MMA News
Michael Chandler: 'I can start calling some shots' after UFC 257
Drake Riggs - January 12, 2021
Michael Chandler has his UFC debut set. At UFC 257, the former three-time Bellator champion will be helping provide some clarity in the grand scheme of things at 155-pounds. In doing so, he’ll go to war with Dan “The Hangman” Hooker.
Max Holloway promises to do "something special" against Calvin Kattar
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Max Holloway is looking to do something special when he fights Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Fight Island 7. Holloway is set to fight in his first non-title fight since he beat Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199. Although he won’t be fighting for a title, he will be on network TV as the event will air live on ABC. For Holloway, he is excited to be the main event for the first card on ABC and promises to do something special for the fans.
Photo | Urijah Faber looking shredded at age 41
Adam Martin - January 12, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber is looking absolutely shredded at age 41 ahead of a potential return to the Octagon in 2021. Faber is the former WEC featherweight champion and he was a long-time star for the UFC during the 2010s. The California native first retired in 2016 following a decision win over Brad Pickett, but he returned to the Octagon in 2019 to make a comeback. In his return fight, Faber scored an incredible KO win over Ricky Simon in his native Sacramento. He was then booked against rising star Petr Yan but he got knocked out at UFC 245. Faber has not fought since then, and that fight was in December 2019.
UFC on ABC 1 loses another fight as Omari Akhmedov vs. Tom Breese postponed
Adam Martin - January 12, 2021
UFC on ABC 1 lost another fight as a middleweight bout between Omari Akhmedov and Tom Breese has been postponed for an extra four days. Akhmedov vs. Breese was supposed to go down this Saturday night at UFC on ABC 1 in Abu Dhabi. However, the UFC announced that fight has been moved to UFC Fight Island 8 on January 20 instead due to COVID-19 issues. It’s not clear who tested positive, but it likely appears to be a case of contact tracking that led the UFC to wait a few extra days to book the Akhmedov vs. Breese fight. The two are now on track to step into the Octagon next Wednesday on the Chiesa/Magny undercard.
Matt Brown expects to be the first person to KO Carlos Condit in dominant performance
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Matt Brown is eager to finally share the Octagon with Carlos Condit. In the co-main event of UFC Fight Island 7, Brown and Condit will finally fight one another after two previous bookings in 2013 and 2018 feel through due to Brown hurting his back and tearing his ACL.
Manny Pacquiao wants to box Conor McGregor: "I want to experience fighting an MMA fighter"
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Manny Pacquiao is looking to box Conor McGregor in the very near future. Ever since McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather, there have always been talks about the Irishman boxing Pacquiao. However, there hasn’t been much talk of it since, but according to the boxer, he wants to compete against McGregor.
Pat Miletich fired as LFA commentator after attending Capitol riot
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Former UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich has been fired from his commentary job with LFA after attending last week’s Capitol riot. Miletich was among the throngs of Donald Trump supporters in Washington, DC last week, some of whom ultimately stormed the Capitol building in an attempted insurrection that left several people dead.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 24 with Matt Brown, Tyson Nam, Ike Villanueva, and Brendan Fitzgerald
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
The 24th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC Fight Island 7 and UFC Fight Island 8. var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_22658022", "obj": {"id":"22947","width":"100%","height":"","video":"701682"} });
Deiveson Figueiredo challenges Henry Cejudo to bantamweight fight
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Reigning UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is hoping to fight the division’s former champ Henry Cejudo—at bantamweight. Figueiredo has not fought since December, when he defended the flyweight strap in a thrilling draw against Brandon Moreno. While UFC President Dana White has stated he intends to book a rematch between Figueiredo and Moreno, the champ is fixated on a fight with Cejudo, who previously ruled over the flyweight and bantamweight divisions—and he wants to do it at 135 pounds.
Dustin Poirier reveals game plan for Conor McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Dustin Poirier has revealed his game plan for his rematch with Conor McGregor, which will headline the UFC 257 card on January 23. Poirier and McGregor first met in 2014, in the featherweight division. McGregor won that first encounter via knockout in just 1:46.
Conor McGregor could compete for boxing title with one win, says WBC president
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman believes Conor McGregor could be fighting for a major boxing title after just one professional win. McGregor, who formerly held the UFC lightweight and featherweight titles, has boxed once previously, coming up short in a blockbuster showdown with Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Despite losing that fight, McGregor performed better than most pundits anticipated, and has been linked to many high-profile boxing matches since, most notably a rematch with Mayweather and a fight with Manny Pacquiao.
ONE Championship announces next fights for Shinya Aoki, Stamp Fairtex, more
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
ONE Championship has announced a host of high-profile matchups for its next three events on January 22, January 29, and February 5. The promotion’s first event of the year, titled ONE: Unbreakable, will go down on January 22. That event, it’s been announced, will be topped by a bantamweight kickboxing title fight between champion Alaverdi Ramazanov and challenger Capitan Petchyindee Academy, and co-headlined by a welterweight clash between former title challenger James Nakashima, and former lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. The card will also feature appearances from former ONE welterweight champ Zebaztian Kadestam, and atomweight contender Meng Bo—the only woman to defeat UFC strawweight champ Zhang Weili.
Daniel Cormier encourages Chandler, Hooker to take advantage of fighting on McGregor card
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Daniel Cormier believes Michael Chandler and Dan Hooker need to take full advantage of fighting on the same card as UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Chandler, the former Bellator lightweight champion, will make his Octagon debut against Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257 on January 23.
UFC 257: 'McGregor vs Poirier 2' Fight Card and Start Times
Harry Kettle - January 12, 2021
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay-per-view on Fight Island with a blockbuster main event at UFC 257 as Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier meet inside the Octagon for the second time. Event: UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 Date: Saturday, 23rd January 2021 Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Broadcast: ESPN+ – 10pm EST (Main card)
Corey Anderson gives edge to Bellator light heavyweight division over UFC
Drake Riggs - January 11, 2021
To close out 2020, a hot topic was Bellator vs. UFC at 205-pounds. Having competed for both promotions, Corey Anderson leans towards his new home. Winning season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2014, Anderson would go on to enjoy a 10-5 tenure inside the Octagon (14-5 overall). After suffering an early 2020 defeat in his rematch with the now-champion, Jan Blachowicz, “Overtime” departed from the UFC in mid-2020 to sign with Bellator. Thus bolstering a continuously growing division.
Reug Reug gets ONE Championship debut vs. Alain Ngalani
Drake Riggs - January 11, 2021
Senegalese wrestling sensation, Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane (1-0) is on his way to ONE Championship. It was initially reported in late December that Reug Reug had signed with the Singapore-based promotion. For his likely debut, he was expected to face off with BJJ wizard, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida.
Zabit Magomedsharipov will fight in the next three months, says Dana White
Adam Martin - January 11, 2021
UFC president Dana White said that featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov will fight again within the next three months. The Russian had a nightmarish 2020 as he didn’t fight at all due to a proposed bout with Yair Rodriguez falling through on two occasions. The UFC keeps trying to book this awesome matchup, but it keeps falling apart. The promotion actually tried to book it way back at UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till in September 2018, but Rodriguez withdrew due to injury. The two were re-booked to fight at UFC Vegas in August 2020, but Rodriguez once again withdrew due to injury. The UFC was hoping to match them up for an event this past October, but that fight also fell through.
Dana White reveals getting lone loss removed from Jon Jones' record is "not looking good"
Cole Shelton - January 11, 2021
UFC president, Dana White has revealed he is having a hard time getting the lone loss removed from Jon Jones’ record. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has never truly lost, as his only loss on his record came in his 10th fight as he was disqualified due to illegal elbows. However, it was a controversial DQ and since the event, White has made it clear he wanted to get the loss overturned to a no-contest.