UFC News
Anthony Smith wants big fights or title shot after Glover Teixeira
Cole Shelton - March 20, 2020
Anthony Smith is looking for a big fight or running things back with Jon Jones after he battles Glover Teixeira. In the main event of UFC Lincoln, Smith will be fighting at home against Teixeira. Yet, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “Lionheart” knows if the fight gets moved to a different place it is unlikely he will ever be able to fight back at home again. The reason? He expects to beat Teixeira easily then will be getting a title shot or big fights and will soon be the UFC’s light heavyweight champion.
Photo | Darren Till has been packing on the pounds during quarantine
Adam Martin - March 20, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Darren Till is apparently packing on the pounds during quarantine, showing off a picture of his bulging stomach on social media. Till was one of the biggest welterweights in the UFC but had difficulty making the weight and was forced to move up to middleweight after struggling to shave the weight. In his debut at 185lbs, he was able to edge out a split decision over top contender Kelvin Gastelum.
Five of the most costly fighter weight cutting blunders in UFC History
Natasha Hooper - March 20, 2020
Arguably one of the hardest challenges of MMA begins before the fight has even started: weight cutting. The primary purpose of cutting weight is to make the limit set by the division that the fighter has chosen to compete in. The process involves dehydrating the body and can create major health complications and even hospitalization. Today at BJPenn.com, we cover the biggest weight cut blunders that have hindered fighters’ careers:
PHOTO | Joanna Jedrzejczyk provides update two weeks after war with Weili Zhang
Adam Martin - March 20, 2020
UFC women’s strawweight contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk provided an update on her face two weeks after her war with Weili Zhang. Jedrzejczyk suffered a nasty hematoma and other damage to her face during the fight with Zhang at UFC 248, which she ended up losing via split decision. Despite losing the decision, Jedrzejczyk regained the respect of fans and fighters after a tough stretch in the last few years. She may have lost the decision, but her stock went way up.
VIDEO | Watch Jon Jones dismantle 'Shogun' to win title
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is undeniably one of the most dominant titleholders in the promotion’s history. His incredible reign began back in 2011, when he bludgeoned Brazilian legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to a third-round TKO win. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cascade across the planet, the UFC has released footage of this iconic Jones win from its archives. See it below:
Jimi Manuwa still interested in boxing career, calls out Shannon Briggs
Cole Shelton - March 20, 2020
Jimi Manuwa is still interested in becoming a professional boxer. The former UFC light heavyweight retired last summer but recently said he is interested in a return to the Octagon. But, if that does not happen, the Englishman says he would like to box.
Ben Askren breaks down 'fascinating' Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fight
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
Ben Askren is very excited for the upcoming lightweight title fight between champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and challenger Tony Ferguson — which is why he’s offered up a plan to ensure it still happens despite the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on a recent episode of Submission Radio, the former ONE Championship and Bellator welterweight king delved into the nuances of the matchup.
Chael Sonnen explains how fighters can take advantage of sports industry shut-down
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has caused the combat sports industry to grind to a halt. Dozens of events have been postponed or canceled outright, and fighters are being deprived of the opportunity to compete. Yet Chael Sonnen believes this pandemic-related shutdown of the industry could be beneficial to fighters if they take proper advantage. In his eyes, fighters have a golden opportunity to gain some attention with much of the other noise drowned out.
VIDEO | 16 year old Andy Ruiz Jr. spars UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski
Harry Kettle - March 20, 2020
Footage has recently been released of a 16-year-old Andy Ruiz Jr. sparring with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. The combat sports world has gone into lockdown over the course of the last few weeks as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak. Therefore, fans are taking comfort in the knowledge that there is a whole lot of footage out there from years gone by that they can watch as we wait for things to settle down. In addition to that, newly discovered footage is also being unveiled — as seen here when Ruiz Jr. posted up the following clip of him and Arlovski going at it many years ago.
Dana White buries MMA media for pandemic worries: They're the 'weakest, wimpiest people on earth'
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
Dana White has been working hard to keep the UFC running during the coronavirus pandemic. While he ultimately had to “indefinitely postpone” three UFC shows, he delayed doing so until the last possible minute, and has been adamant future shows will go down as planned. White’s reluctance to bend to the coronavirus pandemic has generated some understandable criticism from fans and media alike. He has not taken kindly to that criticism.
Ben Askren has an idea to ensure Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson happens
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
Ben Askren wants to see Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight as a badly as the rest of us, and he’s got an idea he believes will ensure the fight happens even amid coronavirus-related restrictions. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight four times previously to no avail. The UFC attempted to book them for a fifth time at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, New York, but of course the coronavirus pandemic had to come along and derail that plan.
Sam Alvey believes the United States has had a 'huge overreaction' to coronavirus pandemic
Natasha Hooper - March 20, 2020
Sam Alvey feels bad for all the people affected by coronavirus, but declared there has been a “huge overreaction” to the pandemic. With his upcoming fight against Khalil Rountree at UFC on ESPN 8 scrapped, “Smile’n” Alvey reacted to the company’s decision to cancel three upcoming shows. The news came after President Donald Trump declared no more than 10 people should gather at one time.
Head coach Javier Mendez says he and Khabib Nurmagomedov willing to travel anywhere for UFC 249
Mike Pendleton - March 19, 2020
The status of UFC 249 is up in the air when it comes to the location and whether or not the event will actually take place, but one half of the main event are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure it happens. On Wednesday night, the NYSAC and the UFC released separate statements acknowledging that UFC 249 which had been scheduled to take place at Barclays Center will not take place in New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnny Walker says he didn't have enough time to fix all the holes in his game, will continue to train at TriStar
Cole Shelton - March 19, 2020
Johnny Walker will continue to train under Firas Zahabi at TriStar gym in Montreal despite losing at UFC Brasilia. The Brazilian was someone who many believed was on the fast track to a title shot against Jon Jones. Walker had quick knockout wins over Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and then Misha Crikunov. Yet, he is now on a two-fight losing skid, this after being knocked out by Corey Anderson and dropping a decision to Nikita Krylov.
Derrick Lewis calls for rematch with Francis Ngannou: "I guarantee it will be more entertaining"
Adam Martin - March 19, 2020
UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis is calling for a rematch with Francis Ngannou, hoping to redeem himself after their first fight was a snoozer. Lewis and Ngannou first met back at UFC 226 in a highly-anticipated heavyweight bout between two knockout artists. Unfortunately for the fans, the fight turned out to be a stinker, with neither man engaging with each other on the feet, leading to one of the most boring fights in recent memory. Lewis won the fight and it earned him a title shot against Daniel Cormier at UFC 230, but two years later and he wants to right the wrong of how disappointing the fight was for the fans to watch.
Ben Askren roasts Kamaru Usman: He's 'the worst promoter in the history of mixed martial arts'
Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020
Ben Askren believes UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman had a golden opportunity to gain some traction with the fans when he fought Colby Covington at UFC 245 last December. By Askren’s estimation, Covington is arguably the most hated fighter in MMA at present. As a result, he feels Usman could have gained some real popularity if he’d played the good guy in the lead-up to his fight with Covington.
John McCarthy praises 'real leader' Scott Coker for Bellator 241 cancelation
Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020
Last Friday, Bellator President Scott Coker made the decision to cancel the Bellator 241 card at the last-minute amid growing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Coker promptly announced that all the fighters that were scheduled to compete on the card would be paid. John McCarthy, a veteran MMA referee who now serves as a Bellator commentator, believes Coker made the right decision, and praised the Bellator boss for his handling of the situation.
Leon Edwards slams 'weird guy' Tyron Woodley for demanding Colby Covington fight
Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020
Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC London this Saturday. In the end, however, the coronavirus pandemic made this card impossible, and both men will have to wait for the next fights. Since the cancelation of this event, Edwards has been vocal about his desire for a rescheduled fight with Woodley. Woodley, however, has shifted his attention to his long-time rival Colby Covington.