MMA News
Dana White responds to accusations of "corporate greed"
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
UFC President Dana White is hellbent on getting the UFC back up and running in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, starting with a whopping four events between now and the end of May. The UFC boss’s determination to keep his show on the road has led to a fair amount of backlash, much of which stems from a belief that he’s prioritizing profit over safety.
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang slams UFC over fighter pay
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
Former United States presidential candidate Andrew Yang believes UFC fighters aren’t getting a big enough piece of the pie. Yang, who recently withdrew from the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, opened up on the topic of fighter pay in an interview with Karim Zidan of BloodyElbow.
Henry Cejudo willing to "marry" Jose Aldo to get him into the US for title fight
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo really wants to fight Jose Aldo. So much so that he recently joked he’s willing to “marry” the Brazilian to get him into the US for a fight. Cejudo was originally expected to battle Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. Regrettably, this event fell apart amid the coronavirus crisis.
Dana White: Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal BMF title fight "a possibility" for Fight Island
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
UFC President Dana White recently divulged that a blockbuster showdown between BMF champion Jorge Masvidal and former two-division champ Conor McGregor is “a possibility” for his widely discussed Fight Island. White dropped this McGregor vs. Masvidal bombshell during an appearance on the Menace and The Man podcast with former UFC featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez.
Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer title fight rescheduled for June 6
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer’s featherweight title fight will now go down on June 6 in a to-be-determined location. This news comes from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
John McCarthy believes second attempt at UFC 249 will be successful
Tom Taylor - May 5, 2020
Veteran MMA referee turned Bellator commentator John McCarthy believes the UFC’s second stab at promoting UFC 249 will be a success. UFC 249 was originally expected to go down in Las Vegas on April 18. As the coronavirus crisis took hold, however, the card was briefly relocated to the Tachi Palace Casino on the same date, and ultimately canceled altogether.
Tyron Woodley set to compete on new season of "The Titan Games" with The Rock
Natasha Hooper - May 5, 2020
Tyron Woodley is joining the cast of “The Titan Games,” a show created by pro wrestling legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. According to The Rock, Woodley will be joining the cast of professional athletes for the upcoming season of The Titan Games on NBC. The sophomore season will premier on Memorial Day, May 25, with a two-hour episode.
Fan favorite Matt Brown returns to the Octagon on May 16
Natasha Hooper - May 5, 2020
Matt Brown will return to action in a rescheduled welterweight matchup with Miguel Baeza on May 16. The UFC fan favorite will collide against “Caramel Thunder” Baeza at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The card will air on ESPN/ESPN+.
Daniel Cormier explains why Stipe Miocic loss is harder to swallow than Jon Jones loss
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2020
UFC star Daniel Cormier has revealed why his defeat to Stipe Miocic was harder to swallow than his two losses to Jon Jones. Cormier shocked the world back at UFC 226 when he knocked Miocic out in the first round to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship. However, just over a year later, he went from hero to zero after losing the belt in a rematch with Miocic at UFC 241.
Justin Gaethje believes he will knock Tony Ferguson "out cold" at UFC 249
Cole Shelton - May 4, 2020
Justin Gaethje believes he will knock out Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249 to win the UFC’s interim lightweight title. Gaethje originally stepped up on short notice to fight Ferguson on April 18 for the interim belt. But, the event was postponed and he will now get the fight with basically a full training camp under his belt. So, for “The Highlight” that gives him full confidence that he will ultimately knock Ferguson out.
UFC 251 officially postponed
Adam Martin - May 4, 2020
Alexander Volkanovski will have to wait a while to defend his belt in Australia as the upcoming UFC 251 pay-per-view event has been officially postponed. The UFC men’s featherweight champion Volkanovski was being targeted for a title defense against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 251, which was set for June 6 at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. Instead of having his first title defense come in his home country, Volkanovski won’t get that opportunity anymore as UFC 251 has been officially postponed.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik plans to KO Francis Ngannou in "one of the best fights of 2020"
Cole Shelton - May 4, 2020
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is expecting to continue his knockout streak on Saturday night when he takes on Francis Ngannou at UFC 249. Rozenstruik and Ngannou were expected to headline UFC Columbus and then fight on April 18, but those events were canceled. Now, for Rozenstruik, he finally gets his wish of fighting Ngannou on May 9.
'The Mountain' Thor Bjornsson to make combat sports debut opposite former World's Strongest Man in 2021
Christopher Taylor - May 4, 2020
Thor Bjornsson, also known as “The Mountain” on HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones”, will make his combat sports debut in September of 2021. Bjornsson recently set a world record for deadlifting 1,104.54 pounds at his gym in Iceland. The mark broke the record which was previously held by former World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall.
Daniel Cormier sends a message to Stipe Miocic: "Hurry up and sign the contract"
Mike Pendleton - May 4, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is eager to get his trilogy fight with Stipe Miocic. Cormier defeated Miocic back in 2018 at UFC 226 to become a two-weight world champion, holding both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles at the time of his astonishing first-round knockout of Miocic. The two would eventually rematch in August of 2019 at UFC 241 and this time it would be Miocic who came away victorious, winning back the heavyweight title. With the matchups split between the two, the UFC and both fighters want a trilogy to happen and now “DC” is calling for the champion to hurry up.
Marlon Vera tells UFC Jacksonville haters to "f*ck off"
Adam Martin - May 4, 2020
UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera fired back at the critics of UFC Jacksonville in an interview with CBC Sports, telling haters of the event to “f*ck off.” Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UFC president Dana White was adamant the show would go on, and he lived up to his promise. Starting this weekend, the UFC will hold four events in Jacksonville: UFC 249 plus three UFC Jacksonville Fight Night cards set to take place over the course of May. Considering the circumstances, the events are under intense scrutiny from a certain section of fans and the media who are worried about the potential spread of the coronavirus. Nevertheless, the show will go on for the UFC.
Donald Cerrone reflects on first Anthony Pettis fight: “He kicked my liver out of my body”
Natasha Hooper - May 4, 2020
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has an opportunity to avenge a loss in a rematch against Anthony Pettis at UFC 249. In recent fights, the UFC veteran has suffered three back-to-back TKOs against Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. However, his first knockout loss came from Pettis. The former lightweight champion body kicked his way to victory in the first round of their 2013 bout. Now, the pair will get the chance to run it back on the revised UFC 249 card on May 9. Cerrone intends on getting back to winning form (without suffering a body kick in the process).
Oscar De La Hoya makes prediction for potential boxing match with Conor McGregor
Tom Taylor - May 4, 2020
Even at 47 years old, Oscar De La Hoya likes his chances in a potential boxing match with Conor McGregor. Speaking on CBS Sports’ State of Combat podcast recently, De La Hoya was asked about a potential fight with the McGregor. Despite his age, and the fact that he hasn’t fought since a 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao, he’s still confident he’d beat the brakes of the Irish MMA star.
Full betting odds released for UFC 249
Adam Martin - May 4, 2020
The sportsbooks have released the full slate of betting odds for this weekend’s UFC 249 event, including the main event of Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje. UFC 249 was originally set to take place on April 18 in Brooklyn, New York, and later at Tachi Palace in Leemore, California. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, both of those previous versions of the card were canceled. But UFC president Dana White remained adamant all along that the show would go on, and when the state of Florida declared sports an essential business, it allowed the UFC the opportunity to hold its events there.