MMA News
Stipe Miocic not thinking about Jon Jones superfight until he beats Francis Ngannou at UFC 260
Adam D Martin - March 22, 2021
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic says he’s not thinking about a Jon Jones superfight until he beats Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. Miocic puts the heavyweight title on the line this Saturday night when he fights Ngannou in a rematch in the UFC 260 main event. These two rivals met three years ago at UFC 220 and Miocic dominated Ngannou with his wrestling to take home the decision. Since that first encounter, Miocic went 2-1 in his trilogy against Daniel Cormier, while Ngannou is 4-1 since the first Miocic fight, with his last four wins coming by way of first-round knockout.
What's next for Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland after UFC Vegas 22?
Cole Shelton - March 22, 2021
In the main event of UFC Vegas 22, a key middleweight bout headlined the card as Derek Brunson took on the streaking Kevin Holland. Holland entered the fight riding a ton of momentum after going 5-0 in 2020 but in the fight, Brunson proved why he should still be considered among the best at middleweight. The veteran used his wrestling to control the fight and win a clear-cut decision.
Gordon Ryan signs with ONE Championship
Adam D Martin - March 22, 2021
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Gordon Ryan has signed a contract with ONE Championship to compete in both submission grappling and MMA. ONE Championship founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news on Monday that Ryan has signed with Asia’s leading MMA promotion. According to Sityodtong, Ryan’s contract with ONE will allow him to compete in both submission grappling and in mixed martial arts. Check out the official announcement from ONE’s leading executive below.
Luke Rockhold says he has that "fire" back ahead of UFC comeback
Adam D Martin - March 22, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold says he has that “fire” back ahead of his comeback to the Octagon later this year. Rockhold hasn’t fought since UFC 239 in July 2019, when he suffered a brutal KO loss to Jan Blachowicz. The former Strikeforce and UFC champ has taken the last two years off to heal his mind and body after years of fighting at the elite level, and he plans on making his comeback to the Octagon sometime later this year. At age 36, Rockhold is hoping that after taking two years off, his injuries have been healed up and he’ll be ready to do damage again inside the Octagon. He’s been training at RVCA Gym in preparation for his return.
Derek Brunson disagrees with Dana White’s suggestion that Kevin Holland had a “mental breakdown” at UFC Vegas 22
Adam D Martin - March 22, 2021
UFC middleweight Derek Brunson disagreed with Dana White’s suggestion that Kevin Holland had a “mental breakdown” at UFC Vegas 22. Brunson dominated Holland with his grappling in the main event of this past Saturday’s UFC Vegas 22 event. The 37-year-old Strikeforce veteran was able to take Holland down at will and control him on the mat en route to a unanimous decision victory. But while Brunson had a solid performance, Holland is the fighter everyone is talking about, and not for good reasons. The 28-year-old Texan is known for talking during his fights, but he took it to a whole new level against Brunson, as he wouldn’t stop talking for the full 25 minutes.
Photo | Tyron Woodley in fantastic shape ahead of Vicente Luque fight at UFC 260
Adam Martin - March 21, 2021
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley looks to be in fantastic shape ahead of his fight against Vicente Luque at UFC 260. Woodley is looking to snap a three-fight losing skid when he meets Luque next Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 260. The 38-year-old St. Louis native is the No. 7 ranked welterweight in the UFC, but with three straight losses to Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman, the former champion is being used as a gatekeeper to the top-10 now. The UFC is giving Luque the chance to go in there and take on a former champion and see what he’s made of, and the oddsmakers like his chances. Luque is currently a -275 betting favorite, while the former champion Woodley is a +200 underdog at the moment.
Video | Montserrat Conejo denies spitting on Cheyanne Buys following fight at UFC Vegas 22
Adam Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight Montserrat Conejo denied spitting on Cheyanne Buys following their main card fight at Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 22. Conejo was one of the biggest underdogs on the card, coming in on short notice for the injured Kay Hansen, but she pulled off a big upset by using her grappling to score a unanimous decision. Buys was not able to stop the fight from entering the clinch and every time it did, Conejo was able to get her to the ground with a head-and-arm throw and she kept Buys in a headlock position for essentially 15 minutes. It was a great win for Conejo in her UFC debut, but the victory was partly marred in controversy by what happened after.
UFC 260 loses another fight as Shane Young pulled due to COVID-19 protocols
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC featherweight Shane Young has been pulled from his fight with Omar Morales at next weekend’s UFC 260 card due to COVID-19 protocols. Young vs. Morales would have been a great fight between two men who likely would have stood and traded for the fans’ delight, but the fight has been scratched from UFC 260. On Saturday night, it was revealed that UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski was pulled from his upcoming title fight against Brian Ortega at UFC 260 after testing positive for COVID-19. In addition, lightweight Brad Riddell saw his fight with Gregor Gillespie canceled for UFC Vegas 22 because of his closeness to Volkanovski. It appears now that Young, another City Kickboxing fighter, was affected by COVID-19 protocols.
Khabib Nurmagomedov confirms he retired because of his love for his mother
Adam Martin - March 21, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov confirmed that he retired from MMA because of his love and respect for his mother. Nurmagomedov officially announced this week that he was retiring from MMA at the height of his career. At 29-0 and at age 32, Nurmagomedov is very much in his prime and was the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world before he made the announcement official and he hung up his gloves. For many fans, the decision to walk away is a surprising one considering he’s still one of the best fighters in the sport and there is plenty of money to be made. But for Nurmagomedov, family trumps all, and that’s why he retired from MMA.
Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to be MMA coach of the year, says Luke Rockhold: "He wants to be the next great thing"
Adam Martin - March 21, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to be the MMA coach of the year, says his longtime teammate Luke Rockhold. Nurmagomedov announced his official retirement from the UFC this week, finishing his MMA career with a perfect 29-0 record. While a return down the road can’t be ruled out, at least for the time being we have seen the last of “The Eagle” inside the Octagon. But just because he doesn’t plan on competing anymore doesn’t mean he won’t stick around the game. Instead of fighting, Nurmagomedov plans on putting his focus on coaching instead.
Derek Brunson explains why he called out Paulo Costa following win over Kevin Holland
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson explained why he called out Paulo Costa following his win over Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 22. Brunson won a unanimous decision over Holland in Saturday’s headliner. The 37-year-old veteran was able to take Holland down at will and control him on the mat for a dominant victory. Following the win, which was Brunson’s fourth straight victory at 185lbs, he called out the top contender Costa for a future fight. Costa was recently removed from a matchup against Robert Whittaker on April 17 and replaced by Kelvin Gastelum after the Brazilian pulled out due to illness. Once he feels better, Brunson is hoping the UFC books the fight.
Ben Askren reveals first memory after Jorge Masvidal knocked him out at UFC 239
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
Former UFC welterweight Ben Askren revealed the first memory he had after Jorge Masvidal knocked him out with a flying knee at UFC 239. Masvidal’s five-second KO over Askren is one of the iconic moments in UFC history. The two rivals talked a lot of smack in the lead-up to the fight, but as soon as the bell rang, Masvidal ran across the Octagon and completely flattened Askren with a brutal knee as he ducked for a takedown. It was a brutal knockout that left Askren completely KOed stiff.
Kevin Holland considering move down to 170lbs following loss to Derek Brunson at UFC Vegas 22
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland says he is considering a move down to 170lbs following his loss to Derek Brunson at UFC Vegas 22. Holland was taken down at will for nearly the entire 25 minutes by Brunson on his way to a unanimous decision loss. Though it seemed that Holland didn’t take the fight seriously, you also have to give a ton of credit to Brunson for sticking to his gameplan. He was able to expose Holland’s poor takedown defense as he continually took him down at will and beat him with his grinding wrestling style. It was the kind of lopsided win for Brunson that now has Holland contemplating a chance of weight classes considering how he was held down.
Conor McGregor continues to take jabs at recently retired rival Khabib Nurmagomedov
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor continued to take jabs at recently-retired rival Khabib Nurmagomedov with some more trash-talk on social media. McGregor and Nurmagomedov were bitter rivals for years, and the hope was the two would one day have their big-money rematch inside the Octagon. However, after McGregor got knocked out by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, it essentially eliminated any thoughts of the rematch. Nurmagomedov officially retired from MMA this week, and of course, McGregor was there to take a shot at him, telling the Russian he’s the one who made him in MMA. On Sunday, McGregor continued to take shots at Nurmagoedov, this time for his lack of power.
Michael Bisping responds after Uriah Hall calls him a “dick” for suggesting he was knocked out by Derek Brunson
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC analyst Michael Bisping responded after Uriah Hall called him a “dick” for suggesting that he was knocked out by Derek Brunson. Bisping was in the commentary booth during the UFC Vegas 22 main event fight between Brunson and Kevin Holland. At one point during the fight, Bisping mentioned the fact that Brunson has a knockout win over Uriah Hall on his resume, from UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson in September 2016. However, Hall wasn’t too happy that Bisping pointed it out, and instead, he called Bisping a “dick” for suggesting that Burnson had finished him.
Kevin Holland responds to critics who say he should “stop talking” during his fights
Adam D Martin - March 21, 2021
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland responded to the critics who said that he should “stop talking” during his fights following UFC Vegas 22. Holland lost a unanimous decision when Derek Brunson was able to take him down at will and control him on the mat en route to a unanimous decision victory. While it was a solid performance by Brunson, who did exactly what he needed to do to win the fight, it was disappointing to see Holland not take the fight more seriously. Instead of having an urgency to finish the fight, Holland instead let the clock continue to tick. Once he finally started to take the fight seriously late in the fifth round, it was already far too late.
Tony Ferguson says he accepts the "verbal tap" from Khabib Nurmagomedov: "29-1 it is"
Christopher Taylor - March 21, 2021
Tony Ferguson is clearly not ready to let go of his long standing rivalry with recently retired UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Eagle’ recently made his retirement from fighting official, this after Dana White and the UFC finally threw in the towel following multiple failed attempts to persuade Khabib into making a comeback.
Dana White reacts to Kevin Holland’s performance at UFC Vegas 22
Christopher Taylor - March 21, 2021
Dana White and company were promoting the in-fight trash talking of Kevin Holland prior to tonight’s UFC Vegas 22 main event. Holland (21-6 MMA) had entered tonight’s UFC headliner with veteran Derek Brunson on a five-fight win streak, his latest being a spectacular knockout victory over former Strikeforce champion Jacare Souza.