MMA News
John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discuss how PRIDE tried to sway the odds in favor of their favorite sons
Susan Cox - April 1, 2022
John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discussed how PRIDE tried to sway the odds in favor of their favorite sons. PRIDE Fighting Championships began as a Japanese MMA promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Arguably PRIDE was the most popular MMA promotion during the early 2000’s. PRIDE over the years, held more than sixty mixed martial arts events, broadcast to an estimated 40 countries worldwide.
Bethe Correia confirms her MMA career is over but says she is open to boxing: “I would like that adventure”
Harry Kettle - April 1, 2022
Bethe Correia has confirmed her MMA retirement but has also indicated she would be open to a stint in boxing. Throughout the course of her MMA career, Bethe Correia was an intriguing and dynamic force who took on some of the biggest names in the sport. From Ronda Rousey to Holly Holm and beyond, the 38-year-old wasn’t afraid to get in the mix and test herself against the best of the best.
Tom Aspinall is not interested in fighting for the UFC interim heavyweight title: “I think there are other people that deserve it more”
Harry Kettle - April 1, 2022
UFC star Tom Aspinall has said he isn’t all too interested in fighting for the interim heavyweight title right now. Within the context of the heavyweight division in the UFC, there are few fighters as exciting as Tom Aspinall. The Englishman continues to tear through just about everyone the promotion puts in his way and at UFC London last month, the youngster made short work of Alexander Volkov with an impressive first round submission triumph.
Cory Sandhagen details what Aljamain Sterling should do different in rematch with Petr Yan at UFC 273
Harry Kettle - April 1, 2022
UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen has given his thoughts on what Aljamain Sterling needs to do differently in his Petr Yan rematch. While he may not have held a title in the UFC, Cory Sandhagen is still one of the most impressive bantamweight fighters out there. He’s been involved in some incredibly intriguing match-ups throughout the course of his run with the promotion and in that time, he’s come face to face with both Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.
Kelvin Gastelum explains why he decided to fight an unranked opponent at UFC 273
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2022
Kelvin Gastelum has explained why he decided to take a short-notice replacement t UFC 273. Gastelum was set to face Nassourdine Imavov but the Frenchman had visa issues so the fight was off. It was then reported that Gastelum would be removed from the card and the bout with Imanov would be rescheduled. However, on Tuesday, it was revealed that ‘KG’ would now face unranked fighter Dricus Du Plessis, and the former TUF winner has a good reason why.
Deiveson Figueiredo announces hand injury, targeting return in late 2022: "I can't even hit pads"
Josh Evanoff - March 31, 2022
Deiveson Figueiredo has announced a hand injury will likely keep him out of action until the end of the year. The Brazilian was last in action at UFC 270 in January, capturing UFC flyweight gold against Brandon Moreno. Following the trilogy bout, there was immediate talk of a quadrilogy matchup between the two. Dana White quickly gave his blessing and it seems that a fourth fight between Moreno and Figueiredo was on the books.
Chael Sonnen says Jake Paul badly needs Nate Diaz fight next: "His last fight didn't meet expectations on PPV"
Josh Evanoff - March 31, 2022
Chael Sonnen seems to believe that Jake Paul needs Nate Diaz more than the other way around. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has spent the last year or so calling out various UFC fighters. While he’s scored victories inside the ring over Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, Paul has set his sights on bigger names.
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.
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.
Paulo Costa sets his sights on Derek Brunson: “Now it’s time to runway or accept”
Harry Kettle - March 31, 2022
UFC middleweight Paulo Costa has called out divisional rival Derek Brunson as he goes in search of a return to the Octagon. In the last few years there are few fighters who have been as happy to play the pantomime villain role as Paulo Costa. The Brazilian, who surged up through the rankings upon entering the UFC, was unsuccessful in his attempt to capture the UFC middleweight title when he was beaten by Israel Adesanya at UFC 253.
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.
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.
Georges St-Pierre and Stephen Thompson create hilarious Will Smith-Chris Rock parody (Video)
Josh Evanoff - March 30, 2022
Georges St-Pierre and Stephen Thompson have created a hilarious Will Smith-Chris Rock parody days after their Oscar incident. Last weekend, the comedian hosted the 94th Academy Awards. During the show, Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s haircut and compared her to GI. Jane. The 57-year-old was seemingly unaware of the fact that the actress’s lack of hair is due to her having the disease alopecia.
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.
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.”