MMA News
Marlon Moraes releases statement following TKO loss to Cory Sandhagen, wants to fight again in December
Adam Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC bantamweight Marlon Moraes released a statement following his TKO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Island 5. Moraes was the No. 1 contender in the UFC bantamweight division heading into this fight but he suffered a brutal loss when Sandhagen wiped him out with a spinning wheel kick and punches. The loss will drop Moraes in the rankings behind Sandhagen and Aljamain Sterling and it puts him further from a fight against UFC bantamweight champion Pet Yan.
Referee Marc Goddard praises Impa Kasanganay for positive attitude following brutal KO loss to Joaquin Buckley
Adam Martin - October 11, 2020
Referee Marc Goddard praised middleweight Impa Kasanganay for his positive attitude following a brutal KO loss to Joaquin Buckley. Kasanganay was on the wrong end of one of the greatest highlight-reel knockouts in UFC history when Buckley finished him with a spinning back kick in their preliminary card bout at UFC Fight Island 5. Buckley was able to land the kick with his right leg after Kasanganay had caught a kick with his left leg, leading to an incredible, one-of-a-kind KO. The knockout video has gone viral and Buckley was given a $50,000 bonus for his efforts.
Tanner Boser owns fan who took cheap shot at teammate KB Bhullar
Adam Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser owned a fan who took a cheap shot at his teammate KB Bhullar after a KO loss to Tom Breese on Fight Island. Bhullar is a highly-regarded middleweight prospect from Canada and a teammate of Boser at Shaved Bears MMA in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Though he was a trendy underdog pick heading into the fight, Bhullar suffered the first loss of his career when he was brutally knocked out by Breese in the first round of their matchup at UFC Fight Island 5.
Makwan Amirkhani releases statement following loss to Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Island 5
Adam Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC featherweight Makwan Amirkhani released a statement following his unanimous decision loss to Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Island 5. Amirkhani was outstruck and outgrappled for the majority of the 15 minutes as he lost a clear-cut decision to Barboza in the evening’s co-main event. You have to give Amirkhani for being tough as nails and surviving the three rounds against a killer in Barboza, but it was a clear loss for him in one of the biggest fights of Amirkhani’s career to date.
Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling trade shots after Triple C’ suggests ‘Funk Master’ will get passed up for title shot
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling traded shots on Twitter after Cejudo said Sterling would get passed over for a bantamweight title shot. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 5, Cory Sandhagen knocked out No. 1 ranked Marlon Moraes with a spinning wheel kick and punches to re-emerge as one of the best bantamweights in the division. Sandhagen, of course, suffered a first-round submission loss to Sterling in his last fight at UFC 250 back in June. But in MMA, the sport is all about what have you done lately, and Sandhagen’s win puts him right back into title contention.
Edson Barboza open to Paul Felder trilogy fight: "Why not?"
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC featherweight contender Edson Barboza says he is open to a trilogy fight with top lightweight Paul Felder in the near future. Barboza defeated Makwan Amirkhani via unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC Fight Island 5 to snap a three-fight losing skid. One of those losses came against Felder when Barboza dropped a highly-controversial split decision to his rival at UFC 242. Barboza and Felder previously met at UFC on FOX: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 in 2015, so the pair are 1-1 against each other, and both have spoken about a potential trilogy fight in the past.
Cory Sandhagen would accept title shot, but open to Frankie Edgar or TJ Dillashaw next
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen says he would accept a title shot, but he is also open to fighting Frankie Edgar or TJ Dillashaw next. Sandhagen picked up the biggest win of his UFC career to date when he finished Marlon Moraes with a spinning wheel kick and punches in the main event of UFC Fight Island 5. It was an incredible win for Sandhagen as he took out the bantamweight division’s No. 1 contender with one fell swoop. It is the kind of big win that should set up Sandhagen for a massive fight his next time out. At this point, he’s not far away from getting a title shot.
Video | UFC releases amazing promo for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje title fight
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
The UFC has released an incredible promo video for the upcoming lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. The undisputed UFC lightweight championship will be on the line at UFC 254 later this month on Fight Island when Nurmagomedov and Gaethje fight each other. Nurmagomedov is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport while Gaethje has been on a hot streak as of late as he looks to unify the interim title with Nurmagomedov’s belt. It is going to be an amazing fight, with many fans and media believing it the potential to be a classic.
Joaquin Buckley on insane knockout kick at UFC Fight Island 5: “I call it Wakanda style”
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley commented on his insane KO kick at UFC Fight Island 5, saying he calls it “Wakanda Style.” Buckley picked up one of the most stunning knockouts in UFC history when he knocked out Impa Kasanganay with a second-round spinning back kick to the face. The KO came out of nowhere and it’s even more impressive to consider when you remember that Buckley himself was on the wrong end of a ridiculous KO from Kevin Holland in the summer.
Dana White hands out four performance bonuses following a plethora of finishes at UFC Fight Island 5
Adam D Martin - October 11, 2020
UFC president Dana White handed out four “Performance of the Night” bonuses following a plethora of finishes at UFC Fight Island 5. There was something in the water on Fight Island on Saturday night, as all 26 fighters who were on the card put on a show. It was an absolutely incredible night of fights that saw a number of fighters pull off some amazing finishes. Although bonuses could have been given to at least 10 fighters, White and the UFC had to whittle down the list to just four.
BKFC 13 Results: Joey Beltran TKO's Marcel Stamps (Photo)
Christopher Taylor - October 10, 2020
Joey Beltran put his heavyweight title on the line against Marcel Stamps in the headliner of tonight’s BKFC 13 event in Salina, Kansas. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship standout, Beltran (18-15 MMA), had captured the BKFC heavyweight world title this past November when he defeated Chase Sherman by unanimous decision.
Justin Gaethje reacts after the UFC botches his name in Octagon advertisement
Christopher Taylor - October 10, 2020
Current UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has offered a solution after the UFC botched his last name in their Octagon advertisement. Later this month at UFC 254 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Gaethje will square off with reigning and undefeated UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Pros react to what many fans are calling "the greatest KO in history" by Joaquin Buckley
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
Middleweight fighter Joaquin Buckley scored what many are calling “the greatest KO in history” at tonight’s UFC Fight Island 5 event. Buckley (11-3 MMA) squared off with Impa Kasanganay on the preliminary portion of tonight’s fight card from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Pros react after Cory Sandhagen TKO's Marlon Moraes at UFC Fight Island 5
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
Tonight’s UFC Fight Island 5 event in Abu Dhabi was headlined by a bantamweight bout featuring Marlon Moraes taking on Cory Sandhagen. The former bantamweight title challenger, Moraes (23-7-1 MMA), was returning to action for the first time since scoring a controversial split decision win over Jose Aldo at UFC 245.
UFC Fight Island 5 Results: Cory Sandhagen TKO's Marlon Moraes (Video)
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
Tonight’s UFC Fight Island 5 event in Abu Dhabi is headlined by a bantamweight bout featuring Marlon Moraes taking on Cory Sandhagen. The former bantamweight title challenger, Moraes (23-6-1 MMA), will be returning to action for the first time since scoring a controversial split decision win over Jose Aldo at UFC 245.
UFC Fight Island 5 Results: Edson Barboza defeats Makwan Amirkhani (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
The co-main event of UFC Fight Island 5 will feature an intriguing featherweight contest between Edson Barboza and Makwan Amirkhani. Barboza (20-9 MMA) will be looking to snap a three-fight losing skid at tonight’s event on Yas Island. The Brazilian made his featherweight debut this May in Jacksonville, but wound up dropping a split decision loss to Hawaiian standout Dan Ige.
UFC Fight Island 5 Results: Marcin Tybura defeats Ben Rothwell
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
A heavyweight bout between Ben Rothwell and Marcin Tybura takes place on the main card of tonight’s UFC Fight Island event in Abu Dhabi. Rothwell (38-12 MMA) has gone 2-2 since returning to the UFC in March of 2019. ‘Big Ben’ will enter tonight’s event sporting a two-fight winning streak, his latest being a split decision win over Ovince Saint Preux this past May.
Ali Abdelaziz offers Tony Ferguson a unique proposal to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 254
Chris Taylor - October 10, 2020
Dominance MMA owner Ali Abdelaziz has made a unique offer to Tony Ferguson in hopes of persuading ‘El Cucuy’ to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 254. Makhachev (18-1 MMA) was originally slated to square off with Rafael dos Anjos at this month’s pay-per-view event on Yas Island. However, ‘RDA’ was forced to withdraw from the contest after contracting the dreaded Coronavirus.