MMA News
Islam Makhachev doesn’t think unhealthy Conor McGregor will end up fighting Michael Chandler: “He just can’t”
Susan Cox - March 14, 2023
Islam Makhachev doesn’t think unhealthy Conor McGregor will end up fighting Michael Chandler. TUF 31 debuts on May 30th on ESPN. It will feature Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler in the UFC produced reality television series. Following The Ultimate Fighter, Conor McGregor (22-6 MM) is slated to meet Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA) in the Octagon, with a date, time and place yet to be determined.
Francis Ngannou reveals he’s had “serious” conversations with two MMA promotions: “Not too much with Bellator”
Susan Cox - March 14, 2023
Francis Ngannou has revealed that he’s had ‘serious’ conversations with two MMA promotions, but ‘not too much with Bellator’. Ngannou parted ways with the UFC two months ago, after a lengthy contractual dispute between the promotion and the 36 year old heavyweight champion.
Brendan Schaub names the heavyweight “dark horse that can dethrone” UFC champion Jon Jones
Susan Cox - March 14, 2023
Brendan Schaub has named the heavyweight ‘dark horse that can dethrone’ UFC champion Jon Jones. It was just over a week ago that Jon Jones (27-1 MMA) defeated Ciryl Gane (11-2 MMA) in the heavyweight main event at UFC 285. Just two minutes and four seconds into the first round it was Jones who got Gane in a guillotine choke, forcing Gane to tap out.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 114 with Vitor Belfort and Chris Duncan
Cole Shelton - March 14, 2023
The 114th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live ahead of UFC 286 and an early look at Gamebred Boxing 4. We’re first joined by former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort (1:35). The other guest is UFC lightweight Chris Duncan (24:50).
Merab Dvalishvili reacts to UFC President Dana White’s warning about not fighting teammate Aljamain Sterling: “If he wants to do it, I will fight”
Harry Kettle - March 14, 2023
UFC bantamweight star Merab Dvalishvili has responded to a recent warning from Dana White about not fighting Aljamain Sterling. On Saturday night, Merab Dvalishvili stepped out of the shadows in the bantamweight division. He dominated Petr Yan in the main event of the latest UFC Fight Night, cementing himself as a top contender at 135 pounds.
TBS ends Power Slap experiment after just one season
Harry Kettle - March 14, 2023
TBS has reportedly brought an end to their relationship with Dana White’s Power Slap league, as per MMA Fighting. The ‘art’ of slap fighting has been a source of controversy since day one. Many don’t enjoy it, although there are a select few who believe it holds some value within the combat sports space. Oh, and there are also plenty of concerns about the health and safety of those involved.
What's next for Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan after UFC Las Vegas?
Cole Shelton - March 13, 2023
In the main event of UFC Las Vegas, Merab Dvalishvili headlined his first UFC event against former bantamweight champ, Petr Yan. Dvalishvili was coming off a decision win over Jose Aldo in August to extend his win streak to eight. Also on the win streak, he had wins over John Dodson, Cody Stamann, and Marlon Moraes among others. Yan, meanwhile, entered the fight losing back-to-back split decisions to Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling and was 1-3 in his last four.
Tom Aspinall admits "GOAT" Jon Jones is his dream fight: "That's something special"
Josh Evanoff - March 13, 2023
UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall has his sights set on the new champion. The British fighter has been out of action since his clash with Curtis Blaydes last July. Just seconds into Aspinall’s bout with ‘Razor’ he suffered a knee injury. As a result, he lost by first-round stoppage, ending his five-fight octagon winning streak. During the winning streak, Aspinall had picked up wins over names such as Alexander Volkov and Andrei Arlovski.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez targeted for UFC 290
Cole Shelton - March 13, 2023
Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez will be unifying the featherweight title this summer. According to Fox Sports Australia, Volkanovski is targeted to defend his title against the interim champ in Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8 which serves as International Fight Week. The event is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Petr Yan releases statement after UFC Las Vegas loss to Merab Dvalishvili: "I couldn't think about canceling the fight, since I was already on the field"
Cole Shelton - March 13, 2023
Petr Yan has opened up on his UFC Las Vegas main event defeat to Merab Dvalishvili. Yan entered the fight on a two-fight losing skid and being 1-3 in his last four, including two losses to Aljamain Sterling to lose his bantamweight title and then in the rematch. The Russian was the betting favorite against Dvalishvili but Yan was dominated over all five rounds as he lost 50-45 on every scorecard.
Dana White admits he "wouldn't be shocked" if Jon Jones retires after facing Stipe Miocic
Cole Shelton - March 13, 2023
Dana White thinks Jon Jones could retire after he fights Stipe Miocic. Jones ended his three-year-long layoff at UFC 285 with a first-round submission win over Ciryl Gane to win the vacant heavyweight title. After the fight, he called for his first title defense to be against Stipe Miocic.
Dana White’s Power Slap League accused of falsifying social media engagement
Harry Kettle - March 13, 2023
Dana White’s Power Slap league has been accused of exaggerating some of their recent social media engagement. Over the course of the last few months, Power Slap has been in the news a fair bit. From health & safety issues to fighter pay problems, it hasn’t been an easy first season for the new promotion.
UFC strawweight Tabatha Ricci shares disturbing DMs she received on Twitter: “Step on my face”
Harry Kettle - March 13, 2023
UFC strawweight Tabatha Ricci has shared a screenshot of some disturbing direct messages she received from a fan on Twitter. In the last twelve months or so, Tabatha Ricci has really cemented herself as a contender at strawweight. After losing to Manon Fiorot at flyweight in her debut, she’s bounced back with three straight wins.
Islam Makhachev claims Michael Chandler “lost on purpose” to obtain Conor McGregor fight
Harry Kettle - March 13, 2023
Islam Makhachev believes Michael Chandler lost his last fight on purpose in order to get a fight with Conor McGregor. Later this year, Michael Chandler will fight Conor McGregor following the latest season of Th Ultimate Fighter. It’s a bout that he has been calling for and now, he’s finally got it.
Bo Nickal doesn't take offense to Michael Chandler's criticism: "He's always been nice to me"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 12, 2023
Don’t expect highly touted prospect Bo Nickal and Michael Chandler to start beefing anytime soon. Nickal has made it clear that he has confidence in his ability to live up to the hype and beyond. The three-time NCAA Division I National Champion is off to a blazing start, going 4-0 with all of those fights ending in the first round to begin his pro MMA career.
Henry Cejudo suggests Merab Dvalishvili be on standby in case Aljamain Sterling backs out of UFC 288 title fight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 12, 2023
Henry Cejudo doesn’t appear to be sold on his UFC Bantamweight Championship match against Aljamain Sterling actually taking place on May 6. Cejudo is set to challenge Sterling for the top prize in the UFC’s male bantamweight division in the main event of UFC 288. The action will be held inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Cejudo took to his Twitter account to suggest to the UFC brass that Sterling’s teammate and close friend Merab Dvalishvili serve as a backup opponent in case Sterling pulls out of the fight (h/t MMAFighting).
Bellator President Scott Coker gives update on Goiti Yamauchi following grotesque knee injury
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 12, 2023
Goiti Yamauchi suffered a nasty knee injury at the conclusion of his Bellator 292 scrap with Michael Page. Yamauchi and Page shared the cage inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This one only last 26 seconds as Page landed a leg kick that totaled Yamauchi’s knee for the TKO finish. It was not a pretty sight, and it was quite clear that Yamauchi suffered an injury that will keep him out of action for a while.
Raphael Assuncao's coach speaks on controversial UFC Las Vegas fight ending
Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 12, 2023
Raphael Assuncao closed out his pro MMA career on a technical submission loss, but it wasn’t without controversy. Assuncao shared the Octagon with Davey Grant on the UFC Las Vegas card on March 11. Assuncao appeared to be closing in on a decision victory when the drama ensued. In the final frame, referee Keith Peterson deducted a point from Grant for grabbing the fence.