MMA News
Peter Barrett expects to KO Chase Hooper in the first: "He blocks punches with his face"
Cole Shelton - December 11, 2020
Peter Barrett believes the UFC and Chase Hooper made a mistake by taking this fight. At UFC 256, Hooper is set to return to the Octagon after his first career loss to battle Barrett, who lost his promotional debut earlier this year. However, for the 34-year-old in Barrett, he believes the UFC is rooting for Hooper to win as they have high expectations for him.
Dana White says the UFC has talked about five-round co-main events
Adam Martin - December 11, 2020
UFC president Dana White confirmed the promotion’s top executives have talked about the possibility of booking five-round co-main events. This weekend at UFC 256, the co-main event is an incredible lightweight matchup between Tony Ferguson and Charles Oliveira that could very well determine who fights for the UFC lightweight title next. However, despite the high stakes for the bout, it’s only set at three rounds, something which has left fans unsatisfied. Had Ferguson vs. Oliveira headlined its own Fight Night card it would have been five rounds, but being the co-main event behind Deivieson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno means it’s three.
Conor McGregor will KO Dustin Poirier in the first round again, according to Artem Lobov
Cole Shelton - December 11, 2020
Artem Lobov believes Conor McGregor will beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 the same way he did at UFC 178. Back in 2014, McGregor was making his rise up the featherweight division and scored a first-round KO over Poirier. The Irishman said he would do exactly that, but at UFC 257 they are rematching at lightweight with many believing it will be a more competitive fight.
Dana White estimates current market value of the UFC is "probably nine or ten" billion
Tom Taylor - December 11, 2020
UFC President Dana White claims the UFC is now worth nine or ten billion dollars—a massive increase from the amount the promotion sold for in 2016. The UFC was sold by Zuffa LLC to WME-IMG in 2016 for a heaping $4 billion. Since then, the promotion has staged a long list of blockbuster events, many of which have sold more than a million pay-per-views. The promotion also signed a lucrative broadcast deal with ESPN, which commenced in 2018, and has many other sources of income.
Scott Coker confirms Bellator will not block Dillon Danis from boxing Jake Paul
Adam Martin - December 11, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed that he will not block Dillon Danis from making the move to the boxing ring for a Jake Paul fight. In the wake of Paul’s recent KO win over Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. PPV card, there have been plenty of athletes calling out Paul for his next fight. One of those athletes is Danis, the Bellator middleweight. Both Danis and Paul haven’t liked each other for a long time and it’s gotten to a new level of hatred between the two since Paul finished Robinson. It seems like there is a lot of interest on both sides to potentially book Paul vs. Danis in a boxing match in 2021.
UFC 256 weigh-in results: Main, co-main events official
Tom Taylor - December 11, 2020
On Saturday night, the UFC will return to our screens with its final pay-per-view card of the year: The staked UFC 256 out of the Apex facility in Las Vegas. UFC 256 will be headlined by a short-notice flyweight title fight between champion Deiveson Figueiredo and challenger Brandon Moreno, both of whom picked up victories at UFC 255 last month, defeating Alex Perez and Brandon Royval respectively.
Dana White heaps praise on "absolute monster" Deiveson Figueiredo
Tom Taylor - December 11, 2020
UFC President Dana White has some high praise for the promotion’s undisputed flyweight champion, Brazilian finisher Deiveson Figueiredo. Figueiredo will return to the MMA limelight this weekend, as he takes on top flyweight contender Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC 256.
Tony Ferguson slams MMA media: "You guys are watching me get f**ked over left and right"
Tom Taylor - December 11, 2020
Top UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has a bone to pick with the media covering mixed martial arts. Ferguson will return to the cage this weekend, in the co-main event of UFC 256, where he’ll take on surging submission specialist Charles Oliveira. The bout will mark his opportunity to rebound from a May stoppage loss to Justin Gaethje, which derailed a fantastic, 12-fight unbeaten streak.
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane explains why she felt “relieved” following first career loss at Bellator 254
Harry Kettle - December 11, 2020
Bellator star Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has explained her relief after losing the Women’s Flyweight Championship to Juliana Velasquez last night. Macfarlane was viewed by some as an underdog heading into the bout last night that saw the two put their respective unbeaten records on the line. In the end, it was Velasquez who was able to grind out the unanimous decision win that ensured she was the one who walked away as champion.
Henry Cejudo trades shots with “sidechicks” Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling
Harry Kettle - December 11, 2020
Former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo has taken a shot at bantamweight rivals Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. While he may officially be retired from mixed martial arts, Cejudo is never too far away from the news cycle and is quite clearly interested in a return to the UFC one day. Whether or not that takes place at bantamweight, flyweight or featherweight, though, remains to be seen.
Report | Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker targeted for March, interim title possible says Wallid Ismail
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
MMA manager Wallid Ismail says the UFC is targeting an important middleweight matchup between Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker for March. Ismail told Portal Do Vale Tudo that the UFC has already offered the fight to Costa and Whittaker for March. The manager said that Costa has agreed to the fight and now they are just waiting on Whittaker to sign off on his end of the deal. Ismail also said there is the possibility that the fight could be for the interim middleweight belt.
Dana White open to Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler as backup fight for UFC 257 main event
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Dana White is looking to book another lightweight fight to serve as a backup for UFC 257. In the main event of the first pay-per-view of 2021, McGregor is set to return to the sport in a highly-anticipated rematch against Poirier. It is obviously a very important fight for the lightweight division so White is hoping to add another lightweight fight to the card.
Henry Cejudo throws shade at Petr Yan’s two most recent wins: “You might as well just fought Alzheimers”
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Henry Cejudo continues to trash-talk current UFC bantamweight, Petr Yan. Although Cejudo retired and vacated the bantamweight title, he still is paying close attention to the division and the current champ in Yan. He has called Petr a rent-a-champ and now is critiquing his recent wins.
Dana White says UFC had Anthony Johnson under contract, but it was "in his best interest" to go to Bellator
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
UFC president Dana White says he had Anthony Johnson under contract, but that it was “in his best interest” to go to Bellator. When news broke this week that Johnson was making a comeback to MMA with Bellator and not with the UFC, it surprised a lot of fans and media, who assumed that Johnson would want to make another title run in the Octagon. “Rumble” has been testing a comeback to the game for a little while now, and with Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones leaving the UFC’s 205lbs weight class, it seemed like a prime opportunity for Johnson to make a run for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2021.
Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev targeted to headline January event on Fight Island
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev are expected to headline a Fight Night card on Fight Island. Originally, Edwards and Chimaev were expected to headline the final event of 2020 on December 19 in Las Vegas. However, the fight was postponed after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19 but it appears the promotion is moving quickly to rebook it.
Daniel Pineda on Cub Swanson fight: "He will either knock my ass out or I will finish him"
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Daniel Pineda doesn’t think the judges will be needed for his UFC 256 fight against Cub Swanson. After Pineda finished Herbert Burns at UFC 252, the hope for the 35-year-old was to get a ranked opponent or someone near the rankings. And, he ended up getting his wish as he was offered perennial contender, Cub Swanson.
Demetrious Johnson says he will never fight at 125lbs again: "It's just not healthy"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
ONE Championship’s Demetrious Johnson, the greatest flyweight MMA fighter of all time, says he will never fight at 125lbs again. Johnson is the undisputed GOAT of 125lbs. He was the long-time flyweight champion in the UFC and he’s carried his talents over to ONE Championship, where he hopes to fight out the rest of his career. In ONE Championship there are more weight-cutting regulations, so the flyweight title in ONE is actually contested at 135lbs. That means that the fighters don’t have to cut as much weight. ONE implemented this rule change several years ago in an effort to curb massive and potentially fatal weight cuts.
Vitor Belfort wants to fight Yoel Romero: "That would be a great fight"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
MMA legend Vitor Belfort says he wants to fight free agent Yoel Romero, promising that it would be a “great fight” for the fans. Belfort has yet to make his debut for ONE Championship and is eager to get back into the cage in 2021. Belfort called out Wanderlei Silva in the past, and he recently called for ONE to sign former UFC legends Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen to fight because at this point he just wants big fights against top-shelf opponents. One of those high-profile opponents just became available on the free-agent market when the UFC cut Romero. If ONE can get a deal done with Romero, then Belfort would take that fight.