MMA News

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.

bjpenndotcom - July 11, 2017

Since being brought into Conor McGregor’s training camp as a JiuJitsu coach and partner, Dillon Danis’ stock has continued to rise in not only the JiuJitsu world, but also in the MMA world, despite the fact that Danis has never competed in an MMA bout. The BJJ champion has continued to make headlines for his brash statements, as well as his repeated calling out of well known fighters such as Amir Khan. It’s those same antics that led to Danis’ black belt, Marcelo Garcia, suspending his student from the gym.

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

If things had gone according to plan, Valentina Shevchenko would have battled Amanda Nunes for UFC bantamweight gold in the main event of UFC 213 last Saturday. Unfortunately, Nunes was forced out of the bout with an illness at the last minute – at least, that’s her story. Shevchenko is not so sure about Nunes’ story. She shared her doubts on Monday’s edition of 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

There is no doubt that the super fight between undefeated boxing great Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will generate a ton of money. Floyd Mayweather is expected to make upward of $100 million for his role in the boxing match while McGregor is expected to make a bit less than his undefeated opponent.

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

Former UFC heavyweight champion and long-time heavyweight contender Frank Mir is now a free agent. After failing a USADA test – and failing to prove the failed test was not his fault – he and the UFC agreed on an amicable divorce. Now that he’s free to fight elsewhere, Mir is setting his sights on two legends of the sport: Pride legend Fedor Emelianenko and his biggest rival, former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.

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.

Tom Taylor - July 10, 2017

Back in June, streaking Hawaiian talent Max Holloway shook up the featherweight division by thrashing once-dominant champion Jose Aldo to a TKO victory. With the belt firmly around his waist, Holloway then shifted his focus to two men: Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson, both of whom stand out as top contenders in the UFC featherweight division. In the wake of Holloway’s title win, both Edgar and Swanson argued their case for the next title shot. Both made good points, and both seemed to have a real chance of earning the shot they desired.