MMA News

Tom Taylor - December 28, 2020

Training with Khamzat Chimaev is a physically taxing experience, according to British UFC middleweight contender Darren Stewart. Chimaev was the breakout UFC star of summer, 2020. The Chechen-Swede first picked up two wins in the span of 10 days on Fight Island in July, defeating John Phillips by first-round submission and Rhys McKee by first-round TKO, then picked up his third win of the season when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 11, also in the first round.

Harry Kettle - December 28, 2020

UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya has reacted to being named Fighter of the Year in the Fighters Only World MMA Awards. Adesanya managed to register two big wins in 2020, and while his victory over Yoel Romero may have been controversial, the success against Paulo Costa was as emphatic as it gets.

Harry Kettle - December 28, 2020

Ben Askren has taken aim at YouTuber Jake Paul for “going silent” after Askren accepted his recent offer for a boxing fight. Paul has been picking fights with just about everyone since his knockout win over Nate Robinson, and while the majority have dismissed him as little more than a hype artist, nobody can deny the intrigue that comes with seeing him compete in the ring.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was named winner of the Charles “Mask” Lewis Fighter of the Year award at the World MMA Awards. Adesanya took home the top prize of the night in being voted as the best fighter of the year, and he was among a number of deserving award winners at the 12th World MMA Awards. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 12th edition of the Fighters Only World MMA Awards took place remotely on December 27, 2020. It should be noted the awards timeline for inclusion stretched from January 2019 to July 2020. Check out the full list of this edition’s winning fighters below (via MMAjunkie.com).

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

Coach John Kavanagh wants the MMA community to remember that Dustin Poirier has already felt Conor McGregor’s knockout power in the past. McGregor and Poirier meet for the second time next month at UFC 257 on UFC Fight Island. The first time these two fought was back in September 2014 at UFC 178. That fight was almost seven years ago and it was down at featherweight. Both men are different fighters now and both are now fighting up at lightweight. It’s why some analysts believe that Poirier has a much better chance to win the rematch this time.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier praised divisional rivals Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for their recent performances. Oliveira has won eight straight fights and, back at UFC 256, he picked up the biggest win of his career when he defeated Tony Ferguson via lopsided decision. As for Chandler, he is set to make his UFC debut in 2021 after the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion signed with the world’s leading MMA promotion as a free agent this year. Oliveira is a ranked fighter and Chandler will soon join him in the top-15 of what UFC president Dana White says is the UFC’s strongest division.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

Alexandre Pantoja and Manel Kape have been re-booked for a potential flyweight title eliminator against each other for early next year. Pantoja vs. Kape was originally scheduled to take place at UFC Vegas 17 on December 19 in Las Vegas, but the bout fell apart after Pantoja withdrew from the bout. The UFC then pulled Kape from the card as well and tabbed him to be the backup fighter to the UFC 256 main event between UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. However, both Figueiredo and Moreno made weight and Kape never ended up making his UFC debut after all at UFC 256.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

Ryan Bader could get a rematch with Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov in 2021, according to Bellator president Scott Coker. Bader saw his eight-fight unbeaten streak snapped in emphatic fashion back at Bellator 244 in August when he suffered a vicious head kick TKO loss to Nemkov to lose the light heavyweight belt. Bader is still the Bellator heavyweight champion as well, and many thought his next fight would be a title defense of the heavyweight belt, but it now looks like there is a chance that Bader will remain down at 205lbs.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland surprised one lucky MMA fan on Twitter with a heavy bag just in time for Christmas. On Christmas day, Holland wished his followers on social media happy holidays and asked them what gifts they got for Christmas. One fan showed Holland that he received a pair of MMA gloves as a present but he said he didn’t have a heavy bag in order to use them. Looking to lift the spirits of one lucky fan, Holland shot the fan a message and told them to send him a DM with their address. “Ho Ho” Holland said that he would be sending the fan a small heavy bag so they have a great Christmas.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

An important women’s bantamweight bout between Julianna Pena and Sara McMann has been added to the upcoming UFC 257 pay-per-view card. Pena vs. McMann was originally set to take place at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar, but the fight was pushed back a week to UFC 257 instead. The bout will now take place on January 23 on the undercard of the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 pay-per-view. With Pena and McMann both being ranked in the top-15 at women’s 135lbs, this is an important fight for both women as they look to move close to a bantamweight title shot.

Adam Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley is set to make his return to the Octagon against Alessio Di Chirico early next year on UFC Fight Island. MMAjunkie.com was the first to confirm that Buckley vs. Di Chirico will take place on January 16, 2021, on the undercard of the UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar event. That is the UFC’s first event of the new year, so the promotion is looking to keep Buckley busy after his star-making year in 2020. After scoring back-to-back knockouts in his last two fights, Buckley looks poised for a monster year in 2021, as well.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC superstar Conor McGregor said that he is “preparing a masterpiece” for his upcoming rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. McGregor meets Poirier in the main event of UFC 257, set for January 23 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The two previously met back at UFC 178 in September 2014 with McGregor winning the fight via first-round knockout. The two now meet again seven years later with a potential lightweight title shot on the line. It’s a huge fight between two of the best lightweights in the world that should be a big PPV seller.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

Check out the latest fight card and rumors for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 184: Holloway vs. Kattar event in early January 2021. Event: UFC Fight Night 184: Holloway vs. Kattar Date: Saturday, January 16, 2021 Location: Fight Island in Abu Dhabi Broadcast: ESPN+ (3 pm EST prelims)

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

UFC analyst Daniel Cormier says that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would only return for a superfight with Georges St. Pierre. Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from MMA following a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a victory that improved his career record to 29-0. Nurmagomedov has said many times that getting to 30-0 is one of his goals, but after his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in July from COVID-19, he said that he no longer wanted to continue to step into the Octagon.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker says that social media support made him sign former UFC star Yoel Romero to a contract with his organization. Coker and Bellator initially passed on signing Romero after the UFC released him earlier this month. Citing a younger roster as the reason for not bringing in Romero into his promotion, Coker said that Bellator wasn’t interested in signing him. However, after Bellator signed former UFC light heavyweight title contender Anthony Johnson a few days later, Coker did an about-face and signed Romero to a contract.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

Veteran UFC featherweight Nik Lentz reveals he nearly lost an eye in a unanimous decision loss to Arnold Allen earlier this year. Lentz returns to the Octagon in January 2021 when he takes on Mike Grundy on the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar. In January of this year, Lentz took on top featherweight prospect Allen and he lost a hard-fought fight via unanimous decision. During the fight, Lentz suffered an eye injury due to an eye poke. He ended up losing that fight, but Lentz was far more concerned that he might lose his eye. For the next few months after the fight with Allen, Lentz struggled to deal with his injured eye.

Adam D Martin - December 27, 2020

Bec Rawlings says she would “love” to fight former UFC rival Paige VanZant again, admitting she believes PVZ will “take a beating” in BKFC. Rawlings and VanZant first met back in August 2016 at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Condit in Vancouver, Canada. In that fight, VanZant landed a brutal switch kick right on that button that knocked Rawlings out. Rawlings ended up fighting three more times in the UFC and lost those fights before being cut. Rawlings has since fought for Bellator, where she has gone 1-1, and for BKFC, where she is a perfect 3-0. BKFC, of course, is the new home of her rival VanZant, and Rawlings isn’t liking her chances in bare-knuckle fighting.

Chris Taylor - December 27, 2020

Former UFC champion and MMA legend Vitor Belfort sent a stern warning to YouTuber turned professional boxer Jake Paul. Paul (2-0) has been making headlines ever since scoring a brutal second round knockout over Nate Robinson at last months ‘Tyson vs. Jones Jr’ event.