MMA News

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

Last Saturday, on the main card of the UFC’s latest trip to Denver, Colorado, French-Cameroonian heavyweight prospect Francis Ngannou faced the biggest test of his career in former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. The rising star passed this test with flying colors, thumping Arlovski to a first round TKO victory. With this win, Ngannou continues his destructive march through the heavyweight rankings, and is now probably just a few wins away from a heavyweight title shot.

Russell Ess - January 30, 2017

It surely seems like UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor feels he is overtaking the entire UFC promotion.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

These days, the biggest ongoing story in combat sports is a potential boxing mega bout between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and semi-retired boxing great Floyd Mayweather. As it turns out, however, McGregor is not the only fighter with his sights set on a boxing career. Shortly after we learned that McGregor had been granted a boxing license in the state of California, we learned that his biggest rival, Nate Diaz, was well on his way to receiving a boxing license in the combat sports mecca of Nevada. Now, it sounds as though another McGregor rival is also interested in dipping his toes in the boxing world. That rival is current UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, who McGregor knocked out in just 13 seconds back in 2015.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

In September of 2016, pro wrestling star CM Punk made his long-awaited first steps into the Octagon against young prospect Mickey Gall. Punk did so with little in the way of martial arts experience – and it showed. Seconds into the first round, he was plowed to the mat by his young foe, where he was brutalized with ground and pound, and ultimately, tied up in a rear-naked choke and forced to tap. Since the disastrous UFC debut, there has been much discussion about Punk’s fighting future. There are those that think the heart he displayed against Gall should earn him another shot in the UFC’s Octagon. There are those who believe that any additional Punk fights should occur in a smaller, less mainstream MMA promotion. There are those that just don’t care. And then there’s radio host Jason Ellis, who has recently been gunning for a fight in the Octagon with the pro wrestling veteran.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

Since July of 2015, popular UFC flyweight Ian McCall has been scheduled for five fights. Not a single one of them has happened. First, he was scheduled for an August 2015 bout with Dustin Ortiz, which unfortunately fell through when he sustained an injury in training. Roughly one year later, he was scheduled for a fight with Justin Scoggins, which was cancelled at the last minute when Scoggins announced he wouldn’t be making weight for the fight. Just one month after that, McCall had another bout fall through, when Ray Borg was forced to withdraw from their planned meeting with an illness. Then, in November of 2016, McCall was scheduled for a fight with the retiring Neil Seery. Unfortunately, McCall fell ill in the days leading up to this bout, and was forced to make a withdrawal of his own. This bout was then rescheduled for UFC 208 on February 11, but unfortunately, it has once again been scrapped, as Seery has been forced to withdraw after the tragic passing of his mother in law.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

Late last year, in the main event of UFC 207, former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returned to the cage for the first time since she was turned off by a Holly Holm head-kick more than a year earlier. She did so against the division’s reigning queen, Amanda Nunes.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

On Saturday night, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Denver, Julianna Peña stepped into the cage with dangerous Kyrgyzstani striker Valentina Shevchenko. She entered this bout on an impressive four-fight win-streak, and if she’d extended that streak to five with a win over Shevchenko, she would have earned herself a shot at Amanda Nunes and the UFC women’s bantamweight title she guards so ferociously. Regrettably for Peña and her many fans, Saturday night was not her night. In advance of the fight, the consensus seemed to be that she had a significant grappling edge over her striking-based foe. In the end, however, Shevchenko was able to succeed on two takedowns in the first round, and in the second, lock up an arm-bar for the win. And just like that Peña’s title dreams came to a skittering – if temporary – halt.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23. In the evening’s co-main event, hometown hero Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone looked to extend his welterweight record to 5-0 with a win over the ever-dangerous Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal, however, had other plans. After very nearly finishing Cowboy in the first, the American Top Team staple put his his foe down with a series of hooks to the body in the second. Just over 24 hours removed from this massive win, Masvidal took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, the UFC returned to Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23. This 12-fight card went down as an unforgettable one, as we witnessed stoppages in a whopping eight bouts – including all four on the event’s main card.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in picturesque Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23. With finishes in all four main card fights, this event was an absolute thriller.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, the UFC returned to Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23. With eight exciting stoppages among the 12 fights on the bill, this Denver card was a downright thriller. Perhaps the most thrilling moment of the entire card, however, occurred in the co-main event, where Strikeforce veteran Jorge Masvidal delivered an upset by clubbing Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone to a second-round TKO – precisely the kind of “beat down” he predicted. While this stoppage was exciting, however, it was not without controversy, as many believe it should have ended at the end of the first round, when Masvidal punched Cowboy to the brink of consciousness right as the bell sounded.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Late last year, in the main event of UFC 207, Amanda Nunes made her first defense of the women’s bantamweight title with a 48-second destruction of returning former champ Ronda Rousey. Shortly after this win, the champ began campaigning for a fight with the winner of UFC’s upcoming inaugural women’s featherweight title fight, which will pit former bantamweight champ Holly Holm against kickboxing veteran Germaine de Randamie. According to UFC president Dana White, however, Nunes might be getting a bit ahead of herself. When asked about Nunes’ featherweight ambition at the post-fight press conference for the UFC’s Saturday return to Denver, White suggested that Nunes should defend her title before chasing additional titles in other divisions. While the UFC President has clearly forgotten that Nunes’ defeat of Rousey was a title defense (she won the title by submitting Miesha Tate in July), his message remained clear.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Denver, Colorado, Kyrgyzstani striking specialist Valentina Shevchenko took on respected grappler Julianna Peña. Though Peña was expected to have a significant grappling edge in this purported style clash, Shevchenko instead flaunted her grappling chops, taking her foe down twice in the first round, and submitting her with a slick armbar in the second.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in The Mile-High City, Denver, Colorado, with UFC on Fox 23. This 12-fight card was an epic one, as a whopping eight of its bouts ended with stoppages, including the evening’s main event, which pitted Kyrgyzstani striker Valentina Shevchenko against American grappling specialist Julianna Peña. In advance of this fight, the striking advantage seemed to rely firmly in the corner of Shevchenko, while Peña was believed to have an advantage on the mat. Ultimately, however, Shevchenko was able to showcase some real evolutions in her game, taking Peña down twice in the first round, and submitting her with a dazzling armbar in the second. The tap occurred at the 4:29 mark of the second frame.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2017

Last night, the UFC returned to beautiful Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23, a 12-fight card highlighted by some epic finishes and significant upsets. One of the most memorable moments of the event took place on the main card, when rising prospect Francis Ngannou took on former champion Andrei Arlovski in a compelling heavyweight showdown. Despite Arlovski’s massive experiential edge, Ngannou did as many expected, laying waste to his legendary opponent with the frightening finesse of an assassin. The French-Cameroonian prospect’s thunderous knockout win occurred at the 1:32 mark of the very first round. With this win, he moved to 5-0 in the UFC. Having scored stoppages in all of these wins, knocking out Luis Henrique, Curtis Blaydes, Bojan Mihajlovic, and Arlovski, and submitting Anthony Hamilton, he’s now the owner of the UFC’s longest active finish streak, at 5. With an overall record of 10-1, he’s undeniably the hottest prospect in the heavyweight division.

bjpenndotcom - January 28, 2017

Floyd Mayweather Jr discusses Conor McGregor's PPV Interview comments @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/6PBj3u967R — Fancy Combat (@FancyCombat) January 29, 2017

Chris Taylor - January 28, 2017

A women’s bantamweight number on contender fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena served as the main event of tonight’s UFC on FOX 23 fight card in Denver, Colorado. Round one begins and after a brief feeling out process Julianna charges forward and press Shevchenko against the cage. Valentina tries to reverse the position but Pena is not having it. The ladies tussle for position but it is Valentina who is able to score a trip and wind up in sider control position from the top. Pena is able to scramble and get back to her feet. She presses Shevchenko against the cage and works some hard knees to the body inside. More knees from Pena but Valentina catches one and is abler to score a trip takedown. She is working from side control once again. She lands some good hammer fists. Pena works her way back to full guard. The women battle for position but it is Shevchenko who maintains top control. Both fighters are landing some short shots here. Valentina postures up and drop down a right hand. Pena grabs an arm and searches for an armbar submission. Valentina defends and round one comes to an end.

Chris Taylor - January 28, 2017

Jorge Masvidal picked up the biggest win of his octagon career tonight in Denver scoring a second-round TKO victory over Donald Cerrone. The loss snapped “Cowboy’s” four-fight win streak at 170-pounds and boosted “Gamebred” in to the welterweight division’s title picture.