MMA News
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 is "on" according to John Kavanagh: "Return of the mac confirmed"
Cole Shelton - November 11, 2020
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 is on according to coach John Kavanagh. For weeks now, McGregor and Poirier have been linked to the rematch on January 23. However, nothing has become official but it was reported on Tuesday that the deal is done, which Dana White denied.
Rafael dos Anjos believes rebooking Conor McGregor fight makes sense if he beats Paul Felder
Cole Shelton - November 11, 2020
Rafael dos Anjos believes a fight with Conor McGregor makes a lot of sense if he beats Paul Felder on Saturday night. Dos Anjos and McGregor were supposed to fight at UFC 196 with the Irishman looking to become a champ-champ. However, RDA was forced out of the fight due to an injury and then lost his belt to Eddie Alvarez who went on to fight McGregor.
Leon Edwards has a message for UFC President Dana White: “I’m going to smash your boy”
Cole Shelton - November 11, 2020
Leon Edwards is confident he will derail the hype of Khamzat Chimaev. Edwards is set to headline the final UFC event of the year on December 19 against Chimaev. Entering the fight, it is a very intriguing one, with many pundits torn on who will win. However, Edwards knows the UFC is hoping Chimaev is the one who wins.
Alex Morono expects to drag Rhys McKee "in the deep waters and make him drown" at UFC Vegas 14
Cole Shelton - November 11, 2020
Alex Morono is finally ready to fight again. In February, Morono suffered a 27-second TKO loss to Khaos Williams at UFC 247. After the loss, the Fortis MMA product was hoping to return soon and get the bad taste of losing out of his mouth. However, he wasn’t able to due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then, as a gym owner, spent the next several months trying to keep his gym from closing down.
Kelvin Gastelum calls out fellow middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan
Adam Martin - November 11, 2020
Former Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum has called out fellow middleweight contender Edmen Shahbazyan for an upcoming fight at 185lbs. Gastelum most recently was seen on Fight Island getting submitted by a Jack Hermansson heel hook this past summer. Prior to that, he had dropped a split decision to Darren Till and lost a unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya. Overall, Gastelum has lost three straight fights in the Octagon, but he is still ranked at No. 8 in the UFC because his three losses were to higher-ranked opponents. Overall, Gastelum is 10-6, 1 NC in the Octagon.
Full betting odds released for UFC on ESPN+ 41: Felder vs. dos Anjos
Adam Martin - November 11, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for the 12 fights scheduled to take place at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 41: Felder vs. dos Anjos event. The main event of the evening is an intriguing five-round lightweight bout between former champion Rafael dos Anjos and top contender Paul Felder. Dos Anjos was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev but he was forced to withdraw due to illness and was replaced on five days’ notice by Felder. Dos Anjos enters this content having lost four of his last five fights, albeit at welterweight, while Felder’s coming off of a razor-thin decision loss to Dan Hooker.
CSAC withholding boxer's purse due to "unusual nature of the fight being stopped"
Tom Taylor - November 11, 2020
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is withholding heavyweight boxer Alexander Flores’ $80,000 purse due to the bizarre ending of his latest fight. Flores took on Luis Ortiz in the PBC on FOX main event last weekend. The fight went down as a blowout in Ortiz’s favor, as he wiped Flores out in less than a minute.
Robert Whittaker explains when he's likely to "bow out" of MMA competition
Tom Taylor - November 11, 2020
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker isn’t sure when he’ll retire from mixed martial arts, but he certainly seems to have a rough sense. During a recent appearance on MMA Fighting‘s What The Heck show, Whittaker weighed in on the career of Anderson Silva, who competed in his final UFC bout late last month at the age of 45.
Leon Edwards sizes up Khamzat Chimaev: "I believe he's overhyped"
Adam Martin - November 11, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards sized up his upcoming opponent Khamzat Chimaev, saying that the Swedish prospect is “overhyped.” After temporarily being removed from the UFC rankings due to inactivity, Edwards finally signed on the dotted line to fight Chimaev. The two will square off on December 19 in a five-round welterweight main event, and the winner of the fight will be in a prime position to challenge for the belt in 2021. It is a massive fight at 170lbs between two of the best fighters in this division. However, Edwards isn’t buying all of the hype on his opponent.
Kevin Holland planning move to 170lbs, wants Jorge Masvidal's BMF title
Adam Martin - November 11, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland is planning a move down to 170lbs at some point and says he’s coming for Jorge Masvidal’s BMF title. Holland is one of the hottest fighters in the UFC middleweight division these days. Since making his promotional debut in 2018, Holland has gone 7-2 overall in the Octagon. But 2020, in particular, has been a good year for him. Since the UFC returned from the coronavirus pandemic in May, Holland has gone 4-0 with wins over Anthony Hernandez, Joaquin Buckley, Darren Stewart, and Charlie Ontiveros. He will fight for the fifth time in seven months when he takes on Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night in December.
Cory Sandhagen suggests No. 1 contender fight against TJ Dillashaw
Adam Martin - November 11, 2020
UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen says that he is targeting a No. 1 contender fight against former champion TJ Dillashaw. Sandhagen knocked out Marlon Moraes in October with a spinning wheel kick to once again emerge as a top contender at 135lbs. The next UFC bantamweight title fight takes place at UFC 256 in December when new champ Petr Yan defends his belt for the first time against Aljamain Sterling. But with one more, Sandhagen may find himself fighting the winner.
Alexander Hernandez recounts taking out two attackers in street fight: "One had a wrench"
Tom Taylor - November 11, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Alexander Hernandez once beat up two attackers—one of whom was armed with a wrench. Hernandez opened up on this incident during a recent interview with Fightful, explaining how the martial arts experience he had at the time allowed him to protect himself.
Israel Adesanya on undefeated record: "I know I can be beat"
Tom Taylor - November 11, 2020
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya now owns a flawless MMA record of 20-0, and looks increasingly unbeatable each time he steps in the cage. The man himself, however, is adamant that he can be defeated.
Scott Coker not interested in signing Anderson Silva to Bellator
Tom Taylor - November 11, 2020
Scott Coker isn’t interested in signing former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva to the Bellator MMA roster. Silva last stepped into the UFC’s Octagon on Halloween night, when he was knocked out in by ranked middleweight contender Uriah Hall. Heading into the fight, UFC President Dana White claimed the fight would be Silva’s last with the promotion, and post-fight, the UFC boss reaffirmed he had no interest in giving the aging legend further fights.
Phil Davis, not Corey Anderson, gets next Bellator title shot against Vadim Nemkov
Adam Martin - November 10, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker said that Phil Davis, and not Corey Anderson, will get the next title shot against 205lbs champ Vadim Nemkov. After Anderson dominated Melvin Manhoef in his Bellator debut, many fans and media thought he could jump past Davis for the next title shot against Nemkov, who will be making his first title defense since knocking out Ryan Bader. However, it appears as though Bellator has decided to go with Davis instead of Anderson for the next title shot.
Conor McGregor reflects on first fight with Dustin Poirier, tells fight fans “see you guys soon”
Cole Shelton - November 10, 2020
Conor McGregor has reflected on his first fight with Dustin Poirier after their rematch is reportedly a done deal. For weeks now, McGregor and Poirier have agreed to fight one another but on Tuesday it was reported to be a done deal, despite Dana White saying otherwise.
Maycee Barber set to return from her first career loss on February 13 against Alexa Grasso
Cole Shelton - November 10, 2020
Maycee Barber is set to return to the Octagon on February 13. According to Mexican outlet, Milenio.com, Barber is set to face Alexa Grasso at a Fight Night event on February 13. It is currently unknown if the event will take place in Las Vegas or on Fight Island.
Mike Winkeljohn explains how Jon Jones beats Stipe Miocic
Adam Martin - November 10, 2020
Veteran coach Mike Winkeljohn of Jackson-Wink MMA explained how his star pupil Jon Jones can beat UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Jones, the former longtime UFC light heavyweight champion, announced a move up to the heavyweight over the summer. His goal is to challenge himself and win a second title in the UFC over Miocic, the fighter who many consider the best heavyweight of all time. If Jones gets that opportunity to fight Miocic, then he’ll be in a good position to win the belt, according to Winkeljohn, who is confident Jones will perform well against Miocic.