MMA News

Tom Taylor - February 7, 2017

Last weekend, on the main card of the UFC’s latest trip to Houston, strawweight striker Angela Hill returned to the UFC after a short stint in the Invicta FC cage. She made this return against streaking contender Jessica Andrade. Though Hill put up a valiant effort in this comeback fight, she ultimately came up short, giving up a hard-fought unanimous decision to her foe in a Fight of the Night winning battle. While Hill’s return to the Octagon unfortunately resulted in a loss, her latest weigh-in appearance was a definite win. If you watched the weigh-in ceremonies for the UFC’s Saturday trip to Houston, you probably saw the strawweight decked out in an eye patch, and white hand wraps. This getup was a tribute to fan favorite Street Fighter character Sagat, a Muay Thai specialist who originally debuted as a boss, but ultimately became a playable character.

Tom Taylor - February 7, 2017

On April 8, the UFC will touch down in Buffalo, New York with UFC 210. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between champion Daniel Cormier and challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who were originally expected to fight at UFC 206 in December. In advance of this fight, Rumble has assured that he’ll knock Cormier out. The Blackzilians veteran very nearly did so in their first fight, but was ultimately submitted by Cormier instead.

Tom Taylor - February 7, 2017

Having completed the last fight of his latest contract with World Series of Fighting, David Branch is now a free agent. Branch, who held both the promotion’s middleweight and light heavyweight titles, confirmed his free agency on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I’m definitely a free agent now, I’m officially a free agent,” he said on the show. “I’m going to be looking to explore my opportunities on the outside of WSOF. And I think it was about time for me and the company to just split ways. There was some misunderstandings that happened, and as a result of those misunderstandings it was best for me to be released and stuff like that. Plus I just want to do other things.”

Tom Taylor - February 7, 2017

In November of 2016, on the main card of the landmark UFC 205, former women’s bantamweight champion and veritable WMMA pioneer Miesha Tate gave up a decision to Raquel Pennington. Without any intention of taking away from Pennington’s win, it’s safe to say that the version of Tate we watched that night was far from the best we’d seen. Instead, she looked slow, frustrated and uninspired. Shortly after the fight’s result was announced, Tate announced her intention to retire from MMA, which of course explained her insipid performance. Now several months removed from this retirement announcement, the former champ says her plans haven’t changed. She’s done fighting.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

When Jon Jones withdrew from his scheduled UFC 200 main event title fight with Daniel Cormier, UFC President Dana White assured that he would never trust him with headlining honors again. And while White has certainly gone back on similar assurances in the past, it’s easy to see him sticking with this one, given Jones’ many past transgressions. On Monday’s edition of the MMA Hour however, Daniel Cormier raised an interesting point. If – or perhaps it’s better say when – he and Jones rematch, it’ll be such a mammoth fight that’s hard to imagine it not being the headliner of a pay-per-view. In fact, Cormier can really only imagine his potential rematch with Jones serving as a co-headliner in one scenario. That scenario is one where headlining honors are awarded to UFC lightweight champ and MMA superstar Conor McGregor.

Russell Ess - February 6, 2017

Tragic news hit the MMA community on Sunday when news broke that 40-year-old, One Championship fighter Casey Suire passed away after being involved in a tragic accident in Bali, Indonesia.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

In November of 2016, Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson battled for the UFC welterweight title. The winner was then expected to defend the title against streaking welterweight contender Demian Maia sometime in the new year. Unfortunately for Maia, who is arguably the best grappler in MMA, Woodley and Thompson fought to a frequently-debated majority draw. With this result, they were then booked for a rematch at UFC 209 on March 4, which put Maia’s long-awaited title shot on the back burner.

Russell Ess - February 6, 2017

With Mike Goldberg no longer a part of the UFC commentating team, Joe Rogan will have some different company for the UFC 208 pay-per-view event taking place on February 11, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Goldberg commentated his last UFC event with Rogan at UFC 207 in December where Amanda Nunes beat Ronda Rousey in their UFC women’s bantamweight title fight main event.

Russell Ess - February 6, 2017

After a three-and-a-half-year layoff from fighting, Chan Sung Jung did not skip a beat in his return to the Octagon on Saturday. Unranked after the long layoff with doing his mandatory military service for South Korea, Jung took on Dennis Bermudez, who stepped into the Octagon ranked #9 in the official UFC featherweight rankings. “The Korean Zombie” came out with a vengeance and knocked out Bermudez in the first round but “The Menace” feels that he could have recovered if he was given more time.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

Back in December of 2016, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was scheduled to rematch a fellow former champ in Fabricio Werdum. The winner of this fight was expected to challenge reigning champ Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight crown. Unfortunately, Velasquez was forced out of this anticipated heavyweight showdown with an injury just days before it was supposed to go down. This marked the latest incident in the long string of injuries that have marred the recent years of his otherwise incredible career.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in Houston, Texas with an exciting night of mixed martial arts action. In the evening’s main event, we saw “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung mount a successful comeback after three years away from the sport, knocking out a game Dennis Bermudez in the very first round. Elsewhere on the card, we saw Felice Herrig score an upset win over the previously unbeaten Alexa Grasso, James Vick score a late submission over Abel Trujillo, Volkan Oezdemir and Marcel Fortuna score big wins over established UFC names, and Jessica Andrade earn a strawweight title shot with a thrilling defeat of Angela Hill. Yet by Sunday night, pretty much nobody was talking about this exciting card.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

https://youtu.be/RlfX732B5Vc Over the last few months, there have been plenty of rumors and reports suggesting that welterweight legend Nick Diaz might soon return to the UFC’s Octagon. So far, however, none have come to fruition.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

https://youtu.be/1qMGmi3wLTU This Saturday, the UFC will touch down in beautiful Brooklyn, New York with UFC 208. Though this is far from the most stacked pay-per-view the UFC has ever constructed, it is an undeniably historic one, as it will be headlined by the UFC’s first ever women’s featherweight title fight. This inaugural title fight will pit former women’s bantamweight queen Holly Holm against Dutch kickboxing veteran Germaine de Randamie.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2017

Last night, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Houston, Texas, featherweight fan favorite Chan Sung Jung – better known as the Korean Zombie – levelled Dennis Bermudez with a first-round uppercut. It was a gorgeously executed punch, and a wonderful addition to his already lengthy highlight reel. The real significance of this win, of course, is that it marked the Korean Zombie’s return to the cage after a long hiatus from the sport, during which he partook in the two years of mandatory military service required of all South Korean men.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2017

Last night, in the co-main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Houston, 23-year-old strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso faced the biggest test of her career in WMMA veteran Felice Herrig. Despite Herrig’s big-stage experience, this one was expected to be a blowout for the young Grasso, as evidenced by her status as a 3-1 betting favorite. In the end, however, Herrig sprung the upset, handing Grasso the first loss of her career with a unanimous decision win. With this result, she looks ahead to bigger challenges, while Grasso will now return to the drawing board.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in Houston, Texas with UFC Fight Night 104. In the co-main event of this exciting card, 23-year-old strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso took on veteran Felice Herrig. From the early vantage point, Grasso was widely expected to blow through her experienced foe – as evidenced by her status as a 3-1 betting favorite. In the end, however, Herrig pulled off the upset with a nice unanimous decision win.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in sunny Houston, Texas, where thousands of ravenous sports fans await this year’s Super Bowl. The MMA promotion visited this football mecca with UFC Fight Night 104. This exciting, 12-fight card was headlined by a featherweight scrap between the returning Chan Sung Jung – better known as the Korean Zombie – and Dennis Bermudez. Co-headlining honors, meanwhile, went to strawweight veteran Felice Herrig and rising prospect Alexa Grasso. Elsewhere on the card, we witnessed performances from notable names like James Vick, Abel Trujillo, Ovince St. Preux, Jessica Andrade and Angela Hill.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2017

Last month, we learned that dominant UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk had returned to American Top Team to begin training for her next fight. Her opponent for this next fight, however, remained a mystery. On Saturday night, that changed. Though it was widely speculated that the next strawweight title shot would go to Michelle Waterson, who recently burst into contention with a quick win over Paige Van Zant, that shot will instead go to Brazil’s Jessica Andrade, who won big on the main card of the UFC’s latest trip to Houston.