MMA News
UFC fighter Grant Dawson takes aim at PFL for suspending his teammates Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio: “That’s a boycott PFL situation”
Susan Cox - June 29, 2023
UFC fighter Grant Dawson is taking aim at PFL for suspending his teammates Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio. PFL (Professional Fighters League) officials announced the reasoning behind the suspensions were that the two fighters did not adhere to their contracted obligation of using their ‘best efforts … skills and abilities as a professional athlete to compete … and defeat any opponent’, adding that ‘it was very clear that Natan and Raush did not meet that contractual standard in yesterday’s bout.’
Cameron Saaiman defends Dricus du Plessis’ comments about becoming Africa’s first “true” UFC champion: “The controversy doesn't change facts”
Harry Kettle - June 29, 2023
Cameron Saaiman has defended Dricus du Plessis’ comments about him possibly becoming the UFC’s first “true” African champion. Next month, Dricus du Plessis faces the fight of his life. He’ll go head to head with Robert Whittaker, knowing that a win will earn him a shot at Israel Adesanya and the UFC middleweight championship. He’s unbeaten in the UFC up to this point but in the eyes of many, this is seen as a step too far. Of course, du Plessis doesn’t think so, and neither does Cameron Saaiman.
UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno hints at future career in Boxing: “I have this desire inside me”
Harry Kettle - June 29, 2023
UFC flyweight king Brandon Moreno has hinted at the possibility of him venturing into boxing in the future. At this moment in time, Brandon Moreno is on top of the world. He’s a two-time undisputed flyweight champion after finally settling his feud with Deiveson Figueiredo, and he’s set to return to action next month. When he does so, he’ll put his crown on the line against Alexandre Pantoja.
Damir Ismagulov eyes future clash with former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje: “I'll play with him like a little kitten”
Harry Kettle - June 29, 2023
Damir Ismagulov is interested in the idea of fighting fellow lightweight Justin Gaethje at some point in the future. Right now, the UFC’s lightweight division is still one of the most stacked in all of mixed martial arts. Islam Makhachev is the champion, but there are still many contenders out there – as well as a few big featherweights threatening to move up.
Grant Dawson reveals he and Damir Ismagulov have sparred and rolled with one another in the past: "Both of us know what the other person is trying to do"
Cole Shelton - June 28, 2023
Grant Dawson is quite familiar with his UFC Vegas 76 opponent Damir Ismagulov. Dawson is coming off a submission win over Mark O. Madsen back in November and since then, he has been trying to get a fight. However, Dawson says multiple top-15 opponents have turned him down which has been frustrating as he wants to be more active.
Dana White announces Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kelvin Gastelum for co-main event of UFC Mexican Independence Day card
Cole Shelton - June 28, 2023
Shavkat Rakhmonov will be returning to the Octagon in September. Dana White took to social media to announce the UFC is holding a Mexican Independence Day card on September 16th at the T-Mobile Arena and Rakhmonov will take on Kelvin Gastelum in the co-main event. The main event of the card sees Alexa Grasso defending her flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko in a rematch.
Kevin Lee explains the difference between the old and new version of himself ahead of UFC Vegas 76: "I’ve got unproved and unfinished business"
Cole Shelton - June 28, 2023
Kevin Lee believes he is a much different fighter ahead of his UFC return. Lee is set to return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 76 where he will meet Rinat Fakhretdinov at welterweight. The Michigan native was of course previously let go by the promotions after he lost back-to-back fights to Charles Oliveira and Daniel Rodriguez. After being cut, Kevin Lee signed with Eagle FC and scored a decision win over Diego Sanchez.
UFC middleweight Sean Strickland believes America needs to take women out of the workforce: “We need to put women back in the kitchen”
Cole Shelton - June 28, 2023
Sean Strickland believes women need to be removed from the workforce. Strickland has always been known for his brash words and controversial ideas which have caused many people to be offended by his comments. That trend has continued ahead of his UFC Vegas 76 main event against Abus Magomedov, as Strickland took aim at women saying they should be out of the workforce and just stay in the kitchen.
Corey Anderson downplays Jamahal Hill's UFC title after harsh back and forth: "Who has he beat?"
Josh Evanoff - June 28, 2023
Bellator light-heavyweight contender Corey Anderson has fired more shots at UFC champion Jamahal Hill. ‘Overtime’ returned to the cage earlier this month at Bellator 297 against Phil Davis. There, the light-heavyweight contender scored a split-decision win over ‘Mr. Wonderful’, an important win for Corey Anderson. However, he didn’t have much time to celebrate, as he started going back and forth with Jamahal Hill.
Alexander Volkanovski calls for future fight with Ilia Topuria: "Bring it on"
Josh Evanoff - June 28, 2023
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski welcomes a future fight with Ilia Topuria. ‘The Great’ is slated to return next month at UFC 290 against Yair Rodriguez. The featherweight title defense will be his first in almost a year, having last competed at lightweight in February. That month at UFC 284, Alexander Volkanovski came up short against Islam Makhachev in a bid for double-champion status.
Kevin Lee says having his return fight at the UFC Apex is "kind of stupid"
Cole Shelton - June 28, 2023
Kevin Lee is not happy to be having his return fight at the UFC Apex. Lee was released from the promotion following his decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez, which marked his second defeat in a row. Although he thought part of his release was due to having the same manager at Francis Ngannou, he ended up signing with Eagle FC and got Ali Abdelaziz to manage him.
Gordon Ryan blasts Dillon Danis for claiming to be a BJJ World Champion: “The biggest farce”
Susan Cox - June 28, 2023
Gordon Ryan has taken aim at Dillon Danis for claiming to be a BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) World Champion. Dillon ‘El Jefe’ Danis is claiming to be a four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.
Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones should win the 2023 ESPY award for best MMA fighter
Susan Cox - June 28, 2023
Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones should win the 2023 ESPY award for best MMA fighter. Jon Jones (27-1 MMA) has been nominated for the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly award along with other notables including lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, welterweight champion Leon Edwards, and recently retired dual champion Amanda Nunes.
Michael Bisping slams Paulie Malignaggi for suggesting Jake Paul could beat Conor McGregor in MMA: “He's just an absolute goddamn fool”
Susan Cox - June 28, 2023
Michael Bisping has slammed Paulie Malignaggi for suggesting that Jake Paul could beat Conor McGregor in an MMA fight. Paulie Malignaggi is a former WBA welterweight champion turned commentator.
Abus Magomedov shares some advice for UFC Vegas 76 opponent Sean Strickland: “He has to be quiet”
Susan Cox - June 28, 2023
Abus Magomedov is sharing some advice for his UFC Vegas 76 opponent Sean Strickland. UFC Vegas 76 takes place this coming Saturday, July 1st, at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Matt Brown sounds off on proposed Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg UFC fight: “I’m asking the MMA community to be more intelligent than this”
Harry Kettle - June 28, 2023
UFC fighter Matt Brown has voiced his outrage at the proposed UFC fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. If you’re a UFC fan, it’s hard not to root for Matt Brown. He’s a veteran in mixed martial arts and over the years, he’s provided us with some truly incredible moments. Most of them, as you can imagine, have been vicious knockouts.
Report | UFC was able to cut fighter expenses by 32.8 million in 2022 from 2021
Harry Kettle - June 28, 2023
The UFC reportedly managed to cut the money paid out to fighters by over 30 million dollars last year, despite the company’s profits going up. One of the hot topics of the last few years in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been fighter pay. Some feel they aren’t getting enough, whereas others are just happy to be in the big dance. UFC president Dana White, as you can imagine, isn’t a big fan of the debate.
Alex Volkanovski views UFC 290 opponent Yair Rodriguez as a “much bigger threat” than Ilia Topuria
Harry Kettle - June 28, 2023
Alex Volkanovski has explained why he considers Yair Rodriguez to be a bigger threat than Ilia Topuria as the division continues to heat up. Next month at UFC 290, Alex Volkanovski will defend his UFC featherweight championship against Yair Rodriguez. It will serve as a unification bout, given that Rodriguez is currently the interim champ.