MMA News

Tom Taylor - February 19, 2021

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has sent a birthday message to one of his chief rivals, undefeated boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor and Mayweather met in the boxing ring in 2017 in a massive crossover spectacle. McGregor, who was making his pro boxing debut, performed surprisingly well in the fight’s early rounds, but was ultimately stopped by a volley of 10th-round punches.

Tom Taylor - February 19, 2021

Entertaining UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis believes it “would be really crazy” to win the promotion’s heavyweight championship. Lewis has been one of the UFC’s top heavyweights for many years. While he came up short in his lone crack at the heavyweight belt—losing via submission to Daniel Cormier in 2018—he remains a fixture of the top-5 and conceivably re-enter the title conversation if he beats Curtis Blaydes this Saturday.

Tom Taylor - February 19, 2021

Itsuki Hirata, one of the brightest prospects on the ONE Championship roster, is days out from a potentially career-altering fight. The 21-year-old will collide with Miku Nakamura in the main event of Road to ONE on February 22 in her native Tokyo. A win in this matchup could launch her into the anticipated ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix, and open the door to fights with some of the promotion’s fiercest fighters.

Tom Taylor - February 19, 2021

MMA fighter Raush Manfio says Ben Askren has “no chance” in his upcoming boxing match with YouTube celebrity Jake Paul. Paul and Askren are slated to collide in an eight-round pro boxing match on April 17. Ahead of the fight, Paul enlisted the help of Manfio to help him prepare for Askren, who went 1-2 in the UFC and is the former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion.

Harry Kettle - February 19, 2021

UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis offered up a typically entertaining response when asked about Ted Cruz’s recent trip to Cancun. While Lewis may be focusing on his huge fight against Curtis Blaydes this weekend, it’s also hard to ignore the ongoing power grid and weather issues in the state of Texas — where Lewis lives.

Drake Riggs - February 18, 2021

Rampant speculation has surrounded UFC 261 and its location. Now, it appears things will stay in Vegas with a pair of pivotal strawweight bouts. Combate reported on Thursday that the April 24 UFC pay-per-view event will no longer be at what was initially reported as Singapore. Instead, the promotion will stick with keeping things stateside in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex facility.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis said that he hopes to send Curtis Blaydes to the ICU following their main event bout at UFC Vegas 19. Lewis faces off with Blaydes in the main event of this Saturday’s UFC card. The two were previously scheduled to fight in November but Blaydes was forced out of the bout due to a case of COVID-19. The pair needed three months to be rescheduled, so there will be plenty of frustrations to be let out when the two heavyweights fight this weekend. Blaydes has promised that he will revert to his world-class wrestling to get the job done as always, while Lewis says he will get the KO. It should be fascinating to watch the fight unfold.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

UFC middleweight Julian Marquez revealed that he’s still talking to Miley Cyrus by DM, saying that “she knows who I am (and) she follows me.” Marquez had an unbelievable comeback at UFC 258 last weekend when he submitted Maki Pitolo in the third round of a fight he was bound to lose via unanimous decision. Not only did he have a great finish and earn a $50,000 bonus for his troubles, but he also became a bit of an overnight sensation when he asked out singer and songwriter Miley Cyrus. Marquez asked Cyrus to be his valentine and she responded on social media with a request for him to shave the letters “MC” into his chest hair. In turn, Marquez asked Cyrus to put a henna tattoo of his name on her chest, which led to online criticism for Marquez’s game.

Cole Shelton - February 18, 2021

Andrei Arlovski is confident he can become UFC champion again but is uncertain how much longer he has left to compete. Arlovski has quietly turned back the clock as he enters UFC Vegas 19 on a two-fight winning streak. He beat Tanner Boser and Philipe Lins by decision and now faces Tom Aspinall. For the former UFC heavyweight champion, he says becoming champion again is driving him.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

UFC superstar Jon Jones shared a new weight training video on his social media of himself doing rack pulls of over 600lbs. Jones is set to make his UFC heavyweight debut this summer and he has been sharing videos over the last six months of himself bulking up. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has boasted he now weighs over 250lbs. With Jones’ heavyweight debut just a few months away, as UFC president Dana White is targeting a summer date for it, “Bones” has been really taking it a whole new level in his weight training. In a workout video posted on his Instagram, the all-time great is seen doing rack pulls at 545lbs and then at 605lbs.

Cole Shelton - February 18, 2021

Derrick Lewis still hopes he gets the chance to fight Alistair Overeem. For years now, it appeared Lewis and Overeem were on a collision course, leading to the two trash-talking one another. However, for whatever reasons, the fight was never made and with Overeem’s fighting future uncertain, Lewis makes it clear he wants that fight to happen.

Alfredo Zullino - February 18, 2021

Unfortunately, MMA is not always only punches, kicks, and grappling between a fighter and his or her opponent. Some events can get pretty extreme and even have a gunman involved too. It’s the story of Brazilian fighter Leonardo Barbosa who competed at Truly Grand Fighting Championship 11 on February 11 in Afghanistan, against home favorite Ahmed Wali Hotak. The latter stopped Barbosa with a knee and punches during the second round, in a controversial ending.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

Former UFC heavyweight contender Stefan Struve promised that his retirement from MMA is final, vowing that he’s “not going to fight anymore.” Struve announced this week that he is stepping away from the sport immediately, officially confirming he is hanging up his gloves after making the decision with his team and family. Struve cited numerous health and injury issues as the reason for his retirement, though his recent form no doubt played a role in him deciding to retire. Prior to announcing that he is walking away from MMA, Struve had lost five of his last six fights. His last loss to Tai Tuivasa was especially brutal as he was knocked out at the end of the first round.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have both shared their initial reactions to their newly announced welterweight showdown. On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Muhammad has agreed to step in against Edwards in the main event of a March 13 fight card.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Leon Edwards has accepted a new opponent for March 13. According to ESPN‘s Brett Okamoto, the long-absent welterweight star will now take on Belal Muhammad. Five days removed from a win last weekend, Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) has agreed to replace Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round main event against Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) on March 13 per sources … And if Edwards wins this, it’s gotta be a title shot next, right? Gotta be. pic.twitter.com/tFM7KdhdAQ

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Gilbert Burns is already back in the gym and receiving comeback advice from former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Burns was in action in the main event of UFC 258 last weekend, when he challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title. Burns managed to drop Usman in the fight’s opening round, but Usman surged back in round two and ultimately stopped burns in round three.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Former fighter and MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes the UFC’s top welterweights are all “scared” of rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC welterweight top 5 is currently jam-packed with elite talent like champ Kamaru Usman, and top contenders Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal. Unfortunately, the division’s top fighters haven’t been particularly active of late, and Sonnen believes that’s due in part to the arrival of Chimaev.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Jorge Masvidal has responded to a recent comment from UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman—and snuck in a jab at an ESPN reporter. Earlier this week, Usman partook in an interview Brett Okamoto, who works for ESPN but also regularly appears on UFC broadcasts. During the interview, the welterweight champion laid out plans for a high-profile rematch with Masvidal in Miami—Masvidal’s hometown.