MMA News
Chael Sonnen praises “the most feared man in boxing” Jake Paul: “These boxers are not sure that they can beat him”
Susan Cox - January 26, 2022
Jake Paul (5-0), at 25 years old, is an American social media personality and professional boxer. Paul is also an actor, rapper, and YouTuber with 20 million plus subscribers. In his last fight on Dec. 18, 2021, Paul took out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley (19-7 MMA) after sending him face-first into the canvas with a vicious knockout blow in the sixth round. At this point it is unlikely there will be a trilogy fight between the two.
Aljamain Sterling rips TJ Dillashaw for predicting a Petr Yan victory at UFC 273
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2022
Aljamain Sterling has blasted TJ Dillashaw for suggesting Petr Yan will win their rematch at UFC 273. Sterling and Yan first met at UFC 259 in March of 2021 in a highly-anticipated bout. As the fight was playing out it appeared the Russian was taking over and on his way to a win, but he then threw an illegal knee and Sterling could not continue. With that, Yan was DQ’d and Sterling became the new champ.
Angela Lee responds to opponent Stamp Fairtex's 'idol' comments
Andrew Whitelaw - January 26, 2022
Angela Lee will defend her atomweight title against Stamp Fairtex at ONE: ‘X’ on March 26th. The Thai earned her shot at the champ by winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight world Grand Prix in December. The former ONE Muay Thai and kickboxing champion pulled off a big surprise when she submitted Ritu Phogat in the final. Currently 9-2, that was only Stamp’s second submission victory. She only had her first pro MMA fight in 2018 and her skillset has evolved rapidly. Like Stamp, Angela Lee won her first world title in ONE when she was still just a teenager. She took the atomweight crown with a unanimous decision win against Mei Yamaguchi when she was just 19.
Chael Sonnen lauds Said Nurmagomedov for the “single greatest performance at UFC 270”
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2022
Chael Sonnen has nothing but praise for Said Nurmagomedov. On the main card of UFC 270, Nurmagomedov was set for his fifth UFC fight against Cody Stamann which many viewed as his toughest challenge to date. However, Nurmagomedov was able to run through the longtime ranked contender as he landed a spinning kick and then locked in a guillotine choke and tapped Stamann out in just 47 seconds.
Sean Strickland suggests special rules to set “the middle ground” for a potential Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury fight
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2022
Sean Strickland has an idea on how to level the playing field for Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury. In the lead-up to UFC 270, which served as Ngannou’s first heavyweight title defense, it was made clear he was not happy with his contract and if he lost, he would be a free agent. Yet, the champ ended up being Ciryl Gane by decision and now, he has talked about wanting to box Tyson Fury.
UFC 270 fight night weights revealed: Figueiredo adds nearly 20lbs, Stamann the highest gainer
Cole Shelton - January 25, 2022
The UFC 270 fight night weights have been revealed and Deiveson Figueiredo added nearly 20lbs after weigh-ins. On Friday morning, every fighter successfully made weight but the California State Athletic Commission released the fight night weights.
Colby Covington seeks Kamaru Usman trilogy bout with win over Jorge Masvidal: "He hasn't proved he's the better fighter"
Josh Evanoff - January 25, 2022
Colby Covington may have Jorge Masvidal standing in his way, but he’s already looking past ‘Gamebred’ towards a third bout against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. Colby Covington is set for a rare non-title PPV main event against his friend-turned-rival Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. However, while he’s looking to score a win over his former roommate, he also has his eyes set on a larger bout. ‘Chaos’ believes he would deserve a trilogy bout with the UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman if he defeats Masvidal.
Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad 2 set to headline UFC Fight Night card in April
Cole Shelton - January 25, 2022
Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad will be running it back. Luque and Muhammad first met in 2016 and will now be fighting again five-and-a-half years later. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the two will headline a Fight Night card on April 16 which serves as a crucial fight for the welterweight division.
Justin Gaethje wants Charles Oliveira bout in Brazil
Josh Evanoff - January 25, 2022
Justin Gaethje has long declared that he deserves a title shot against UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, and he’s willing to go into enemy territory to get it. Gaethje is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 268, in a fight that was labeled the best fight of 2021 by many fans and pundits. In the aftermath of the wild bout, ‘The Highlight’ began gunning for a title shot against the UFC lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira.
TJ Dillashaw not interested in Jose Aldo fight, says he deserves a title shot next: "I left as a champion"
Cole Shelton - January 25, 2022
TJ Dillashaw isn’t interested in fighting Jose Aldo. After Aldo defeated Rob Font in the main event fight back in December, he called out Dillashaw for a number one contender bout. On paper, it made sense as Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan are not having their title unification bout until April. However, for Dillashaw, he says he won’t be ready until the summer due to the knee injury he sustained in his win over Cory Sandhagen.
MMA legend Don Frye punches fan in the face at UFC 270 (Video)
Susan Cox - January 25, 2022
Don Frye, 56, former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and actor, while in the stands at UFC 270, decided there wasn’t enough action in the cage and created some of his own. Apparently there was a heated argument in the stands and Frye punched an angry fan directly in the face. The incident was recorded on another audience members cell phone.
Benson Henderson plans to test Islam Mamedov's durability at Bellator 273, says he's been promised a title shot with a win
Cole Shelton - January 25, 2022
Benson Henderson knows people are counting him out but he’s eager for the challenge of facing Islam Mamedov at Bellator 273. Henderson is set to fight Mamedov in the co-main event, and even though the former UFC champion is on a three-fight losing skid, he’s fighting the presumed number one contender. Although many were surprised by the fight booking, Henderson says he asked for the fight as he wants to get back in the title picture.
John McCarthy weighs in on a potential heavyweight fight between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones
Susan Cox - January 25, 2022
In speaking in a recent episode of the ‘Weighing In’ podcast, John McCarthy gave his opinion on a Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones potential fight: “Jon would have taken Ciryl down and beat him to death on the ground. Francis can knock him out, he can hit him with a shot. Ciryl can knock him out. Anyone can get knocked out. But, if you are looking at these guys fighting, (if) they fight 10 times, Jon Jones is definitely gonna win 9 out of 10 times.”
TJ Dillashaw shares his prediction for Petr Yan vs Aljamain Sterling 2
Susan Cox - January 25, 2022
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has shared his prediction for the upcoming Petr Yan vs Aljamain Sterling rematch. Yan (16-2 MMA) and Sterling (21-3 MMA) are set to collide for a second time in the co-headliner of UFC 273 on April 9th. The bitter rivals originally met at UFC 259, where ‘FunkMaster’ took home the 135lb title after ‘No Mercy’ was disqualified for landing an illegal knee.
Stephen Thompson concerned that the kicks of Francis Ngannou or Ciryl Gane might snap the legs of Jon Jones
Harry Kettle - January 25, 2022
UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson is concerned that the kicks of Francis Ngannou or Ciryl Gane could do some real damage to Jon Jones. While he may not have fought inside the Octagon for almost two years, Jon Jones still holds a big presence on the UFC roster. He’s been teasing a move up to heavyweight for a long time now and after UFC 270, it appears as if “Bones” is finally ready to put his money where his mouth is.
Justin Gaethje shares surprising assessment of Michael Chandler fight: “I felt like that was kind of boring”
Harry Kettle - January 25, 2022
Justin Gaethje has revealed that in the midst of his fight against Michael Chandler, he felt like it was “boring”. Back at UFC 268, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler put on a Fight of the Year contender that fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon. The two lightweights left everything they had out there in the Octagon and when it was all said and done, Gaethje was the one who had his hand raised in victory.
Kenny Florian says the UFC slowly removed him from broadcasting gigs after he turned down a coaching position on TUF
Harry Kettle - January 25, 2022
Kenny Florian has claimed the UFC began removing him from broadcasting roles after he turned down a coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter. Following his retirement from active competition, former title challenger Kenny Florian became an even bigger part of the UFC family. He was regularly featured on a series of broadcasts by the promotion, usually in a commentary position. However, a few years ago, he slowly began to drop off the radar – prompting questions from the fanbase.
Mark Hunt offers Francis Ngannou advice for contract negotiations, reveals he made $950K five years ago
Cole Shelton - January 24, 2022
Mark Hunt is standing by Francis Ngannou as the heavyweight champion is in a contract dispute with the UFC. At UFC 270, Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane by decision to defend his belt but the big storyline was the fight being the last on his current deal. In the lead-up to the scrap, Ngannou and the UFC were not seeing eye-to-eye and following the contest Dana White didn’t even wrap the belt around “The Predator’s” waist.