MMA News
Volkan Oezdemir forced to withdraw from slated UFC co-main event with Nikita Krylov
Chris Taylor - October 1, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled October 17 bout with Nikita Krylov. Oezdemir and Krylov were slated to co-headline the upcoming UFC event Fight Island. However, due to a knee injury, ‘No Time‘ was forced to withdraw from the contest.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says Dana White promised him "something special" after UFC 254, manager drops hint
Cole Shelton - October 1, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov provided a hint on his future in fighting earlier today. The undefeated lightweight champion is set to defend his belt against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Many pundits are considering it the toughest test of his career. Yet, he remains confident he will get his hand raised. So, on a media call, he revealed Dana White has promised him something special if he wins.
Jon Jones continues trash talk of Israel Adesanya: "I’m waiting for you"
Cole Shelton - October 1, 2020
Jon Jones has continued to take aim at Israel Adesanya. Ever since Adesanya TKO’d Paulo Costa at UFC 253 to defend his belt, Jones and Adesanya have been trash-talking one another. It has also been unpleasant as both men bringing each other’s families into it. So, after all the talk, “Bones” says he wonders if the middleweight champ will even want to fight him come 2021 as he said.
Justin Gaethje goes off on “coward” Colby Covington: “He’s a fake person”
Adam Martin - October 1, 2020
UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje went off on the “coward” Colby Covington, saying the star welterweight he is a “fake person.” Gaethje and Covington were both recently invited to United States President Donald Trump’s rally in Nevada and there were photographs released of Covington putting his arm on Gaethje’s shoulder, which surprised a lot of people. Covington is one of the most polarizing figures in the sport today as he’s either loved or hated. Count Gaethje among the latter of those people, as “The Highlight” made it clear he does not like Covington.
Alistair Overeem to Jairzinho Rozenstruik: "Let's run it back"
Adam Martin - October 1, 2020
UFC heavyweight legend Alistair Overeem is hoping to get a rematch with Jairzinho Rozenstruik, telling his rival “let’s run it back.” Overeem and Rozenstruik first met at UFC Washington, D.C. last December. After dominating the fight for nearly the full 25 minutes, Overeem got caught with a big punch by Rozenstruik that knocked him to the ground and ripped his lip open. Referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and waved the fight off at 4:56 of the fifth round, making it the latest UFC heavyweight stoppage of all time. The stoppage was controversial, however, with Overeem believing the referee stopped the fight too early.
Video | Paulo Costa returns to training, drops timeframe in next fight
Tom Taylor - October 1, 2020
Paulo Costa is already back in the gym following his loss to Israel Adesanya, and he’s hoping to get back in the Octagon in December. Costa challenged Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title in the main event of UFC 253 last Saturday night in Abu Dhabi. Despite being hailed as the champion’s toughest foe to date, he was beaten fairly decisively, succumbing to a check-hook and volley of followup ground strikes in the second round.
Casey Kenney says all Heili Alateng has is "a basic right hand and wrestling," expects to finish him
Cole Shelton - October 1, 2020
Casey Kenney was surprised Heili Alateng was his next opponent but knows it is a good matchup for him. Kenney is coming off a very impressive submission win over Louis Smolka and he thought a ranked opponent could be next. Yet, that will not be the case but he will take on Alateng who is 2-0 in the UFC, but Kenney still isn’t too impressed with him.
Michael Chandler explains why he's "extremely confident" he'd beat Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - October 1, 2020
Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is “extremely confident” he could beat UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, as it’s a fight he’s been preparing for for years. Chandler just made the jump from Bellator to the UFC, and has yet to make his debut in the Octagon. However, he’s had his eye on Nurmagomedov, who he forecasted as a future champion, for a long time.
Josh Barnett set to compete in bare-knuckle boxing match for KSW offshoot
Adam Martin - October 1, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett will return to the ring when he takes on Marcin Rozalski in a bare-knuckle boxing match for KSW Genesis. KSW Genesis is an offshoot of Poland’s famed KSW promotion and on October 23, Barnett steps into the cage when he takes on Rozalski, the former KSW heavyweight champion. The fight will take place with modified bare-knuckle boxing rules as elbows will also be allowed. The bout will mark the bare-knuckle fighting debut for Barnett, who is one of the pioneers of the sport of mixed martial arts and the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Dequan Townsend shares inspiring message with MMA community after both brothers murdered in random act of violence
Adam Martin - October 1, 2020
UFC middleweight Dequan Townsend has shared an inspiring message with the MMA community after both of his brothers were recently murdered. Townsend’s brother Marcus Jackson-Burton, 32, and his half-brother, Steven Lee Jackson, 31, were both murdered in a random act of violence in his native Lansing, Michigan, on August 4. The men were shot at a strip mall and left for dead, but Townsend hasn’t had time to grieve. The bigger brother of both men makes the walk to the Octagon this Saturday on Fight Island when he takes on Dusko Todorovic in what is a must-win fight.
Floyd Mayweather names price for Conor McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - October 1, 2020
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has named his price for a potential rematch with former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor. Mayweather and McGregor met in the boxing ring in 2017, with the former improving to a fantastic 50-0 with a 10th-round TKO victory. Since then, there’s been plenty of talk about a potential rematch between the pair, and while Mayweather isn’t exactly chomping at the bit for that fight, it’s one he’d take for the right price.
Dan Hardy comments on the status of his beef with referee Herb Dean
Tom Taylor - October 1, 2020
UFC commentator Dan Hardy has updated on the status of his beef with famed MMA referee Herb Dean. Hardy, who spent many years competing in the UFC welterweight division, had words with Dean during a July 25 UFC card on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The incident occured during a fight between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert, when many onlookers—Hardy included—felt Dean stopped the action too late, subjecting the vanquished Herbert to unnecessary punishment.
Eddie Alvarez is predicting a rough night for Justin Gaethje at UFC 254
Harry Kettle - October 1, 2020
Former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez doesn’t believe Justin Gaethje has the style necessary to beat Khabib Nurmagomedov. Alvarez, who is now with ONE Championship, faced off against Gaethje back in December 2017 and secured a knockout win against “The Highlight”. Gaethje has gone on to string four impressive KO and TKO wins together after another defeat against Dustin Poirier, with his victory over Tony Ferguson in May handing him the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship.
Charles Jourdain recounts the terrifying experience of sharing a locker room with The Korean Zombie
Harry Kettle - October 1, 2020
UFC featherweight Charles Jourdain has looked back on his experience of sharing a locker room with The Korean Zombie. Jourdain made the trip over to Busan, South Korea back in December 2019 where he was able to beat Doo Ho Choi in what proved to be the Fight of the Night. On the same card, Chan Sung Jung aka the Korean Zombie dispatched of Frankie Edgar in the main event of the evening.
Anthony Johnson blasts Paulo Costa for his handling of UFC 253 loss to Israel Adesanya
Christopher Taylor - September 30, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson is not impressed with recent middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa. Costa (13-1 MMA) put his undefeated mixed martial arts record on the line while hoping to dethrone middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (20-0 MMA) at last weekend’s UFC 253 pay-per-view event on Fight Island.
Timeline: What Jorge Masvidal has shared since Colby Covington defeated Tyron Woodley
Christopher Taylor - September 30, 2020
One has to assume that Jorge Masvidal tuned in to watch his former friend Colby Covington take on his current training partner Tyron Woodley. Woodley (19-6-1 MMA) had entered the September 19 grudge match with Covington looking to rebound from a two-fight losing streak. In his most previous efforts, ‘The Chosen One’ had suffered unanimous decision losses to Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns respectively.
Alex Volkanovski calls Max Holloway trilogy talk "ridiculous," suggests Holloway fight Calvin Kattar
Adam Martin - September 30, 2020
UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski called a trilogy fight with Max Holloway “ridiculous” and suggested That ‘Blessed’ fight Calvin Kattar. Volkanovski and Holloway first met at UFC 245 last December. Volkanovski pulled off the upset that night, outstriking Holloway and winning a unanimous decision. However, the UFC granted Holloway, the long-time featherweight champ, an immediate rematch. The two then met a second time at UFC 251 on Fight Island earlier this summer. In one of the most controversial decisions of the year, Volkanovski edged out a split decision win.
Jon Jones responds after rival Daniel Cormier calls his recent actions “out of touch”
Cole Shelton - September 30, 2020
Jon Jones has responded after Daniel Cormier called his recent actions out of touch. After Jan Blachowicz TKO’d Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 to win the vacant title, Jones asked his fans if they want to see him back at 205lbs. For his longtime rival in Cormier, he believes that move just proves ‘Bones’ is out of touch.