MMA News
Dana White reacts after stacked UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 PPV card officially announced
Adam Martin - August 29, 2021
The November UFC 268 pay-per-view card was officially announced and the event is absolutely stacked, with Dana White gushing over it. During Saturday’s UFC Vegas 35 card, the first seven fights for UFC 268 were officially announced. Check out the card below as it is incredibly stacked with two title fights at the top of the docket. The first features the rematch between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, then there is a rematch between UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. In addition to those fights, Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, Sean Strickland vs. Luke Rockhold, Frankie Edgar vs. Marlon Vera, Germaine de Randamie vs. Irene Aldana, and Bobby Green vs. Al Iaquinta were also added to the card. On paper, this is one of the best PPVs the UFC has put on in years.
Makhmud Muradov reacts following massive upset loss to Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 35
Adam Martin - August 29, 2021
UFC middleweight Makhmud Muradov reacted following his massive upset loss to veteran Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 35. Muradov is the only MMA fighter who is signed by legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather’s “The Money Team.” The Uzbekistan native entered the fight against Meerschaert with a 25-6 record which included 20 wins by stoppage, including back-to-back knockouts over Andrew Sanchez and Trevor Smith in the UFC. That record, plus his affiliation to Mayweather, and it’s easy to see why Muradov had a lot of hype heading into the fight.
Dana White gushes over "badass" Giga Chikadze following highlight-reel finish over Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35
Adam Martin - August 29, 2021
UFC president Dana White gushes over featherweight Giga Chikadze following his highlight-reel finish over Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35. Chikadze won his seventh straight fight in the UFC and improved to a perfect 7-0 in the promotion with the brilliant third-round TKO victory over Barboza in the UFC Vegas 35 headliner. Coming into the fight, the biggest question mark about Chikadze was how he would fare if he fought another elite fighter in the UFC, given that he had a somewhat soft schedule on the way to the top-10. However, Chikadze proved beyond a doubt that he is one of the best fighters in the world at 145lbs with his brilliant knockout win over Barboza.
Alessio Di Chirico reacts following devastating head kick KO loss to Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Vegas 35
Adam Martin - August 29, 2021
UFC middleweight Alessio Di Chirico reacted following his devastating head kick KO loss to Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Vegas 35. Di Chirico was a big betting favorite heading into the fight with Alhassan on the heels of his own flashy head-kick KO over Joaquin Buckley earlier this year. However, the Italian was upset quickly in the first round when Alhassan landed a brutal head kick that knocked him out cold. It was one of the most devastating and brutal head kick knockouts that we’ve seen all year in the UFC. Take a look at Alhassan’s incredible knockout in the video below.
Sam Alvey will likely get another chance in the UFC despite rough losing skid, says Dana White
Adam D Martin - August 29, 2021
Middleweight veteran Sam Alvey will likely get another chance in the Octagon despite his rough losing skid, said UFC president Dana White. Alvey lost a controversial split decision to Wellington Turman on the UFC Vegas 35 preliminary card. The controversy came because, in the third round of the fight, Turman lost two points for repeated eye pokes. However, two of the judges still thought that Turman won all three rounds of the fight, so despite having two points deducted, he won 28-27, 27-28, and 28-27 on the scorecards for a split decision victory over Alvey.
Video | Logan Paul challenges Tupac-loving fan during Saturday’s Paul vs. Woodley weigh-ins
Adam D Martin - August 29, 2021
YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul challenged a Tupac-loving fan during Saturday’s Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley weigh-ins in Cleveland, Ohio. Paul’s brother Jake fights Woodley tonight in a huge boxing match between the former Disney star and the former UFC welterweight champion. Like all of Jake’s fights, Logan will be in the first row in attendance of this Sunday’s big fight. Of course, Logan himself is a boxer, having fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout back in June. So the elder Paul has no problem backing himself and if he’s challenged, he’ll call someone out on it.
Carla Esparza reacts after being snubbed of UFC strawweight title shot
Adam D Martin - August 29, 2021
Former women’s 115lbs champion Carla Esparza reacted after being snubbed of getting the next UFC strawweight title shot at UFC 268. Following her vicious finish over Yan Xiaonan back in May, Esparza was rightfully considered the No. 1 contender by most fans and media after racking up five straight wins. However, the UFC instead decided that former champ Weili Zhang deserved an immediate title shot after getting knocked out with a head kick by Rose Namajunas at UFC 268. Instead of Esparza getting the next title shot against Namajunas, the UFC announced this weekend that Zhang is going to get the next crack at the belt at November’s UFC 268 card.
Dana White casts doubt on Kevin Lee continuing to fight under the UFC banner
Adam D Martin - August 29, 2021
UFC president Dana White has cast doubt on Kevin Lee continuing to fight under the UFC banner following his latest loss inside the Octagon. Lee lost a unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez on the UFC Vegas 35 undercard on Saturday night. For Lee, this was his first fight back in the Octagon since losing to Charles Oliveira in March 2020. After losing to Rodriguez, Lee dropped to just 2-5 overall in his last seven fights, including a winless mark of 0-2 while competing as a welterweight. Because Lee has had such a poor record as of late, there is no guarantee that the UFC keeps him around the world’s leading MMA promotion going forward, according to White himself.
Daniel Rodriguez praised by Dana White for performance against Kevin Lee: “To come in and do what he did against Kevin is very impressive”
Adam D Martin - August 29, 2021
Daniel Rodriguez was praised by Dana White for performance against Kevin Lee, who said, “to come in and do what he did…is very impressive.” Rodriguez took the Lee fight on short notice after Sean Brady fell out of the matchup. When Mike Perry turned down Lee, Rodriguez — the man who last defeated “Platinum” — was the one who stepped up to fight “The Motown Phenom” on short notice. Despite taking the fight against Lee on just two weeks’ notice, Rodriguez put on an absolutely phenomenal showing as he was able to nullify Lee’s wrestling and take home a unanimous decision win.
Dana White responds following assault threats from Jake Paul
Christopher Taylor - August 28, 2021
Dana White has responded after Jake Paul suggested that their bitter feud would end with the UFC President knocked unconscious. Paul (3-0) is set to square off with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (0-0) on August 29 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The boxing match, which is scheduled for eight rounds, has drawn criticism from the brash UFC boss.
A dejected Kevin Lee reacts following loss to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 35
Christopher Taylor - August 28, 2021
Kevin Lee returned to the Octagon this evening in Las Vegas for a highly anticipated welterweight showdown with Daniel Rodriguez. Lee (18-7 MMA) was returning to action for the first time since suffering a submission loss to newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira back in March of 2020. Prior to that setback, the Michigan native had scored a sensational knockout win over Gregor Gillespie.
UFC Vegas 35 Bonus Report: Four fighters awarded POTN honors
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
The Octagon remained in Nevada for tonight’s UFC Vegas 35 event, a twelve-bout fight card headlined by Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze. The highly anticipated featherweight main event turned out to be a thrilling back and forth affair for as long as it lasted. Giga was able to get off to a strong start in round one, but the Brazilian was quick to turn the tide in the second frame. Then, in round three, Giga Chikadze was able to rock Edson Barboza with a combination and shortly thereafter finished him off with strikes. The referee stepped in to call a stop to the action while Barboza was still on his feet, but the veteran fighter was clearly badly hurt.
UFC Vegas 35 Results: Giga Chikadze TKO's Edson Barboza (Video)
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
Tonight’s UFC Vegas 35 is headlined by a key men’s featherweight bout featuring Giga Chikadze taking on Edson Barboza. Chikadze (13-2 MMA) has won his last eight fights in a row, a streak which includes back-to-back first round stoppage wins over Jamey Simmons and Cub Swanson.
Pros react after Daniel Rodriguez defeats Kevin Lee at UFC Vegas 35
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
A highly anticipated welterweight bout featuring Kevin Lee taking on Daniel Rodriguez went down on tonight’s UFC Vegas 35 main card. Lee (18-7 MMA) was returning to action for the first time since suffering a submission loss to newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira back in March of 2020. Prior to that setback, the Michigan native had scored a sensational knockout win over Gregor Gillespie.
UFC Vegas 35 Results: Daniel Rodriguez defeats Kevin Lee (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
A highly anticipated welterweight bout featuring Kevin Lee taking on Daniel Rodriguez goes down on tonight’s UFC Vegas 35 main card. Lee (18-6 MMA) has not competed since suffering a submission loss to newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira back in March of 2020. Prior to that setback, the Michigan native was coming off a sensational knockout win over Gregor Gillespie.
Two title fights made official for UFC 268 including Rose Namajunas vs Weili Zhang 2
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
Two title fights are now official for November’s UFC 268 event, including a women’s strawweight rematch between Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. Namajunas (10-4 MMA) and Zhang (21-2 MMA) originally collided at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug Rose’ walking away a nasty first round finish (see that here).
Video | Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley have heated final staredown
Christopher Taylor - August 28, 2021
Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley had one final staredown this afternoon in Cleveland and as expected tensions were high. Paul (3-0) and Woodley (0-0) are set to square off on August 29 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The boxing match is scheduled for eight rounds, although neither man expects the fight to go the distance.
Tyron Woodley tells fight fans not to get it twisted: "Dana White and I, we made millions of dollars together"
Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021
Tyron Woodley and Dana White may have butted heads in recent weeks, but the former UFC champion does not want fight fans to get things twisted. Woodley (19-7-1) parted ways with the UFC following four straight setbacks under the promotional banner. During that rough stretch, ‘T-Wood’ suffered losses to Vicente Luque, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman respectively. Shortly after his contract had expired, Woodley signed on for a boxing match with YouTube sensation Jake Paul.