MMA News
Tony Ferguson reflects on meeting with Conor McGregor
Tom Taylor - December 30, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson recently took a little trip down memory lane, reflecting on a meeting with his long-time rival Conor McGregor. Ferguson and McGregor have stood out as two of the UFC’s top lightweights for many years. Somewhat miraculously, however, the pair have never shared the cage.
Minowaman previews "explosively inspiring, wacky fight" at RIZIN 26
Tom Taylor - December 30, 2020
Minowaman, a legend among hardcore fight fans, is headed to the RIZIN Fighting Federation ring. The 44-year-old, who has competed in well over 100 mixed martial arts bouts and many pro wrestling matches, will take on jūryō-ranked sumo Tsuyoshi Sudario at RIZIN 26 inside the Saitama Super Arena on New Years Eve.
Magomed Ankalaev set to return against fellow light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov on February 27
Harry Kettle - December 30, 2020
Top light heavyweight contenders will meet in late February as Magomed Ankalaev prepares to lock horns with Nikita Krylov. These two titans at 205 pounds will be hoping to make a statement to kickstart 2021 with both coming off the back of 2020 wins over legitimate names – Ion Cutelaba and Johnny Walker respectively.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk on a Weili Zhang rematch: 'Maybe she doesn't want to face me'
Drake Riggs - December 29, 2020
Early into 2020, Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk put on an instant classic in what many are touting as the fight of the year. The co-main event of March’s UFC 248 pay-per-view saw the new strawweight champion from China defending opposite Poland’s former queen. For a full 25 minutes, they went to war.
Coach: If Calvin Kattar doesn't get a title shot with a win over Holloway "there is superior politics going on"
Cole Shelton - December 29, 2020
Tyson Chartier believes Calvin Kattar will be fighting for a UFC title sometime in the middle of 2021. Entering 2020, Chartier and Kattar set out a goal of going 3-0 after a disappointing loss to Zabit Magomedsharipov in November. The hope was the New England Cartel member would get the hype behind his name back and everyone would forget about the loss. So far, that is exactly what has happened.
Cris Cyborg teases "big news soon" in Bellator
Adam Martin - December 29, 2020
Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg teased her fans on social media that she has “big news soon” as Bellator heads into 2021. Taking to her social media ahead of the new year, Cyborg teased her fans that she has big news coming soon, all while tagging Bellator in the post, indicating a fight announcement. Check out what the Brazilian wrote on her social media below.
UFC odds: Which fighters will close out 2021 as champions?
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
The bookmakers at BetOnline.ag are expecting fighters like Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Petr Yan to conclude 2021 as UFC champions. This week, the sportsbook released betting lines for the champions of a number of UFC weight classes by the end of 2021.
Leon Edwards: "Where that b*tch Jorge at?"
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
Leon Edwards has issued a scathing callout of his fellow UFC welterweight contender and arch nemesis Jorge Masvidal. Edwards was previously slated to take on Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on January 20. Unfortunately, news broke this morning that Chimaev has been forced out of the fight.
Leon Edwards makes his intentions clear after Chimaev exit: "I want to fight January 20th on the island"
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has made his intentions very clear: he wants to compete on UFC Fight Island on January 20. Edwards was previously expected to fight rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of a Fight Night card scheduled for January 20 on the island. Regrettably, Chimaev has been forced out of the fight for undisclosed reasons, leaving Edwards without a dance partner for the card.
Leon Edwards targeted by Holland and Luque after Chimaev withdrawal
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque have both offered to step in against Leon Edwards on January 20. Edwards, the UFC’s No. 3-ranked welterweight, was originally expected to battle Khamzat Chimaev in the January 20 card’s main event. Unfortunately, Chimaev has been forced out of that fight for undisclosed reasons, casting Edwards’ immediate future in uncertainty.
Gilbert Burns admits its a "blessing" he didn't fight Kamaru Usman in July
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
Gilbert Burns says it’s a “blessing” he didn’t end up fighting Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight championship in July. Burns was originally slated to challenge Usman, the UFC welterweight champion, for the division’s strap in the main event of UFC 251 in July. Regrettably, he ended up coming down with COVID-19, and was forced out of the fight as a result.
Georges St-Pierre teases "announcement tomorrow"
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre says he’ll have an announcement for his fans on Wednesday. St-Pierre is currently retired, but has frequently been linked to a potential fight with unbeaten UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. While it certainly seems like a long shot that he’ll be announcing that fight tomorrow, it’s clear he has something in the pipeline.
Jordan Leavitt explains why he was embarrassed to be a pro fighter prior to KO win at UFC Vegas 16
Harry Kettle - December 29, 2020
Rising UFC star Jordan Leavitt has explained why he was embarrassed to be a professional fighter prior to his UFC Vegas 16 victory. Leavitt, who pulled off an impressive submission win over Luke Flores on Dana White’s Contender Series earlier this year, sent a real message to the rest of his division after knocking Matt Wiman out with a devastating slam just 20 seconds into their clash at the start of December.
Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight reportedly off again
Tom Taylor - December 29, 2020
An anticipated welterweight matchup between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev is off again, according to reports out of Sweden and Russia. Edward and Chimaev were originally expected to meet in the main event of a Fight Night card in Las Vegas on December 19. Unfortunately, that plan was derailed when Edwards came down with COVID-19.
Conor McGregor boosted ESPN+ subscriptions from 6.6 to 7.6 million, says Disney exec
Harry Kettle - December 29, 2020
Earlier this year, Disney’s Bob Iger claimed that Conor McGregor helped drive ESPN+ subscriptions rise from 6.6 million to 7.6 million. While there is so confirmation as to whether or not these numbers came directly from his win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at the start of the year, there’s no way of denying the overwhelming impact that can be felt throughout the sport of mixed martial arts whenever McGregor is in town.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shares picks for the UFC’s top three lightweights
Drake Riggs - December 28, 2020
If anyone knows who the best fighters at 155-pounds are, it’s probably the guy who is the best of the bunch, and that’s Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov. The undefeated 29-0 king of the UFC’s lightweight division has since called an end to his career after a dominant win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. And with that being the case, it’s left everyone wondering how things will unfold atop the division.
Weili Zhang reacts after classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 named Fight of the Year
Adam Martin - December 28, 2020
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang reacted after her classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 was named 2020 Fight of the Year. It’s amazing that Zhang and Jedrzejczyk actually took place during this year considering how 2020 ended up turning out. Remember, UFC 248 in March was the last event to feature fans before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. But it’s true that this fight took place this year, and it was an absolute war between two of the best women’s MMA fighters of all time. It absolutely deserved to win Fight of the Year not only at the World MMA Awards but from essentially every MMA media outlet.
Rob Font wants TJ Dillashaw or Jose Aldo next after stopping Marlon Moraes in the first
Cole Shelton - December 28, 2020
Rob Font is now a top-five bantamweight. Entering UFC Vegas 17, Font had heard all the talk that he couldn’t win the big one. When the New England Cartel member got steps up in competition he faltered as evidence to the Raphael Assuncao and Pedro Munhoz losses. However, as he was getting ready to fight Marlon Moraes, his confidence and mental state were much different which was the key to getting his hand raised.