MMA News
Randy Couture explains why he's called "Captain America" and "The Natural"
Adam Martin - February 2, 2021
UFC legend Randy Couture explained why he’s called “Captain America” and “The Natural” in a new sit-down interview with Burt Watson. Couture, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, was known by several nicknames throughout his career, but the two most commonly associated with him are “Captain America” and “The Natural,” which is also the title of his book written by Loretta Hunt. Speaking to former UFC staff member Burt Watson, Couture explained to MMAjunkie.com the origins of his two most popular nicknames. For “The Natural,” Couture opened up about how it was coined in Full Contact Fighter Magazine.
Stephen A. Smith disapproves of women in MMA: "I don't want to see women fighting in the Octagon"
Tom Taylor - February 2, 2021
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is back with another terrible take, this time expressing his disinterest in women competing in mixed martial arts. Smith, whose gimmick relies heavily on intentionally controversial sound bites, made his comments about women in combat sports during an appearance on the latest episode of the “Black on the Air” podcast.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 26 with Frankie Edgar, Diego Ferreira, Cody Stamann, Andre Ewell, and Mike Rodriguez
Cole Shelton - February 2, 2021
The 26th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC Vegas 18. var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_22657921", "obj": {"id":"22947","width":"100%","height":"","video":"711792"} });
Jim Miller returns at UFC 258, takes on fellow veteran Bobby Green
Adam Martin - February 2, 2021
A lightweight bout between veterans Jim Miller and Bobby Green is the latest addition to the upcoming UFC 258 pay-per-view card. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report that UFC 258 will receive the Miller vs. Green bout. The card takes place on February 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns. The co-main event was originally a middleweight rematch between Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman, and after that fight fell apart, the promotion scrambled to get a new addition added to the card, and the Miller vs. Green bout was the fight added.
Video | Ben Askren lets his hands go on Jake Paul punching bag
Tom Taylor - February 2, 2021
Former UFC welterweight contender Ben Askren is already breaking in his customized Jake Paul-inspired punching bag. Earlier this week, Askren unveiled a custom-made punching bag adorned with Paul’s mug, which will no doubt help him prepare for his April 17 boxing match with the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Darren Till refutes Uriah Hall's claim about Israel Adesanya's competition: "He's fought all killers"
Tom Taylor - February 2, 2021
Darren Till has gone to bat for UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya after a recent criticism from his fellow contender Uriah Hall. Hall, the UFC’s No. 8-ranked middleweight, recently expressed his belief that Adesanya has been competing against subpar opposition of his own volition.
Khabib Nurmagomedov should "hold out for GSP or retire," says coach
Tom Taylor - February 2, 2021
Javier Mendez says Khabib Nurmagomedov should hold out for a blockbuster fighter with Georges St-Pierre or retire from mixed martial arts. Nurmagomedov, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, announced his retirement from competition after choking out Justin Gaethje in October. Despite his retirement announcement, he still hasn’t vacated the lightweight throne, as UFC President Dana White has been attempting to convince him to fight one last time.
Calvin Kattar's head coach explains why he didn't throw in towel during Max Holloway fight
Tom Taylor - February 2, 2021
Tyson Chartier, the head coach behind UFC featherweight contender Calvin Kattar, has explained why he didn’t throw in the towel during his fighter’s lopsided decision loss to Max Holloway. Holloway and Kattar met in the main event of UFC Fight Island 7 on January 16. Though Kattar entered the matchup with quite a bit of hype attached to his name, he was soundly beaten by the former featherweight champion over five rounds, absorbing north of 400 strikes the in process.
Neil Magny vows to slap Khamzat Chimaev on sight following recent troll job
Harry Kettle - February 2, 2021
UFC welterweight Neil Magny has vowed to slap Khamzat Chimaev on sight in the wake of the latter’s trolling on social media. At one point a few months back it seemed like Magny and Chimaev could end up facing off against each other, but in the end, that didn’t come to fruition and Magny was instead booked to fight Michael Chiesa on Fight Island.
Justin Gaethje shares interesting theory as to why Dustin Poirier won't fight Michael Chandler
Christopher Taylor - February 1, 2021
Justin Gaethje has shared an interesting theory as to why Dustin Poirier won’t fight fellow UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler. The former interim UFC lightweight champion, Gaethje (22-3 MMA), believes ‘The Diamond’ is taking a stance against Dana White in order to bring integrity back to the sport.
Michael Chandler: 'Ben Askren knocks out Jake Paul, seventh round'
Drake Riggs - February 1, 2021
Michael Chandler will be aiding his fellow former Bellator champion Ben Askren in preparation for his Jake Paul boxing match — and the new UFC lightweight title contender is confident in how the contest will play out. “I’m telling you, Ben Askren’s gonna beat Jake Paul,” Chandler told ESPN. “Listen, you can say Ben Askren’s boxing isn’t that good, and it’s not, I will agree with you on that. But when it comes to dirty boxing, under hooks, pushing, pulling, grabbing heads. I mean, you’re gonna be in there for eight rounds straight, 16-24 minutes plus a minute in between, Jake Paul will get worn down, Ben Askren won’t. Depending on the ruleset, depending on the referee, depending on how quickly they’re going to break ’em up, Ben is gonna wear on ’em, close the distance, then it’s gonna be really hard to punch Ben Askren when he’s up in your face, pulling on you, punching you to the body, punching you to the head. Albeit, they may be pitter-patter… Ben Askren knocks out Jake Paul, seventh round.”
Ali Abdelaziz deletes tweet confirming Khabib vs GSP, shares another post denying rumor
Andrew Whitelaw - February 1, 2021
A super-fight fight between Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov has been mooted for a long time. Is something finally brewing? Judging by Ali Abdelaziz’s twitter feed, that could well be the case.
Jorge Masvidal issues scathing response after Kamaru Usman suggests he wants to run things back after fighting with a broken nose
Cole Shelton - February 1, 2021
Jorge Masvidal has responded to Kamaru Usman after he said he would like to run things back. At UFC 251, Masvidal stepped up on a weeks’ notice to battle Usman for the welterweight title. “Gamebred” didn’t have a training camp and in the first round had some success. However, Usman used his wrestling and clinch to win the last four rounds and defend his title.
Ali Abdelaziz confirms Justin Gaethje open to fighting Michael Chandler
Adam Martin - February 1, 2021
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed that Justin Gaethje is interested in fighting Michael Chandler for his next fight inside the Octagon. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov set to retire any day now and vacate his belt in the process, the race for the next lightweight title fight has become fierce. Dustin Poirier seems to be the heir to the throne following his knockout win over Conor McGregor, but he said this week that right now he is willing to sit back and wait for the right opportunity. That means fighters like Gaethje, Chandler, and Charles Oliveira are all in the mix for the next vacant lightweight title fight.
Mike Perry uses MMA math to explain why he is the GOAT
Adam Martin - February 1, 2021
UFC welterweight Mike Perry explained why is the current GOAT in a comical new video he posted where he uses MMA math to prove his point. Perry, the UFC welterweight fan favorite-turned-new dad, took to his Instagram to post a humorous clip of himself crunching numbers to show why he is superior to both UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and superstar Conor McGregor. Watch below as Perry explains why he is the UFC’s current GOAT.
Justin Gaethje believes Tony Ferguson was never an "elite lightweight"
Cole Shelton - February 1, 2021
Justin Gaethje doesn’t believe Tony Ferguson was ever an elite lightweight. At UFC 249, Gaethje took on Ferguson for the interim lightweight title. Ferguson entered the fight on a 12-fight winning streak and many thought “El Cucuy” would win. However, that was far from what happened as Gaethje pieced up Ferguson on the feet and won by TKO in the fifth round.
Dustin Poirier knows Nate Diaz fight doesn't make sense but wants it to happen: "Those are the kind of fights I want to be part of"
Cole Shelton - February 1, 2021
Dustin Poirier is interested in fighting Nate Diaz. After Poirier knocked out Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Diaz chimed in on Twitter calling for him to face Poirier. They were supposed to fight at UFC 230, and although it doesn’t make sense from a rankings perspective, “The Diamond” admits those are the kind of fights he is interested in.
Abu Azaitar suspended for seven months by USADA
Adam Martin - February 1, 2021
UFC middleweight Abu Azaitar was suspended for seven months by USADA after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. USADA announced the suspension on Monday. According to the drug-test organization, Azaitar failed four separate drug tests due to the banned substance tamoxifen. However, because he was forthcoming about the banned substances in his system and was able to prove that a doctor had prescribed the substance, USADA worked with him to lessen the sanction. In the end, USADA decided on a seven-month sanction, dating back to the date of the first positive test in August 2020. Therefore, Azaitar will be able to return to the Octagon in March.