MMA News
Petr Yan blasts Alajmain Sterling ahead of UFC 256 title fight: "You will be lying tanning just like Askren"
Cole Shelton - November 4, 2020
Petr Yan is confident he will defend his bantamweight title against Aljamain Sterling and will do so in devastating fashion. In the co-main event of UFC 256, Yan and Sterling will finally get the chance to share the Octagon. Heading into the fight, many pundits are split on who will win, but for the Russian, he plans on making Sterling be knocked out cold like Jorge Masvidal did to Ben Askren.
After highlight-reel KO in UFC debut, Adrian Yanez hopes Aaron Phillips fight gets rebooked for December
Cole Shelton - November 4, 2020
Adrian Yanez couldn’t have scripted a better UFC debut. Yanez earned a UFC deal earlier this summer on the Contender Series and at UFC Vegas 12, scored a first-round head kick KO in 2:46. The 26-year-old also got a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts.
Max Griffin plans to "smash" Ramiz Brahimaj: "I’m going to dominate and embarrass him"
Cole Shelton - November 4, 2020
Max Griffin is very confident he will get his hand raised on Saturday night when he faces UFC newcomer, Ramiz Brahimaj. Griffin is on a two-fight losing streak and coming off a split decision loss to Alex Oliveira. For Griffin, although he lost the fight, and another close decision, he took a lot away from that and enters his UFC Vegas 13 fight with a new mindset.
Paulo Costa reveals he fought Israel Adesanya with a "totally impaired" leg and should've postponed the fight
Cole Shelton - November 4, 2020
Paulo Costa has finally revealed what happened before his UFC 253 fight against Israel Adesanya. Leading into the event, it was a highly-anticipated bout and one many were torn on who would win. Yet, Adesanya made it look easy as he TKO’d Costa in the second round and immediately the Brazilian called for a rematch as he claimed something happened before the fight.
Paulo Costa confirms fight with Robert Whittaker "very close" to being booked
Adam Martin - November 4, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa confirmed that a fight against former champion Robert Whittaker is “very close” to being booked. Costa recently called out Whittaker for what he said would be an “amazing fight” for the fans. Whittaker in turn said that he wasn’t interested in Costa at the moment, but it looks like the UFC has different plans. Speaking on his YouTube channel in a recent live chat with his fans, Costa confirmed that he’s deep into discussions with the UFC about the Whittaker fight, adding that a few details need to still be ironed out.
Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal added to undercard of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards card
Adam Martin - November 4, 2020
An exciting matchup between two of the best welterweights in the UFC takes place in December when Stephen Thompson takes on Geoff Neal. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the Thompson vs. Neal fight. The bout will take place on the UFC Fight Night card on December 19, one that features a main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Israel Adesanya shares theory on swollen pectoral after undergoing medical tests
Tom Taylor - November 4, 2020
Israel Adesanya was the picture of dominance in his UFC 253 title fight with Paulo Costa, defending the middleweight title with second-round TKO. Unfortunately, many fans were talking about something else in the aftermath of the matchup: the champ’s swollen pectoral muscle. During the bout, some viewers noticed that Adesanya had some unusual swelling on the right side of his chest. As ever, fans were quick to speculate as to the cause of this abnormality, with some even accusing the champion of steroid use.
Niko Price among multiple UFC fighters to be suspended for marijuana use
Adam Martin - November 4, 2020
Niko Price was among the multiple UFC fighters who have been suspended in Nevada for marijuana use while another has tested positive for PEDs. According to MMAjunkie.com’s John Morgan, Price saw his temporary suspension for having carboxy THC in his system extended after testing positive for a prohibited cannabinoid following his fight against Donald Cerrone. Price fought to a draw in the fight. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has now placed Price under a temporary suspension and the two sides are expected to settle the matter in December.
Jan Blachowicz on Israel Adesanya super fight: "He will remember me for the rest of his life"
Tom Taylor - November 4, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is plotting an emphatic victory over the promotion’s middleweight titleholder, Israel Adesanya. Blachowicz is expected to defend his belt against Adesanya sometime in the new year. While the fight doesn’t yet have a date or a setting, the light heavyweight champion has named March as his preferred timeframe for the fight.
Video | Kevin Lee shows off new head tattoo
Tom Taylor - November 4, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee is going to look a little different next time he steps into the Octagon thanks to a brand new head tattoo. Lee began teasing his new ink a few weeks ago, and in a Tuesday post to Instagram, showed off what looks like the nearly-finished product. See it below.
UFC rankings update: Uriah Hall cracks top-10
Tom Taylor - November 4, 2020
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 12 card, and as always, there have been some interesting changes. The most notable change concerns Uriah Hall, who has cracked the middleweight division’s top-10 after scoring a fourth-round TKO win over retiring legend Anderson Silva in the card’s main event. By moving into the No. 10 spot, Hall pushes former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman into the No. 11 spot.
Tito Ortiz wins Huntington Beach city council seat
Tom Taylor - November 4, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz has won a city council seat in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. Ortiz has been in the running for this position for several months, and ultimately achieved his political goal by winning 34,901 votes—14.26 percent of the votes cast overall (h/t MMA Junkie).
UFC submission specialist Ryan Hall receives medical clearance, promptly makes callout
Harry Kettle - November 4, 2020
UFC featherweight Ryan Hall has immediately issued a callout after being medically cleared to compete once again. Hall, who is considered to be one of the best submission specialists in all of mixed martial arts, hasn’t fought since back in July 2019 when he beat Darren Elkins via unanimous decision. He had, however, twice been booked to fight Ricardo Lamas, only for the bout to fall apart on two separate occasions – the latter being due to Hall sustaining an injury.
Robert Whittaker reacts to callout from Paulo Costa: “He just lost his contention to the title”
Harry Kettle - November 4, 2020
UFC middleweight Robert Whittaker has issued his response after a recent callout by divisional rival Paulo Costa. Whittaker seems to be the next man in line for a shot at Israel Adesanya’s Middleweight Championship after his two decision wins over fellow contenders Darren Till and Jared Cannonier. Costa, on the other hand, was decisively beaten by Adesanya in a one-sided title fight back at UFC 253.
Kevin Holland says coach Travis Lutter wants him to fight two more times in 2020
Adam Martin - November 3, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland says that his coach, former UFC fighter Travis Lutter, wants him to fight two more times in 2020. Holland has been one of the most active fighters on the UFC roster during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Dating back to May, Holland has fought four times and he’s won all four fights in impressive fashion. In May, Holland knocked out Anthony Hernandez in the first round at UFC Jacksonville. Holland then returned in August at UFC Vegas: Lewis vs. Overeem and defeated Joaquin Buckley via KO, winning a 50k bonus for his efforts.
Michael Chandler calls out Tony Ferguson or Justin Gaethje for UFC debut: "We're going to have a blast"
Adam Martin - November 3, 2020
Recent UFC free-agent signing Michael Chandler is requesting a matchup against either Tony Ferguson or Justin Gaethje for his Octagon debut. Chandler was the backup for the UFC 254 main event between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Gaethje, but he wasn’t needed as both men made weight and made it to the fight unscathed. A former three-time lightweight champion in Bellator, Chandler ended up getting introduced on the UFC 254 pay-per-view broadcast to UFC fans for the first time. But he went to Fight Island with the hopes of stepping into the cage.
Israel Adesanya understands why Robert Whittaker didn't force rematch: "I’ll probably see him again in New Zealand"
Cole Shelton - November 3, 2020
Israel Adesanya knows he and Robert Whittaker will fight again in the near future. After Whittaker defeated Jared Cannonier at UFC 254 to become the No. 1 contender, many figured the rematch with Adesanya would be next. However, Whittaker made it clear he would not fight until March as he wanted to spend the holidays with his family.
Conor McGregor vents his frustration after being “ignored” by UFC officials
Cole Shelton - November 3, 2020
Conor McGregor is venting his frustration with the UFC. In November of last year, McGregor announced he would be returning to the Octagon in January. His goal was to fight three times, the first in January, one in the summer, and then the rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov in October. However, that did not happen for a variety of reasons.