UFC News
UFC rankings update: Ciryl Gane, Magomed Ankalaev make huge climbs
Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021
The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 20 card, and as always, there have been so big changes. Most notably, Ciryl Gane is now a top-5 heavyweight after beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik by decision in the card’s main event. Magomed Ankalaev also made a big climb in the light heavyweight rankings after he defeated Nikita Krylov by decision in the card’s co-main event.
Thiago Santos admits he struggled with "anxiety mixed with doubt, fear" before Glover Teixeira loss
Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos says he was not in a good head space ahead of his recent loss to Glover Teixeira. Santos met Teixeira in November. After sustaining some significant damage in rounds one and two, he was submitted by his fellow Brazilian in round three.
Ricky Simon calls out Sean O'Malley, willing to take fight on short notice
Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021
Rising UFC bantamweight contender Ricky Simon wants to fight Sean O’Malley, and would even be willing to do so on short-notice. Simon is currently riding a trio of impressive victories over Ray Borg, Gaetano Pirrello and Brian Kelleher, which separated him from a hype-deflating loss to Urijah Faber.
MMA veterans Jim Miller and Roxanne Modafferi book their next UFC appearances
Harry Kettle - March 3, 2021
MMA fan favorites Jim Miller and Roxanne Modafferi are both booked in for their next UFC appearances, as per MMA Junkie and Combate. Both of these veterans are coming off the back of defeats with Miller losing to Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision last August. Modafferi, on the other hand, was defeated by Viviane Araújo back in January.
Aljamain Sterling critical of Petr Yan's previous wins, plans to prove the Russian was a "paper champ this entire time"
Christopher Taylor - March 2, 2021
Aljamain Sterling is brimming with confidence ahead of his bantamweight title shot against Petr Yan at this weekend’s highly anticipated UFC 259 event. This Saturday on pay-per-view the UFC will hold a total of three title fights, which includes a men’s bantamweight bout between Yan and Sterling.
Petr Yan explains why he would prefer to fight TJ Dillashaw over Cory Sandhagen if victorious at UFC 259
Christopher Taylor - March 2, 2021
Petr Yan is hoping for a “big fight” in the form of former champ TJ Dillashaw after he defeats Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. The UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion, Yan (15-1 MMA), will square off with Sterling (19-3 MMA) on the main card of this Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.
Paulo Costa claims “Sober Costa” is still “undefeated"
Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021
Paulo Costa has jokingly responded after all the backlash he received for saying he fought Israel Adesanya with a hangover. Costa had entered the Adesanya fight sporting an undefeated record, but something appeared to be off in the scrap. With that said, it was “The Last Stylebender” who emerged victorious by way of second-round TKO.
Jon Jones offers to end rivalry with Daniel Cormier: “What do you say DC, friends?”
Adam Martin - March 2, 2021
UFC superstar Jon Jones offered to end his rivalry with Daniel Cormier, sending DC the following message: “What do you say DC, friends?” Jones and Cormier had one of the most bitter and heated rivalries in UFC history. The two were on a collision course for the UFC light heavyweight title and met in a highly-anticipated main event at UFC 182 in 2015. Jones won a unanimous decision that night but would soon deal with several legal issues and find himself stripped of the title. In 2017, Jones and Cormier met in a rematch, and Jones knocked DC out with a head kick. But the result of the bout was overturned to a No Contest after Jones tested positive for PEDs.
Luke Rockhold blasts "annoying, stupid" Paulo Costa for hangover excuse: "Shut up and stop making excuses"
Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021
Luke Rockhold is not a fan of Paulo Costa. After Costa suffered his first career loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 for the middleweight title he immediately said something happened. However, just recently, he explained that “something” was the fact he was dealing with a hangover. He said he drank a bottle of wine the night before the fight in order to fall asleep.
Israel Adesanya says no middleweight fights excite him except for Darren Till
Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021
Israel Adesanya isn’t too excited about the middleweight division. Adesanya, who has already defended his middleweight title twice, is set to move up to face Jan Blachowicz in the main event of UFC 259. If Adesanya wins and becomes a champ-champ, many wonder if he will go back to middleweight or remain at light heavyweight.
Jason Parillo shares video of Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold hugging it out at RVCA gym
Adam Martin - March 2, 2021
Former rivals Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold hugged it out at the RVCA gym in Costa Mesa, California, run by boxing coach Jason Parillo. Bisping and Rockhold fought twice in the UFC and for many years their rivalry was one of the UFC’s most heated. In November 2014, Rockhold submitted Bisping with a guillotine choke at a UFC Fight Night card in Australia. Two fights later, Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman via TKO to become the new UFC middleweight champion. At UFC 199 in June 2016, Rockhold was set to take on Weidman in a rematch. However, Weidman pulled out of the fight and Bisping got the rematch with Rockhold. Despite taking the fight on short notice, Bisping pulled off one of the most incredible upsets in UFC history when he knocked Rockhold out as a massive underdog to take home the middleweight title.
Israel Adesanya shares timeframe for possible Jon Jones fight
Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021
Israel Adesanya still wants to fight Jon Jones. When Adesanya first became UFC champion, he and Jones started to call each other out. Many fans wanted to see it take place and “The Last Stylebender” initially said the bout would happen in Las Vegas in the summer of 2021 at the new Raiders stadium. However, due to the pandemic, the timeframe has changed but Adesanya still wants the fight to happen.