MMA News

Tom Taylor - August 8, 2017

It is difficult to find people who are confident in Conor McGregor‘s chances against boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Andre Berto, however, who is the last man to have fought Mayweather in the boxing ring, is one of those people. Berto explained his confidence in McGregor on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “When it comes to Conor, I tell people: He’s a star,” Berto said (h/t Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com). “For some reason under that pressure and under those lights and under that atmosphere, he knows how to rise to the occasion. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, he’s one of those special guys that really can thrive in these types of environments, man.

Tom Taylor - August 8, 2017

In the buildup to and immediate fallout of his UFC 214 title fight with Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones has expressed real interest in a fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The reason for this callout of Lesnar, Jones explained, is because he believes a fight with a superstar with Lesnar at heavyweight would be even more lucrative than a fight with reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. “I feel like if I was going to take a fight at heavyweight it would be against a person who me and my coaches feel would be a perfect matchup for me,” Jones told the media at the UFC 214 post fight press conference. “Right now, Stipe is looking extremely impressive. And I believe if you get an extremely talented big guy versus an extremely talented little guy, I mean, a lot of the cards are in his favor. At the same time, I fear no man. I strike for a reason when I strike.”

Tom Taylor - August 8, 2017

Former Strikeforce welterweight champ and eternal fan favorite Nick Diaz has not been seen in the Octagon since January of 2015, when he gave up a decision to Anderson Silva in a fight that was ultimately ruled a no contest after he tested positive for marijuana, and Silva tested positive for more serious banned substances. Given his lengthy layoff, there is increasing doubt that Nick Diaz will ever return to the cage. UFC President Dana White, for example, is not optimistic.

Tom Taylor - August 8, 2017

UFC lightweight champion and transcendent MMA star Conor McGregor has added another feather to his hat. The Irish striking specialist will be featured on the cover of ESPN the Magazine’s Fighting Issue, and honored with a corresponding feature article. See Conor McGregor on the cover of ESPN the Magazine’s Fighting Issue below:

Russell Ess - August 7, 2017

Have you ever imagined a world where Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier were friends?

Russell Ess - August 7, 2017

The beef between team Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi hasn’t been squashed yet as the mystery of what happened during their second sparring session is still a matter of who you ask. Malignaggi, who was asked to join McGregor’s training camp for the mega-money match against Floyd Mayweather quit camp after members from McGregor’s camp released photos from their sparring session. One photo, in particular, that has sparked most of the debate between the two sides is of Malignaggi on his back in the boxing ring as McGregor is standing looking at him. The photo appears as if McGregor knocked Malignaggi down during sparring and the captions with the photo only added to that speculation.

Russell Ess - August 7, 2017

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have had one of the most bitter rivalries that the UFC has ever seen. However, following their second time fighting in the Octagon at UFC 214, Jones had his hand raised again winning both of their fights. Although a tough pill to swallow, Cormier had to admit in his post-fight Octagon interview that their rivalry was likely now just a thing of the past. Prior to Cormier having to come to terms with the idea that their rivalry was over, Jones took to the mic in the Octagon after knocking Cormier out in the third round of their rematch and had very kind things to say about his opponent. “Bones” made an appearance on Monday’s episode of “Good Morning America” and was asked by Michael Strahan on giving Cormier respect after everything they have been through.

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

Last month, on the main card of UFC 213, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum lost a majority decision to former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 champ Alistair Overeem. That said, Werdum very nearly won the fight in the third, when he visibly rocked his foe. Unfortunately, the decorated grappler opted to ground the fight, rather than attempt to polish him off on the feet. The stoppage win eluded him as a result. Post-fight, Werdum’s refusal to try to finish Overeem on the feet generated some backlash from UFC President Dana White:

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

Late last month, in the main event of UFC 214, UFC light heavyweight great and pound-for-pound mainstay Jon Jones returned to the cage after more than a year on the shelf. He did so against reigning light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, and despite his layoff, won the fight by knockout in the third round to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight crown. Post-fight, Jones re-upped on his recent calls for a fight with former UFC heavyweight king and long-time WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

According to a report from Damon Martin of FloCombat.com, fan favorite UFC strawweight Paige VanZant (7-3) has been booked for a return to the Octagon. This return will occur at UFC 216, this October 6 in Las, Vegas, Nevada – it just won’t occur at strawweight. Instead, it’s expected to occur in the new UFC women’s flyweight division, where VanZant will battle bantamweight staple Jessica Eye (11-6). VanZant will enter this fight having recently been choked out by the ever-dangerous “Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson. Prior to this loss, VanZant picked up a 2016 knockout of the year contender, snuffing Bec Rawlings with a jumping switch kick. This win, meanwhile, was preceded by a bloody submission loss to top contender Rose Namajunas.

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

Paulie Malignaggi is no longer a part of UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor‘s training for undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. The former two-division boxing champ made his exit feeling as though he’d been unfairly represented by McGregor and his team. Since his departure from Team McGregor, Malignaggi has repeatedly blasted the Irishman on social media. He’s also had plenty to say about McGregor during his media appearances.

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

Last month, in the main event of the UFC’s debut in Long Island, New York, New York’s own Chris Weidman picked up an impressive submission win over surging middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum. While Weidman managed to secure the win, however, he did not escape the fight unscathed. In the first round, the former champ was blasted by a crushing Gastelum punch – the impact of which happened to be brilliantly captured on camera by veteran combat sports photographer Esther Lin. Ever the good sport, Weidman shared this image of himself getting punched in the face on Twitter after the fight. And though he didn’t expect such a reaction, the image became something of a viral sensation.

Tom Taylor - August 7, 2017

In July, we learned that former two-division boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi would be helping UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor prepare for his blockbuster August 26 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. Unfortunately, things have soured since then, as Malignaggi has abandoned McGregor’s camp, as he feels he’s been portrayed poorly by McGregor and his team. And if you ask Jose Aldo – one of McGregor’s fiercest rivals from the MMA world– that’s no surprise. In Aldo’s opinion, McGregor is simply bad for the sport.

Chris Taylor - August 6, 2017

Undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will square off in a super-fight on August 26 live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Floyd Mayweather will attempt to improve his boxing record to a perfect 50-0 by defeating the UFC’s most popular champion Conor McGregor inside the squared circle.

Chris Taylor - August 6, 2017

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (22-9 MMA) has gone 2-1 since joining Scott Coker and Bellator MMA in August of 2015. The American Kickboxing Academy staple scored a third-round submission finish (arm-triangle choke) over Mike Bronzoulis in his Bellator debut in September of 2015.

Chris Taylor - August 6, 2017

The octagon returned to Mexico City last night for UFC Fight Night 114. The twelve-bout fight card produced in a big way with some memorable fights and a ton of fantastic finishes.

Chris Taylor - August 6, 2017

At 38-years-old, former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (22-9 MMA) remains one of the very best 155-pound fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts. The product of American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) was most recently seen in action this past February in San Jose, where he had his two-fight win streak snapped by Patricky Freire via a controversial second-round knockout.

Chris Taylor - August 6, 2017

UFC welterweight Colby Covington is a rising star in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division. “Chaos” has won four fights in a row, his latest being a lopsided decision victory over highly regarded Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim.