MMA News

Cole Shelton - November 24, 2021

Dan Hooker already has his eyes on a possible opponent if he does indeed drop back down to featherweight. Hooker recently revealed he was thinking of dropping down to 145lbs and did a test cut where he made the weight with ease. Now, after the test cut was successful, he says it’s a very real possibility his next fight is at featherweight as he says it’s time to start doing what the rest of the fighters are doing and that is cutting weight.

Cole Shelton - November 24, 2021

Ex-UFC fighter, Anthony Rocco Martin was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada. A police report obtained by MMA Junkie among other outlets shows Martin was arrested on Nov. 20 for allegedly urinating on a casino floor and punching a security guard at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The arrest was first reported by 8 News Now Las Vegas.

Cole Shelton - November 24, 2021

Luis Pena has been arrested again, marking the third time he has been arrested since June. According to Broward County, Fla. online arrest records, which was brought to light by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, the former UFC lightweight in Pena is facing four misdemeanor charges: battery, criminal mischief, battery causing bodily harm, and touching or striking battery or domestic violence. The 28-year-old is currently being held at Paul Rein Detention Center in Pompano Beach, Fla. No bond has been set.

Cole Shelton - November 24, 2021

Kamaru Usman entered his title fight rematch at UFC 268 against Colby Covington with a broken hand. Usman and Covington are heated rivals and the rematch was highly-anticipated due to how close the first fight was. However, the rematch was much different as both men were at different camps but the champ entered the fight with a major injury as he broke his hand three weeks before the scrap.

Cole Shelton - November 24, 2021

Louis Smolka was disappointed he couldn’t fight Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 but is glad he is fighting before the year is up. Smolka was supposed to fight O’Malley in July, but an infection forced him out of the fight. For the Hawaiian, when he had to pull out of the bout, he was upset and frustrated as he knew it would be a big fight for him.

Adam D Martin - November 24, 2021

Former UFC middleweight contender Alan Belcher recently won his professional boxing debut at heavyweight for the Summit FC promotion. At age 37, Belcher made his professional boxing debut on November 6 at Summit FC 39 when he tough on Ryan Shough. Belcher ended up winning the fight in the second round by knockout, which was impressive. But even more impressive than actually winning the fight is Belcher’s incredible physique. Years after leaving the UFC due to a then-career-ending eye injury, Belcher looks to be in the absolute best shape of his life. Watch below as Belcher shows off his improved boxing skills with a brutal one-punch knockout of Shough.

Adam D Martin - November 24, 2021

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling trolled his rival Petr Yan with his latest injury news, joking that “doc says back in 2023.” Sterling defeated Yan at UFC 259 earlier this year via fourth-round DQ after the Russian was disqualified for throwing an illegal knee to the head of a grounded opponent. It was the first time in UFC history that a belt changed hands following a disqualification, with Sterling being crowned the new UFC bantamweight champion after Yan lost his belt. The two were then supposed to fight at UFC 267 in October in a rematch, but Sterling was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Instead of Yan vs. Sterling, the UFC called upon top contender Cory Sandhagen to step up on short notice. Yan ended up beating Sandhagen via unanimous decision in what was the “Fight of the Night” at UFC 267.

Adam D Martin - November 24, 2021

Dustin Poirier says he will “probably go to 170” if he defeats UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the 155lbs strap at UFC 269. Poirier is set to return to the Octagon next month when he takes on Oliveira for the UFC’s 155lbs belt. Despite being the challenger, Poirier is actually the betting favorite on paper heading into the fight to win the title. Should that happen, then there is speculation that Poirier might decide to walk away from the sport just because he would have accomplished so much at that point. But according to Poirier, he has no plans on hanging up his gloves. If anything, Poirier says, he would want to challenge himself by moving up to 170lbs instead.

Adam D Martin - November 24, 2021

Longtime UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown has been forced to pull out of his upcoming UFC Vegas 44 bout with Bryan Barberena. Brown revealed on his social media on Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19 and his fight against Barberena, which was set to take place at UFC Vegas 44, has been scratched. The event is set to take place on December 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event features bantamweight contenders Rob Font and Jose Aldo.

Adam D Martin - November 24, 2021

Colby Covington claims that his rival Kamaru Usman told Dana White “I don’t know how much more I got left in this sport” after UFC 268. Covington gave Usman all he could handle when the pair met earlier this month in their rematch that headlined UFC 268. Much like their first encounter back at UFC 245 two years ago, this rematch was a competitive fight that saw both men have their moments. However, it was Usman who was awarded the decision on the judges’ scorecards following the match, and he is now a perfect 2-0 against Covington. Despite Usman having the superior record head-to-head against his rival, Covington still wants to fight him again.

Drake Riggs - November 24, 2021

Kyoji Horiguchi is a man on a mission. The current RIZIN FF 135-pound bantamweight king recaptured the title he never officially lost on New Year’s Eve 2020 and hasn’t fought since. Now, Horiguchi has signed with Bellator in a rare deal that sees him remain the RIZIN champ and seeks the other title he relinquished when sidelined in all of 2020 recovering from an ACL tear.

Drake Riggs - November 23, 2021

Aoriqileng may not have come out on top at UFC Vegas 43 this past Saturday, but his opponent in Cody Durden did himself no favors following the victory. When speaking to Daniel Cormier for his post-fight interview Durden finished off by saying, “I knew he was gonna be tough, but I had to send him back to China where he came from.”

Cole Shelton - November 23, 2021

Jake Paul has reportedly declined to have drug testing ahead of his upcoming fight against Tommy Fury. Fury’s dad, John Fury, recently revealed in an interview with Marca that Paul and his team declined drug testing for the fight. Fury’s team was pushing for VADA (voluntarily anti-doping association) to handle the drug testing which was shot down.

Cole Shelton - November 23, 2021

Dustin Poirier is hoping to test Charles Oliveira’s grit and will when they meet in the main event of UFC 269 on December 11. Oliveira is set to defend his lightweight title against Poirier in an intriguing scrap. Both men have proven to be the best at lightweight and heading into the fight, “The Diamond” is hoping to bring this fight to the deep waters to see who wants the fight more.

Cole Shelton - November 23, 2021

UFC 268, headlined by a welterweight title fight at Madison Square Garden, did fairly well on pay-per-view. According to the Sports Business Journal, UFC 268 sold 700,000 pay-per-view buys in the United States. Those numbers are from ESPN+ buys only and do not reflect buys from other countries like Canada. UFC 268 is the fourth highest-selling PPV of the year behind UFC 257 (1.6 million), UFC 264 (1.5 million), and UFC 269 (800,000). UFC 261, which Usman also headlined also came in at 700,000 showing he is a PPV draw.

Adam D Martin - November 23, 2021

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg says Kayla Harrison reminds her of Ronda Rousey, saying she would fight her at 155lbs. Harrison is currently a free agent find is looking for her next home in the world of MMA. Harrison was last with PFL, who could still re-sign her to a new contract, but she is also being courted by the UFC, Bellator, and even the WWE. Regardless of where she ends up, Harrison is expected to get a big-money deal as she appears to be one of the best women’s MMA fighters in the world. Those are in high demand right now, and Harrison knows that.

Cole Shelton - November 23, 2021

Rob Font is eager to be able to share the Octagon with an MMA legend in Jose Aldo. Font and Aldo are set to headline UFC Vegas 44 on December 4 and when Font got the call for the fight, he immediately accepted as it is a massive opportunity for him.

Cole Shelton - November 23, 2021

Matt Brown is excited for his matchup against Bryan Barberena at UFC Vegas 44 on December 4. When Brown got the fight offer, he admits he didn’t know a ton about Barberena. But, after watching tape on him, Brown began getting excited as he is expecting a very fan-friendly fight.