MMA News
Michael Bisping: "I’d happily share a beer with Rockhold"
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
At one point, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold were two of the most bitter rivals in MMA. From the sounds of it, the animosity between them has diminished. The pair went 1-1 across two bouts, with Rockhold winning the first by submission and Bisping winning the second — a short-notice title opportunity — by knockout. In the lead-up to and fallout of these bouts, the pair exchanged tons of trash talk and clearly got under each other’s skin.
Darren Till rips Mike Perry for chiming in on his Instagram
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2020
Darren Till and Mike Perry continue to prove why they need their own Netflix documentary after their latest Instagram back and forth. Perry and Till started off as rivals, and at one point were viewed as potential opponents for one another. Since then, however, they’ve developed something of a friendship that often has hilarious results.
Conor McGregor and Sinead O'Connor get in heated debate over coronavirus
Natasha Hooper - April 16, 2020
Irish superstars Connor McGregor and Sinead O’Connor have engaged in a Twitter debate over the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Singer O’Connor accused McGregor of racism and xenophobia after he tweeted a message, encouraging Irish citizens to take up 1500 farming jobs. The former champion’s announcement was a response to an article published in the Irish Independent, that claimed the farming industry would be flying in thousands of foreign workers to complete the harvest. The original post by the newspaper has since been deleted, but “The Notorious” encouraged Irish natives to step up.
Cris Cyborg says Dana White should do something other than worry about himself and MMA fights
Natasha Hooper - April 16, 2020
Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has called out her former boss Dana White and his proposed “fight island.” In response to the coronavirus pandemic, all Bellator and UFC fights have been postponed. However, that hasn’t stopped the UFC president from doing whatever it takes to resume business. White has even claimed he’ll host several upcoming events on private island. He says it is currently in the works and expects to host live events from the island as soon as next month.
Alex Pereira, only man to knock out Israel Adesanya, could soon be UFC bound
Adam Martin - April 15, 2020
Alex Pereira, the man who knocked out UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a kickboxing match, could soon be UFC bound. Pereira finished Adesanya in devastating fashion in April 2016 under the Glory of Heroes banner. Adesanya, of course, has gone on to accomplish great things in the UFC Octagon while Pereira has continued to ply his trade as a kickboxer in the years since. He does have three MMA fights under his belt and has racked up a 2-1 record, but he hasn’t fought in MMA since 2016. That could soon change.
Dana White admits May 9 event will prove “very expensive” for the UFC
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2020
Dana White says the scheduled May 9 event will be very expensive for the UFC. The promotion was forced to postpone UFC 249 and the subsequent events following due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, White recently revealed a stacked card for May 9, but he won’t reveal where the location is.
Georges St-Pierre reveals there was mutual interest with Khabib Nurmagomedov for a fight
Mike Pendleton - April 15, 2020
After claiming the lightweight title at UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov did not immediately look to get a fight against top contenders in the division for his title defense, he had his sights set on former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre has been away from MMA since UFC 217 when he defeated Michael Bisping to become the middleweight champion, the second title he claimed in his legendary career. The former welterweight champion relinquished his middleweight title after defeating Bisping and has not competed since.
Video | Jon Jones daughter is developing her striking during quarantine
Natasha Hooper - April 15, 2020
Jon Jones’ daughter is following in her father’s footsteps by developing her striking during the coronavirus lockdown. In recent weeks, the light heavyweight champion was hitting the headlines for a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrest in his hometown of Albuquerque New Mexico. Now, “Bones” is in the news for positive reasons as he spends his time productively during the lockdown.
Michael Chiesa sees many options for next opponent, but wants Colby Covington fight most
Mike Pendleton - April 15, 2020
Michael Chiesa is currently riding a three-fight winning streak in the welterweight division with wins over Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, and Rafael dos Anjos. With his current win streak in place, Chiesa is looking to be smart and strategic with his upcoming opponents. During an interview on The Luke Thomas Show, Chiesa laid out his plans for the welterweight division and says he is confident he will fight this year despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
VIDEO | Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, other MMA stars unite to encourage social distancing
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Cris Cyborg, Michael Bisping, Stephen Thompson, Leon Edwards, Dillon Danis, Megan Anderson, Li Jingliang and a host of other MMA stars represented by Paradigm Sports Management have come together to encourage social distancing and safe practices during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The MMA stars helped spread this message in a video published by Paradigm Sports Management on Wednesday afternoon. See it below:
Randy Couture: UFC should not be exempt from coronavirus restrictions
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
While most of the world is still locked down to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, UFC President Dana White has been defiantly attempting to keep his company running throughout the crisis. Former two-division UFC champ Randy Couture isn’t sure how to feel about that. Couture delved into the topic on an episode of Weighing In with John McCarthy and Josh Thomson.
Urijah Faber admits Dominick Cruz is "actually a decent guy"
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
For many years, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber were two of the most heated rivals in MMA. From the sounds if it, however, their mutual animus has diminished. Speaking on MMA Fighting’s The A-Side, Faber was asked by a fan if he’d rather be on a sinking life boat with Cruz, or his teammate-turned-nemesis TJ Dillashaw.
Brendan Schaub reacts to UFC 249 cancelation, guarantees fights will go ahead in May
Mike Pendleton - April 15, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight turned combat sports analyst Brendan Schaub recently commented on the cancelation of UFC 249 and Dana White’s plans to resume business despite the coronavirus pandemic. Schaub weighed in on the topic during his podcast “Below The Belt” saying that a move like ESPN and Disney stepping in to cancel fights is the downside to the deal that the UFC has with these companies.
Dustin Poirier interested in boxing Conor McGregor or Nate Diaz
Adam Martin - April 15, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier says that he is interested in taking on Conor McGregor or Nate Diaz in a boxing match. Poirier hasn’t fought since a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov last Septemeber at UFC 242 in a failed bid to win the UFC lightweight championship. The top-five ranked lightweight was scheduled to fight Dan Hooker at UFC San Diego, but that card fell apart due to the coronavirus pandemic. That leaves Poirier without a fight at the moment, and like other fighters, he’s anxious to get back in there and compete.
Georges St-Pierre argues "you can’t be the best guy on the planet" in MMA
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. In fact, at the height of his dominance, he was viewed by many fans as the best fighter on earth. Speaking with ESPN recently, however, St-Pierre refuted the notion that any fighter can truly call themselves the best fighter alive. By his estimation, even the most dominant fighter can be beaten by somebody — though many are lucky enough to avoid crossing paths with that person.
Anthony Smith buries "piece of s**t" Jon Jones for comments about home invasion
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
Anthony Smith was recently the victim of a violent home invasion. Shortly after Smith shared the story of this ordeal, his former foe, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, took to Twitter to boast that, if his home had been broken into, the intruder wouldn’t have left on his feet. Glad Anthony is OK, no way dude would have left my house walking https://t.co/U6wSr8KmA8
Cody Garbrandt trashes “coward” Henry Cejudo, says he will fight Raphael Assuncao this summer
Natasha Hooper - April 15, 2020
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt has called out the current bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo for being a “coward” and avoiding tough matchups. “No Love” Garbrandt claimed the 135-pound crown when he defeated Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision in 2016. His reign was short-lived as he lost to TJ Dillashaw in his first title defence by TKO a year later.
Dana White says UFC Apex will host events starting next month for foreseeable future
Harry Kettle - April 15, 2020
UFC president Dana White has claimed that the UFC Apex facility will start hosting events next month and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Despite the recent setbacks that the UFC has been facing, it appears as if there’s a decent chance they’ll continue to try and get live events back on in some way, shape or form in May, with May 9 being suggested as a possible date for what could turn out to be a super card.