MMA News
Khabib Nurmagomedov pumps up Justin Gaethje ahead of title fight
Tom Taylor - June 11, 2020
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is making sure his fans are well acquainted with his next opponent, Justin Gaethje. At this stage, most fight fans who haven’t been living under rocks are very familiar with Gaethje, who might just be the most exciting fighter in the game at present.
Sean O’Malley says a fight with former UFC champ Cody Garbrandt will “100% happen”
Natasha Hooper - June 11, 2020
Sean O’Malley is set on a fight against former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. The UFC standout is convinced that a fight against “No Love” will “100% happen,” even if takes a few years.
Poster released for UFC 251 on Fight Island
Harry Kettle - June 11, 2020
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has released the first official poster for the highly anticipated UFC 251 event on Fight Island. It’s been months in the making, but we finally have the confirmation through from the UFC that the proposed Fight Island will indeed take place on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. While it may not have been exactly what everyone pictured it to be, one thing is for sure: the first PPV card from the run of events over there is going to be a big one.
Anthony Pettis respectfully challenges Anderson Silva, "Spider" responds
Natasha Hooper - June 11, 2020
Anthony Pettis has respectfully called for a fight against middleweight legend Anderson Silva. “The Spider” Silva has been out of action for a year since his UFC 237 fight against Jared Cannonier. His opponent used a leg kick to finish him by TKO in the final seconds of the first round. Prior to that, the Brazilian fighter suffered another loss to the current middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. “Stylebender” out-landed Silva and earned himself the unanimous decision victory.
Daniel Cormier feels Conor McGregor's retirement overshadowed Amanda Nunes' UFC 250 win
Fernando Quiles - June 10, 2020
Daniel Cormier doesn’t agree with the timing of Conor McGregor’s retirement announcement. Just after UFC “champ-champ” Amanda Nunes turned in a stellar performance against Felicia Spencer, McGregor hopped on Twitter to claim he is retiring from MMA competition. Some feel that the timing of McGregor’s announcement took away from Nunes’ dominant women’s featherweight title defense. Cormier is in that camp.
Gray Maynard: UFC fighters are "kind of like strippers"
Tom Taylor - June 10, 2020
Former UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard says UFC fighters are treated a bit like strippers. Maynard made this comparison in a fantastic interview with Steven Rae of The Body Lock.
UFC rankings update: Cody Garbrandt rockets up at bantamweight, O'Malley debuts
Tom Taylor - June 10, 2020
The official UFC rankings have been updated in the wake of last weekend’s UFC 250 card, and there have been some major changes, particularly in the bantamweight division. Former UFC bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt, who delivered a crushing knockout win over Raphael Assuncao in the card’s co-main event, is back in the division’s top-5.
Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader 2 betting odds released
Adam Martin - June 10, 2020
The oddsmakers have released the opening betting odds for a potential rematch between light heavyweights Jon Jones and Ryan Bader. Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, and Bader, a double champ in Bellator, first collided back at UFC 126 in February 2011 when both fighters were young, undefeated prospects. Jones wound up submitting Bader with a guillotine choke that night, a finish that led to him getting a title shot against Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011. Bader, meanwhile, went on to have a great career himself. The rest, as they say, is history.
Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns betting odds released
Adam Martin - June 10, 2020
The betting odds have been released for the upcoming UFC welterweight title fight at UFC 251 between champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Gilbert Burns. The UFC officially announced this week that Usman will take on Burns in the main event of UFC 251, which takes place July 11 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event will feature three title fights on it, with Usman vs. Burns headlining a stacked undercard featuring Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 2 for the UFC featherweight title and Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the vacant UFC bantamweight belt.
Report: Mike Tyson rejects $18M offer to fight Wanderlei Silva
Tom Taylor - June 10, 2020
Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson has reportedly turned down an $18M offer from American bare-knuckle fighting promotion BKFC. The offer reportedly named MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, who recently signed with BKFC but has yet to debut with the promotion, as the opponent for Tyson’s return.
Joe Rogan shares his thoughts on fighter pay debates
Tom Taylor - June 10, 2020
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has shared his thoughts on the fighter pay debate that is currently raging inside the MMA bubble. Over the last few weeks, multiple UFC stars including Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal have publicly criticized the UFC over the amount of money they’re making as professional fighters. This has prompted UFC President Dana White to go on the defensive.
Cody Garbrandt fires back at Sean O'Malley: My UFC 250 KO was "way better"
Tom Taylor - June 10, 2020
Cody Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley both picked up huge knockout wins at UFC 250, but Garbrandt feels his was the better of the two. O’Malley, an undefeated prospect, picked up a dazzling first-round knockout win over WEC champ Eddie Wineland in the pay-per-view opener. Garbrandt, the former UFC bantamweight champion, delivered a brutal, one-punch KO over long-time contender Raphael Assuncao in the co-main event.
Rafael dos Anjos responds after Nate Diaz trashes Usman vs Burns title fight
Harry Kettle - June 10, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos issued a stern response after Nate Diaz took a shot at the Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns title fight. It was announced yesterday that at UFC 251, Usman will be defending his UFC Welterweight Championship against Burns in the inaugural pay-per-view event on the highly anticipated Fight Island.
Tim Kennedy shares interest in UFC Fight Island: “I am down for tigers, hands dipped in broken glass, or velociraptors”
Natasha Hooper - June 10, 2020
Tim Kennedy is interested in throwing down on the “UFC Fight Island” and warding off some tigers and velociraptors in the process. This week, the UFC announced the official location for its Fight Island and dropped four fight cards. On social media, the UFC president, Dana White announced the fights will be taking place on Yas Island on the dates: July 11, 15, 18 and 25.
Alexander Volkanovski on UFC 251 rematch with Max Holloway: “Nothing changes”
Natasha Hooper - June 10, 2020
The current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski responded to the announcement of his UFC 251 rematch against the former champion Max Holloway. At UFC 245, in December of 2019, Holloway set out to defend his 145-pound belt against the top-ranked contender, Volkanovski. The title challenger used a steady flow of leg kicks and exchanges in the pocket to pick apart Holloway. Over the course of five rounds, The Australian put an end to the “Blessed” era as he earned the unanimous decision victory.
Leon Edwards is "next" for Usman-Burns winner according to Ali Abdelaziz
Cole Shelton - June 9, 2020
Leon Edwards will be getting the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns at UFC 251 according to Ali Abdelaziz. After Usman TKO’d Colby Covington at UFC 245 to defend his welterweight belt for the first time, many thought his next opponent would be Jorge Masvidal. Yet, negotiations stalled leaving Burns to step up and take the fight.
Gilbert Burns slams Nate Diaz: "Say thanks to Conor McGregor he's the only reason you make money"
Cole Shelton - June 9, 2020
Gilbert Burns has issued a response to Nate Diaz after the fan-favorite trashed the welterweight title fight set to take place at UFC 251. Diaz took to social media where he was not happy that Gilbert Burns was getting the title shot against Kamaru Usman.
Matchmaking the top-15 of the UFC's bantamweight division
Cole Shelton - June 9, 2020
At UFC 250, the bantamweight division was on full display with Cody Stamann, Sean O’Malley, Alajmain Sterling, and Cody Garbrandt all picking up wins. It was a massive night for the division, but the event left a lot of questions unanswered. Currently, the UFC’s bantamweight title is vacant after Henry Cejudo shockingly retired after UFC 249. It is expected Petr Yan will fight Jose Aldo at UFC 251 for the vacant belt, but after that, there is a ton of options for fights. So, here is what I think should be next for the top-10 of the bantamweight division.