MMA News
Ben Rothwell released from UFC just weeks before his scheduled fight against Alexander Gustafsson
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2022
Ben Rothwell is no longer a member of the UFC roster. Rothwell was scheduled to fight Alexander Gustafsson at heavyweight on May 21. However, on Thursday it was revealed by algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch that ‘Big Ben’ was removed from the fan rankings pool. MMAFighting then confirmed with the promotion that the UFC decided to release Rothwell.
UFC 273 lineup official with a total of six bouts on the main card
Susan Cox - March 31, 2022
The UFC 273 lineup is now official with a total of six fights on the main card. UFC 273 will take place on Saturday, April 9th at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Derek Brunson shoots down challenge from Paulo Costa: “Focus on your own weight class, you’re a heavyweight”
Susan Cox - March 31, 2022
UFC middleweight fighter Derek Brunson has shot down the callout he received from former division title challenger Paulo Costa. After a match-up with Sean Strickland (24-3 MMA) fell through, Paulo Costa (13-2 MMA) took to Twitter to target a fight with Derek Brunson (23-8 MMA) as all three men are currently ranked in the top-5 of the UFC middleweight rankings.
Josh Thomson suggests UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko should consider turning heel
Susan Cox - March 31, 2022
In speaking about the recent UFC 275 announcements, Josh Thomson is suggesting UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko should consider turning heel. It was announced earlier this month that Valentina Shevchenko (22-3 MMA) will match up with Taila Santos (19-1 MMA) in the flyweight title bout at UFC 275 on June 11, 2022.
Leon Edwards scolds Jorge Masvidal for his performance against Colby Covington: “He looked like he was there for the payday”
Harry Kettle - March 31, 2022
UFC welterweight Leon Edwards has criticized Jorge Masvidal for his performance against Colby Covington at UFC 272. The history between Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal has certainly been intriguing, dating all the way back to UFC London in 2019. After both men came out on top with wins in their respective bouts, they had a confrontation backstage that ended with Masvidal hitting Edwards with a combination he called a “three piece and a soda”. Then, just a few months ago, “Gamebred” was supposed to meet “Rocky” at UFC 269 – only for an injury to rule Masvidal out of the contest.
Shavkat Rakhmonov calls out Neil Magny since Li Jingliang “doesn’t have the guts” to fight him
Harry Kettle - March 31, 2022
UFC welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov has called out Neil Magny as his pursuit of the title at 170 pounds continues. There are plenty of prospects in the UFC who have been dubbed future stars and potentially even future champions – but few are quite as exciting as Shavkat Rakhmonov. The 15-0 fighter, who has been compared by many to Khamzat Chimaev, is 3-0 in the promotion with impressive wins over Alex Oliveira, Michel Prazeres and Carlston Harris to his name.
Sean Strickland explains why he’s fighting Alex Pereira instead of Paulo Costa at UFC 277
Harry Kettle - March 31, 2022
UFC middleweight Sean Strickland has explained why he’s taking on Alex Pereira instead of Paulo Costa at UFC 277. A few days ago it was announced that Sean Strickland, one of the UFC’s top 185-pounders, will be taking on rising star Alex Pereira at UFC 277 in July. While the majority of fans were pleasantly surprised to see this match-up get made, others were taken aback by Pereira being thrust into such a prominent spot.
Aljamain Sterling says he will "dominate" Petr Yan at UFC 273: "Enjoy the show"
Cole Shelton - March 30, 2022
Aljamain Sterling believes he will dominate Petr Yan at UFC 273 to defend his bantamweight title. Sterling and Yan first met back at UFC 259 in March of 2021, when the Russian was looking to defend his belt for the first time. The fight was competitive but as it went on, Yan was starting to pull away until he threw an illegal knee to the head of Sterling. After ‘Funkmaster’ couldn’t continue, Yan was DQ’d leaving Sterling to win the belt by DQ.
Colby Covington says his parents "screamed" at him over his persona, told him "they didn't raise him" like that
Cole Shelton - March 30, 2022
Colby Covington’s parents were not a fan of his persona. It has been well-documented that the UFC were not going to re-sign Covington when he was fighting out his contract against Demian Maia. However, after the fight, he called Brazil a dump and then turned his persona up to a 100 and was a vocal Trump supporter, which allowed him to remain in the UFC.
Chael Sonnen hits back at Joe Rogan, says Conor McGregor should be praised for Kamaru Usman callout
Josh Evanoff - March 30, 2022
Chael Sonnen doesn’t agree with Joe Rogan’s recent criticism of Conor McGregor calling out Kamaru Usman. Instead, he believes the Irishman should be praised. Earlier this month, Conor McGregor announced that he was aiming for a welterweight return. The former dual-weight champion has been out of action since July 2021 due to a leg injury. While he’s teased a title fight was in the cards upon his return, he didn’t specify where until recently.
Brandon Moreno slams Deiveson Figueiredo's attempt to forego quadrilogy fight: "He's just running away"
Josh Evanoff - March 30, 2022
Brandon Moreno has slammed Deiveson Figueiredo’s attempt to avoid a fourth fight with him. The two men fought in their trilogy bout in January at UFC 270. The Brazilian recaptured the title in a unanimous decision victory after five grueling rounds. Following the victory, both men displayed an interest in fighting for the fourth time.
Prosecutors drop felony battery charge against Chael Sonnen in Las Vegas hotel incident but misdemeanor charges remain
Cole Shelton - March 30, 2022
Chael Sonnen had his felony battery charge dropped in court on Wednesday. Sonnen was facing 11 charges including 10 misdemeanor charges of battery and one felony charge of battery by strangulation, stemming from an incident at a hotel in Las Vegas. Originally, it was reported Sonnen was defending his wife but recently, reports came out that the former UFC fighter attacked citizens unprovoked which resulted in injuries. The lawsuit came months after five misdemeanor battery charges against Sonnen were “dismissed by the court without prejudice.”
Henry Cejudo is not sold on Paddy Pimblett and Sean O’Malley: “Yeah, you can entertain, but can you really fight?”
Susan Cox - March 30, 2022
Henry Cejudo commented that he is not sold on Paddy Pimblett and Sean O’Malley, acknowledging that yes, they are entertainers but questioning if they really are the best fighters. In a YouTube podcast with The Schmo, Cejudo was asked about his thoughts on Paddy’s stardom compared to Sean ‘Sugar’ O’Malley and said:
Jake Shields details what it will take for Nate Diaz to accept a boxing match with Jake Paul
Susan Cox - March 30, 2022
Jake Shields has taken to Twitter to comment on what it would take for Nate Diaz to accept a boxing match with Jake Paul. Jake Paul has taken to social media several times, calling out Nate Diaz and asking him to meet him in the boxing ring.
Chael Sonnen dismisses Paddy Pimblett - Conor McGregor comparisons: “How did this ever get going?”
Susan Cox - March 30, 2022
Chael Sonnen is questioning how the Paddy Pimblett – Conor McGregor comparisons came about. It was Paddy Pimblett (18-3 MMA) who most recently secured a home town win in front of a boisterous crowd at UFC London against Rodrigo Vargas (12-5 MMA). The Liverpool fighter was the star of the show, who attracted a huge amount of interest ahead of the sold-out O2 Arena event in London.
Sean Strickland opens as betting underdog for UFC 277 clash with Alex Pereira
Harry Kettle - March 30, 2022
Sean Strickland has opened as a slight betting underdog for his UFC 277 showdown with Alex Pereira, as per Best Fight Odds. It was reported a few days ago that the UFC is planning to put together one of the most fascinating middleweight contests of the year thus far. The fight will see Sean Strickland, an established member of the division’s elite, going head to head with rising prospect and kickboxing legend Alex Pereira.
Henry Cejudo issues challenge to “ribbon holder” Conor McGregor: “I will literally go up to 155lbs to fight you, if you’re willing to be sober”
Harry Kettle - March 30, 2022
Former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo has said he’ll go up to lightweight to fight Conor McGregor. One of the more unusual feuds to have developed in the last couple of months in the MMA space is between Henry Cejudo and Conor McGregor. These two men, who have both won titles in multiple weight classes in the UFC, seem to dislike one another and aren’t afraid to voice their frustrations on social media.
Joe Rogan weighs in after Will Smith smacks Chris Rock at the Oscars: “He acted on impulse in a staggeringly stupid way”
Harry Kettle - March 30, 2022
Joe Rogan has given his thoughts on Will Smith hitting Chris Rock during an altercation at the Oscars on Sunday night. In what can only be described as one of the most insane TV moments of all-time, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. It came after Rock had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle, with Will noting that her alopecia was the reason why he found it particularly offensive.