nothing is official just yet, it sounds like that could change very soon. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Jacare’s manager Gilberto Faria explained that he believes Jacare could fight Chris Weidman in December or January. 

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2017

Last night, the UFC returned to our screens with an exciting night of fights from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the main event of the evening, former two-division World Series of Fighting champ David Branch faced arguably the starkest test of his career in former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight king Luke Rockhold. Though Branch started strong in this fight, Rockhold turned up the heat in the second round, grounding his foe, flattening him out, and pouring on the ground-and-pound. Shortly thereafter, Branch opted to tap out to the onslaught of strikes he was receiving– something we don’t see very often in MMA.

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2017

If things had gone according to the initial plan, rising welterweight knockout artist “Platinum” Mike Perry would have battled former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves in the co-main event of the UFC’s exciting stop in Pittsburgh last night. Regrettably, Alves opted to sit this fight out, worrying for his family in Florida as the threat of Hurricane Irma loomed. With Alves out, the UFC quickly found a replacement opponent for Perry in Alex Reyes. While Reyes deserves props for taking this dangerous fight on such short notice, the fight itself did not go well for him, as he became the latest victim in Mike Perry’s knockout filled highlight reel.

Chris Taylor - September 17, 2017

Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will look to defend his title for a second time when he squares off with former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 217 on November 4 in New York. The fight (GSP vs. Bisping) has been highly criticized by fellow middleweight fighters who believe that the French Canadian should not have received an immediate title shot in a division where he has no prior wins.

Chris Taylor - September 17, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returned to the octagon in the headliner of last night’s UFC Fight Night 116 event in Pittsburgh where he scored a second-round stoppage victory over David Branch. Following the big win, Luke Rockhold called out former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre requesting that the French Canadian superstar withdraw from his upcoming title fight with Michael Bisping at UFC 217.