MMA News
Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier come face-to-face ahead of UFC 257 rematch
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
On Thursday morning, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier came face-to-face for the first time ahead of their imminent lightweight showdown. McGregor and Poirier will collide in the main event of UFC 257 this Saturday on Fight Island. The bout will be a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight, which McGregor won by first-round knockout.
Fedor Emelianenko hospitalized with COVID-19
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko has been admitted into a Moscow hospital specializing in treating COVID-19. News of Emelianenko’s hospitalization was first reported by RIA Novosti and later reported by RT Sport. Information on Emelianenko’s condition is currently scarce, but a statement issued on the Russian star’s social media accounts thanked his fans for their support.
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 full betting odds
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
Check out the full betting odds for this Saturday’s UFC 257 event headlined by lightweight contenders Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. In the headliner, McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in a year when he takes on Poirier in a highly-anticipated rematch. These two first met way back at UFC 178 in 2014 in a featherweight bout, with McGregor knocking Poirier out in the first round. They now meet again over six years later but at lightweight this time. With UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov’s return to the Octagon questionable, the winner of this fight could earn a title shot.
Mike Perry gives “kudos to the parents out there” following his first two weeks as a father
Harry Kettle - January 21, 2021
UFC star “Platinum” Mike Perry has taken the time to give kudos to all parents after his first few weeks of being a father. It’s been a turbulent few months for Perry both in and outside of mixed martial arts, with his latest bout ending in a unanimous decision loss to Tim Means at UFC 255 in November. Following that, Perry released a series of unsettling videos and tweets that had left many wondering whether or not he needs to receive some help.
Neil Magny issues classy statement following loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8
Christopher Taylor - January 20, 2021
Neil Magny has issued a statement following today’s lopsided unanimous decision loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8. Magny (24-8 MMA) had landed in Abu Dhabi with hopes of extending his win streak to four in a row. Standing in his way was Chiesa (18-4 MMA) who was also sporting a three-fight winning streak of his own.
UFC Fight Island 8 Bonus Report: Umar Nurmagomedov pockets 50K in debut
Drake Riggs - January 20, 2021
The second UFC event of 2021 saw a big night for debutants. One of which has a pretty strong bloodline as Umar Nurmagomedov takes home 50K. To follow-up UFC Fight Island 8‘s strong opening showcase from France’s Manon Fiorot, Umar Nurmagomedov made the walk at bantamweight. Dominant from bell to bell, the cousin of UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov would submit Sergey Morozov with a second-round rear-naked choke. Therefore extending his undefeated record to 13-0.
Colby Covington bids farewell to now former United States President Donald Trump
Adam Martin - January 20, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington bid farewell to former United States President Donald Trump as he exited the White House. Trump was the president of the USA between 2017 and 2021, before losing to Joe Biden in the most recent federal election. Trump is also a big supporter of MMA and is good friends with UFC president Dana White. During Trump’s time in office, he invited Covington to the White House to take photos with him when “Chaos” was the UFC interim welterweight champion. It was the first time a UFC champion had been invited to the White House for a photo-op.
Video | Darren Till gets in heated confrontation with police officers over wearing a mask
Cole Shelton - January 20, 2021
Darren Till was involved in a heated confrontation with police officers in England. Till went live on Instagram showing him yelling at police officers. He originally began telling the officers to not touch his car. The situation then intensified when the officers asked about Till not wearing a mask.
Michael Chiesa explains Colby Covington callout: "I'm giving him an opportunity"
Cole Shelton - January 20, 2021
Michael Chiesa believes he is giving Colby Covington an opportunity by calling him out. At UFC Fight Island 8 on Wednesday, Chiesa scored a dominant decision win over Neil Magny to cement himself as a top-10 welterweight. After the win, he then called out Covington, in a fight that certainly makes sense.
Pros react after Warlley Alves knocks out Mounir Lazzez
Adam Martin - January 20, 2021
Check out how the pros reacted to welterweight Warlley Alves knocking out Mounir Lazzez in the co-main event of UFC Fight Island 8. Alves came into the fight as a considerable underdog but pulled off a stunning upset when he knocked Lazzez out in the first round with body kicks. Alves landed three left kicks in a row to the body of Lazzez, which led to his opponent crumpling to the canvas in pain. It was a stunning victory for Alves, who badly needed it. As for Lazzez, it was a big upset according to the odds, and he will look to get back to the drawing board in his next outing.
Pros react after Michael Chiesa schools Neil Magny in UFC Fight Island 8 headliner
Adam Martin - January 20, 2021
Check out how the pros reacted to welterweight Michael Chiesa schooling Neil Magny for five rounds in the main event of UFC Fight Island 8. Chiesa entered the bout on a three-fight win streak since moving up to welterweight, which included a dominant win over Rafael dos Anjos in his last bout. As for Magny, he was the winner of three straight bouts himself, including a dominant decision win over Robbie Lawler in his last fight. That wasn’t the case here, as Chiesa utterly schooled Magny on the floor. The former Ultimate Fighter winner looked great, winning 49-46 across the board.
UFC Fight Island 8 results: Michael Chiesa defeats Neil Magny, calls out Colby Covington
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
No. 8-ranked UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa was the picture of dominance in his fight with the division’s No. 9-contender, Neil Magny. Chiesa and Magny met in the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, which emanated from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday morning and afternoon.
Khabib Nurmagomedov contradicts Dana White's comments: "Fights are not in these plans”
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has contradicted the recent remarks of the promotion’s president, Dana White. Nurmagomedov last fought at UFC 254 in October, when he defended the lightweight title with a second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje. In his post-fight interview with commentator Jon Anik, he shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement from the sport.
Conor McGregor responds to Max Holloway: "He’s definitely in the pipeline for a bout against me"
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is interested in running things back with his former opponent Max Holloway. McGregor and Poirier fought in the featherweight division in 2013, with the former winning a unanimous decision. Since then, the pair have carved out legacies as two of the most accomplished fighters in MMA history.
UFC Fight Island 8: "Chiesa vs. Magny" Live Results and Highlights
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
On Wednesday, the UFC returned to our screens for the second time this week with UFC Fight Island 8: “Chiesa vs. Magny” from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The card, which began at 9:00am ET, was originally scheduled to be headlined by a welterweight fight between No. 3-ranked contender Leon Edwards and rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev. When Chimaev was forced out of the fight, however, the main event spot went to ranked welterweight contenders Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny.
Dana White: Khabib Nurmagomedov is "one of the best guys to deal with in the sport"
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
UFC President Dana White says Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the best fighters he’s dealt with in mixed martial arts. Nurmagomedov last fought in October, when he defended the UFC lightweight title with a second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje. After that fight, he announced his retirement from MMA.
Rhys McKee released by UFC
Adam Martin - January 20, 2021
UFC welterweight Rhys McKee has been released from the world’s leading MMA promotion after losing both of his fights inside the Octagon. UFC president Dana White promised up to 60 fighters would be released. The promotion had 660 fighters under contract when White said that, and he’s already made good on his promise. We saw the promotion make plenty of cuts in late 2020, including cutting stars like Anderson Silva and Yoel Romero, and the organization figures to release many more in early 2021. Unfortunately for McKee, he was among the latest casualties of the UFC’s bloated roster issue.
Dana White: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor rematch is "important to both of their legacies"
Tom Taylor - January 20, 2021
UFC President Dana White believes Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor need to fight again because it’s “important to both of their legacies.” Nurmagomedov and McGregor first fought in 2018, in the main event of UFC 229, the highest-grossing pay-per-view in the company’s history. Nurmagomedov won that initial meeting via fourth-round submission.