MMA News

bjpenndotcom - July 11, 2017

This past Friday in Las Vegas, fight fans tuned in to an action packed night of fights in Las Vegas for the ‘Ultimate Fighter: Redemption’ Finale, where TUF 25’s Jesse Taylor was crowned the winner of TUF nine years after earning his way to the Finale for the first time. In addition, the main event of the card played host to the highly anticipated UFC debut of former WSOF champion Justin Gaethje, who piked up a thrilling 2nd round TKO win over Michael Johnson after nearly being finished in the first round of the pair’s grudge match.

Russell Ess - July 11, 2017

It seems that the UFC still has beef with Ariel Helwani. On Tuesday, just hours prior to the start of the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor world tour press conference kicking off in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, Helwani tweeted that he was removed from working with Showtime for the event as a specific request by the UFC.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

Earlier this week, we learned that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ and long-time UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi had signed with Bellator MMA, this after failing to agree to the terms of a new UFC deal. Since the announcement of his move to Bellator, Mousasi has been welcomed to the fold by a number of the promotion’s stars.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

On Monday night, Ariel Helwani reported that the UFC was considering Eddie Alvarez as the next opponent for former World Series of Fighting lightweight champ Justin Gaethje, who made his UFC debut on Friday with a wild, TKO defeat of Michael Johnson. Apparently, Gaethje and Alvarez were also being seriously considered as the coaches for the next season of the Ultimate Fighter. According to another UFC lightweight star in “The Motown Phenom” Kevin Lee, however, Alvarez turned down this coaching gig. In a Tuesday afternoon Tweet, Lee claimed that he has accepted The Ultimate Fighter coaching job opposite Gaethje, as Alvarez turned the opportunity down.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

Earlier this week, UFC President Dana White posted to Instagram, sharing a photo of himself and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The two crossed paths on the tarmac at LAX. McGregor was arriving from Ireland to partake in the first of the four stops on his multi-city press tour with Floyd Mayweather, who he will box on August 26. I get off my plane in LA an @thenotoriousmma is getting off his plane!!!! #mayweathermcgregor #zettajet #worldtour

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

Conor McGregor‘s blockbuster boxing match with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. is now just a month and a half away, and it seems to be all anybody is talking about. The latest member of the MMA Community to weigh in on this groundbreaking showdown was three-time UFC title challenger and current Bellator light heavyweight star, Chael Sonnen. Sonnen chimed in on the fight on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. One of the more interesting takeaways from Sonnen’s discussion of the fight came when host Ariel Helwani asked if the Irishman McGregor had any chance against the boxing star.

bjpenndotcom - July 11, 2017

Earlier this year, interim UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway stepped into the Octagon with Jose Aldo to fight for the undisputed featherweight championship. After weathering an early storm, Holloway managed to defeat Aldo via 3rd round TKO to cement his place as the king of the UFC’s 145 pound division. Following the fight, all signs pointed to former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar being Holloway’s next opponent for his first title defense, despite a campaign from Cub Swanson for a title shot.

bjpenndotcom - July 11, 2017

Monday afternoon, the MMA community was shocked to learn that top ranked UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi had signed with Bellator MMA after being unable to reach a deal with the UFC. Mousasi broke the news, which immediately hit social media, setting off a chain of reactions from members in the MMA community. Mousasi was of course in the midst of a 5-fight win streak going back to early 2016 when Mousasi bounced back from his TKO loss to Uriah Hall by defeating Thales Leites. Mousasi then rattled off four more straight wins, with his most recent being a 2nd round TKO win over Chris Weidman at UFC 210.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

Shortly after his thrilling TKO win over Michael Johnson – which marked a successful UFC debut – former World Series of Fighting champ Justin Gaethje called out Tony Ferguson. Ferguson, however, didn’t appear to be interested in the fight, and UFC President Dana White later stated that the UFC is still hoping to pair Ferguson with Khabib Nurmagomedov. With his desired Ferguson fight apparently off the table, Gaethje then suggested he’d like a fight with Eddie Alvarez as a backup plan. He made his call for a fight with Alvarez on The MMA Hour.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

On Monday, ESPN revealed that Mayweather filed a Tax Court petition on July 5. This petition asks the IRS to give him a reprieve until his August 26 mega fight with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, which could see both men pocket north of $100 million. The petition also asks for the IRS to reduce the penalty for Mayweather’s tardiness on paying his taxes. “Although the taxpayer has substantial assets, those assets are restricted and primarily illiquid,” the petition said, according to the legal website Law360. “The taxpayer has a significant liquidity event scheduled in about 60 days from which he intends to pay the balance of the 2015 tax liability due and outstanding.”

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2017

Last Saturday, on the main card of UFC 213, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum gave up a razor close decision to former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem. This outcome was immediately controversial, as many members of the MMA Community argued that Werdum had done enough to win, and others argued the fight should have been a draw. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Werdum explained that he will be appealing this loss through the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Russell Ess - July 10, 2017

The mega money fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor is less than two months away and the world tour press conference kicks off the first of four stops on Tuesday. However, on Sunday, the undefeated boxing great didn’t let the fight or any promotion get in the way of his family time as he was at the skating rink with his friends and family, which the boxing superstar says he routinely does on Sundays.

Russell Ess - July 10, 2017

What are you willing to dish out to watch Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor meet in the boxing ring on August 26? According to Los Angeles Times Sports Reporter, Lance Pugmire, the prices for the Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fight have been set.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Shortly after his thrilling, back-and-forth TKO defeat of Michael Johnson, former World Series of Fighting lightweight king Justin Gaethje made a dynamite callout of top UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson. While this prospective matchup immediately had fans drooling, we know that the UFC – and Ferguson – are still keen on an interim title fight between Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Earlier this morning, reports began to swirl that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and long-time UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi had abandoned the UFC ship and signed with Bellator MMA. I’m hearing from a reliable source that Gegard Mousasi has signed with Bellator MMA. It’s one source but I’m trying to get confirmation now.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Originally, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was expected to take on challenger Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of last Saturday’s UFC 213. Regrettably, Nunes was forced out of this contest on the very day it was supposed to happen with an illness. Nunes’ UFC 213 withdrawal generated a tidal wave of controversy, as keyboard warriors suggested she was scared to fight Shevchenko (who she has already defeated) and UFC President Dana White suggested her illness was mostly mental.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 213, Cuba’s Yoel Romero stepped onto the canvas with Australia’s Robert Whittaker in a bid to capture UFC interim middleweight gold. Had he won, he would have earned a fight with the undisputed middleweight champion – and his biggest rival – Michael Bisping. Regrettably for Romero and his fans, Whittaker was the better man on fight night. Though Romero had some success early on, the Australian surged back in rounds three, four, five and captured a unanimous decision as a result.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Gegard Mousasi’s impressive – if controversial – UFC 210 TKO defeat of former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman marked the final obligation on his UFC contract. With his contract completed, Mousasi then entered a renegotiation period with the UFC. Despite the fact that Mousasi holds the number-four spot in the UFC middleweight rankings, the promotion was apparently unprepared to pay him what he felt he was worth. According to reports from Chamatkar Sandhu and Kimura Crew, Mousasi and the UFC have failed to agree on the terms of a new contract, and the Iranian-Dutchman will now be migrating to Bellator MMA.