UFC News

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

Last weekend, Anthony Smith established himself as one of the top contenders in the light heavyweight division by defeating Alexander Gustafsson — something only a few truly elite fighters have done before. “Who else has done it? If you take Phil Davis out of it because that was a long time ago, who else has done it? Jon [Jones], ‘Rumble’ [Anthony Johnson] and D.C. [Daniel Cormier],” Smith told MMA Fighting. “That’s a pretty good group of guys to be mentioned with,” Smith told MMAFighting when speaking about his win. “At this point, I don’t know what else I’d have to do to answer any questions of my legitimacy. Honestly I don’t care. I’m just really happy that I’ve inserted myself among the top two guys in the world or three guys in the world if you keep D.C. in there.”

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

UFC commentator Joe Rogan loves to discuss potential fights between boxers and mixed martial artists. He did it mere weeks ago, when he drooled over a matchup between WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder and UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou. And now, he’s done it again, this time riffing on a fight between Ngannou and new unified heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz Jr.

Cole Shelton - June 5, 2019

In the co-main event of UFC 238, this Saturday, Valentina Shevchenko will look to defend her flyweight title against Jessica Eye. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their picks for the title fight. In this case, the majority believe Shevchenko wins. But, some believe we will hear ‘And New’ from Bruce Buffer.

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

You’ve probably noticed that UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo has come out of his shell lately. Ahead of his UFC 238 bantamweight title fight with Marlon Moraes, he’s been talking trash and cutting promos in a way that he never has previously. According to his coach, that’s due in part to the influence of Chael Sonnen. Speaking at a scrum this week, coach Eric Albarracin explained how Henry Cejudo has been influenced by the infamous trash talker Chael Sonnen (via MMA Fighting).

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

Yesterday afternoon, UFC President Dana White breathed new life into a potential Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch, suggesting the fight could happen after Nurmagomedov battles Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. Former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje, however, does not believe McGregor should be anywhere near a lightweight title shot at present — not unless he beats a top contender first.

Adam Martin - June 4, 2019

Conor McGregor might not be fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a rematch at UFC 242, but there’s still the chance we see these two bitter rivals fight each other again down the road. On Tuesday, it was made official that the UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov will battle interim champion Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242 on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. This of course means that Conor McGregor won’t be getting the rematch he so desperately craves, at least not until we see what happens between Nurmagomedov and Poirier. The announcement also meant that Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone are temporarily out of the running for a title fight against Nurmagomedov.

Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019

Khabib Nurmagomedov has re-signed with the UFC after agreeing to headline UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi against Dustin Poirier. According to the lightweight champion’s manager in Ali Abdelaziz, both he and “The Eagle” are ecstatic with the new contract.

Adam Martin - June 4, 2019

One of the UFC light heavyweight division’s top prospects, Johnny Walker, is set to return to the Octagon this fall. According to ESPN.com’s Ariel Helwani, Walker has been medically cleared to begin MMA training following shoulder surgery, and his team wants him to fight again in September. According to his manager Lucas Lutkus, Johnny Walker is eyeing a top-10 opponent opponent in his return to the cage.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

Jimi Manuwa entered his UFC Stockholm fight with Aleksandar Rakic with three losses in the rear-view mirror, two of which came by way of knockout. Ahead of this bout, amid growing concerns that his best days had come and gone, he tried to remind fans that it wasn’t all that long ago that he was dishing out violent knockout wins of his own. “I think MMA fans and the MMA community itself have got a very short memory,” he told MMA Fighting’s Peter Carroll ahead of the fight.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

At long last, it’s official. UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier will unify their titles at UFC 242. The card goes down on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. The UFC announced this matchup as official on social media on Tuesday afternoon.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa is best known for two things. First and foremost is handiwork in the cage, which has carried him to a solid 8-1 record. Second is his affection for ‘shoeys’ — the act of chugging a beer out of somebody else’s shoe. UFC commentator Joe Rogan is a big fan of the first of those things, but he’s not so sure about the second. Rogan gave his take on shoeys on the latest episode of his podcast:

Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019

Jessica Eye is undefeated at flyweight and is now set to fight for the title against champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 238. When Eye got the call to say she was fighting for the title, it was a surreal moment for her and her team.