MMA News
Dana White reveals getting lone loss removed from Jon Jones' record is "not looking good"
Cole Shelton - January 11, 2021
UFC president, Dana White has revealed he is having a hard time getting the lone loss removed from Jon Jones’ record. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has never truly lost, as his only loss on his record came in his 10th fight as he was disqualified due to illegal elbows. However, it was a controversial DQ and since the event, White has made it clear he wanted to get the loss overturned to a no-contest.
Max Holloway sends a warning to Calvin Kattar for saying he's the better striker: "Come find out"
Cole Shelton - January 11, 2021
Max Holloway doesn’t buy all the talk that Calvin Kattar is the best striker in the featherweight division. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 7, Holloway is set to return to the Octagon against rising contender, Calvin Kattar, which should be a phenomenal fight. Both men are elite strikers, with many saying Kattar has the best boxing at featherweight. However, for Holloway, he believes he is still the guy at 145-pounds and is still the best striker in the division.
Dana White updates on Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev bout: "I love that fight"
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
UFC President Dana White is still determined to book a fight between welterweight stars Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. Edwards and Chimaev have been scheduled to fight twice now to no avail. The pair were first slated to collide on December 19 in Las Vegas, but the matchup fell through when Edwards was sidelined with COVID-19.
Dana White not ruling out immediate title shot for TJ Dillashaw
Adam Martin - January 11, 2021
UFC president Dana White says he is not ruling out an immediate title shot for former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw is set to return from his two-year suspension by USADA in January 2019 for performance-enhancing drugs. The former bantamweight kingpin recently shared photos of his current physique, and he looks like he’s ready to come back and dominate. Considering he’s a big name in the division and a former champion, we’ve seen fighters such as Jose Aldo and Rob Font call him out. They are both top-10 opponents, but it’s possible Dillashaw is chasing after even bigger fish.
Weili Zhang could make next title defense in Asia, says Dana White
Adam Martin - January 11, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang could make her next title defense in Asia, according to UFC president Dana White. Zhang is one of the top female fighters in the sports and she is looking to make a grand return to the Octagon in 2021, following a “Fight of the Year” performance against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 in March 2020. Zhang was not able to fight again following the COVID-19 pandemic, but she is hoping to fight again in the next few months. While most assumed she would make her next title defense in Las Vegas or on Fight Island, there is now a chance she could fight in Asia instead.
Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya should happen at light heavyweight, says Dana White
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
UFC President Dana White believes a potential fight between Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya should happen in the light heavyweight division, not at heavyweight. Jones and Adesanya are two of the biggest stars in MMA at present, and White has made no secret of his interest in a fight between them. That being said, it’s unclear what weight class this potential superfight would occur in.
Brandon Moreno has a question for Deiveson Figueiredo: "How you want to be a BMF if you can’t beat a little Mexican kid?"
Adam Martin - January 11, 2021
Brandon Moreno questioned UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo’s BMF title talks after the two fought to a majority draw at UFC 256. Moreno and Figueiredo put on one of the best fights of 2020 back in December when the two fought in a 25-minute war that served as the main event of UFC 256. At the end of five rounds, the judges couldn’t decide on a winner, with a point deduction due to a Figueiredo low blow leading to the bout being scored a majority draw. UFC president Dana White has since confirmed there will be a rematch this year, and there have been talks that the UFC could run this fight back in April or May.
Dana White reflects on being "in a really bad place" with Conor McGregor
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
UFC President Dana White says he’s repaired his relationship with Conor McGregor after being in “a bad place” with the Irishman last year. White and McGregor have butted heads several times over the years, most recently in mid-2020, when the Irish MMA star released some of his DMs with the UFC boss. Unsurprisingly, White was upset that what he believed was a private conversation was leaked to the public, particularly because he and McGregor were speaking about aging UFC veteran Diego Sanchez.
Tito Ortiz reflects on last fight, says he's "getting ready to go again"
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
Tito Ortiz currently has his hands full with his duties as the Mayor Pro Tem of Huntington Beach, California, but he still intends to fight again. Ortiz, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, last fought in December, 2019, when he submitted former pro wrestler Alberto Del Rio under the Combate Americas banner.
Dustin Poirier plans to fight "eight more times" before considering retirement
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier plans to compete at least eight more times before giving retirement too much thought. Poirier, who currently holds the No. 2 spot in the UFC lightweight rankings, is gearing up for a fight with former two-division champion Conor McGregor, which will headline the UFC 257 card on January 23.
Georges St-Pierre makes his pick for MMA GOAT, but it admits "it's a subjective thing"
Tom Taylor - January 11, 2021
UFC legend Georges St-Pierre believes Royce Gracie is greatest fighter in MMA history, but admits it’s “a subjective thing.” St-Pierre, who previously held the UFC welterweight and middleweight titles, but is now enjoying retirement, recently partook in a interesting interview with UFC.com. One of the topics of the chat was his place among the GOATs of MMA.
UFC files applications with the NSAC to hold four events in February
Harry Kettle - January 11, 2021
The UFC has filed applications with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to promote four proposed events in the month of February. The UFC has been in an ongoing cycle over the course of the last nine months between hosting events in Nevada and hosting events in Abu Dhabi – outside of their brief stint in Florida, of course.
Diego Sanchez announces his next fight will be his last
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
UFC legend Diego Sanchez announced on social media that his next fight inside the Octagon will be the final fight of his career. Sanchez has been criticized in recent years by fans and media for fighting too long considering the amount of head trauma he’s endured over his 15 years in the Octagon. A member of the UFC roster since 2005, Sanchez is by far the longest-tenured fighter the promotion has under contract. But at age 39 and coming off of several lackluster performances, including a lopsided decision defeat to Jake Matthews at UFC 253, it appears as though Sanchez is finally ready to hang ’em up.
Marlon Moraes to undergo shoulder surgery, vows to "start over" after back-to-back losses
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes is set to undergo shoulder surgery, vowing to “start over” after losing back-to-back fights. It wasn’t long ago that Moraes was the No. 1 contender in the UFC bantamweight division. But after losing back-to-back fights by knockout to Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font to end 2020, he’s now fallen all the way down to No. 7 in the UFC. Remember, Moraes was set to fight UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan at one point in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. So the fact that Moraes has now dropped all the way out of the title conversation at 135lbs is downright shocking.
Henry Cejudo sends warning to Deiveson Figueiredo: "I will knock this guy out"
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo says he would KO current flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo if they meet inside the Octagon. Cejudo was, of course, both the UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion before deciding to give up both titles and walking away from the sport. Cejudo retired last May following a TKO win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, though he has teased a return to the Octagon in the months since. Not long after Cejudo retired, Figueiredo won the vacant flyweight title over Joseph Benavidez. Since then, Figueiredo has become a bigger name in the sport and he’s tried to coax Cejudo out of retirement.
Dana White on Robert Whittaker: "I don’t think he’s going to get a title shot next"
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
UFC president Dana White hinted that Robert Whittaker will have to fight again, saying “I don’t think he’s going to get a title shot next.” After beating Jared Cannonier at UFC 254, most figured that the UFC matchmakers would look to book a rematch between Whittaker and UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, the man who took his title back at UFC 243. Instead, Adesanya is moving up to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in March. That leaves Whittaker in a tough position because he’s done enough to earn a rematch against Adesanya, but at the same time, the champ may not return to 185lbs.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cody Stamann added to February UFC Fight Night card
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
An intriguing bantamweight bout between Merab Dvalishvili and Cody Stamann has been added to a UFC Fight Night card on February 6. Dvalishvili and Stamann were originally scheduled to lock horns back on the December 5 card in Las Vegas, but Stamann was forced out of the fight and he was replaced by Raoni Barcelos, who also had to withdraw from the card. However, now that Stamann is able to compete again, the UFC matchmakers decided to go ahead and re-book Dvalishvili vs. Stamann. The two bantamweights will now collide on February 6 on the undercard of the Alistair Overeem vs. Alexander Volkov event.
UFC on ABC 1 loses fight as Nik Lentz shifted to UFC 257
Adam Martin - January 10, 2021
Next Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 card has lost a fight as Mike Grundy is out and Nik Lentz has been re-booked for UFC 257 instead. According to Marcel Dorff of MMA DNA, Lentz’s original opponent Grundy had to withdraw from his bout against Lentz that was set for January 16 on Fight Island. That fight was supposed to take place on the undercard of the Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar event, but now that Grundy is out of the fight, the UFC matchmakers had to work fast and re-book Lentz for another fight. Fortunately for Lentz, the matchmakers were able to get Movsar Evolev to fight Lentz on short notice.