MMA News
Kelvin Gastelum issues statement after being forced to withdraw from UFC Vegas 67 main event
Josh Evanoff - January 9, 2023
Middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum has released a statement after being forced out of UFC Vegas 67. The former UFC title challenger has been out of action since a decision loss to Jared Cannonier in August 2021. That defeat was a brutal one, as it set him back to 1-5 in his last six contests. He previously lost to names such as Robert Whittaker, and Darren Till in that stretch.
Terrance McKinney calls to face Paddy Pimblett next: "The way he blocked Jared's punches with his chin was impressive"
Josh Evanoff - January 9, 2023
UFC lightweight prospect Terrance McKinney would like to face ‘The Baddy’ next. ‘T Wrecks’ has been out of action since his submission victory over Erick Gonzalez in August. That victory helped spring the 28-year-old back into the win column after suffering his first promotional loss to Drew Dober last March.
Kelvin Gastelum forced out of UFC Vegas 67, Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov now headlines the event
Cole Shelton - January 9, 2023
Sean Strickland will be headlining back-to-back UFC events. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Strickland is set to replace the injured Kelvin Gastelum against Nassourdine Imavov and will headline UFC Vegas 67. With Strickland taking the fight on short notice, the scrap will be held at light heavyweight, according to the report.
Former UFC champion Jose Aldo and his wife reportedly caught up in scandal involving government handouts
Josh Evanoff - January 9, 2023
Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is now once again back in hot water. ‘Junior’ retired from MMA following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 last August. Prior to the bout, the Brazilian stated that he would retire if he loses, as he was disinterested in fighting for anything but titles. After UFC 278, he kept his word and retired.
Dustin Poirier still hopeful Michael Chandler will be "honest" about what he did at UFC 281: "I don’t want an apology. It doesn’t mean anything to me"
Cole Shelton - January 9, 2023
Dustin Poirier wants Michael Chandler to tell the truth. At UFC 281, Poirier and Chandler fought in a highly-anticipated bout that lived up to expectations. It was a back-and-forth war but in the third round, Poirier got the submission which he was pleased with.
Josh Thomson shares the one fighter capable of dethroning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev: “He's the only one”
Susan Cox - January 9, 2023
Josh Thomson is sharing the one fighter he feels is capable of dethroning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Islam Makhachev (23-1 MMA) is set to battle it out with featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski (25-1 MMA) on Saturday, February 11th at UFC 284. The lightweight main event title bout will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Cain Carrizosa arrested for multiple charges including third-degree domestic violence
Susan Cox - January 9, 2023
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Cain Carrizosa has been arrested for multiple charges including third degree domestic violence. What is going on with 2023 in the MMA world? Dana White started it off with a ‘smack’ on New Year’s Eve, former UFC fighter Phil Baroni got charged with murdering his girlfriend in Mexico and now Cain Carrizosa has also been arrested.
Adrian Yanez happy Sean O'Malley never came to fruition last year, expects to face 'Suga' for the belt: "We are two strikers, we are not going to shoot in for the takedown"
Cole Shelton - January 9, 2023
Adrian Yanez and Sean O’Malley both agreed to fight one another last year, but the bout never came to fruition. Yanez had called out O’Malley after his win, and ‘Suga’ had said Yanez would be next, but the scrap never happened. Instead, O’Malley had a No-Contest against Pedro Munhoz and then defeated Petr Yan by split decision, which surprised many but not Yanez as he thought O’Malley was capable of winning that fight.
Dustin Poirier fires back at Beneil Dariush after being told to retire
Lewis Simpson - January 9, 2023
UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier responded to Beneil Dariush after he suggested that Poirier should hang up the gloves. The former UFC interim lightweight champions’ latest outing occurred at UFC 281 in November at Maddison Square Garden against Michael Chandler. After enduring the early storm from Chandler, Poirier recuperated, eventually latching onto a rear-naked choke in the third round. The back-and-forth brawl cemented itself in the history books.
The UFC’s parent company Endeavor listed as one of three possible buyers of the WWE
Harry Kettle - January 9, 2023
Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, have been listed as a potential buyer for WWE. While some fans may not like it, WWE and UFC have a lot in common. They aren’t directly linked in the combat sports space but they’ve certainly had crossovers before.
Henry Cejudo jokes that he’s ready to fight Dana White’s wife: “She can get it too”
Harry Kettle - January 9, 2023
Henry Cejudo has joked that he’s ready to fight Dana White’s wife in a controversial comment posted to social media. We all know that Henry Cejudo can be a controversial figure. The man known as ‘Triple C’ has spent the last few years forming a brand new persona for himself. As opposed to being a humble flyweight, he now comes out with some outrageous remarks with the aim of keeping the spotlight on himself.
Chael Sonnen explains why Cain Velasquez is "the scariest fighter in MMA history"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 8, 2023
Chael Sonnen has his pick for the scariest fighter in MMA history, and his name is Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. Velasquez was renowned for his wrestling abilities and his conditioning. He’s beaten the likes of Junior dos Santos, Brock Lesnar, and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Dustin Poirier on UFC's ban on fighters betting: "I'm glad it happened"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 8, 2023
Former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier has weighed in on the fighter betting situation. Former UFC fighter-turned-coach, James Krause, became embroiled in controversy after his fighter, Darrick Minner, suffered a first-round TKO loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Vegas 64. Minner was a slight underdog going into the fight but suddenly Nuerdanbieke became a -420 favorite. News of Minner’s leg injury was allegedly leaked by his team.
Henry Cejudo “beats Aljamain and destroys Sean O’Malley” according to UFC veteran Matt Brown
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 8, 2023
Henry Cejudo will defeat Aljamain Sterling and dismantle Sean O’Malley if UFC veteran Matt Brown’s prediction comes true. Sterling, the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion, has said that a showdown with Cejudo is likely to take place in March. Cejudo’s manager told MMAFighting that the bout was a done deal.
UFC 286 adds three new fights including Marvin Vettori vs Roman Dolidze
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 8, 2023
The card for UFC’s return to London has some additions. UFC 286 will emanate from The O2 Arena in London, England on March 18. The UFC’s most recent trip to London took place back in March 2022. Headlining that show was a heavyweight collision between Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall.
Former UFC fighter Phil Baroni moved to State prison, facing 30-50 years if found guilty of murder
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 8, 2023
Former UFC and PRIDE fighter Phil Baroni has been moved to State prison after allegedly murdering his girlfriend in Mexico. The Tribuna De La Bahia reported that Baroni was arrested over the alleged crime, which stemmed from an argument with his girlfriend. The report noted that Baroni had been on alcohol and drugs.
Jamie Foxx salutes D.L. Hughley for accusing the media of providing Dana White with "White Privilege"
Chris Taylor - January 7, 2023
Jamie Foxx is saluting fellow American actor D.L. Hughley for accusing the media of providing UFC President Dana White with “White Privilege”. White made headlines for all the wrong reasons on January 2nd after a video of him slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico went viral on TMZ.
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is stepping away from coaching and leaving MMA entirely
Chris Taylor - January 7, 2023
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov plans to step away from coaching and leave the MMA scene entirely. Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA) decided to retire from competition following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. ‘The Eagle’ cited the death of his father Abdulmanap as the reason behind his decision to hang up his gloves.