MMA News
Ike Villanueva on bonus snub for walk-off KO: "I went to bed heartbroken like the first time I found out Santa Claus wasn't real"
Cole Shelton - January 27, 2021
Entering UFC Fight Island 8, Ike Villanueva was calling his fight against Vinicius Moreira his Game 7 and it was do-or-die for his UFC career. Both men were winless in the UFC. But, Villanueva knew if he touched the chin of Moreira he would go down. However, early on in the fight, the Brazilian had a high guard. That forced Villanueva to attack the body which would then set up the KO punch.
Gray Maynard: Seeing Spencer Fisher with dementia was "turning point" to warn others of dangers in MMA
Adam Martin - January 27, 2021
UFC veteran Gray Maynard said seeing Spencer Fisher with dementia was the “turning point” for him to warn fighters of the dangers in MMA. Fisher recently shared his story about the true costs of competing in combat sports in an in-depth interview with MMAFighting.com. A long-time UFC veteran, the 44-year-old Fisher came out and shared with MMA fans that he has dementia. During part of the story, there was an anecdote with Fisher and Maynard, who had met him at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. According to Maynard, seeing Fisher in the poor condition he was in marked the turning point for “The Bully” to come out and warn other fighters about low pay the very real dangers of long-term brain trauma.
Photo: Poster revealed for UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns
Adam Martin - January 27, 2021
The poster for the upcoming UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns pay-per-view has been officially unveiled ahead of next month’s highly-anticipated card. UFC 258 is set to take place on February 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman against top contender Gilbert Burns. This is actually the third time the promotion has attempted to book this matchup, following two previous botched attempts at UFC 251 and UFC 256. Fingers crossed that both Usman and Burns will remain fully healthy and they are able to meet inside the Octagon in just over two weeks.
UFC rankings update: Conor McGregor tumbles, Michael Chandler debuts
Tom Taylor - January 27, 2021
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC 257 card on Fight Island, and as expected there have been some big changes. Most notably, former two-division champion Conor McGregor has fallen in the pound-for-pound and lightweight rankings after being stopped by Dustin Poirier in the card’s main event.
Michael Chiesa shares preferred matchmaking for McGregor, Poirier, other lightweight stars
Tom Taylor - January 27, 2021
Michael Chiesa has shared his ideal matchmaking strategy for Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and several other lightweight stars. Poirier and McGregor took center stage last weekend, colliding in the main event of UFC 257. The bout was a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight that McGregor won by knockout, but this time around, Poirier evened the score with a second-round TKO win.
Charles Oliveira believes a fight with Dustin Poirier could be the recipe to entice Khabib Nurmagomedov to return
Harry Kettle - January 27, 2021
UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira believes a win over Dustin Poirier could be enough to lure Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement. Oliveira, who is coming off the back of a resounding win over Tony Ferguson, has emerged as one of the primary contenders alongside Michael Chandler to possibly fight Dustin Poirier for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
UFC Vegas 18: ‘Overeem vs. Volkov’ Fight Card and Start Times
Harry Kettle - January 27, 2021
Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov are set to kick off the UFC’s February schedule at UFC Vegas 18. Event: UFC Vegas 18: Overeem vs. Volkov Date: Saturday, 6th February 2021 Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada Broadcast: ESPN+ – 8pm EST (Main card)
Jake Paul scoffs at Ben Askren's seventh round KO prediction, 'Funky' responds
Christopher Taylor - January 26, 2021
Jake Paul has responded to Ben Askren’s prediction of a seventh round knockout. Askren vs. Paul was made official earlier today, as the two are set to collide in a boxing match on April 17 promoted by Triller.
Gilbert Burns says he and Kamaru Usman have gone at it in 'over 200 rounds sparring'
Drake Riggs - January 26, 2021
The next UFC welterweight title tilt will feature two men who are very familiar with each other. And according to the challenger in that bout, Gilbert Burns, it’s as if he and Kamaru Usman have already fought 40 times at the minimum. Originally set to square off at UFC 251 in July 2020, Gilbert Burns would be forced out of the matchup after testing positive for COVID-19. Thus leading to Jorge Masvidal jumping into his place.
Patricio Pitbull: Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez success showing the "power of Bellator"
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
Patricio Pitbull says that the success of Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez in the UFC is showing the “power of Bellator.” Chandler had an amazing UFC debut last weekend at UFC 257 when he brutally knocked out the typically-durable Dan Hooker with punches in the first round. Heading into the UFC, there were many question marks about the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, but Chandler’s win over Hooker showed that he is an elite fighter. And if you think Chandler is good, just remember Pitbull knocked him out in June 2019. Both men are proof Bellator is home to some of the sport’s elite.
Fedor Emelianenko released from hospital after battle with COVID-19
Drake Riggs - January 26, 2021
MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko’s lone fight since 2019 has happened to come against the global threat that is COVID-19. As of Monday, the Russian icon is reportedly in much better condition. Last Thursday, news broke that Emelianenko was hospitalized in Moscow as he attended a location specialing in COVID-19 treatment.
Michael Bisping says Jake Paul, Ben Askren and Dillon Danis are "an insult to the sweet science"
Andrew Whitelaw - January 26, 2021
Michael Bisping has never been one to hold back on his opinions. The outspoken Brit delivered plenty of classic lines during his time as a fighter and it’s no surprise that he’s now making a handsome living as a podcaster, commentator and analyst.
Georges St-Pierre "very surprised" Conor McGregor lost, offers some advice on how he can bounce back
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Georges St-Pierre thought Conor McGregor would beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. Entering the fight, McGregor was the betting favorite and many thought he would KO Poirier again. However, that is far from what happened as “The Diamond” used leg kicks to hurt the Irishman and then went up top to knock him out which shocked St-Pierre.
Firas Zahabi believes Conor McGregor "gave up" against Dustin Poirier
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Firas Zahabi thinks when the going gets tough for Conor McGregor he gives up and believes that was the case against Dustin Poirier. In the main event of UFC 257, McGregor made his return to the Octagon to rematch Poirier. Early on in the fight, the Irishman had success and landed a solid shut that stunned Poirier. However, “The Diamond” started to leg kick McGregor and after the Irishman’s leg went “dead” Poirier went up top and knocked him out.
Jake Paul set to train with Jorge Masvidal ahead of Ben Askren fight
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is set to train with UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal ahead of his upcoming boxing match with Ben Askren. Askren was absolutely brutalized by Masvidal at UFC 239 in July 2019, when “Gamebred” rushed across the Octagon and KOed Askren with a fly knee just as he ducked down for a takedown attempt. It was the quickest KO in UFC history at five seconds and ever since then, Askren has been the butt-end of memes due to the quick loss. With Askren now set to take on Paul on April 17 in a boxing match, what better fighter to train with than the man who has his number, and that’s Masvidal.
Ben Saunders hopes to sign with a promotion soon and be active to earn way back into the UFC
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Despite not fighting in 2020, Ben Saunders knows his year wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. After Saunders was knocked out by Matt Brown at UFC 245, his contract with the UFC was over and they chose not to re-sign him. The hope for the veteran was to quickly sign with another promotion and get back to the UFC. However, like most people’s 2020, Saunders’ year did not go as planned as no opportunities came up. With his dad battling a rare form of blood cancer, it also put Saunders in a difficult spot.
Conor McGregor could hear Thiago Alves encouraging Dustin Poirier to kicks his legs
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor says he could hear Thiago Alves in the corner of Dustin Poirier encouraging him to kick his legs. McGregor was knocked out by Poirier in the second round of their fight with punches, but all those nasty low kicks Poirier landed before the finishing blows contributed to the knockout. The Irishman’s mobility became severely limited from the low kicks and they directly contributed to the win. Poirier, of course, comes from American Top Team, where many fighters utilize leg kicks to great success. One of ATT’s most notorious low kickers was Alves, the former UFC welterweight who is now a coach.
Ben Askren promises to show off boxing skills against Jake Paul: "I'm going to beat him up"
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
MMA fighter-turned boxer Ben Askren promised to show off his boxing skills against Jake Paul, boldly predicting he will beat up the YouTuber. Askren vs. Paul was officially announced on Tuesday. The two will meet in the boxing ring on April 17 in a blockbuster PPV being promoted by Triller. It’s Paul’s third professional boxing match, while for Askren it’s his first boxing bout. Of course, Askren is an experienced MMA fighter, but he was always known for his grappling skills, not his striking. That’s why so many fans seem to think this might be a very bad idea for Askren, going in there against a younger fighter with a lot of power.