MMA News

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2021

The police report regarding the arrest of UFC bantamweight, Irwin Rivera has been released. Earlier on Thursday, it was reported Rivera stabbed his sisters and was charged on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. However, according to the police report, he was charged with attempted murder.

Adam Martin - January 7, 2021

UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira plans on calling out the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier from a front-row seat at UFC 257. Oliveira is currently riding an eight-fight win streak in the UFC lightweight division, punctuated by a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 256. Oliveira has been vocal about his desire to get a title shot, but so far we haven’t heard confirmation that he will fight for the belt. There have been rumors that Oliveira could fight Justin Gaethje, but if it was up to Oliveira, he would take on the winner of McGregor vs. Poirier next.

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2021

For the first time since UFC 248 last March, fans will be in attendance at a UFC event. Starting January 16 and ending with UFC 257, a limited number of fans will be in attendance at the Ethiad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Fight Island. The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced that fans will be permitted on their social media accounts. Abu Dhabi did not announce how many fans will be allowed in the arena.

Adam Martin - January 7, 2021

Dana White confirmed the UFC 257 main event winner between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will be in line for a title lightweight shot. The UFC lightweight title is currently held by Khabib Nurmagomedov, though the champion is currently in a quasi-retirement and may or may not fight again. The Russian will meet with White on Fight Island to try and hash out a deal. He could agree to defend his belt again, vacate it, or the UFC could create an interim belt. There are many question marks about the belt, but we now know who at least one half of the next lightweight title bout will be.

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2021

Petr Yan will still look to defend his bantamweight title for the first time against Aljamain Sterling. According to MMAJunkie, Yan and Sterling will meet on March 6 at UFC 259 at a location TBD. The bout is also the third title fight on the card.

Adam Martin - January 7, 2021

The UFC announced on Thursday that it has contributed a one million dollar donation towards brain research with the Cleveland Clinic. The one million dollar donation is set to help fund brain studies over the next five years with the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. According to ESPN.com, the Cleveland Clinic has been working on the in-depth Professional Athletes Brain Health Study for a decade, and the UFC has been right there with them every step of the way. According to the report, the UFC has donated over two million dollars over three rounds of support.

Adam Martin - January 7, 2021

UFC president Dana White confirmed the flyweight title fight between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno is being targeted for this spring. White did a Q&A with ESPN+ subscribers this week and one of the questions he was asked is when the rematch between Figueiredo and Moreno would take place. The UFC bossman was quick and to the point, saying the promotion is targeting this highly-anticipated rematch to take place in April or May.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021

Dustin Poirier has made a prediction for the upcoming lightweight fight between top-10 contender Dan Hooker and former Bellator champ Michael Chandler. Hooker and Chandler will collide in the co-main event of UFC 257 on January 23—a card that will be headlined by a rematch between Poirier and Conor McGregor.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier looks to be in phenomenal shape ahead of his upcoming rematch with Conor McGregor. Poirier and McGregor will collide in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23. The bout, which is rife with lightweight title implications, will be a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight, which McGregor won by knockout.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021

Glover Teixeira is willing to serve as the backup fighter for the upcoming light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. Blachowicz, the UFC light heavyweight champion, is slated to defend his title against Adesanya, the promotion’s middleweight champion, in the main event of UFC 259 on March 6.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has some words of advice for YouTube stars turned celebrity boxers Jake and Logan Paul. The Paul brothers have been the talk of the combat sports world of late, with Jake riding a violent knockout win over former NBA star Nate Robinson, and Logan gearing up for an exhibition bout with unbeaten boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Tom Taylor - January 7, 2021

Dustin Poirier has opened on what’s motivating him heading into his upcoming rematch with Conor McGregor, which headlines UFC 257 on January 23. Poirier and McGregor have fought once before, having met in the featherweight division in 2014. McGregor won that fight by first-round knockout.

Drake Riggs - January 6, 2021

Cris Cyborg is currently reigning supreme as Bellator’s featherweight queen while Kayla Harrison runs rampant at lightweight. Could the two ever meet in the cage? If you ask either, the two will tell you that they both have an interest in the challenge that the other presents. Further confirming that notion as recently as this New Year’s day on Harrison’s end, Cyborg did the same on Tuesday.

Adam Martin - January 6, 2021

MMA great Henry Cejudo took another shot at UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, calling him the “bum fighter of the year.” Figueiredo just finished a tremendous campaign in 2020 that saw him win the vacant UFC flyweight champion with a stoppage win over Joseph Benavidez on Fight Island. He also had another win over Benavidez earlier in the year, plus a successful title defense over Alex Perez at UFC 255. Figueiredo then stole the show along with fellow flyweight contender Brandon Moreno when they two put on one of the best fights of the year when they fought to a draw at UFC 256.

Adam Martin - January 6, 2021

UFC president Dana White says the UFC is targeting April for the rematch between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. White confirmed several months ago that Ngannou was next in line to fight Miocic for the belt, and a March date was originally targeted for the rematch between the two heavyweights. However, the date has been pushed back once again after the promotion recently announced Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya are heading UFC 259 in March, and the UFC is now targeting April for Miocic vs. Ngannou. White confirmed as much in a recent Q&A with fans.

Adam Martin - January 6, 2021

Junior Dos Santos is still upset about his loss to Ciryl Gane, saying it’s “Like the victim being guilty of crime, theft, murder, or rape.” Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, suffered his fourth straight loss by knockout when he was finished by Gane at UFC 256. Gane landed an elbow on dos Santos right when he turned his head, and the elbow landed partially to the back of the Brazilian’s head. However, the referee felt that because dos Santos was turning his head at the same time that Gane threw the strike, it was considered a legal blow and Gane won via knockout.

bjpenndotcom - January 6, 2021

Singapore-based martial arts organization, ONE Championship, recently posted a new short feature on their official Youtube channel, highlighting the challenges we’ve all faced over the last 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the video, the promotion also took time out to thank its staff, fans, partners, athletes, and media for the integral part each played in its story in 2020.

Adam Martin - January 6, 2021

Newly-signed PFL lightweight Anthony Pettis says he wants to be a trailblazer for the future of free agency in the sport of MMA. Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion, became a free agent for the first time in his career after finishing out his previous contract with decision wins over Alex Morono and Donald Cerrone. Many expected Pettis to either re-up with the UFC on another contract or to join his brother Sergio Pettis in Bellator, but he instead decided to sign with PFL, where “Showtime” joins the likes of other former UFC champions in Fabricio Werdum and Rory MacDonald there.