UFC News
UFC rankings update: Conor McGregor tumbles, Michael Chandler debuts
Tom Taylor - January 27, 2021
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC 257 card on Fight Island, and as expected there have been some big changes. Most notably, former two-division champion Conor McGregor has fallen in the pound-for-pound and lightweight rankings after being stopped by Dustin Poirier in the card’s main event.
Dustin Poirier not a fan of Fight Island: It was "like I was in prison in my own mind"
Tom Taylor - January 27, 2021
Surging UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier wasn’t a fan of competing on the promotion’s much-discussed Fight Island. Fight Island—a complex on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi—was the setting of last Saturday’s UFC 257 card, where Poirier defeated Conor McGregor by second-round TKO.
Michael Chiesa shares preferred matchmaking for McGregor, Poirier, other lightweight stars
Tom Taylor - January 27, 2021
Michael Chiesa has shared his ideal matchmaking strategy for Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and several other lightweight stars. Poirier and McGregor took center stage last weekend, colliding in the main event of UFC 257. The bout was a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight that McGregor won by knockout, but this time around, Poirier evened the score with a second-round TKO win.
Charles Oliveira believes a fight with Dustin Poirier could be the recipe to entice Khabib Nurmagomedov to return
Harry Kettle - January 27, 2021
UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira believes a win over Dustin Poirier could be enough to lure Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement. Oliveira, who is coming off the back of a resounding win over Tony Ferguson, has emerged as one of the primary contenders alongside Michael Chandler to possibly fight Dustin Poirier for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Jake Paul targeting Nate Diaz after Ben Askren: 'He wants to do it as well'
Drake Riggs - January 26, 2021
Jake Paul vs. former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight king Ben Askren is officially on. Despite that, the YouTube star is already thinking ahead. Having directed trash talk and video call outs at several of MMA’s most notable names, Paul hasn’t left out Stockton’s Nate Diaz. Unsurprisingly, The Ultimate Fighter season 5 winner has fired back at the younger Paul brother where he’s responded saying Jake “needs his ass beat for free”.
Gilbert Burns says he and Kamaru Usman have gone at it in 'over 200 rounds sparring'
Drake Riggs - January 26, 2021
The next UFC welterweight title tilt will feature two men who are very familiar with each other. And according to the challenger in that bout, Gilbert Burns, it’s as if he and Kamaru Usman have already fought 40 times at the minimum. Originally set to square off at UFC 251 in July 2020, Gilbert Burns would be forced out of the matchup after testing positive for COVID-19. Thus leading to Jorge Masvidal jumping into his place.
Video | Khamzat Chimaev looks sharp on the pads during training session with Alexander Gustafsson
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev looked sharp on the pads during a recent training session with Alexander Gustafsson in Sweden. Chimaev finally returns to the Octagon on March 13 when he takes on Leon Edwards. The fight between these two rivals has been booked twice previously but each time it fell apart after both men tested positive for COVID-19. Chimaev was said to have had a rough battle with the coronavirus and was slow to make his recovery, pushing this bout back from its intended January 20 date to March 13. He appears to finally be healthy and he’s back in the gym at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm.
Georges St-Pierre "very surprised" Conor McGregor lost, offers some advice on how he can bounce back
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Georges St-Pierre thought Conor McGregor would beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. Entering the fight, McGregor was the betting favorite and many thought he would KO Poirier again. However, that is far from what happened as “The Diamond” used leg kicks to hurt the Irishman and then went up top to knock him out which shocked St-Pierre.
Ben Saunders hopes to sign with a promotion soon and be active to earn way back into the UFC
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Despite not fighting in 2020, Ben Saunders knows his year wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. After Saunders was knocked out by Matt Brown at UFC 245, his contract with the UFC was over and they chose not to re-sign him. The hope for the veteran was to quickly sign with another promotion and get back to the UFC. However, like most people’s 2020, Saunders’ year did not go as planned as no opportunities came up. With his dad battling a rare form of blood cancer, it also put Saunders in a difficult spot.
Dillon Danis claims Jake Paul "ran" from him, shares DM's showing contract negotiations
Cole Shelton - January 26, 2021
Dillon Danis claims Jake Paul ran from him when it came time to negotiate a contract for a potential boxing match. On Tuesday, it was revealed Paul would box former UFC welterweight, Ben Askren on April 17. The news wasn’t a surprise as “Funky” told BJPENN.com he would box the YouTube star. However, for Danis, he was also rumored to be facing Paul but he claims the 23-year-old ran from him.
Conor McGregor could hear Thiago Alves encouraging Dustin Poirier to kicks his legs
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor says he could hear Thiago Alves in the corner of Dustin Poirier encouraging him to kick his legs. McGregor was knocked out by Poirier in the second round of their fight with punches, but all those nasty low kicks Poirier landed before the finishing blows contributed to the knockout. The Irishman’s mobility became severely limited from the low kicks and they directly contributed to the win. Poirier, of course, comes from American Top Team, where many fighters utilize leg kicks to great success. One of ATT’s most notorious low kickers was Alves, the former UFC welterweight who is now a coach.
UFC belt Colby Covington gave Donald Trump appraised at $650
Tom Taylor - January 26, 2021
The UFC championship belt that Colby Covington gave former United States President Donald Trump is reportedly worth just $650. Covington is one of several dedicated Trump supporters on the UFC roster, but certainly the most vocal. In fact, the welterweight star’s unwavering support of the former President actually earned him a trip to the White House in 2018, not long after he defeated Rafael dos Anjos by decision to capture the UFC’s interim welterweight title.
Photo | TJ Dillashaw shows off ripped physique ahead of UFC return
Adam Martin - January 26, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw looks to be in phenomenal shape ahead of his highly-anticipated return to the Octagon. Dillashaw recently completed his two-year suspension with USADA and he is set to return to the UFC in short order. It was back in January 2019 when Dillahaw’s world came crashing down after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs following a TKO loss to Henry Cejudo. He vacated the 135lbs title following the fight and has been sitting on the sidelines ever since then, waiting for his return to the Octagon.
Michael Bisping shares his thoughts on why Conor McGregor lost at UFC 257
Tom Taylor - January 26, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has shared his thoughts on why Conor McGregor lost to Dustin Poirier. McGregor and Poirier met in the main event of UFC 257 this past weekend. The bout was a rematch of a 2014 fight that McGregor won by first-round knockout.
WWE star Sheamus says Conor McGregor will move to pro wrestling: "It's a matter of when"
Tom Taylor - January 26, 2021
WWE star Sheamus believes his fellow Irishman Conor McGregor will ultimately migrate to pro wrestling, it’s only a question of when. McGregor returned from a year-long layoff at UFC 257 last Saturday, succumbing to strikes for the first time in his mixed martial arts career opposite Dustin Poirier.
Jake Paul, Ben Askren trade trash talk after fight is made official
Tom Taylor - January 26, 2021
Mere hours after their upcoming boxing match was made official, Jake Paul and Ben Askren are already swapping trash talk on Twitter. Paul, who achieved his massive fame on YouTube, will collide with Askren in an eight-round professional boxing match on April 17. News of the fight was first reported by BJPENN.com, and recently confirmed as official by ESPN.
Georges St-Pierre opens up on missed Khabib Nurmagomedov superfight
Tom Taylor - January 26, 2021
Former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre has opened up on a long-discussed superfight with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, which now seems impossible. Nurmagomedov, 29-0, announced his retirement from MMA in October, after defeating Justin Gaethje via submission. However, Nurmagomedov had long expressed interest in fighting St-Pierre—who is also retired—in his 30th and final MMA fight.
Coach discusses Dan Hooker’s loss to Michael Chandler: “On any particular day, anyone can win, anyone can be champion”
Harry Kettle - January 26, 2021
Dan Hooker’s head coach Eugene Bareman has given his thoughts on Hooker’s devastating loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257. Hooker was unable to get back on the winning trail against Chandler on Saturday night as he suffered a first round TKO that massively sets him back in his quest to win the UFC Lightweight Championship.