MMA News
Michael Page says Douglas Lima is avoiding him, Lima fires back
Adam D Martin - May 6, 2021
Bellator welterweight contender Michael Page believes that champion Douglas Lima is avoiding the rematch with him, and Lima fired back. Page returns to the cage this Friday at Bellator 258 when he takes on Derek Anderson. Page, the No. 2 contender in the Bellator welterweight rankings, has been criticized by fans for taking fights against non-ranked and lower-ranked opponents. But despite fighting opponents who do not have much name value, Page believes that he is still the top contender in the Bellator welterweight division, and he believes Lima is ducking him.
Michael Bisping defends Luana Pinheiro following fan backlash from her DQ win at UFC Vegas 25
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2021
UFC legend Michael Bisping has defended Luana Pinheiro following her somewhat controversial disqualification win over Randa Markos. Pinheiro seemed to be on her way to victory after a strong start to the bout, only for an illegal upkick to alter the trajectory of the fight completely. Markos was disqualified with Pinheiro being awarded the win, with many fans questioning Pinheiro’s behavior in the lead-up to the decision being made.
Jake Paul trolls Kamaru Usman with photoshopped picture of Jose Caceres submission loss
Adam D Martin - May 6, 2021
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul trolled UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman with a photoshopped picture of the Jose Caceres submission loss. Paul and Usman have been going back-and-forth on social media as of late, with Paul challenging Usman after he finished Ben Askren in boxing, and with Usman responding by accepting the challenge after he knocked out Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261. According to Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, a pay-per-view boxing match between Paul and Usman could do upwards of 3 to 4 million PPV buys, so both men have some interest in it.
Conor McGregor sends a message to Dustin Poirier: "You’ve awoken a beast"
Adam D Martin - May 6, 2021
UFC lightweight superstar Conor McGregor sent a message to rival Dustin Poirier ahead of UFC 264, saying that “you’ve awoken a beast. McGregor returns to the Octagon on July 10 when he takes on Poirier in the third fight between the two bitter rivals. They first met back at UFC 178 in September 2014, with McGregor knocking Poirier out that night in a featherweight bout. Seven years later, they met at UFC 257 in January 2021 and this time, Poirier returned the favor with a second-round TKO. The third fight between these two will decide once and for all who the better fighter is. The stakes are high and this is going to be one of the year’s biggest fights.
John Oliver scolds “moron” Joe Rogan for suggesting healthy youngsters should pass on a COVID vaccine
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2021
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has taken a shot at Joe Rogan for suggesting healthy youngsters shouldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine. Oliver is no stranger to talking about the UFC on his show and now, he’s decided to turn his attention to one of their most prominent faces – Joe Rogan.
Donald Cerrone shares story of Joshua Fabia getting beat up in a bar: "The death punch did not work"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Donald Cerrone says he never met Joshua Fabia but did know one of his friends beat him up in a bar fight. In Albuquerque, as Fabia and Diego Sanchez were becoming closer and started training with one another, Cerrone said he never got the chance to meet him. He did hear some stories about him and the death punch he has. However, according to “Cowboy”, the death punch didn’t work as Fabia got beat up.
Colby Covington blasts Dustin Poirier: "He's using his charity to make money for himself, it's a tax write-off"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Colby Covington is not a fan of Dustin Poirier. Covington and Poirier had a public feud as the two took shots at one another in the lead-up and after Dustin lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov. It has only grown since then as “The Diamond” said it would be on sight when he saw Covington, however, “Chaos” says that was never the case.
Video | Bad blood between New York Rangers and Washington Capitals results in full line brawl
Adam Martin - May 5, 2021
Bad blood between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals resulted in a full line brawl at the opening faceoff on Wednesday night. On Monday night, Capitals forward Tom Wilson was involved in another controversial play that resulted in Rangers star Artemi Panarin getting injured and being deemed out for the season. Wilson was only given a minor penalty for punching the Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich in the head while he was on the ground and wasn’t punished for injuring Panarin in the scrum. While the referees didn’t punish Wilson much for the situation, it was still fully expected that the NHL itself would suspend Wilson as a repeat offender.
Aleksandar Rakic wants No. 1 contender fight with Jiri Prochazka
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Rakic wants to fight Jiri Prochazka next, with the winner getting a title shot at 205lbs. Prochazka is the hottest name in the division right now after knocking out Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir in his first two UFC fights. UFC president Dana White has hinted that Prochazka will be next in line to fight the winner of UFC 266’s main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, but it has also been suggested that Prochazka could fight once more in the meantime. If that happens, then the logical fight for him would be against Rakic, the man who he just overtook in the rankings.
Patrick Mix expects to finish Albert Morales, blasts James Gallagher: "I put together an amazing camp to whoop his ass and he didn't show up"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Patrick Mix had a feeling James Gallagher wouldn’t end up fighting him. At Bellator 258, Mix and Gallagher were booked to fight one another. Yet, just over a week before the fight, it was revealed the Irishman was out of the fight. For Mix, he wasn’t surprised when he got the news.
Kamaru Usman sends a message to Jake Paul: "I can change your life in the worst way"
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman sent a message to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, saying “I can change your life in the worst way.” Usman is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career to date when he finished Jorge Masvidal in the second round of their rematch at UFC 261. Not only did Usman beat Masvidal for the second straight fight, but he did so in an extra-impressive fashion this time. Now, Usman seems targeted for a matchup against either Colby Covington or Michael Chiesa next as he looks to continue breaking UFC records in the welterweight division. But he’s a prizefighter for his profession, and like all fighters, Usman wants to make money. Enter Paul, the YouTuber who has turned heads with his three knockout wins in boxing.
Jack Hermansson says he's the hardest matchup for Israel Adesanya at 185lbs: "His bottom game is definitely not the best"
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
Jack Hermansson says he’s the hardest matchup for UFC champion Israel Adesanya at 185lbs, saying “His bottom game is definitely not the best.” Hermansson returns to the Octagon next Saturday at UFC 262 against Edmen Shahbazyan in a fight between two top-15 middleweights coming off of tough losses. Hermansson dropped a decision to Marvin Vettori back in December, and Vettori is now fighting for the belt. As for Shahbazyan, he lost to top contender Derek Brunson the last time we saw him. This matchup next weekend at UFC 262 is an important one for both men in the stacked UFC middleweight division, especially if they continue to have title aspirations at 185lbs.
Florida announces marijuana will be removed from banned list for MMA fighters and boxers
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
The Florida State Boxing Commission announced this week that marijuana will be removed from the banned list for MMA fighters and boxers. ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi first reported the change on Tuesday as Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokesperson Patrick Fargason officially confirmed that the state will no longer test MMA fighters and boxers for marijuana. Previously under this commission, any trace amount of marijuana in a fighter’s system would amount to a fine, suspension, and overruling of a win to a No Contest. Now, weed will not be tested for.
Chuck Liddell tells hilarious story about punching nightclub DJ in the body
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell told a hilarious story about punching a nightclub DJ in the body after he requested to get hit. Liddell, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, recently spoke to MMAFighting.com’s Damon Martin and told a story about being in Kentucky in 2009 for the derby. “The Iceman” was out at a nightclub when the DJ asked him to punch him in the body. Here’s how Liddell told the story in a way that only a true legend of the game can tell it.
Alex Morono eyes third-round KO of Donald Cerrone, says a win will be "bittersweet" for him: "I'm ready to throw down"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Alex Morono was staying ready for a short-notice opportunity and he got his wish this week. When Donald Cerrone and Diego Sanchez were booked to fight one another on May 8, Morono called his coach, Sayif Saud, to tell the UFC he will be ready in case either of them pull out. Then, late last week, it was revealed Sanchez was out of the fight and Morono got the call asking if he was still open to filing in and he jumped at the chance to fight a legend in “Cowboy.”
Manager says Kamaru Usman vs. Jake Paul would sell 3 or 4 million pay-per-views
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz says that a fight between his client Kamaru Usman and Jake Paul would sell 3 or 4 million pay-per-views. Usman is coming off of one of the best wins of his UFC career when he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 261. As for Paul, he is one of the biggest PPV draws in boxing right now after winning his first three pro fights, including a knockout win over former UFC fighter Ben Askren in his last fight. Although Paul is not highly respected in the combat sports community, he is undoubtedly a big draw. It’s no wonder, then, that several MMA fighters have suggested that they be the next to meet him inside the boxing ring. Usman, in particular, was the biggest name to call out Paul for a future fight.
Luana Pinheiro reacts to DQ win over Randa Markos at UFC Vegas 25: "Nobody feels more than I do for the outcome of the fight"
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight prospect Luana Pinheiro has reacted to her controversial illegal upkick DQ win over Randa Markos at UFC Vegas 25. Pinheiro was making her UFC debut this past Saturday night on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 25 against the veteran Markos. The Brazilian was having an incredible start to her UFC debut as she was seen throwing Markos to the mat using her judo skills and also getting the better of her on the feet. Unfortunately, the fight ended in controversy near the end of the first round when an illegal upkick from Markos appeared to knock Pinheiro out. That led referee Mark Smith to disqualifying Markos and awarding Pinheiro the win via DQ.
Diego Sanchez says he is scared the UFC might kill him and frame it as a suicide
Adam D Martin - May 5, 2021
Former UFC fighter Diego Sanchez says that he is scared the UFC might kill him and frame it as a suicide in the next two years. Sanchez was recently released by the UFC due to a disagreement about medical records between his coach Joshua Fabia and UFC lawyer Hunter Campbell. It was an unfortunate ending for Sanchez’s UFC career considering he has been with the company since 2015 and was the longest-tenured fighter on the roster. But as far as Sanchez is concerned, it’s all for the best, because his perception of what the UFC is today has changed over the years.