MMA News
Joe Rogan explains why he interviewed Conor McGregor after UFC 264
Cole Shelton - July 26, 2021
Joe Rogan has explained why he decided to interview Conor McGregor after his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. In the lead-up to the fight, McGregor had a lot of harsh words for Poirier and continued after the fight. In the opening round, of the scrap, McGregor had some moments but Poirier took him down and controlled him until with seconds left they got back to their feet and when the Irishman threw a punch he broke his leg. After the result of the fight was read, Rogan went over to McGregor and interviewed him which many criticized, especially after what the Irishman said.
Kamaru Usman vs. Coby Covington 2 set for UFC 268
Cole Shelton - July 26, 2021
Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will be running it back at UFC 268 in November. Ever since Usman scored a fifth-round TKO over Covington back at UFC 245, “Chaos” has made it clear he wanted to get the rematch. Now, UFC president, Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto the fight will take place at UFC 268. The date of the event is not set, nor the location but the hope is it will be at Madison Square Garden. It’s also not clear if this fight will serve as the main event of the card.
Paige VanZant reacts after losing BKFC fight to Rachael Ostovich: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"
Adam D Martin - July 26, 2021
Paige VanZant reacted after losing her BKFC fight to rival Rachael Ostovich, saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” VanZant lost a unanimous decision to Ostovich in their rematch that headlined this past weekend’s BKFC 19 card in Tampa, Florida. Although VanZant was the betting favorite heading into the fight, Ostovich surprised a lot of onlookers as she showed improved boxing as she was able to outstrike VanZant and take home the decision on the judges’ scorecards. The rivals are now 1-1 overall in their all-time series, with VanZant holding a previous win over Ostovich by submission in the UFC. With Ostovich now beating VanZant in their rematch in BKFC, it’s possible we could see a trilogy fight between them one day.
Gilbert Burns responds to recent criticism from Dana White: "He wants my fight to be a banger"
Adam D Martin - July 26, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns understands the recent criticism from Dana White, saying that “he wants my fight to be a banger.” Burns defeated Stephen Thompson in the co-main event of UFC 264 earlier this month, but White criticized his performance, suggesting that it wasn’t an exciting fight. At the end of the day, Burns did what he needed to do to get his hand raised. While it wasn’t the standup war that apparently White had hoped for, Burns fought a smart game plan as he took down a superior striker and controlled him on the mat for a unanimous decision victory.
Cory Sandhagen admits split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw was a "coin toss" on the judges' scorecards
Adam D Martin - July 26, 2021
UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen admitted that his recent split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw was a “coin toss” on the judges’ scorecards. Sandhagen and Dillashaw fought tooth and nail for 25 hard minutes, but at the end of the five rounds, the judges awarded Dillashaw with the split decision nod. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way, as many of the rounds were decided by razor-thin margins. In the end, the judges sided with Dillashaw and Sandhagen has a loss on his record, though he has already said the UFC matchmakers aren’t going to punish him for it.
Chris Daukaus expects to finish Shamil Abdurakhimov and get a "big-name" opponent next
Cole Shelton - July 26, 2021
Chris Daukaus didn’t expect that he would be fighting Shamil Abdurakhimov. Daukaus, who joined the UFC in August of 2020, is already 3-0 in the promotion with three first-round knockouts. After his last win over Aleksei Oleinik in February, he expected he would get another ranked opponent next, and was unsure if it would be in the top-10.
Gilbert Burns believes Jake Paul will be a difficult boxing matchup for Tyron Woodley
Adam D Martin - July 26, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns believes that Jake Paul will prove to be a difficult boxing matchup for Tyron Woodley. Paul and Woodley meet on August 29 in a highly-anticipated professional boxing matchup between the YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul and the former UFC welterweight champion Woodley. One man who will be tuning into watch this fight is Burns, who last year defeated Woodley via unanimous decision in the UFC. If there’s anyone who knows Woodley well it’s the man who spent 25 minutes in the cage with him, and when you ask Burns about how the Woodley vs. Paul boxing match will go, he’s not confident in Woodley (via TMZ Sports).
Francis Ngannou sends message of support to Miranda Maverick after getting robbed by the judges at UFC Vegas 32
Adam D Martin - July 26, 2021
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou sent a message of support to Miranda Maverick after getting robbed by the judges at UFC Vegas 32. In one of the most controversial decisions of the year, the judges awarded Maycee Barber a split decision win over Maverick following their main card battle at UFC Vegas 32. Most fans and media thought that Maverick had done enough to win the first two rounds of the fight and therefore take home a 29-28 decision on the scorecards after Barber won the last round. But somehow, two of the three judges scoring the fight sided with Barber instead.
Rafael dos Anjos responds after being called a “grandpa” by Islam Makhachev: “If was Islam I would seriously reply, but I know it’s not him”
Harry Kettle - July 26, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos has responded to being labelled a grandpa by Islam Makhachev as their war of words continues. Makhachev and dos Anjos have been booked to fight one another on two separate occasions but due to COVID-19 and an injury setback, the bout hasn’t actually taken place. The two lightweights are viewed by many as great contenders in their own right, although there’s an argument to be made that RDA is the “past” and Makhachev is the future – based on the trajectory of their careers, that is.
Video | Hector Lombard and Tyron Woodley get into heated confrontation over a girl at BKFC 19
Christopher Taylor - July 25, 2021
Former UFC fighters Hector Lombard and Tyron Woodley got into a heated confrontation during Friday’s BKFC 19 event in Florida. Lombard, a former Bellator champion and current BKFC title holder, apparently had a score to settle with the former UFC welterweight champion and decided to confront Woodley at the event.
Colby Covington trashes "loser" Leon Edwards after beating Nate Diaz: "There's no honor in beating a guy like that"
Adam Martin - July 25, 2021
UFC welterweight Colby Covington trashed “loser” Leon Edwards after beating Nate Diaz, saying “there’s no honor in beating a guy like that.” Edwards defeated Diaz via unanimous decision at UFC 263 in June, but while the Brit clearly won the first four rounds of the fight, most fans only remember the fifth round where Diaz rocked “Rocky” with a big punch and nearly finished him. In the end, Edwards was awarded the win and he is now officially on a top-10 fight unbeaten streak, which is why he believes he should be next in line to fight UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. However, Covington is confident that he is deserving of being next for the belt.
Photos | BKFC fighters Joey Beltran and Britain Hart announce marriage
Adam Martin - July 25, 2021
BKFC stars Joey Beltran and Britain Hart recently announced that they were married before this past Friday’s BKFC 19 event in Tampa, Florida. Beltran, a former UFC heavyweight fighter who is the current BKFC heavyweight champion, took to his social media to announce that he tied the knot with Britain, a women’s fighter for BKFC who earlier this year defeated Paige VanZant in an upset. The two combat sports stars posted a number of photos from them tying the knot in the days before BKFC 19.
Cody Garbrandt wants to fight "great human being" Brandon Moreno next: "I think it's a great stylistic matchup for myself"
Adam Martin - July 25, 2021
Cody Garbrandt wants to fight “great human being” Brandon Moreno next, suggesting that it would be a favorable stylistic matchup for him. Garbrandt is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Rob Font in his last fight, and since then he has made it clear that he is interested in moving down to flyweight next. Remember, Garbrandt was actually supposed to make his 125lbs last year against former champion Deivieson Figueiredo, but he was forced to pull out of the fight due to COVID-19. Now that he’s healthy and active again, Garbrandt’s next move is to cut down an extra 10lbs and make the flyweight limit, and he wants to get his hands on Moreno’s belt.
What's next for TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen after UFC Vegas 32?
Cole Shelton - July 25, 2021
In the main event of UFC Vegas 32, former bantamweight champ, TJ Dillashaw made his return to the Octagon against Cory Sandhagen. Dillashaw and Sandhagen were supposed to meet in May but a cut above Dillashaw’s eye forced the scrap to be postponed to now. The former champ was also coming off a two-year USADA suspension for EPO use. Sandhagen, meanwhile, was coming off back-to-back highlight-reel KO wins over Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes.
Mickey Gall reacts following upset submission win over Jordan Williams at UFC Vegas 32
Adam Martin - July 25, 2021
UFC welterweight Mickey Gall reacted following his upset submission win over Jordan Williams on the UFC Vegas 32 preliminary card. Gall was a +150 betting underdog against Williams on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 32, but he proved the oddsmakers and the doubters wrong when he finished Williams in the first round by submission after dropping him early and knocking his opponent down to the mat. It was arguably the best we have ever seen Gall look in the Octagon since joining the UFC five years ago. With UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown in his corner cheering him on and giving him instructions, Gall looked like an absolute here savage against Williams.
Bryce Mitchell interested in fighting fellow grappler Ryan Hall "if that's what the fans want to see"
Adam Martin - July 25, 2021
UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell is interested in fighting fellow grappler Ryan Hall “if that’s what the fans want to see.” Mitchell is the No. 11 ranked featherweight on the UFC roster after going 5-0 in his first five fights in the Octagon, including notable wins over the likes of Andre Fili and Charles Rosa. Mitchell hasn’t fought since last October, but he is hopefully going to get back into the Octagon in the coming months and perform for the fans again, and one fight that many fans want to see is a dream grappling matchup against fellow grappling-based featherweight Hall. This has been a fight that fans have wanted to see for quite some time, and with Mitchell currently without an opponent, Hall is certainly a potential adversary.
Cory Sandhagen releases statement following loss to TJ Dillashaw at UFC Vegas 32: "Nice job, TJ"
Adam D Martin - July 25, 2021
Cory Sandhagen released a statement following his split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 32 card, saying “nice job, TJ.” Sandhagen lost a very narrow split decision to his former teammate and current rival Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Vegas 32. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way, but two of the three judges decided to go with the former champ Dillashaw for the win. Taking to his social media following the fight, Sandhagen reacted to the loss by congratulating his opponent and letting his fans know he will be back stronger.
Michael Chandler responds to slander claims made by UFC rival Justin Gaethje
Adam D Martin - July 25, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler responded to the recent slander claims made by his 155lbs division rival Justin Gaethje. Gaethje recently took to his social media to throw shade at Chandler and say that he isn’t the one turning down the fight against each other. Now, Chandler has responded to him.