MMA News
VIDEO | Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira have first staredown in Brazil
Adam Martin - February 12, 2020
UFC lightweight contenders Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira had their first staredown ahead of their main event fight at UFC Brasilia in March. Lee and Oliveira had both been seeking a top-15 ranked opponent for their next fight and the UFC decided to match them up against one another in what should be a truly excellent matchup. They will fight for five rounds or less at UFC on ESPN+ 28, taking place on March 14 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.
Diego Sanchez discusses benefits of training with 'self awareness' coach Joshua Fabia
Tom Taylor - February 12, 2020
After spending the majority of his fighting career with the famed JacksonWink MMA team in Albuquerque, New Mexico, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez cut ties with the gym and began working with a man named Joshua Fabia. Fabia, a ‘self awareness’ coach, has very little experience in the martial arts. As a result, many fans were critical of Sanchez’s decision to train with this unconventional coach.
UFC 247 medical suspensions: Valentina Shevchenko potentially facing 6-month sit
Tom Taylor - February 12, 2020
UFC 247 was an entertaining card with plenty of finishes and some exciting, back-and-forth wars. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with entertaining cards of this kind, the result is quite a few lengthy medical suspensions. This time around, that includes a potential six-month sit for UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who decimated Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC 247 co-main event. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversaw the UFC 247 card in Houston, does not disclose the details of their medical suspensions the way other state commissions do, so we don’t know what injuries and health concerns have caused the suspensions each fighter received. We also don’t know if the fighters listed below can compete earlier if they’re cleared by a doctor, but that is usually the case.
Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes betting odds released for rematch
Adam Martin - February 12, 2020
The opening betting odds have been released for a potential rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Dominick Reyes. Jones and Reyes fought tooth-and-nail for 25 minutes at UFC 247 last weekend, with Jones ultimately emerging as the winner with scores of 48-48-47 and 49-46 for a unanimous decision victory. However, the decision was very controversial with many fans and media believing that Reyes should have won the title. Veteran MMA official Big John McCarthy is the latest to voice his opinion that Reyes deserved to win the fight.
Juan Adams reveals he's been released from the UFC
Tom Taylor - February 12, 2020
Juan Adams has been let go by the UFC. On Wednesday morning, the heavyweight prospect issued a quick statement confirming that the promotion has released him from its roster. He added that, contrary to this tough moment of his career, he won’t be giving up.
Andrea Lee explains why she'll appeal controversial UFC 247 decision
Mike Heck - February 12, 2020
UFC 247 was filled with great moments on Saturday night, but it was also mired in controversy when it came to the judging and the scoring of a handful of fights in Houston. One of the fights that many feel was controversial upon completion was the fight between Andrea Lee and Lauren Murphy. The women’s flyweight bout took place during the ESPN preliminary card on Saturday night and was ultimately scored for Murphy via split decision. Judge Patrick Patlin scored the bout 29-28 for Lee. Chris Lee scored it the same for Murphy, while the third judge, Danny Dealejandro, scored it 30-27 for Murphy.
Anthony Smith says Jon Jones 'looked lost' in UFC 247 win over Dominick Reyes
Natasha Hooper - February 12, 2020
Jon Jones’ former opponent Anthony Smith believes the champion “looked lost” during his UFC 247 performance against Dominick Reyes. On Saturday, February 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, the light heavyweight champ successfully defended his belt for a record-breaking fourteenth time. However, his opponent Dominick Reyes put up a worthy fight, leaving many spectators believing he should have won.
Manny Pacquiao signs with Paradigm, Conor McGregor reacts
Natasha Hooper - February 12, 2020
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has signed to Conor McGregor’s management firm, Paradigm Sports Management. Paradigm announced in a press release on Tuesday that they will officially be representing the boxer for “commercial and competitive endeavors.”
Gegard Mousasi vs. Douglas Lima for vacant middleweight title added to Bellator 243
Adam Martin - February 11, 2020
Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima will move up a weight class to take on Gegard Mousasi for the vacant Bellator middleweight title at Bellator 243. Former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Lovato Jr. vacated his belt this week due to health issues, which opened up the possibility of this superfight between the former champion Mousasi and the current welterweight champ Lima.
Dominick Reyes taught himself a new technique in the middle of Jon Jones fight
Tom Taylor - February 11, 2020
Dominick Reyes failed to swipe the UFC light heavyweight title from Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 247, but he came very close. In fact, many fans believe he, not the champion, deserved the nod from the cage-side judges on the night. Whatever the case, Reyes impressed pretty much everybody that was watching, giving Jones arguably the toughest test of his career to date. His performance is even more impressive considering the fact that he was apparently learning new things in the middle of the affair.
Justin Willis signs with PFL
Adam Martin - February 11, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight contender Justin Willis has signed a new contract with PFL and will be part of the promotion’s next heavyweight tournament. Willis signing with PFL was first confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. “Big Pretty” is expected to make his promotional debut later in the spring when their next heavyweight tournament begins.
UFC Rio Rancho: Anderson vs. Blachowicz 2 official fight card
Tom Taylor - February 11, 2020
The next UFC fight card on the calendar is UFC Rio Rancho, which goes down this Saturday. The UFC Rio Rancho card will be topped by a light heavyweight rematch between top contenders Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz. If Anderson wins, the expectation is that he’ll get a shot at UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The same could be true for Blachowicz, though he might be passed up for somebody else if he doesn’t win impressively.
Michel Prazeres suspended two years by USADA
Adam Martin - February 11, 2020
UFC welterweight Michel Prazeres has accepted a two-year sanction by USADA for violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for banned substances. USADA revealed on Tuesday the suspension to Prazeres, retroactive to last March, in a press release. Check it out below in full via the USADA website.
Kamaru Usman explains why Jorge Masvidal's power doesn't worry him
Tom Taylor - February 11, 2020
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is expected to defend his title against streaking contender Jorge Masvidal during International Fight Week this July. Heading into this matchup, which is still not official, Usman is perceived to have a clear wrestling advantage, while Masvidal is believed to be the more dangerous striker.
John McCarthy trashes UFC 247 judging: 'It was bad'
Adam Martin - February 11, 2020
Bellator commentator and veteran MMA official Big John McCarthy trashed the judging at UFC 247, saying the judges did a poor job scoring the fights. The judges were involved in a number of controversial decisions at UFC 247 which has re-ignited the debate about how to score fights in MMA and whether or not the sport needs open scoring. Among the controversial decisions were the main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes, the women’s flyweight bout between Lauren Murphy and Andrea Lee, and a bantamweight bout on the preliminary card between Andre Ewell and Jonathan Martinez.
James Krause believes he beat Trevin Giles at UFC 247, says he's willing to step up on short notice again
Cole Shelton - February 11, 2020
James Krause had a crazy weekend in Houston, to say the least. The UFC welterweight arrived in Houston on Wednesday to corner Youssef Zalal but on Friday that all changed. He found out Antonio Arroyo was out of his middleweight bout just after weigh-ins and told his manager he would take the fight.
Darren Till shares hilarious DM from Israel Adesanya
Tom Taylor - February 11, 2020
Israel Adesanya is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. Darren Till is one of the division’s top contenders. As such, the pair are very likely to share the cage in the near future — but that hasn’t stopped them from getting friendly. Early on Tuesday morning, Till shared a hilarious direct message he received from the champ. In this DM, Adesanya asks Till if he’ll be in Las Vegas for UFC 248, where he is scheduled to defend his middleweight champion against Yoel Romero. He then asks Till if he’s dealing with “visa issues,” an apparent jab at Till’s previous brushes with the law.
John McCarthy says Dominick Reyes should have won 48-47
Adam Martin - February 11, 2020
Bellator commentator and veteran MMA official Big John McCarthy says he believes Dominick Reyes should have defeated Jon Jones 48-47 at UFC 247. McCarthy is one of the most respected minds in the fight game and was someone who was instrumental in the creation of the Unified Rules of MMA and the judging scoring system. He holds judging and refereeing seminars and knows a thing or two about how to score a fight.