MMA News
UFC fighters react after losing their verified status on Twitter: “Gettin knocked out and losing my blue check all in the same week”
Harry Kettle - April 21, 2023
A string of UFC fighters have reacted to losing their verified status on Twitter after the company took away legacy blue ticks. It’s safe to say that social media has become pretty important in combat sports. On the one hand, it can serve as a great way to build up a fight. On the other, it’s a way for fighters to build up their profile and really become ‘seen’ in the public eye.
Brandon Royval "surprised" he was the underdog against Matheus Nicolau, hopes Alexandre Pantoja beats Brandon Moreno for the belt
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
Brandon Royval didn’t understand why he was the betting underdog against Matheus Nicolau. Royval entered the fight as a sizeable underdog – which has him perplexed. He knew Nicolau was good, but he thought his style and him being able to push the pace could create openings. What bothered Royval the most was seeing people say online that he was going to get knocked out.
Dana White announces several upcoming main event fights, confirms Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad for UFC 288
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
Dana White took to social media and announced several key fights for a number of upcoming UFC events. White took to Instagram Live to reveal some key fights and among them was Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad, which is slated for five rounds as the new co-main event of UFC 288 on May 6. The fight could serve as a title eliminator which is why it is five rounds, but it’s a big boost to the pay-per-view card which recently lost Oliveira-Dariush.
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.
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.
Anderson Silva calls to face former opponent in Japan for final MMA fight: "We will see"
Josh Evanoff - April 20, 2023
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has an idea in mind for his final fight. ‘The Spider’ has been out of action since his clash with Jake Paul last October. The two headlined a Showtime Boxing pay-per-view event, in the Brazilian’s fourth appearance since leaving the UFC in 2020. While he picked up wins over Tito Ortiz and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the boxing ring after his exit, he didn’t have as much success against ‘The Problem Child’.
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.
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.
Brandon Royval responds to challenge from Muhammad Mokaev: “Maybe once you stop struggling with unranked opponents”
Susan Cox - April 20, 2023
Brandon Royval has responded to the challenge from Muhammad Mokaev. The 22 year old rising UFC flyweight contender Mokaev sent out a challenge to Brandon Royval.
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.
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.
Ricky Glenn vows to finish Christos Giagos early at UFC Vegas 71 and prove he deserves "a top-15 guy" next
Cole Shelton - April 19, 2023
Ricky Glenn is finally healthy again and ready to be active. Glenn returned in June of 2021 after not fighting since 2018 and knocked out Joaquim Silva in 37 seconds. He then squared off with Grant Dawson that October and fought him to a draw after nearly finishing Dawson in the final round. He was then booked to face Drew Dober in March but just two weeks before the fight he tore a tendon in his groin that has kept him out for over a year.
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.
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.