UFC News
Kelvin Gastelum and Ben Askren continue war of words on social media
Tom Taylor - January 16, 2019
Last night, top UFC middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum took a shot at UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley for plotting a move up to the middleweight division. Haha @TWooodley has never wanted this smoke after we fought the 1st time! He can’t compete at MW 🤷♂️ https://t.co/NxXkOawHlT
Paige VanZant explains why UFC Brooklyn bout is 'more important than any fight'
Tom Taylor - January 16, 2019
This Saturday, when the UFC makes its debut on ESPN with the stacked UFC Brooklyn card, fan favorite flyweight contender Paige VanZant will make her long-awaited return to the Octagon opposite Rachael Ostovich. Paige VanZant believes this fight is one of the most important of her whole career — more important, even, than her UFC debut. She feels this is her opportunity to reintroduce herself to UFC fans using the massive ESPN platform and prove she belongs amongst the flyweight division’s best fighters.
Conor McGregor ranked among fittest athletes of 2018 by Sports Illustrated
James Lynch - January 16, 2019
Conor McGregor didn’t win a fight in 2018 but did earn himself some recognition. Sports Illustrated released their 50-fittest athletes (25 fittest Men and 25 fittest Women) and the former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion found himself ranked ninth out of 25 other men.
Bellator champ Ryan Bader offers criticism of the UFC light heavyweight division
Tom Taylor - January 16, 2019
For many years, Ryan Bader stood out as one of the best light heavyweights in the UFC. In 2017, however, the long-time contender parted was with the UFC, and migrated to the ever-growing Bellator MMA roster. In a matter of months, he had defeated Phil Davis to become the Bellator MMA light heavyweight champ.
Matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Justin Willis on tap for UFC Nashville
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
As it was revealed today, the UFC looks to be returning to Nashville, Tennesse in March as the first fight for the event was reported to be the welterweight scrap pitting Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. Now we’ve gotten word of the next potential matchup which is a clash at heavyweight.
Justin Gaethje vs Edson Barboza in the works for late March
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
After a big one-punch knockout win over James Vick in his last time out at UFC Lincoln in August 2018, Justin Gaethje (19-2) is ready to get back at it. Late last month, Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz revealed that he was looking at Edson Barboza (20-6) for Gaethje’s next matchup.
Kelvin Gastelum rips Tyron Woodley, gets backlash from Ben Askren and others
Thomas Taylor - January 15, 2019
UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently announced that he plans to move up to the middleweight division in the near future. This news generated an interesting reaction from top middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum, who Woodley defeated in a catchweight bout in 2015. Haha @TWooodley has never wanted this smoke after we fought the 1st time! He can’t compete at MW 🤷♂️ https://t.co/NxXkOawHlT
Darren Till interested in eventual middleweight clash with Israel Adesanya
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
The last time we saw Darren Till competing inside the Octagon was for his first career UFC title shot. Unfortunately for Liverpool’s finest, Till would suffer his first career defeat when challenging the welterweight king Tyron Woodley.
Stephen Thompson vs Anthony Pettis targeted for March 23
Drake Riggs - January 15, 2019
The power of social media is real, people. Former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis has fought as low as 145-pounds in his career. Although it was a brief stint, Pettis did make the cut… At least for one fight.
UFC flyweight contender Jennifer Maia accepts six-month USADA suspension
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
11th-ranked UFC flyweight contender Jennifer Maia has accepted a six-month sanction from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for banned substances as the result of her ingestion of a tainted supplement. This Jennifer Maia news was announced on the official USADA website. Here’s what the USADA release on the topic says:
EXCLUSIVE | Elias Theodorou willing to fight Derek Brunson after being called out
Cole Shelton - January 15, 2019
Elias Theodorou already has his next opponent in mind. Derek Brunson, who is currently ranked eighth in the middleweight division, recently called out the 14th ranked Theodorou. and Theodorou is all for it. “I think it is a good fight. Obviously, he is a tough competitor,” Theodorou said to BJPENN.com. “He has shown there are ways to beat him, obviously by being on a two-fight losing streak. I’m looking for, if all goes well, to make it three. It is a great fight and he presents challenges but I have shown time and time again that I’m one tough puzzle to solve and I look forward to getting my hand raised.”
Leon Edwards challenges Darren Till, rips Jorge Masvidal for attempting to get fight
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Rising UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards his hoping to fight his fellow Brit Darren Till in the main event of the UFC’s March 16 return to London, England. https://soundcloud.com/mmafighting/eurobash-w-leon-edwards-aleksandar-rakic-soren-bak-episode-19
Derrick Lewis explains why he turned down short-notice UFC Brooklyn fight with Stipe Miocic
James Lynch - January 15, 2019
Derrick Lewis isn’t set to step back into the cage until Mar. 9 but “The Black Beast” nearly fought on this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+1 card in Brooklyn, NY. That’s according to Lewis who said he was asked to face former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, however he turned down the matchup because he needed more time off.
Henry Cejudo pokes fun at TJ Dillashaw's physique ahead of flyweight fight
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw looks like a different man entirely as he cuts down to 125 pounds for his Saturday night flyweight title fight with Henry Cejudo, which will air on ESPN+. In Cejudo’s eyes, this slimmed-down version of Dillashaw does not look good.
VIDEO | Joe Rogan makes his pick for 'the best women's MMA KO ever'
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Over the years, we’ve seen women produce some pretty jaw-dropping knockouts inside the cage. There were Holly Holm’s knockouts of Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia. There was Jessica Andrade’s knockout of Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Most recently, there was Amanda Nunes’ first-round knockout of Cris Cyborg. Speaking on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, UFC commentator Joe Rogan made his pick for the best knockout in the history of women’s MMA.
Al Iaquinta explains why Justin Gaethje fight does't interest him right now
Tom Taylor - January 15, 2019
Al Iaquinta was recently called out by former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje, who he was briefly scheduled to fight this summer. For the moment, however, this is not a fight that Iaquinta is especially interested in. “I’m looking up in the rankings,” Iaquinta told MMAjunkie Radio. “I think Gaethje, he’s kind of had his opportunity, and he chose to fight Vick. He wanted to do what was best for him, so now I’m going to do what’s best for me. Fighting below me in the rankings is definitely not (it). It’s a good fight, but I think there’s guys that’ll put me right up there. Those are the guys I’m gunning for.
VIDEO | 'Violence Queen' Ariane Lipski trains with Cris Cyborg ahead of UFC debut at UFC Brooklyn
Drake Riggs - January 14, 2019
2019 will officially mark the beginning of the “Violence Queen” Ariane Lipski’s career in the UFC.
Tyron Woodley eyes move to middleweight by year's end
Drake Riggs - January 14, 2019
At UFC 235 in March, Tyron Woodley will look to successfully add another welterweight title defense to his list of accomplishments by taking out the red-hot Kamaru Usman. As the 170-pound king since July 2016, Woodley’s time in the division may be coming to an end by the time that 2020 rolls around.