UFC News
UFC legends meet in potential retirement match as Diego Sanchez fights Donald Cerrone
Adam Martin - February 4, 2021
Two legends square off in a potential retirement bout as Octagon veterans Diego Sanchez and Donald Cerrone square off later this spring. MMAFighting.com reports that Sanchez vs. Cerrone will be added to a newly-unveiled UFC event on May 8. Details for this card are scarce, so no word yet on if this will be a five-round headliner or if it will be a three-round fight. Regardless, this is a big fight between two of the UFC’s all-time best. With both nearing 40, Sanchez and Cerrone are getting up there in age and both have openly spoken about retirement. There is a very real chance that this may be the final fighter of both fighters’ careers.
Alistair Overeem says Brock Lesnar knockout was best UFC debut ever
Adam Martin - February 4, 2021
UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem believes his knockout win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 was the best Octagon debut ever. It was back in December 2011 when Overeem made his UFC debut against the former champion Lesnar in the main event of UFC 141. Overeem was the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion and he had a UFC debut for the ages when he finishes Lesnar with a vicious body kick. Remember that knockout in the video below.
Stipe Miocic discusses his upcoming rematch with Francis Ngannou, predicts “the same outcome”
Cole Shelton - February 4, 2021
Stipe Miocic is expecting to hear “And Still” when he rematches Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. Miocic is set to defend his heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 260 on March 27. Although Miocic dominated the first fight at UFC 220 winning all five rounds including one round being a 10-8, many pundits believe the rematch will be different. Ngannou has looked improved but Miocic doesn’t think the result will change.
Mike Rodriguez looking to move past Ed Herman controversy with KO win over Danilo Marques
Cole Shelton - February 4, 2021
Mike Rodriguez is looking forward to putting the Ed Herman controversy behind him. At UFC Vegas 10 in September, Rodriguez landed a knee to the body of Herman that dropped him. Rodriguez would’ve needed a few punches to finish the fight, but the ref called time for a groin strike. However, video replay wasn’t used and Herman got five minutes to recover from a body shot and ended up submitting Rodriguez in the third.
Frank Mir trashes Stephen A. Smith for anti-women's MMA comments: "Send him back to the NBA"
Adam Martin - February 4, 2021
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir trashed ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith for the controversial comments he made about women competing in MMA. Mir was not happy with Smith’s recent anti-women’s MMA comments when the ESPN talking head controversially said that women had no business being in the Octagon. A number of fighters have since taken to social media to post their disagreements with Smith for his outlandish comments. One of those fighters is Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion. Mir’s daughter Bella is one of the top women’s MMA prospects in the United States right now, so now wonder Mir wasn’t thrilled with what Smith had to say. Check out Mir trashing Smith today on his Twitter.
UFC releases three more fighters, including Antonio Carlos Junior
Tom Taylor - February 4, 2021
The UFC is continuing to downsize its roster having recently cut three more fighters, including middleweight contender Antonio Carlos Junior. The 30-year-old Junior was handed his walking papers alongside welterweight fighters Carlton Minus and Rhys McKee, per MMA Junkie.
Charles Oliveira responds after Dustin Poirier suggests Conor McGregor trilogy fight
Tom Taylor - February 4, 2021
Charles Oliveira has chimed in after Dustin Poirier opened the door to a tie-breaking trilogy fight with Conor McGregor. Poirier and McGregor have fought twice. The pair first met in the featherweight division in 2014, with McGregor winning by first-round knockout. They then met a second time at UFC 257 last month, when Poirier evened the score with a second-round stoppage.
UFC Vegas 18: Overeem vs. Volkov full betting odds
Adam Martin - February 4, 2021
Check out the full betting odds for this weekend’s UFC Vegas 18 card headlined by heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov. The main event for this weekend’s offering sees Overeem continue his march towards the UFC heavyweight title as he puts his two-fight win streak on the line against Volkov, who has won two of his last three fights. Overeem is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, but Volkov will surely put up a stiff challenge. These are the No. 5 and No. 6 ranked heavyweights in the UFC so the winner of this fight will put themselves in a prime position to compete for the title by year’s end.
Rafael dos Anjos renews calls for Conor McGregor fight: "We already have a history"
Tom Taylor - February 4, 2021
Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is once again calling for a fight with former two-division champ Conor McGregor. Dos Anjos and McGregor were briefly scheduled to fight in 2016. Dos Anjos, then the lightweight champion, was slated to defend his belt against McGregor, the featherweight champion, who sought to become the sport’s first concurrent two-division titleholder. Unfortunately, the fight fell through when dos Anjos sustained an injury. McGregor then accepted a short-notice fight with Nate Diaz, which he ended up losing via submission.
Tony Ferguson challenges Nate Diaz: "All you do is b*tch out"
Tom Taylor - February 4, 2021
UFC lightweight star Tony Ferguson has issued a challenge to Nate Diaz, accusing the fan favorite of “b*tching out.” Diaz hasn’t fought since November, 2019, when he was stopped by Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight fight. Recently, however, UFC President Dana White divulged that he’s working on a lightweight fight for Diaz. While Diaz has since protested fighting at lightweight, expressing his preference for the 170-pound welterweight division, the good news is that he seems interested in fighting again.
Henry Cejudo is glad Conor McGregor took his advice, but says next time it will come at a cost
Christopher Taylor - February 3, 2021
Henry Cejudo says he is glad that Conor McGregor took his advice following UFC 257, but says he will be charging ‘Notorious’ next time around. McGregor made his highly anticipated return to the Octagon 10 days ago in Abu Dhabi for a rematch with Dustin Poirier. Unfortunately for the Irishman, history did not repeat itself on Fight Island, and ‘The Diamond’ ultimately walked away with a second round TKO victory.
Photo | Nick Diaz is looking absolutely shredded for potential return to UFC
Christopher Taylor - February 3, 2021
Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz (26-9 MMA) is looking absolutely shredded for his potential UFC return. Diaz, who is one of the most popular fighters in MMA history, has not fought since a 2015 no contest with Anderson Silva, but began teasing a 2021 comeback earlier this year.
Video | Merab Dvalishvili ends up in hospital after jumping headfirst into frozen pond
Cole Shelton - February 3, 2021
Merab Dvalishvili was out for a casual run and ended up in the hospital. During his run, the 12th-ranked bantamweight contender in Dvalishvili came across a pond. The Georgian native then decided to jump into it thinking it wasn’t frozen, but it turns out it was as he went headfirst into a frozen pond and cut his head on the ice and branches.
Cody Stamann uninterested in fighting Merab Dvalishvili next: "There are a lot bigger fish in the sea"
Cole Shelton - February 3, 2021
Cody Stamann isn’t sure he fights Merab Dvalishvili next. Stamann and Dvalishvili were supposed to fight on December 5 and February 6. Yet, Stamann hurt his back the first time it was booked and Dvalishvili got COVID-19 the second. For the 13th-ranked bantamweight in Stamann, he says having the fight postponed again wasn’t an option.
Dustin Poirier responds to Conor McGregor’s request for a trilogy fight: "We are going to do it a 3rd time"
Cole Shelton - February 3, 2021
Dustin Poirier remains confident he will have his trilogy with Conor McGregor. At UFC 257, Poirier and McGregor had a rematch over six years in the making. The first time they met, they fought at featherweight and it was McGregor winning by first-round knockout. However, in the rematch, it was Poirier who got the job done with a second-round knockout.
Conor McGregor admits he overlooked Dustin Poirier with eye on Manny Pacquiao boxing match
Adam Martin - February 3, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor admitted he overlooked Dustin Poirier because he was already thinking about a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao. McGregor entered the rematch with Poirier as a big favorite, but he suffered a second-round knockout loss when Poirier was able to finish him with strikes. “The Diamond” came into the bout with a great gameplan of using low kicks to slow McGregor’s mobility, only to wear him out and then eventually go for the finish with punches. It was an amazing performance by Poirier, no doubt about it. But it was also a big disappointment seeing McGregor receive his first knockout loss in MMA.
Dominick Reyes injured, out of fight with Jiri Prochazka
Tom Taylor - February 3, 2021
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes has sustained an injury, and is out of his planned fight with Jiri Prochazka. Reyes was slated to fight Prochazka, the former RIZIN Fighting Federation light heavyweight champion, on February 28 in Las Vegas. According to a report from MMA Fighting, that unfortunately won’t be happening due to an undisclosed Reyes injury.
MMA community reacts to Stephen A. Smith's comments about female fighters
Tom Taylor - February 3, 2021
Stephen A. Smith is in hot water after expressing his disinterest in seeing women compete in mixed martial arts and boxing. Smith recently appeared on the “Black on the Air” podcast, where he expressed his objection to women fighting men in combat sports, and later, his disinterest in seeing women fight at all.