UFC News
Carlos Condit discusses what’s next after fighting out his contract: “I’ve grown up under Zuffa, WEC, UFC, but we’ll see”
Harry Kettle - January 18, 2021
UFC legend Carlos Condit has given his brief thoughts on what could be next for him after fighting out his contract with the promotion. Condit secured consecutive wins inside the Octagon for the first time since back in 2012 when he defeated Matt Brown via unanimous decision over the weekend, adding to his win over Court McGee in October 2020.
Max Holloway rewrote the UFC record books in his masterful win over Calvin Kattar
Harry Kettle - January 18, 2021
UFC featherweight Max Holloway made history in a multitude of ways courtesy of his magnificent win over Calvin Kattar this past weekend. In more ways than one, “Blessed” really did set a whole new standard for the division with one of the most dominant wins in divisional history on Fight Island. Now, it seems almost inevitable that he’ll fight the winner of the upcoming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega bout for the UFC Featherweight Championship.
Mike Perry sends a "thank you" to all the fans who helped him "run miles, and spar gladiators daily in practice"
Christopher Taylor - January 17, 2021
UFC welterweight standout Mike Perry (14-7 MMA) has once again taken to social media with some harsh words for fight fans. ‘Platinum’ has gone just 1-3 over his past four Octagon appearances, his latest effort resulting in a unanimous decision loss to Tim Means at UFC 255.
Conor McGregor claims Khabib Nurmagomedov proved he's "not a true fighter" by retiring following win over Justin Gaethje
Christopher Taylor - January 17, 2021
Conor McGregor says Khabib Nurmagomedov “showed his hand” by retiring at UFC 254, claiming ‘The Eagle’ is “not a true fighter”. McGregor, who is set to return to the Octagon against Dustin Poirier at next weekend’s UFC 257 event, went off on his bitter rival during a recent interview with ESPN.
Coach reveals injuries sustained by Calvin Kattar in lopsided loss to Max Holloway at UFC Fight Island 7
Christopher Taylor - January 17, 2021
Calvin Kattar entered his UFC Fight Island 7 event-headlining matchup with Max Holloway hoping to prove that he had the best boxing in MMA. Unfortunately for ‘The Boston Finisher’, that proved to be far from the case, as he was simply outclassed by the former featherweight kingpin in yesterday’s fight.
Dan Hooker plans to be on his toes during UFC 257 press conference with Conor McGregor: "You don’t want to get 'Who the fook is that guy’d'"
Christopher Taylor - January 17, 2021
Dan Hooker plans to be on his toes for the upcoming UFC 257 press conference which includes brash former ‘champ champ’ Conor McGregor. The perennial lightweight contender, Hooker (20-9 MMA), is set to square off with former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in next weekend’s co-headliner.
Joe Rogan blown away by "superman" Max Holloway, "complete savage" Calvin Kattar
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC analyst Joe Rogan says he was blown away by Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar’s performances in the main event of UFC on ABC 1. Rogan wasn’t on Fight Island to commentate the UFC’s latest trip to Abu Dhabi, but he’s still watching the events at home. The first of the three Fight Island cards featured Holloway and Kattar in a featherweight main event that headlined UFC on ABC 1. The fight turned out to be a complete beatdown for five rounds as Holloway put on an unworldly performance, setting several records along the way, while Kattar showed that he truly has an iron chin.
Alessio Di Chirico thanks Dana White for performance bonus following initial snub
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC middleweight Alessio Di Chirico thanked UFC president Dana White for his “Performance of the Night” bonus after initially snubbing him. Di Chirico picked up a huge upset win when he finished rising star Joaquin Buckley via first-round KO on the UFC on ABC 1 main card. The Italian had lost three straight fights coming into the Buckley matchup and many fans and media believed this was a set-up fight designed for Buckley to continue building his star power. Unfortunately for Buckley, he was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knockout when Di Chirico kicked him in the face with his shin.
Conor McGregor says "very high probability" of boxing Manny Pacquiao in 2021
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor believes there is a “very high probability” of the Irishman boxing against the legend Manny Pacquiao in 2021. McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in a year next weekend at UFC 257 when he takes on rival Dustin Poirier in the main event of the evening. With a win over Poirier, it’s expected that McGregor will call out UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for a rematch. But while his focus is on MMA at the moment, McGregor can’t help but look around at other opportunities for him in the world of combat sports, namely in the boxing ring.
UFC pioneer Paul Varelans dies after battle with COVID-19
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC pioneer Paul Varelans has passed away at the age of 51 after losing a battle with COVID-19, succumbing to complications from the virus. Varelans had been battling COVID-19 for over a month and was placed on a ventilator in an effort to save his life. He was later he was put into a medical coma. Unfortunately for “The Polar Bear” the virus was too much to handle, and he eventually lost his battle with the coronavirus, passing away at the age of 51 on Saturday. The news of his passing was confirmed by MMAJunkie.com.
Joaquin Buckley issues statement following head kick KO loss to Alessio Di Chirico
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley issued a statement following his head kick KO loss to Alessio Di Chirico at UFC on ABC 1. Buckley was recently named by UFC president Dana White as one of the three fighters to look forward to in 2021, alongside Kevin Holland and Khamzat Chimaev. After scoring back-to-back knockout wins over Impa Kasanganay and Jordan Wright, Buckley was booked to fight Di Chirico in a fight that many were looking at as a squash match. Indeed, the oddsmakers opened Buckley up as a sizeable favorite to beat Chirico, who had lost three straight fights.
Conor McGregor: I am still the UFC lightweight champion
Adam Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC superstar Conor McGregor says that he believes he is still the lightweight champion ahead of his return to the Octagon at UFC 257. Back at UFC 229 in October 2018, McGregor met Khabib Nurmagomedov in an attempt to win back the UFC lightweight title that was stripped of the Irishman due to inactivity. Nurmagomedov dominated the fight, knocking McGregor down on the feet and then thrashing him on the ground before finally locking in the fight-ending neck crank in the fourth round. After the fight was over, there was then the infamous brawl between Team Khabib and Team McGregor.
Max Holloway returns fire after Conor McGregor laughs at his claims of being the best boxer in the UFC
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC featherweight Max Holloway returned fire after Conor McGregor laughed at his claims of being the best boxer in the UFC. Holloway put on an incredible performance against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1, where he showed off his incredible striking skills in a 25-minute showcase. The fight was essentially Holloway beating up Kattar for five rounds and showing off every last bit of his elite standup skills in the bout. In particular, Holloway’s boxing really stood out in this fight. He was able to keep Kattar at the end of his jab the entire fight and light him up with his strikes.
Santiago Ponzinibbio issues emotional statement following knockout loss to Li Jingliang
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio issued an emotional statement following his vicious knockout loss to Li Jingliang at UFC on ABC 1. After missing over two years of action due to various health issues, Ponzinibbio finally made his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he took on Jingliang at Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 card. Despite the long layoff, Ponzinibbio was still the betting favorite heading into this bout. However, the ring rust showed as he wasn’t able to get his timing right during the fight. Jingliang took advantage of that, as he caught Ponzinibbio on the chin and KOed him in the first round.
Dana White claims Khabib Nurmagomedov "isn’t interested" in a potential fight with Georges St-Pierre
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC president Dana White claimed that Khabib Nurmagomedov “isn’t interested” in a potential fight with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre. Nurmagomedov was expected to give White a ‘yes or no’ answer in regards to the lightweight champ’s potential comeback, but that didn’t happen. White said on the UFC on ABC 1 broadcast that we will find out more about the Russian’s plans for a comeback following UFC 257 next week. According to White, the lightweight champion is keeping a very close eye on the headliners Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, making no mention of the legend St-Pierre.
Dana White discusses confronting Calvin Kattar’s corner after loss to Max Holloway: "I was freaking out a little bit"
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC president Dana White admitted that he was bothered by how much damage Calvin Kattar took against Max Holloway at UFC on ABC 1. Kattar was on the wrong end of a historic beating at the hands, elbows, feet and, knees of Holloway, who systematically beat Kattar down over the course of five rounds, setting numerous UFC records in the process. Although there are many ways to win in MMA, by about the third or fourth round it became clear that Kattar had no chance of winning this fight. But his corner didn’t throw in the towel despite their fighter taking incredible damage in the match.
Max Holloway is willing to compete again at UFC 257 should the fight card suffer any setbacks
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
Featherweight star Max Holloway is willing to compete at UFC 257 on short notice in case there are any issues with the fighters on the card. Holloway put on an epic showing at UFC on ABC 1 when he beat down Calvin Kattar for five rounds. Now, the Hawaiian is hoping to make a quick return to the Octagon. After his incredible performance, “Blessed” said that, if anything happens to Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 next weekend, he wants to step in and fight. Check out what Holloway told the fans on the mic.
Dana White reacts to Max Holloway’s dominant win over Calvin Kattar: “I think he deserves to fight Volkanovski again”
Adam D Martin - January 17, 2021
UFC president Dana White believes Max Holloway deserves to have a trilogy fight for the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway had an epic performance on Saturday night at UFC on ABC 1 as he brutally beat down Calvin Kattar for five rounds in the main event of the evening. As one of the greatest featherweights of all time, we’ve seen Holloway put on some incredible performances over the years. But the way he systematically broke down Kattar over the course of 25 minutes was special. It’s the kind of win that makes you want to see Holloway fight for the belt.