UFC News
Dan Hardy confirms he has been officially released from the UFC
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
Former UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy has confirmed that he has been officially released from the UFC after requesting his dismissal. Hardy earlier this week posted a Tweet that suggested he had been ‘freed’ from his UFC contract. On Thursday, “The Outlaw” confirmed with MMAFighting.com that he has indeed been officially let go by the UFC at his own request. Hardy said that he received his release letter on Tuesday, which means that he is now a free agent and free to sign with any promotion. He has already hinted that he could be in talks with RIZIN in Japan and has suggested that he could fight Nick Diaz there, though Diaz is still under UFC contract.
Chuck Liddell will be special guest referee for Lamar Odom vs. Aaron Carter celebrity boxing match
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell will be the special guest referee for the upcoming Lamar Odom vs. Aaron Carter celebrity boxing match. Odom, the former NBA star, and Carter, the former pop singer, will fight each other on June 11 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. FITE TV made the announcement on Thursday that Liddell, the longtime UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, will be the special guest referee for the fight. Check out the announcement.
Jack Hermansson expects to be able to finish Edmen Shahbazyan on the ground, but ready to strike with him
Cole Shelton - May 13, 2021
Jack Hermansson is eager to return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 27 on May 22. Hermansson is coming off a decision loss to Marvin Vettori, in a fight Hermansson was scheduled to face Darren Till and then Kevin Holland. Early on in the fight, the Swede broke his orbital which he says impacted him greatly in the fight.
Alan Jouban says he turned down short-notice fight with Carlos Condit before announcing retirement
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
UFC welterweight Alan Jouban says he turned down a short-notice fight against Carlos Condit before announcing his retirement from MMA. Jouban announced earlier this week that he is retiring from competing in mixed martial arts and will instead be all-in on his career as a UFC broadcaster. Speaking to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Jouban opened up about his decision to retire from the sport. He said it was a difficult call, but ultimately one he had to make. However, he admits that recently turning down a fight against Carlos Condit — a dream matchup for him — wasn’t easy to do.
Jeremy Stephens returns this summer at UFC Fight night card against Mateusz Gamrot
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
An exciting UFC lightweight bout between veteran knockout artist Jeremy Stephens and rising contender Mateusz Gamrot takes place this summer. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the Stephens vs. Gazmrot bout, which will take place at the UFC Fight Night card scheduled to take place on July 17. That card currently does not have the main event set for it, and there is no venue or location set, either. However, the promotion has been quickly announcing a number of fights for this event, including another lightweight bout between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises.
Tito Ortiz angrily refutes claims that he filed for “fraudulent” welfare aid
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has angrily refuted the claims that he filed for “fraudulent” welfare aid during the coronavirus pandemic. According to Daily Mail, Ortiz has collected $179-per-week checks from the United States government after applying for COVID-19 relief. Ortiz has reportedly been collecting the relief checks since July 2020 despite the fact that he has been the Huntington Beach pro tem mayor since November 2020, a position that pays him $1400 a month.
Yorgan de Castro among the latest UFC roster cuts as nine more fighters released by the promotion
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
Heavyweight Yorgan de Castro is among the latest UFC roster cuts as nine more fighters have been released by the world’s top MMA promotion. MMAFighting.com reported the latest roster cuts. Some of these cuts were previously reported, but three of the cuts are new as the UFC keeps on making changes to the roster. We already knew that Luke Sanders, Anthony Birchak, Aalon Cruz, KB Bhullar, Jordan Griffin, and Bartosz Fabinski were released, but we can now add three more names to the list as de Castro, Oskar Piechota, and Justine Kish were all also cut by the UFC.
Mike Perry slams J’Leon Love for suggesting he’s about to lose his UFC contract: “My day will come. Your day has past”
Harry Kettle - May 13, 2021
UFC fighter Mike Perry has lashed out at J’Leon Love for suggesting that he could be about to lose his place on the UFC roster. Perry is in the midst of a notable skid in his UFC run, going 3-7 in his last 10 fights including two back-to-back defeats. In addition to that, Perry has also been embroiled in the Jake Paul-MMA saga after his recent sparring session with the YouTuber turned pro boxer.
Islam Makhachev has next fight lined up for UFC summer Fight Night card, takes on Thiago Moises
Adam D Martin - May 13, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev is set to return to the Octagon at a summer Fight Night card when he takes on Thiago Moises. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to break the news of the Makhachev vs. Moises fight. It will take place on the July 17 UFC Fight Night card and will be a three-round fight. The card currently does not have the main event lined up for it, but other fights on this card include Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson, Miranda Maverick vs. Maycee Barber, and Raphael Assuncao vs. Kyler Phillips. Expect the UFC to announce the main event for the card soon.
Marvin Vettori: Israel Adesanya 'kind of quit' when taken down vs. Jan Blachowicz
Drake Riggs - May 12, 2021
Marvin Vettori is finally set to get his long-awaited rematch with Israel Adesanya. The current middleweight champion in Adesanya last fought at UFC 259 in March when challenging for the 205-pound title. Poland’s Jan Blachowicz would end up getting the better of his fellow champion by way of a unanimous decision on the night – doing so primarily by utilizing his grappling in the final rounds. Vettori wasn’t surprised to see this play out and is all the more confident going into his first career UFC title fight.
Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till targeted for August main event
Drake Riggs - May 12, 2021
August is looking to be the month of middleweights in the UFC. Derek Brunson and Darren Till are targeted to lock horns. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto revealed on Wednesday that the UFC is aiming to make the matchup between top 10 middleweights as the main event of the August 14 fight night, according to Dana White. The event had yet to be officially announced as part of the UFC schedule but it would take place just a week ahead of another pivotal 185-pound bout between Paulo Costa and Jared Cannonier.
Paulo Costa set to return in August main event opposite Jared Cannonier
Drake Riggs - May 12, 2021
Two of the middleweight division’s top contenders are set to rebound off of recent losses against one another. It’s Paulo Costa vs. Jared Cannonier. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto confirmed the fight through UFC President Dana White on Wednesday. The tandem of top 5 ranked UFC middleweights will do battle in a five-round main event taking place on August 21. The fight night event’s location has yet to be determined.