UFC News
Dan Lambert would be "really surprised" if Amanda Nunes decides to retire
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert doesn’t expect Amanda Nunes to retire from MMA. Following Nunes’ UFC 250 win over Felicia Spencer where she defended her featherweight title, the Brazilian has hinted at retirement. Nunes has accomplished everything in the sport from being a champ-champ to now defending both titles. Nunes is also widely considered the GOAT of women’s MMA.
Jesse Ronson expects to earn Fight of the Night bonus in UFC return against Nicolas Dalby
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020
Jesse Ronson didn’t believe he would make it back to the UFC. Ronson was in the UFC from September 2013 to July 2014, but the Canadian went 0-3 with three split decision losses to Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinaldo, and Kevin Lee. He was then fighting on the regional scenes when he got the call to fight Diego Ferreira on short notice at UFC 231. However, Ronson was pulled from the event due to him having to cut too much weight and Sean Shelby told him he’d never be signed by the UFC again.
Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana fight postponed, August 1 UFC card gets new headliner
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
An anticipated bantamweight fight between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana, which was set to headline a UFC card on August 1, has been postponed. The bout was postponed when Aldana withdrew from the matchup and a suitable replacement could not be found for Holm. The reason for Aldana’s exit is not currently clear.
Robert Whittaker breaks down Adesanya vs. Costa title fight
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
Robert Whittaker believes UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has the skills to defeat Paulo Costa. That being said, Whittaker sees Costa as a dangerous challenge for the champion. The Australian talent broke down the Adesanya vs. Costa matchup, which is expected to occur at UFC 253 in September, during a media scrum ahead of his Saturday night showdown with Darren Till.
UFC on ESPN+30 medical suspensions: Joseph Benavidez out with forehead laceration
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
The medical suspensions for last Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 card are in, and as expected, Joseph Benavidez will be out for a little while. Benavidez took on Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC on ESPN+ 30 main card, and lost by way of submission after being dropped multiple times.
Jack Hermansson plans on fighting Paulo Costa for middleweight title after defeating Till-Whittaker winner
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Jack Hermansson plans on fighting Paulo Costa for the UFC Middleweight Championship after beating the winner of this weekend’s Darren Till vs. Robert Whittaker fight. Hermansson is riding a real wave of momentum right now in the wake of his huge submission win over Kelvin Gastelum on Fight Island last Saturday night. In the immediate aftermath of the win, “The Joker” proceeded to lay out a pretty detailed plan for what he expects the middleweight division to look like over the course of the next few months.
Megan Olivi praises husband Joseph Benavidez after Figueiredo loss
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
UFC commentator Megan Olivi has penned a warm message about her husband Joseph Benavidez after he lost a flyweight title fight to Deiveson Figueiredo. Benavidez met Figueiredo in the main event of UFC on ESPN+30 last Saturday in Abu Dhabi, with the vacant flyweight title on the line. Regrettably for Benavidez and his dedicated fas, this fight didn’t go as planned, as he was knocked down and submitted by Figueiredo in the first round.
“The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis set to return to the cage
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2020
As reported by MMA Fighting, MMA veteran Marcus Davis is set to return to the cage at the age of 46 when he faces Nick Alley at Premier FC 31. The bout is set to take place on October 3 at welterweight, and it will serve as the first professional mixed martial arts fight for Davis since he lost to Ryan Sanders via TKO back in February 2014. Davis is best known for his stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing on The Ultimate Fighter’s second season before compiling a 9-6 record in the promotion.
Dan Hardy recounts time training at Shaolin temple in China
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
Long before Dan Hardy established himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC welterweight division and a UFC commentator, he trained at a Shaolin temple in China. Hardy looked back on this incredibly interesting chapter of his martial arts journey in a recent post to Instagram.
James Krause praises former foe Jorge Masvidal: "He is the toughest guy I ever fought"
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
James Krause has fought a lot of tough opponents, but he says Jorge Masvidal is the toughest opponent he’s had to date. During an interview with Fighters Only, a print magazine, Krause ranked the best fights of his career. He gave the No. 5 spot to Masvidal, and labeled the Miami native his toughest foe to date.
Diego Sanchez, Yana Kunitskaya question fairness of USADA testing
Tom Taylor - July 22, 2020
UFC fighters Diego Sanchez and Yana Kunitskaya recently questioned the fairness of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing protocols. Kunitskaya was the first to open up on the topic, noting that when she and her boyfriend, UFC light heavyweight Thiago Santos, were in Russia and Brazil, they weren’t tested by USADA at all.
Henry Cejudo doesn’t believe “Rent A Champ” Deiveson Figueiredo will get past Askar Askarov
Natasha Hooper - July 22, 2020
Former UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo isn’t impressed by the division’s new champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and thinks his championship reign will end against Askar Askarov. Cejudo last fought at UFC 249 in May when he took on Dominick Cruz. He won by TKO in the second round against the 135-pound legend and finished the bout with a surprising message. From the Octagon, he announced his decision to retire from MMA and subsequently vacate his bantamweight title.
Dan Hardy believes Adesanya, Whittaker and Till would make Paulo Costa "look quite silly" in potential fights
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
Dan Hardy believes Paulo Costa won’t fare too well against the top of the middleweight division. Costa is currently 13-0 and coming off a decision win over Yoel Romero. He has also won 11 fights by knockout including being 5-0 inside the Octagon. Yet, for Hardy, he doesn’t think the Brazilian fares too well against the elite of the division in Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Darren Till.
Darren Till says if he beats Robert Whittaker "the only fight for me is a title fight"
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
Darren Till believes he will be fighting for UFC gold in his next bout, this if he beats Robert Whittaker on Yas Island. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 3, Till is taking on the former champion in Whittaker. It is a very interesting fight and with the middleweight title fight happening in September, the Englishman believes he should get the winner.
Peter Sobotta preparing for "wild" fight against Alex Oliveira, plans to callout Demain Maia and Gunnar Nelson
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
Peter Sobotta is back. The 33-year-old German welterweight has not fought since March of 2018 where he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Leon Edwards. Since then, he was supposed to fight Alessio Di Chirico last September, but he was forced to pull out.
ATT owner admits he didn't want Jorge Masvidal to take UFC 251 title fight on short notice
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020
If American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert had his way, Jorge Masvidal wouldn’t have stepped in on short notice to fight Kamaru Usman. At UFC 251 on Fight Island, Usman was expected to defend his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns. Yet, Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and Masvidal ended up coming to terms to fight the champ on six days’ notice.
Darren Till and Robert Whittaker disagree on who holds striking edge
Tom Taylor - July 21, 2020
Darren Till and Robert Whittaker, who will meet in the main event of UFC on ESPN 14 this Saturday, disagree on who holds the edge in the striking department. Till, who recently debuted in the middleweight division with a win over Kelvin Gastelum, believes he’s levels above Whittaker in terms of striking.
Dustin Poirier discusses goals for "last four or five years" of MMA career
Tom Taylor - July 21, 2020
Long-time UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier recognizes that he’s entering the final stretch of his incredible MMA career, and he wants to make his last years of competition count. Poirier is riding a thrilling, decision victory over New Zealand’s Dan Hooker, which instantly reasserted him as one of the top contenders in the lightweight division.