MMA News
Kamaru Usman forecasts Jorge Masvidal grudge match in Miami: "Miami is mine"
Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has laid out plans for a grudge match with Jorge Masvidal—in his rival’s native Miami. Usman and Masvidal have fought once before, at UFC 251 in July 2020. Usman had originally been expected to defend his title against Gilbert Burns on the card, but when Burns withdrew from the matchup, Masvidal stepped in to replace him on less than a week’s notice. Usman ended up beating Masvidal by unanimous decision, but given the short-notice circumstances of the fight, there’s been widespread interest in a rematch ever since—and not just among fans.
Gilbert Burns believes there are two opponents who could get him right back to a title shot
Harry Kettle - February 18, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has listed two potential opponents who could get him right back to a shot at the title. Burns fell short in his attempt to capture the Welterweight Championship from Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, falling to a TKO loss despite a strong start to the bout.
Jake Paul reacts to news that Tyron Woodley is training Ben Askren for their boxing match: “It’s a loser training another loser”
Harry Kettle - February 18, 2021
YouTuber turned professional boxer Jake Paul doesn’t seem to be all too concerned by the prospect of Tyron Woodley training Ben Askren for their upcoming boxing fight. Paul is set to step back into the ring once again when he locks horns with the aforementioned Askren in what could be one of the most anticipated exhibition bouts of the year.
UFC Vegas 20: ‘Rozenstruik vs. Gane’ Fight Card and Start Times
Drake Riggs - February 17, 2021
UFC Vegas 20 will be the second of two pivotal heavyweight main events going back to back as Jairzinho Rozenstruik looks to put a stop to Ciryl Gane. To close out 2020, France’s Gane extended his undefeated record to 7-0 by earning his biggest win yet. Opening up the main card of UFC 256, Gane disposed of former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos by second-round TKO.
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman details requirements for a move up to middleweight
Christopher Taylor - February 17, 2021
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has revealed his required stipulations for a potential move up to middleweight. Usman (18-1 MMA) successfully defended his welterweight title at last weekend’s UFC 258 event scoring a third round TKO victory over Gilbert Burns. The victory marked Kamaru’s seventeenth in a row and third consecutive title defense.
Stephen Thompson says he's next for Kamaru Usman
Adam Martin - February 17, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson believes he should be the next man in line to challenge champion Kamaru Usman for his title. There are several contenders vying for the chance to take on Usman and capture his UFC welterweight crown. Among them is Jorge Masvidal, who Usman himself has called out for a rematch. “Gamebred” seems to be at the top of the UFC’s list, but that’s not set in stone. There’s also Colby Covington, who had a competitive fight with Usman two years ago and who is coming off of a TKO win over Tyron Woodley. As well, Leon Edwards is also vying for a rematch with Usman after winning his last eight fights. And finally, there’s Thompson, who is the highest-ranked fighter at 170lbs who the champ Usman hasn’t fought yet.
Dana White admits being a "degenerate" gambler, recalls losing $1 million bet on boxing match
Adam Martin - February 17, 2021
UFC president Dana White admitted to being a “degenerate” gambler and recalled losing a $1-million bet on a boxing match nearly 15 years ago. White recently spoke to ESPN Sports Betting about the role that gambling plays in the modern sports world. In White’s view, the legalization of gambling across more states and in more countries is only a good thing for MMA, since betting on sports can generate more fan interest. The UFC bossman admitted in the interview that he keeps his eye on the betting lines for the UFC events himself and also said that he’s glad ESPN started showing live betting lines on the broadcast. For White, the more gambling on UFC fights, the better.
Deiveson Figueiredo wants Brandon Moreno rematch in June according to manager
Cole Shelton - February 17, 2021
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 2 will happen later than expected. After Figueiredo and Moreno fought to a draw at UFC 256 in December, it was clear an immediate rematch was in order. However, the Brazilian was calling out Henry Cejudo and the Cody Garbrandt fight is still there. Yet, according to Wallid Ismail, who manages Figueiredo, the champ’s next fight will be against Moreno but they want it to be in June.
Chris Daukaus expects to KO Alexey Oleynik and become a legit heavyweight contender
Cole Shelton - February 17, 2021
Chris Daukaus couldn’t have imagined he would be fighting the 10th-ranked guy in the world just six months after his UFC debut. Daukaus stepped up on short notice at UFC 252 in August and scored a first-round TKO win over Parker Porter. He followed that up with a 45-second TKO win over Rodrigo Nascimento in October and is now set to face Alexey Oleynik at UFC Vegas 19, which is an opponent he didn’t think he’d face in his third UFC appearance.
Derrick Lewis expects to "break" Curtis Blaydes in a very bloody and violent fight
Cole Shelton - February 17, 2021
Derrick Lewis is expecting a violent and bloody fight against Curtis Blaydes. In the main event of UFC Vegas 19, Lewis and Blaydes will finally meet after the two have trash-talked one another for months. It’s a very intriguing fight as there is no question Lewis has one-punch KO power, but Blaydes will have the wrestling advantage. For “The Black Beast” he believes he has what it takes to put Blaydes away given he is in the best shape of his career.
Drakkar Klose frustrated with UFC, plans to test free agency: "The UFC already knows who they want to be champion"
Cole Shelton - February 17, 2021
Drakkar Klose is frustrated with how the UFC is matchmaking fights. After Klose got knocked out by Beneil Dariush at UFC 248 in March of 2020, he did not get another fight for the rest of the year. It was a frustrating time for Klose who says he no longer cares about rankings and is just looking to make as much money as possible.
UFC Vegas 19: Blaydes vs. Lewis full betting odds
Adam Martin - February 17, 2021
Check out the complete betting odds for this Saturday’s UFC Vegas 19 card featuring Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis in the main event. The headliner features top-five ranked heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis going against each other in an important fight in the UFC’s heaviest weight class. Blaydes comes into this fight on a four-fight win streak, but he has been criticized for his wrestling-heavy type of approach by UFC president Dana White and fans. We will see if that changes in this fight as Blaydes is likely very motivated to get a finish and move closer to the title shot. As for Lewis, he is coming off of three straight wins in his own right. One of the biggest punchers in the heavyweight division, Lewis is going to have to stop Blaydes’ takedown attempts and try to knock him out to win this fight as a big underdog.
Curtis Blaydes explains why he won't abandon his wrestling against Derrick Lewis
Adam Martin - February 17, 2021
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes says he won’t abandon his wrestling when he meets Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Vegas 19. Blaydes is a powerhouse wrestler which has earned him some critics, including UFC president Dana White, who was not a fan of his last fight with Alexander Volkov. Despite winning a unanimous decision, Blaydes was not able to get the finish in that fight. Even though Blaydes has numerous TKO stoppages during his UFC run, he can’t seem to shake the label of a top-heavy wrestler. But he quite frankly doesn’t care what anyone thinks about his style. As long as he is winning fights, he won’t be changing the way he fights.
UFC parts ways with eight more fighters
Tom Taylor - February 17, 2021
The UFC has parted ways with an additional eight fighters, including Aleksandra Albu, Chris De La Rocha, Syuri Kondo and Alex Chambers. This latest round of releases was first reported by Nolan King and Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. According to their report, some of these fighters parted ways with the promotion recently, others did so over a year ago with no coverage.
UFC rankings update: Kamaru Usman climbs pound-for-pound list, Alexa Grasso hits top-10
Tom Taylor - February 17, 2021
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC 258 card in Las Vegas, and as expected, there have been some big changes. Most notably, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman moved up the men’s pound-for-pound list after beating Gilbert Burns in the card’s main event. He’s now sitting at No. 4.
Ronda Rousey picked up pro wrestling "quicker than anybody in the history of the sport," says Kurt Angle
Tom Taylor - February 17, 2021
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle says Ronda Rousey picked up pro wrestling faster than anybody in the history of the sport. Rousey entered the combat sports limelight as a mixed martial artist, ultimately enjoying a lengthy reign as the UFC bantamweight champion. After two tough losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, however, she transitioned to the WWE ring with much fanfare and excitement.
Robert Whittaker in phenomenal shape ahead of Paulo Costa fight
Tom Taylor - February 17, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is in phenomenal shape ahead of his upcoming showdown with Paulo Costa. Whittaker lost the UFC middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in 2019, but has since rebounded with a pair of impressive decision victories over top contenders in Darren Till and Jared Cannonier. He’ll look to make it three in a row—and make his claim to another title shot truly undeniable—when he takes on the recent title challenger Costa on April 17.
UFC 258 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman, Alexa Grasso potentially out until August
Tom Taylor - February 17, 2021
The medical suspensions for Saturday’s UFC 258 card are in, and several fighters are facing lengthy suspensions—including Kamaru Usman and Alexa Grasso. Usman returned to the cage in the UFC 258 main event, defending the UFC welterweight title with a third-round TKO over Gilbert Burns. Grasso was in action in the card’s co-main event, where she defeated Maycee Barber by unanimous decision.