MMA News
Christos Giagos believes he's fighting for his job at UFC Vegas 71, anticipates a "war" against Ricky Glenn: "This is do-or-die for me"
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
After a freak injury, Christos Giagos is finally ready to return. Giagos was supposed to face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris last September. Yet, just before the fight, as he was cleaning his house, he sliced his pinky open which forced him out of the scrap.
Sergei Pavlovich expecting first-round finish streak to come to end against Curtis Blaydes: "He knows the stakes"
Josh Evanoff - April 20, 2023
UFC heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich is hoping to earn a win on Saturday, but he knows it won’t come easy. The Russian has been out of action since his clash with Tai Tuivasa in December. In that outing, Pavlovich scored a first-round knockout win, his fifth in a row. In that stretch, the heavyweight contender had picked up stoppage victories over names such as Derrick Lewis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.
Frank Mir set for retirement fight at UFL 3 in August on the same card his daughter Bella competes
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
Frank Mir has gotten his wish. Mir has been vocal about wanting his retirement fight to take place on the same card that his daughter Bella fights on. Well, United Fight League (UFL) announced on Brendan Schaub’s show that Mir will compete at UFL 3 against an opponent TBD. Bella will also compete on the card, with her opponent also yet to be revealed. Both fights have been agreed to for August 12 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Alexander Volkanovski reveals he passed up rematch with Islam Makhachev to stay active: "I've got to do what I've got to do"
Josh Evanoff - April 20, 2023
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is all about activity. ‘The Great’ has been out of the cage since his move to lightweight in February. Volkanovski jumped to 155 pounds to face the newly crowned champion, Islam Makhachev. The Russian dominated Charles Oliveira last October to win the gold but didn’t have as easy of a time with the featherweight champion.
Floyd Mayweather open to helping Francis Ngannou with boxing transition: "I would love to work with him"
Lewis Simpson - April 20, 2023
Floyd Mayweather recently expressed willingness to help Francis Ngannou with his highly-anticipated boxing transition. Ngannou decided to part ways with the UFC as the then-heavyweight champion after failing to agree with the company. As per White, Ngannou rejected a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the promotion’s history.
Former UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson set to headline Jorge Masvidal's bareknuckle MMA promotion on May 5
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
Roy Nelson will be fighting for the first time since 2020. On Thursday, Jorge Masvidal took to his Instagram to announce he is promoting Gamebred FC – which is a bareknuckle MMA promotion – on May 5 and they have its main event. According to Masvidal, Nelson, who’s 46-years-old, will take on Dillon Cleckler in the headliner from the FLA Live Arena. It also serves as the first sanctioned bareknuckle MMA event in the state of Florida.
Demetrious Johnson says Jon Jones could have been another champ-champ if he really wanted: “I didn’t think he needed to put on that weight”
Susan Cox - April 20, 2023
Demetrious Johnson is saying Jon Jones could have been another champ-champ if he had really wanted. Jones vacated the light heavyweight belt in 2020 to transition to the heavyweight division.
Paddy Pimblett provides injury update, reveals he will be lucky to fight this year: “It was a lot worse than we thought”
Susan Cox - April 20, 2023
Paddy Pimblett is providing an injury update, revealing he will be lucky if he’s able to fight again this year. It was at UFC 282 in December of last year that Paddy Pimblett (20-3 MMA) met up with and defeated Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA) via unanimous decision in a lightweight bout.
Coach admits Khabib Nurmagomedov was ‘concerned’ for Islam Makhachev in fight with Alexander Volkanovski
Harry Kettle - April 20, 2023
Javier Mendez has admitted that Khabib Nurmagomedov was concerned for Islam Makhachev heading into his fight against Alexander Volkanovski. While he may have walked away from mixed martial arts, Khabib Nurmagomedov is still a fan. In addition to that, he’s also heavily invested in the success of his friends and family who compete in the sport.
Brandon Royval reveals personal frustration behind his UFC prelim slot: “I have a brother who is incarcerated, and they have ESPN”
Harry Kettle - April 20, 2023
UFC fighter Brandon Royval has revealed his frustration at being put on the prelims for his fight against Matheus Nicolau last weekend. In a win that earned him Performance of the Night honors, Brandon Royval knocked Matheus Nicolau out in Kansas City. He did so thanks to a vicious knee, followed by a string of nasty elbows. As a result of his win, he’s now considered to be the number one contender for the UFC flyweight championship. He’s also set to serve as the back-up fighter for the upcoming Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja title collision.
Jared Gordon dismisses the idea of rematching Paddy Pimblett if he defeats Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 71: “That’s fighting backwards”
Harry Kettle - April 20, 2023
Jared Gordon has played down the idea of him having a rematch with Paddy Pimblett following his upcoming fight this weekend. Last December, Paddy Pimblett fought Jared Gordon in a bout that was intended to raise his star power. Ultimately, though, he didn’t put in the kind of performance he’d hoped for. Pimblett got his hand raised via decision, but many fans and pundits believed Gordon should’ve been the one to come out on top.
Alexander Volkanovski not looking past “dangerous” Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290: “He’s been dominating and looking good in his last few”
Harry Kettle - April 20, 2023
Alexander Volkanovski has said that he isn’t looking past the challenge of Yair Rodriguez when they collide at UFC 290 this summer. Following on from his dramatic collision with Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski is ready to dive right back into the Octagon. On July 8, ‘The Great’ is set to defend his UFC featherweight championship when he goes up against interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
Bobby Green believes Nate Diaz is even better at boxing than MMA - expects him to 'expose' Jake Paul
Andrew Whitelaw - April 19, 2023
Bobby Green is a big believer in Nate Diaz and his boxing skillset. The Stockton legend recently fought out his contract in the UFC and signed off with a a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. The 38-year-old will make his pro boxing debut against Jake Paul at the American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas on August 5th.
Watch former UFC title challenger Thiago Alves unload low kicks on the boys from Back Breakers and Bites (Video)
Cole Shelton - April 19, 2023
Thiago Alves showed off his strong leg kicks during a recent sit-down with the boys from Back Breakers and Bites. Alves fought in the UFC from 2005 to 2019, competing against the who’s who of the welterweight division. That included a fight with Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title, a bout that ‘Pitbull’ ultimately lost be unanimous decision at UFC 100. Throughout his career, Alves was known for his striking and heavy leg kicks, which he once again showcased following a recent interview with Back Breakers and Bites. Check out the video below:
Curtis Blaydes reveals plans to wait for title shot no matter how long it takes: "They bring in Brock Lesnar, I’ll wait"
Josh Evanoff - April 19, 2023
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes might be spending some time on the sidelines after Saturday. ‘Razor’ has been out of the cage since his clash with Tom Aspinall last July. In the heavyweight main event of UFC London, the Brit suffered a knee injury. As a result, Blaydes won by first-round stoppage, his third victory in a row. He had previously scored lopsided wins over Chris Daukaus and Jairzinho Rozenstruik in that stretch.
Conor McGregor pleads with fighters to stop doing Jake Paul-style purse bets: "It never happens and it’s stupid"
Josh Evanoff - April 19, 2023
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor is tired of your bets. Earlier this week, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis appeared on a live stream together. This Saturday, the two are set to headline a massive pay-per-view card in Las Vegas. Furthermore, the bout is expected to be one of the biggest boxing matches of the year, and they seemingly tried to make it even bigger.
Demetrious Johnson hits back at critics who believe Francis Ngannou made a mistake leaving the UFC: "I've been successful"
Josh Evanoff - April 19, 2023
ONE Championship flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson knows you don’t need to be in the UFC to have success. ‘Mighty Mouse’ is currently slated to face Adriano Moraes next month at ONE Fight Night 10. The two flyweights will headline the promotion’s maiden voyage to America, as the event will go down in Colorado. In their first outing in 2021, the Brazilian won by knockout. However, Johnson repaid the favor last year to win the gold.
Paulo Costa calls out Jan Blachowicz for UFC 288, but the Pole claims 'Borrachina' turned down the fight: "How much juice does he need?"
Cole Shelton - April 19, 2023
Paulo Costa was looking to get a short-notice fight at light heavyweight. With Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush pushed off of UFC 288, the May 6 pay-per-view card is in need of a co-main event and Costa appeared ready to take that slot. The Brazilian took to social media to call out Jan Blachowicz for a light heavyweight fight as he looked to not cut much weight on short notice.