MMA News
Jorge Masvidal shares scorecard for Volkanovski vs. Holloway rematch
Tom Taylor - July 13, 2020
Jorge Masvidal has shared his thoughts on the UFC 251 co-main event, a featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Holloway and Volkanovski first fought in December of 2019. On that night, Volkanovski swiped the title from Holloway with a unanimous decision win. In the co-main event of last Saturday’s UFC 251 card, the pair ran it back. Volkanovski ended up winning by decision again, but this time around, the result generated widespread controversy, as many viewers felt Holloway did enough to win.
Cody Garbrandt says he has “unfinished business” with Petr Yan, promises to break him in 2 rounds
Harry Kettle - July 13, 2020
UFC bantamweight contender Cody Garbrandt believes that he has unfinished business with rival Petr Yan, promising that if they ever met inside the Octagon, he would finish him inside two rounds. “No Love” is coming off the back of his first win since December 2016, as he was able to knock Raphael Assuncao out late in the second round back at UFC 250. Yan, on the other hand, is sitting at the top of the division after he finished Jose Aldo this past weekend to claim the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Jorge Masvidal suggests he could beat Usman with 15 days to prepare
Tom Taylor - July 13, 2020
Jorge Masvidal believes he could beat UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman if he had 15 days to prepare for the challenge. Masvidal challenged Usman for the belt in the main event of UFC 251 last Saturday, and ultimately lost a unanimous decision. That being said, Masvidal accepted the fight on just six days’ notice, replacing Gilbert Burns, and performed remarkably well under those circumstances.
Manager Malki Kawa accuses Daniel Cormier of biased UFC commentary
Natasha Hooper - July 13, 2020
MMA Manager Malki Kawa, who represents stars like Jon Jones and Jorge Masvial, has accused Daniel Cormier of being a biased UFC commentator. Daniel Cormier, the former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champ, has spent the last few years working in commentary. Industry staples including Joe Rogan have celebrated Cormier’s commentary abilities. Similarly to Michael Bisping and Paul Felder, Cormier is respected for the smooth transition he made from competing to broadcasting.
Max Holloway responds after reporters allegedly receive threats over scores for his fight
Tom Taylor - July 13, 2020
Max Holloway has jumped to the defense of members of the MMA media who have allegedly received threats over the way they scored his rematch with Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway and Volkanovski first fought in December of 2019. On that night, Volkanovski swiped the title from Holloway with a unanimous decision win. In the co-main event of last Saturday’s UFC 251 card, the pair ran it back. Volkanovski ended up winning by decision again, but this time around, the result generated widespread controversy, as many viewers felt Holloway did enough to win.
Jon Jones questions why everyone loves Randy Couture and not Kamaru Usman
Natasha Hooper - July 13, 2020
Kamaru Usman has a fan in his corner that goes by the name Jon Jones. Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 251, “The Nigerian Nightmare” faced off against Jorge Masvidal on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Usman secured the unanimous decision win against the “BMF” champ, Masvidal.
John McCarthy explains why UFC could remove Mark Collett from Fight Island after poor judging performance
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
Long-time MMA official Big John McCarthy explained why the UFC could remove judge Mark Collett from Fight Island after a poor judging performance at UFC 251. Collett is one of the judges the UFC hired to work the Fight Island series. However, he had a very questionable night of judging that has been criticized by fans, media, and fighters. According to McCarthy on Twitter, Collett’s performance on the scorecards at UFC 251 was questionable enough that the UFC could potentially remove Collett from his role as judge.
Video | Watch Joe Rogan's live reaction to Petr Yan's TKO victory over Jose Aldo
Christopher Taylor - July 12, 2020
Like many fight fans, UFC commentator Joe Rogan was disgusted to watch Petr Yan deliver unnecessary punishment to Jose Aldo at UFC 251. Although it was no fault of the newly crowned Russian champion in Yan, the referee allowed Petr to tee off on a seemingly helpless Aldo for almost two minutes before finally stepping in to stop the contest.
Conor McGregor rips Nate Diaz for suggesting Max Holloway was robbed at UFC 251
Christopher Taylor - July 12, 2020
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor was not happy with Nate Diaz proclaiming that Max Holloway was “robbed” at UFC 251. Holloway squared off with Alex Volkanovski in last night’s co-headliner, serving as a rematch from their initial confrontation at UFC 245.
Petr Yan says Cody Grabrandt is "dumb" and has "no chin"
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
New UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan took to social media to blast his divisional rival Cody Garbrandt, saying he is “dumb” and has “no chin.” Yan defeated Jose Aldo to win the bantamweight title that was recently vacated by former champ Henry Cejudo. It was a dominant showing by Yan, who beat Aldo to a bloody pulp in the fifth round in a poor display of officiating by referee Leon Roberts. With Yan now as the champion, it sets him up for a number of big fights in one of the UFC’s most stacked division, with contenders like Aljamain Sterling, Marlon Moraes, and Garbrandt out there.
Nate Diaz says Max Holloway "was robbed" against Alex Volkanovski
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
UFC welterweight superstar Nate Diaz says that Max Holloway “was robbed” by the judges in his loss to Alex Volkanovski in the co-main event of UFC 251. Volkanovski won a controversial split decision over Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight championship with scores of 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47. Many fans, media, and fellow fighters thought that Volkanovski had done enough to win the fight, not to mention UFC president Dana White, but two of the three people that truly matter when it comes to handing down the decision believed that Volkanovski deserved the win.
Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns trade shots at each other over who should get the next title shot
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
UFC welterweight contenders Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns traded shots at each other on social media over who should get the next title shot at 170lbs. In March, Edwards was set to fight Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC London but the card was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the UFC booked Gilbert Burns against Woodley in Las Vegas, and Burns ended up dominating the former champ by unanimous decision to become the No. 1 contender at 170lbs. Burns was then set to fight Kamaru Usman at UFC 251, but tested positive for COVID-19, which allowed Jorge Masvidal to slip in and fight for the belt. Usman ended up beating Masvidal by decision.
UFC 251 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka earns $50k for incredible KO win over Volkan Oezdemir
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
Light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka was among the four fighters who earned $50,000 bonus awards for their performances at UFC 251. The UFC announced the bonus awards following the event. The UFC handed out two “Performance of the Night” bonuses to Prochazka and bantamweight Davey Grant, while “Fight of the Night” went to former women’s strawweight champions Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade for their exciting rematch on the main card.
Aljamain Sterling challenges Dana White to "cut the games" and give him a 135lbs title shot
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
UFC bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling challenged Dana White to “cut the games” and give him a title shot at 135lbs against new champion Petr Yan. It was thought all along that Sterling would be next in line to fight the winner of Yan vs. Aldo at UFC 251, and when Yan won the fight, fans were immediately salivating at the possibility of a Yan vs. Sterling matchup for the belt. In fact, White himself said that Sterling would be next in line for the belt after he dispatched of Cory Sandhagen in devastating fashion at UFC 250 back in June.
The Korean Zombie vows to finish “shameful” featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski following UFC 251
Adam Martin - July 12, 2020
The Korean Zombie vowed to finish a “shameful” Alex Volkanovski after he won a controversial split decision over Max Holloway at UFC 251. Volkanovski won a split decision over Holloway to keep the UFC featherweight title, but it was a razor-thin fight that many thought he should have lost. Ultimately, the judges sided with Volkanovski, giving him the belt back with 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47 scorecards, though many fans, media, and even UFC president Dana White disagreed with the scores.
Did Joanna Jedrzejczyk just retire from mixed martial arts?
Christopher Taylor - July 12, 2020
Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk posted a cryptic message on social media today insinuating that she has retired. The Polish star, Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA), took to Instagram with the following post that containted the caption “33 and retired”.
Daniel Cormier says “the same thing” would happen to Jorge Masvidal against Kamaru Usman on a full camp
Adam D Martin - July 12, 2020
UFC heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier says the “same thing” would happen to Jorge Masvidal if he fought Kamaru Usman again with a full training camp. Masvidal took the fight against Usman on just six days’ notice after No. 1 Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Although Masvidal’s training partners such as Dustin Poirier said that Masvidal was putting in the work at American Top Team just in case the opportunity to fight Usman on short notice came up, he did struggle through a brutal weight cut of 20lbs during fight week and it showed during the fight, as Masvidal appeared to tire badly from all the grappling after a strong opening round on the feet.
Alex Volkanovski reveals USADA woke him up the night before UFC 251
Adam D Martin - July 12, 2020
UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski says that USADA woke him up the night before his UFC 251 main event against Max Holloway. Volkanovski defended his title via split decision in a highly-competitive battle between two of the best featherweights in the game. The judges scored the bout 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47 in favor of Volkanovski, allowing the champ to retain his title. Although it was not his best performance in the Octagon, the win improved Volkanovski’s career record to 22-1, including a 19-fight win steak a perfect 9-0 mark in the UFC.