UFC News
Weili Zhang confident she'll finish Joanna Jedrzejczyk early
Harry Kettle - November 22, 2019
UFC Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang is confident that she’ll be able to get Joanna Jedrzejczyk out of there early if they wind up fighting for the title in 2020. Zhang is still riding a strong wave of momentum after capturing the title by defeating Jessica Andrade at UFC Shenzhen. It took her to 4-0 in the UFC and 20-1 overall, confirming her status as the first ever UFC champion to come from China.
Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa stay respectful after UFC Raleigh announcement
Harry Kettle - November 22, 2019
UFC welterweight contenders Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa have exchanged pleasantries ahead of their clash at UFC Raleigh next year. The UFC has confirmed that the two will square off at the show on January 25, which is already looking like one of the most stacked Fight Night cards in quite some time. Curtis Blaydes vs Junior dos Santos is set to main event the card in North Carolina with Cory Sandhagen vs Frankie Edgar having also been confirmed.
Floyd Mayweather says he's coming out of retirement in 2020, Dana White shares Instagram post
Adam Martin - November 21, 2019
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather said on social media Thursday night he’s coming out of retirement, and UFC president Dana White was quick to share the news. Mayweather announced on his Instagram lately Thursday that he is coming out of retirement in 2020. This is what he wrote.
Yoel Romero takes a shot at Israel Adesanya with "Captain Phillips" meme
Adam Martin - November 21, 2019
Top UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero took a shot at UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya on Thursday night with a hilarious “Captain Phillips”-inspired meme. Romero and Adesanya have engaged in a war of words on social media and in interviews lately with a potential fight between the two rivals on the horizon. With No. 1 contender Paulo Costa injured and unavailable to compete until next summer, Romero has been bandied about as Adesanya’s next potential opponent. Both men have said they have agreed to the matchup, but for whatever reason, it hasn’t been officially booked by the UFC yet as the promotion sorts out its Q1 2020 fight calender.
Frankie Edgar discusses bantamweight move and Cory Sandhagen fight
Harry Kettle - November 21, 2019
UFC veteran Frankie Edgar has given details on his decision to move down to bantamweight in order to face Cory Sandhagen. The move had seemingly been a long time coming for Edgar who has always seemed to fight guys that are naturally bigger than him. While that is also going to be the case against Sandhagen, the expectation is that he’ll able to fare a little better at this weight class.
Corey Anderson calls Jon Jones a 'casual' MMA fan
Adam Martin - November 21, 2019
UFC light heavyweight contender Corey Anderson labeled UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones as a “casual” fan for his use of MMA math to justify fighting Dominick Reyes next. Jones wrote on Twitter that he wants to fight Reyes next instead of Anderson, and used the fact that Ovince Saint Preux knocked out Anderson while Reyes dominated OSP as the reason for why Reyes is the more dangerous opponent.
Brendan Schaub weighs in on Ben Askren's retirement
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 21, 2019
Brendan Schaub is giving Ben Askren props for giving it a shot with the UFC. Askren wrapped up his MMA career after going 1-2 under the UFC banner. “Funky” cited needing to undergo hip replacement surgery as the reason for his decision. While Askren’s UFC run may not have been a total success, his reigns as the Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight ruler haven’t gone unnoticed.
Jon Jones defends decision to fight Dominick Reyes over Corey Anderson
Harry Kettle - November 21, 2019
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has defended his decision to fight Dominick Reyes in his next bout as opposed to Corey Anderson. Jones hasn’t fought since International Fight Week when he narrowly edged out Thiago Santos via split decision, and ever since then, the light heavyweight division has certainly been busy. The two primary contenders that have been able to rise up and make a case for a title shot are Dominick Reyes and Corey Anderson, and after a great deal of speculation, it appears as if Jones has selected Reyes as his next opponent.
Valentina Shevchenko booked for title defense opposite Katlyn Chookagian
Tom Taylor - November 21, 2019
UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is set to defend her title against top contender Katlyn Chookagian, according to a new report from Nolan King of MMA Junkie. The fight will reportedly occur at a February 8 pay-per-view card — most likely UFC 247 —in Houston, Texas.
Multiple fights booked for January’s UFC Raleigh card
Harry Kettle - November 21, 2019
More fights have been announced for the upcoming UFC Raleigh card on January 25. The show will take place at RNC Arena with a number of bouts already being set in stone by the UFC, including Curtis Blaydes vs Junior dos Santos and Frankie Edgar vs Cory Sandhagen, with the former being touted as the main event.
Leon Edwards waiting on Tyron Woodley to sign contract
Adam Martin - November 20, 2019
The manager for UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards says the UFC has offered his client a fight against Tyron Woodley and he is just waiting on ‘T-Wood’ to sign the contract. The manager for Edwards spoke to veteran MMA journalist Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com and told him that they have been speaking to the UFC for three months about a potential date with Woodley. At this point, Edwards has accepted the matchup, and he is just waiting for Woodley to accept it.
Luke Rockhold not interested in fighting Chris Weidman again
Cole Shelton - November 20, 2019
Luke Rockhold doesn’t know if he will ever step foot inside the Octagon again. But, if he does, it definitely won’t be for a second fight with Chris Weidman. The two fought at UFC 194 where Rockhold TKO’d Weidman in the fourth round to become the middleweight champion. It was a phenomenal fight, and many wanted to see them run it back. The pair were slated to rematch at UFC 199, but Weidman got hurt and Michael Bisping filled in and ended up knocking Rockhold out cold. With that, a rematch between Rockhold and Weidman no longer made sense.
Randy Couture gives health update after heart attack scare
Adam Martin - November 20, 2019
A month after suffering a heart attack, UFC legend Randy Couture has provided a positive update about his current condition. The MMA world was left in shock almost exactly one month ago when TMZ reported that Couture had suffered a heart attack while working out in his native Los Angeles. After going home and continuing to feel chest pain, the UFC legend proceeded to walk himself to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a heart attack and treated. He later attributed the heart attack to having thicker blood than the average human being.
Ben Askren wants to give television commentary a try
Adam Martin - November 20, 2019
Recently retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren says that he wants to give television commentary for MMA events a try now that his fighting career is over. Askren announced his retirement Monday on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, citing a need for hip replacement surgery as the main factor behind his decision. Askren was undefeated heading into the UFC with a 18-0, 1 NC record and was the former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion. But he struggled in the Octagon with just a 1-2 record, including back-to-back stoppage losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia.
Jan Blachowicz responds to Jon Jones snub
Tom Taylor - November 20, 2019
Jan Blachowicz, fresh off a split decision win over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the UFC Sao Paulo main event, wants a crack at UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The Polish light heavyweight contender has been calling for this opportunity ever since his win over Jacare was announced.
UFC Moscow medical suspensions: Greg Hardy facing prolonged sit
Tom Taylor - November 20, 2019
Greg Hardy has been incredibly busy in 2019, fighting five times since his UFC debut in January. From the sounds of it, though, his momentum will slow after his short-notice UFC Moscow loss to Alexander Volkov. Because the UFC Moscow card occurred outside the jurisdiction of an Athletic Commission, the UFC handled medical suspensions internally.
Anthony Smith explains what Corey Anderson must do to get UFC title shot
Harry Kettle - November 20, 2019
UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has taken the time to explain what he believes divisional rival Corey Anderson must do in order to earn a title shot against Jon Jones. Anderson recently made headlines with a stunning TKO win over rising star Johnny Walker, before going on a tirade regarding how he feels he has been treated by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Ultimate Fighter seems happy to sit and wait for his title shot, which isn’t something that Smith can understand.
Jon Jones responds to Jan Blachowicz’s request for a title shot
Harry Kettle - November 20, 2019
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has responded to Jan Blachowicz’s desire for a shot at the title. Blachowicz is coming off the back of a split decision win over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC Sao Paulo this past weekend, although the nature of his victory didn’t exactly do much to increase his stock within the division. While the Polish star has managed to win six of his last seven, with the only loss coming at the hands of Thiago Santos, he could’ve easily come out on the wrong end of the decision against Souza.