MMA News

Author: Clyde Aidoo

  • Jake Paul & Jorge Masvidal Publicly Negotiate Potential Fight

    Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal have publicly begun negotiations for a potential fight.

    Last weekend, Jake Paul left no doubt who was the better man in his trilogy with Tyron Woodley when he knocked out “The Chosen One” in the 6th round. One man who was in attendance to witness the violence was Jorge Masvidal, who has a history with both men.

    Masvidal’s and Woodley’s friendship dates back years from their time shared at American Top Team. “Gamebred” became acquainted with Paul in the lead-up to the Paul/Askren bout April, with the MMA vet giving the YouTuber a few pointers in a loose training session.

    That alliance would deteriorate ahead of the first fight between Paul and Woodley after Masvidal predicted Woodley would make easy work of Paul. This prompted Paul to brand Masvidal a “hoe” who easily switched up, perhaps unaware of Woodley’s and Masvidal’s friendship that long predated his acquaintance with the Miamian.

    After Paul knocked out Woodley, he addressed Masvidal and Nate Diaz in his in-ring interview, stating that the two BMFs were shook from what they witnessed and wanted no part of a fight with him. Masvidal has since responded to the quasi-callout, stating that Paul could not afford him.

    Jake Paul Throws Out An Initial Offer To Masvidal

    Tuesday, Paul put Masvidal’s assumption about his budget to the test by throwing out an initial offer to “Gamebred.”

    “Masvidal is like, ‘I only fight the best people or I fight for money, and you’re neither one of those,’” said Paul on the IMPLAUSIVE podcast. “Masvidal, I’ve got an offer for you right now: $5 million guarantee, plus percentage of pay-per-views.

    “That’s the most you would have ever made in a fight, ever. So now you can’t say, ‘I either fight the best, or I fight for money.’ … Let’s make it happen.”

    Jorge Masvidal would soon respond with a counteroffer.

    “1. The ufc isn’t gonna let me go for chump change. 2. Make that 20 guaranteed plus Ppv and I’m sure the ufc will be ok with it as long as I break them off their fee and then I’ll gladly break your face.”

    “If the ufc still says no because the money is still too low then come over to the ufc, sign a 1 fight deal and we can stipulate I can only box in the cage. If i do anything other than that I will forfeit my purse to you. Come on over and get paid and laid out.”

    These negotiations are being made despite the public knowledge that Dana White’s skin crawls at the very thought of Jake Paul and he has assured that he will never do any business with him. Then again, even the wealthiest of men have a price. Time will tell if Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal can find Mr. White’s.

    Do you think there’s any chance we see a boxing match between Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal?

  • UFC Rankings Report: Muhammad Cracks Top 5, LW Gets New Face

    The UFC rankings have been updated following UFC Vegas 45, and we’ve got the full report for you below!

    Men’s Pound for Pound: No Changes

    Women’s Pound for Pound: Lauren Murphy (#13) and Mackenzie Dern (#14) swap positions.

    Strawweight: Following Claudia Gadelha’s retirement, Tecia Torres (#7), Michelle Waterson (#8), Amanda Ribas (#9), Amanda Lemos (#10), and Virna Jandiroba (#11) each moved up. At the bottom of the rankings, Jessica Penne (#13) and Brianna Van Buren (#14) move up one position, and Luana Pinheiro (#15) debuts in the rankings.

    Women’s Flyweight: Viviane Araujo (#6) and Joanne Wood (#7) swap positions, as do Jessica Eye (#9) and Cynthia Calvillo (#10).

    Women’s Bantamweight: Raquel Pennington (#7) and Miesha Tate (#8) swap places after Pennington’s submission victory over Macy Chiasson at UFC Vegas 45. 

    Submission! Watch Raquel Pennington tap Macy Chiasson with slick guillotine - UFC Vegas 45 - MMAmania.com

    Women’s Featherweight: N/A 

    Flyweight: Amir Albazi moves up two positions to #11 while Tim Elliott (#12) and Sumudaerji (#13) drop one spot.

    Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley moves up one spot to #12, and Ricky Simon’s KO victory over Raphael Assuncao has Simon appearing in the rankings at #13 and Assuncao falling three positions down to #15. 

    UFC Vegas 45 video: Ricky Simon scores vicious knockout of Raphael Assuncao, calls out Sean O'Malley - MMA Fighting
    Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

    Featherweight: No Changes

    Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot debuts at #12 in the rankings following his TKO victory over Diego Ferreira at UFC Vegas 45. Because of the loss, Ferreira drops three spots down to #15. 

    UFC Vegas 45: Mateusz Gamrot stops Diego Ferreira With Knee To Ribs
    Mateusz Gamrot def. Diego Ferreira, Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

    Welterweight: Belal Muhammad is now ranked #5 after his dominant victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC Vegas 45. The loss drops Thompson two spots down to #7. Meanwhile, due to Muhammad’s ascension, Neil Magny (#8), Sean Brady (#9), and Michael Chiesa (#10) each fall back one position.

    Middleweight: Kevin Holland (#14) and Chris Weidman swap places yet again. Though it should be noted that Holland has decided to make a move down to welterweight henceforth. 

    Light Heavyweight: No Changes

    Heavyweight: The rankings remain the same following Derrick Lewis’(#3) first-round KO of Chris Daukaus (#7) at UFC Vegas 45. 

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here. 

    What are your thoughts on these updates to the UFC rankings following UFC Vegas 45?

  • Khamzat Chimaev Asks Dana White For Permission To ‘Eat’ Neil Magny

    Borz is asking for permission to continue his feasting of the UFC roster.

    If there’s one thing we know about “Borz,” it’s that he’s always hungry. Since his debut in the UFC as 2020’s breakout star, Khamzat Chimaev has done nothing but fill up stats. The fights have been about as one-sided as a four-plater against a Thanksgiving spread. The only struggle that comes is after the meal has already been smeshed.

    For Chimaev, that struggle has been the constipation of his fight bookings. According to both White and Chimaev, the UFC has had quite the time finding Chimaev’s next opponent.

    The UFC and Chimaev pushed for a pairing with Nate Diaz, but the Stockton native said the very idea of such a fight was disrespectful to him. There were also reports of a Chimaev/Burns match last month, but those talks have seemingly stalled or evaporated.

    One Potential Feast Victim Steps Up To The Plate

    Neil Magny
    Credit: Getty Images

    There is one individual who has constantly been volunteering his services to end Borz’s feast draught: #7-ranked welterweight Neil Magny. Magny has been calling for a fight against the UFC’s new boogeyman since last year. Chimaev himself even once commended Magny for his bravery and self-sacrifice.

    Dana White recently stated that no welterweight wanted to fight Khamzat Chimaev. He would later walk back this claim, admitting that Neil Magny was more than willing to accept that fight.

    Now, with his patience far past its limit, Chimaev is asking his supplier if he can begin eating again.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXuJDdHAIgf/

    “@danawhite let me eat this guy bro neil_magny170,” Chimaev posted on Instagram.

    Khamzat Chimaev’s latest feasting took place at UFC 267 against #13-ranked Li Jingliang. Not unlike his three UFC beatdowns that preceded this bout, Chimaev had his way with his opponent en route to a flawless 10-0 record.

    Neil Magny last competed in May at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson. Magny defeated Geoff Neal via unanimous decision, making that four victories out of his last five fights.

    Are you interested in a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Neil Magny?

  • Archives: Yan Speaks On Backstage Altercation With Garbrandt (2019)

    Cody Garbrandt has had his share of drama over the years involving his peers, whether it be in heated interviews, on social media platforms, or even backstage at a UFC event. On this day two years ago, we ran a story covering one of these occurrences, this time involving Petr Yan.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Two Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19, 2019, 1:20 PM]

    Headline: Petr Yan Speaks On Backstage Altercation With Cody Garbrandt

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Petr Yan has spoken out on his backstage confrontation with Cody Garbrandt.

    To open up the main card of UFC 245 this past Saturday night (Dec. 14), Yan clashed with Team Alpha Male head honcho Urijah Faber. Garbrandt was in attendance to support his teammate and mentor Faber. It was a rough night for “The California Kid” as Yan knocked him out with a head kick in the third round.

    Yan Explains Confrontation With Garbrandt

    Footage surfaced of Yan and Garbrandt exchanging words backstage at UFC 245. The two bantamweights had to be separated. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Yan said that the issues stem from a social media interaction.

    “Nothing really happened,” he said of the backstage incident. “Cody wrote, ‘Get this MFer,’ on Dana White’s Instagram page, I jokingly replied, ‘You are next, No Chin,’ and he tried to act tough and crossed the line by commenting that he will see me tomorrow and smack me like a little ho. You all saw what happened when he saw me face to face: he was hiding his hands behind his back, acting all emotional and didn’t back up his words proving that he is all talk. He is a puppy – he barks, but doesn’t bite.”

    Garbrandt hasn’t been seen in action since March. He’s on a three-fight skid and has been stopped in all of those losses. As for Yan, he may see himself getting a title opportunity or a number one contender bout soon. He’s riding a nine-fight winning streak.

  • Archives: Jorge Masvidal Thinks He’d Embarrass Kamaru Usman (2019)

    In 2021, UFC fans are well aware that Kamaru Usman is 2-0 against Jorge Masvidal, which includes one of the front-runners for knockouts of the year at UFC 261. On this day two years ago, however, not only had Usman and Masvidal not yet fought, but they were not even booked to fight.

    In fact, Usman was only days removed from his first successful title defense against Colby Covington. Nevertheless, Masvidal shared his prediction for how a fight against Usman would go. With the benefit of hindsight, fans can weigh the forthcoming comments against the tide of reality.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Two Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19, 2019, 6:26 PM]

    Headline: Jorge Masvidal Thinks He’d Embarrass Kamaru Usman, Targets Conor McGregor First

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Jorge Masvidal believes only casual fans feel Kamaru Usman has a chance against him.

    Masvidal’s stock has never been higher and he has some options. “Gamebred” is riding a three-fight winning streak and is coming off a third-round TKO victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Masvidal’s popularity has skyrocketed and potential bouts with Nick Diaz, Conor McGregor, and UFC welterweight champion Usman are all possibilities.

    Masvidal Says He’d Embarrass Usman, Sets Sights On McGregor

    Usman scored a fifth-round TKO victory over Colby Covington this past Saturday night (Dec. 14) to retain his UFC gold for the first time. In a series of video clips posted by Hans Molenkamp through Instagram Stories, Masvidal said he doesn’t believe Usman would stand a chance against him.

    “Before I could even challenge for this belt, this is what a lot of people don’t know. A lot of people say that I’m an overnight success story and this and that. I say f*ck you. I say I’ve been here 16 years. You can do the math on how many nights of staying up, no sleep at the gym to finally get here. And now they’re saying that this one dude, this old dude from Africa is the best guy at my weight. I beg to differ man. I think I’d embarrass him to the point that people, they’d think that I went full heel on him from just the embarrassment I’d give him on TV because our skillsets are nowhere near the same. And if you’re hearing this right now and you’re thinking Kamaru has a chance, you’re the f*cking casual because my lineage runs 16 years back of being in this f*cking game.”

    Masvidal made it clear that he is targeting Conor McGregor before anyone.

    “The first guy to get his ass f*cking kicked and his teeth f*cking punched in is Conor. That’s the first guy that gonna get the floor wiped with. And then after that we’ll sit back and decide who’s next, you know?”

    McGregor is scheduled to return to action on Jan. 18. He’ll take on Donald Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246 in Las Vegas. The bout will be contested in the welterweight division.

  • Flashback To Nate Diaz Planting The Seeds For Iconic McGregor Callout

    Two days before Nate Diaz’s callout of Conor McGregor at UFC on FOX 17 in 2015, he had already planted the seeds for that iconic moment.

    One week prior to Nate Diaz’s 2015 bout against Michael Johnson, Conor McGregor had effectively hijacked the entire sport of MMA in 13 seconds. His star was past the moon, and fighters across the UFC roster had taken notice. Among this list was none other than Nate Diaz.

    It’s hard to imagine MMA history without the McGregor/Diaz sequel. Yet, there was a very high chance that we would have never seen that bout. When McGregor captured the featherweight championship from José Aldo at UFC 194, Nate Diaz was not at all in the lightweight title picture. And McGregor had already set his sights on champ-champ status with the full support of the promotion, which went on to book McGregor vs. then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos for UFC 196.

    Some may only remember Diaz’s viral callout after defeating Johnson, but that was not the first time he challenged The Notorious One. Two days prior to the Diaz/Johnson bout, he was already looking ahead to a potential money fight against McGregor. Check out this clip below.

    “He don’t want that fight,” Diaz told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani of McGregor on this week six years ago. “You’re going to fight those guys who you punked at the press conference? You guys lost. I don’t know if people think about it like that. When I saw that, I was a fight fan. I’m not a fan anymore. I signed up for fighting to let you know I’m the motherf*cking … you know? What did you sign up for? I’m a fighter. You’re going to sit there and steal the show at my press conference? Then I’m going to step the f*ck up. Conor did a great job. He did a great job. That’s what you’re supposed to do. If he wants to come up and get the money fight, get the good fight … you know where that’s at.”

    The press conference Diaz is referring to is the GO BIG press conference of 2015, which saw McGregor steal the show with his trash-talking of multiple fighters, including Rafael dos Anjos, Chad Mendes, and Donald Cerrone. It was also the birth of McGregor’s famous “red panty night” line. 

    Here, Diaz voiced his desire to fight Conor McGregor in a money fight and stand up to the Irishman, something which he clearly felt his peers at the GO BIG press conference did not do.

    Then, after Diaz defeated Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 17 two days later, we got this piece of MMA history:

    “Fuck that! Conor McGregor, you’re taking everything I worked for, motherfucker. I’m gonna fight your fucking ass. You know what’s the real fight, what’s the real money fight: It’s me! Not these clowns that you already punked at the press conference. Don’t nobody want to see that. You know you beat them already. That’s the easy fight. You want that real shit. Right here.”

    Fortunately for Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos would later pull out of his UFC 196 bout against McGregor, which allowed Diaz to step in on short notice and get what he wanted. And Diaz, McGregor, the UFC, and MMA history would never be the same again.

  • Tyron Woodley: It’s Time To Put Some Respect On Jake Paul’s Name

    Tyron Woodley thinks it’s high time to give Jake Paul some more respect.

    Minutes after the first fight between Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley, Woodley demanded a rematch, and the two opponents awkwardly revamped their tattoo bet during the post-fight interviews. This time, the immediate aftermath was much more amicable.

    Woodley bore the brunt of defeat right on the chin, with no excuses and a hard lesson learned. Although naturally, as stated in the post-fight press conference, he would still like to fight Paul again if he had it his way.

    Nevertheless, with redemption slipping through his fingers, that leaves both hands free to give Paul well-deserved applause for the legitimate threat he poses as a fighter. According to Woodley, that respect has always been there from his end, so now it’s time for the rest of the public to follow suit.

    “So at some point, we’re gonna have to put a little respect on Jake’s name,” Woodley said at the post-fight press conference. “I never really disrespected him as a power puncher. That’s something we always knew. That’s why my defense was so tight. And had he dropped his hand on me, the same shit would’ve happened.”

    That KO did not happen for him, and Woodley would exit the Amalie Arena without the extra $500,000 he was hoping for. Woodley did have Paul literally on the ropes in their first encounter, but many people believe his lack of follow-up aggression let Paul off the hook.

    Tyron Woodley Jake Paul
    (via Amanda Wescott/Showtime)

    It is uncertain where Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul will go from here, but it’s safe to say that the Paul/Woodley chapter of both men’s careers is officially closed. At 24 years old, Paul has many more pages to fill in his athletic story and many more opportunities to continue earning respect in every passing fight.

    For the 39-year-old Woodley, that respect has already been earned long ago, whether or not his story continues.

    Do you think Jake Paul gets enough respect?

  • Watch: MMA Fighter Loses Fight Via Vomiting

    An MMA fighter recently lost a fight in quite the sudden and unexpected manner— vomiting.

    Week after week, one thing we continue to learn about this sport of ours is that anything can happen on any given night and anywhere around the world. Yet another example of this was provided at the Fighting Alliance Championship 11 event on December 10 in Independence, Missouri.

    In the second bout of the night, flyweights Justin Little and Van San competed in an amateur MMA bout. Fans in attendance were still getting settled in for the evening when something quite unsettling took place.

    Van San landed a push kick to the body, prompting Little to vomit. This brought an automatic end to the bout, awarding Van San the TKO victory. You can peep the finish yourself below.

    “Push kick, the vomit, that is a medical TKO. Automatic stoppage under the Unified Rules of MMA. Vomit equals an immediate medical TKO,” the commentator stated.

    With the win, Van San moves to 3-1 in his amateur record, while Justin Little falls to 0-3.

    You can check out the full Fighting Alliance Championship 11 results right here.

  • Jake Paul To Dana White: “I Just Embarrassed Your Whole Company”

    Jake Paul believes his knockout of Tyron Woodley last night was a statement victory over the entire UFC promotion.

    Jake Paul and Dana White have been firing shots at one another for almost the entirety of 2021. The two central themes the two have quarreled about are UFC fighter pay and Paul’s legitimacy as a fighter.

    Dana White did not give Paul much of a chance to defeat Ben Askren when that fight was made early this year. He even stated that he’d be willing to bet $1 million on Paul losing to “Funky.” White later claimed that this bet was never made, which would be fortunate for him because Paul made short work of Askren in their April bout.

    Watch Jake Paul knock out Ben Askren at Triller Fight Club PPV - Bad Left Hook
    Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Triller

    Though Askren was a UFC fighter, many people did not give Paul much credit for the victory in hindsight. After all, “UFC fighter” label aside, Askren is well known to be a wrestling specialist.

    But now, Paul has knocked out a well-rounded former UFC champion. And in so doing, he believes he knocked the entire promotion down a peg, including their outspoken boss.

    “I just knocked out a five-time UFC champion and embarrassed your whole company,” Paul said in a message to White during the post-fight press conference.

    Jake Paul Sends A Follow-Up Message To Dana White

    Jake Paul would not stop there. He would then deliver another message to White, pleading with the UFC boss to let him continue “embarrassing” one UFC star after another.

    “And please, please let me get Kamaru Usman,” Paul said. “Please let me get [Nate] Diaz. Please let me get [Jorge] Masvidal. Please let me get [Conor] McGregor. Because I’m gonna embarrass them, too. I promise you that, Dana. I promise you that.”

    Jake Paul may have a new boxing rival: See who wants to fight him – Film Daily
    Jake Paul

    Jake Paul has already called out each of the aforementioned fighters. The only one of the four to not acknowledge Paul at all is Conor McGregor. Usman and Masvidal have both directly expressed an openness to box Paul. Diaz has also had some choice words for Paul in the past, and the rumor mill holds that the Stockton slugger would also be open to fighting Paul.

    Nevertheless, all of those four names remain under UFC contract, which means they are unable to fight Paul without the permission of Dana White. And White has made it abundantly clear time after time that will never happen.

    Do you believe Jake Paul embarrassed the UFC by knocking out Tyron Woodley?

  • Archives: White Reveals His Biggest Problem With Conor McGregor (2018)

    On this day three years ago, we ran a story where Dana White confessed that there is one thing that does bug him about the biggest cash cow in the history of his promotion.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Three Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19, 2018, 5:05 PM]

    Headline: Dana White Reveals His ‘Biggest Problem’ with Conor McGregor But Adds ‘He’s Worth It’

    Author: Damon Martin

    Conor McGregor is the biggest superstar in UFC history and because of that he’s been given more latitude than the average athlete on the roster.

    UFC president Dana White has fully admitted as much when talking about the former two-division champion and his status with the company he’s helped earn million upon millions of dollars since first arriving.

    Even when McGregor assaulted a bus filled with fighters back in April, he faced no retribution from the UFC, although he did spend a night in jail and could potentially pay out millions in lawsuits over the incident.

    Still, White says McGregor is worth any headache he causes but largely he’s been a model citizen for most of his UFC career.

    That said, White will point out one issue he has with McGregor that he wishes would change if for no other reason than problems he causes with their television partners.

    “Is Conor hard to deal with here and there? Yeah but he’s worth it,” White said when speaking to the Barstool Sports podcast. “If people ask me what’s the biggest problem you have with Conor? It’s not showing up on time.

    “Other than that, Conor’s incredible. Conor’s a fun guy to be around, he’s hilarious, he’s a great fighter, he’s fun to watch. If the guy showed up on time, he’d literally be perfect. He’d be perfect.”

    White said that McGregor’s constant absenteeism at the start of press conference have caused more problems than anything else because many of those events are broadcast on television.

    Unfortunately, McGregor has a tendency to live on his own time schedule and that has resulted in his late arrival to numerous events.

    In fact, McGregor was so late for his final press conference showdown for the fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov back in October that the reigning lightweight champion just got up and left rather than wait for him any longer.

    McGregor always offers an apology for his lateness but White still wishes he could find a way to be on time more often.

  • Dana White Not Standing In The Way Of Poirier vs. Diaz Fight

    UFC President Dana White is leaving the booking of a potential Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz fight to others.

    Talks of a Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz money fight have been running sporadically for three years, with the two initially slated to meet at UFC 230 in 2018. After that fight fell through, both fighters went their separate ways professionally, but on social media, they have continued to bicker over the collapsed bout while also teasing a future one.

    Last week, Poirier appeared on The MMA Hour for a heart-to-heart with Ariel Helwani about what’s next for the UFC vet after losing a second world championship match, this time to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. Poirier was unsure of his future, but he did know one thing: The only fight that got him excited at this present moment in time is Nate Diaz.

    Nate Diaz
    Image Credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    However, even though Diaz immediately returned that interest, there has already appeared to be some negotiating hurdles, with Diaz alleging that the UFC does not want to “pay for” Poirier.

    This is not the first time the UFC has been blamed for this fight not coming together. Back in August, Poirier hinted that the UFC was actually blocking the fight from taking place.

    Dana White More Than Willing To Book Poirier vs. Diaz

    Speaking at the UFC Vegas 45 post-fight press conference, however, Dana White suggested that the promotion would have no issue booking the fight if all the people who matter most want it.

    “Yeah, listen, if that’s a fight that they want and the fans want to see, we’ll do it,” White assured.

    The UFC initially wanted to pair Diaz with Khamzat Chimaev for the final fight of his contract, but Diaz didn’t bite. Last week, the promotion extended Diaz’s contract to buy more time in finding his next opponent. Now, Diaz, Poirier, and the fans could be on the verge of doing the UFC’s job for them.

    Would you like to see a fight between Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz?

  • Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 Results & Highlights, Paul KOs Woodley

    Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 took place live tonight, and MMA News has you covered with the results and highlights!

    Despite this fight coming together on short notice, Paul and Woodley managed to make a strong 11th-hour promotional push for this event. That includes a press conference that took place Thursday where both men once again made some bold predictions. It also includes a very contentious face-off yesterday at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

    Tonight, all the promotion and talking came to an end and Jake Paul Left No Doubt. But before we get to the highlights of the main event, here’s a look at the highlights from the feature bout between former NBA star Deron Williams and former NFL Pro-Bowler Frank Gore and the co-main event between Amanda Serrano and Miriam Gutierre.

    Deron Williams vs. Frank Gore

    Amanda Serrano def. Miriam Gutierrez

    https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/status/1472422121703944198

    Jake Paul def. Tyron Woodley

    Main Card
    • Jake Paul def. Tyron Woodley via KO (R6)
    • Amanda Serrano (c) def. Miriam Gutierrez via unanimous decision (99-90 99-91 100-90)
    • Deron Williams def. Frank Gore via split decision (38-37, 37-38, 40-35)- No winner (special exhibitoin)
    • Liam Paro def. Yomar Alamo via split decision (94-95, 95-94, 96-93)
    Preliminary Card
    • Chris Avila def. Anthony Taylor via majority decision (77-74, 77-75, 76-76)
    • J’Leon Love def. Marcus Oliveira via unanimous decision (77-75, 79-73, 78-74)
    • Jeovanny Estela def. Chris Rollins via unanimous decision

  • Archives: Derrick Lewis Pummels Boxer In Gym For Trash Talking (2019)

    Two years before Derrick Lewis’ attempt to pummel Chris Daukaus tonight at UFC Vegas 45, he did just that to some poor chap who mouthed off to The Black Beast.

    The following article is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19, 2019, 8:07 PM]

    Headline: Derrick Lewis Pummels Boxer In Gym For Alleged Trash Talk (Video)

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    If you’re going to talk trash inside a gym, it would be wise to avoid doing so in front of Derrick Lewis.

    “The Black Beast” is known for his knockout power and he’s put that on display numerous times inside the Octagon. It isn’t unusual for knockouts to occur during sparring sessions between teammates. What is a little more rare is when an outsider talks trash and gets his or her comeuppance, although we have seen it before.

    Derrick Lewis Wrecks Boxer, Claims Trash Talk Sparked Incident

    Lewis posted footage on Twitter of a quick spar with a man who he claims to be a boxer who disrespected him for being an MMA fighter.

    “When a boxers said he will knock me out because I’m a mma fighter.”

    ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reached out to Lewis for some details on the gym incident and here’s what he was told.

    “Asked Derrick about this. He said a boxer at his gym was talking ‘a lot’ of smack about boxers vs MMA fighters. This happened yesterday. Lasted 1 minute, he said.”

    If anything, the incident may have given Lewis a chuckle as he prepares for Ilir Latifi on Feb. 8. Lewis vs. Latifi will be held on the UFC 247 card in Houston, Texas. “The Black Beast” resides in Cypress, Texas so he is sure to have fans inside the Toyota Center on his side.

  • Archives: Woodley Says The UFC Underpromotes Him Due To Race (2017)

    Tonight, Tyron Woodley will face Jake Paul in a rematch of their highly promoted bout from August. But before he was boxing YouTubers in specialty prize fights, he was the undisputed UFC champion. However, according to Woodley, you would have never known it by the way he was treated by the UFC.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 19, 2017, 8:51 AM]

    Headline: Tyron Woodley: Race Responsible for Being “Worst-Treated Champ in UFC History”

    Author: Adam Haynes

    Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley believes that being an African-American in the UFC has worked against him and other fighters when it comes to promotional appeal.

    Woodley feels that the UFC can capitalize on stardom in an effort to convert more African-American fans from boxing and other sports to MMA.

    UFC’s welterweight champion is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to promote both him and the sport as a whole to the African Americans, and feels as though the time has come for the franchise to do so:

    “I think I’m the only African-American fighter on the roster who can capture the market,” Woodley said. “Especially with Floyd Mayweather retiring and things like that. But you have to educate the community on what it is. Most people in the community, those people think that mixed martial artists are a whole bunch of crazy white guys kicking on each other and they sprinkle in a few brothers. That’s their thought. They don’t see it as karate, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, sambo. They don’t see it’s a beautiful art with so many martial arts combined in them.”

    Woodley’s frustration also stretches to another fighter he feels has not been promoted to the best of the UFC’s abilities, the current flyweight champion and pound-for-pound #1, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

    The Missouri native brought questions [courtesy of ESPN] to the fore regarding black fighters (such as Johnson),  have not attained the level of superstardom which white fighters such as [Conor] McGregor and [Ronda] Rousey have:

    “The best pound-for-pound fighter, Demetrious Johnson, African-American male, completely a Tasmanian devil,”  “Why isn’t he getting the endorsements? Why isn’t he making the most money? What’s the difference? Think about it.”

    “I’m by far the worst-treated champion in the history of the UFC. Blatantly fact.”

    Woodley appears to be genuinely incredulous as to why the UFC have, as he feels, not made more of an effort to market him:

    “I’m a husband, I’m a father of four, I’m a gym owner,” Woodley said. “I’m an actor. I’m an analyst. I’m a stuntman. I’m a Christian. Every avenue you can take me, I’ve done it. I grew up in the projects. I grew up in gang banging. Family of 14 in a four-bedroom house and I made a choice to be successful. What is there not to market? I’m fighting like hell. I’m not doing performance-enhancing drugs in my life. Why would they not want to market me?”

  • Archives: Derrick Lewis’ Hand Possibly Broken, Sex Ban Repealed (2018)

    Just as you never know what to expect with UFC Vegas 45 headliner Derrick Lewis today, the same applied three years ago and has always applied. The following is a bittersweet story about “The Black Beast” published three years ago.

    Be sure to watch Lewis compete tonight at UFC Vegas 45 against Chris Daukaus, where hopefully he’d be able to have a proper celebration, which wasn’t the case in the following the article.

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 20, 2018, 5:00 PM]

    Headline: Derrick Lewis’ Hand Possibly Broken, Wife Sex Ban Repealed

    Author: Ian Carey

    It’s been an up-and-down last few days for Derrick Lewis. While he scored an impressive 3rd round knockout in Austin Saturday night, he may have broken his hand in the process. Even worse, though, he is reportedly too banged up to keep good on promises he made during his now famous post-fight interview from the weekend.

    Lewis had informed media recently that his wife, April, had hit him with a sex ban following comments the heavyweight made regarding Ronda Rousey in a previous post-fight speech. He expressed his desire to win on Saturday so he could buy her something nice and hopefully end the ban.

    Well, he won his fight and the ban has been lifted but he’s a little too banged up to make good on his post-fight promises.

    Derick Lewis is Too Banged Up

    April informed TMZ reporters recently that Lewis is a little too banged up at the moment to celebrate the end of her ban.

    “The ban is over. I’ve been trying to get him all day, but he’s tired,” April told reporters.

    “I don’t got it in me, man — I’m hurtin’ … I can’t put in a half-assed performance, lay there like a starfish,” Derrick chimed in.

    Derrick Lewis’ Broken Hand

    Lewis might not only be on the injured list regarding his marital obligations, however. If his hand is broken as he believes it to be, Lewis will be out 6-8 weeks.

    “I haven’t got X-rays on it or anything yet, but I just feel like it’s broken,” Lewis said. “I’m waiting on the UFC right now. They’re supposed to give me a doctor close by to see and get X-rays and hopefully get a cast,” he continued.

    Lewis also explained why he’s hoping to get his hand dealt with as soon as possible.  “Hopefully before this weekend because I want to go to the rodeo for the cook-off. Before they start the rodeo, I’m going to be a guest judge; a celebrity guest judge for all the food and stuff.”

  • Dustin Poirier Reveals The Most Heartbreaking Part Of UFC 269 Title Loss

    Dustin Poirier has opened up on his raw emotions and reflections following his heartbreaking loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.

    Dustin Poirier made his UFC debut 10 years ago, defeating Josh Grispi at UFC 125 in what was his featherweight debut. From that night forward, his rollercoaster UFC journey has been filled with many ups and downs, and he is grateful for it all.

    That said, there’s no denying that Poirier would prefer if this journey would have been paved in champion gold at some juncture. Unfortunately, he fell short in his two attempts at seizing that ultimate prize, first to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 and then this past weekend to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.

    Appearing on The MMA Hour recently, Poirier was candid about one aspect of his UFC 269 performance that particularly bothered him.

    “The second round, trying to get a stand-up instead of maybe attacking with my jiu-jitsu and trying to create space,” Poirier said. “Going into this fight, I thought that if I was put in a bad position, I was gonna hold it out and take over in the later rounds was my mindset. 

    Charles Oliveira defeats Dustin Poirier via third-round submission at UFC 269 - The Athletic
    Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier

    “And obviously, [Referee Herb Dean] wasn’t gonna stand us up. And I just held on, kept holding on. I should’ve created space. I don’t know. Hindsight’s 20/20. There’s a lot of stuff I can say and look back on. And I’m not sure, but I’m just so much better than that. Everybody says that when they lose, but I know I am. It just sucks man because it’s one of those things, like, you maybe never get that opportunity again to call myself world champion. And to underperform?

    “You know, I owed it to myself—this one was for me. It wasn’t for the money. It wasn’t for proving anything. It was for me. And I fuckin’ fumbled, man. It hurts.”

    Dustin Poirier Reveals What Hurts The Most About UFC 269 Loss

    Dustin Poirier arrives home to hero's welcome from daughter Parker after smashing Conor McGregor at UFC 257

    Tactical analysis aside, the one thing that makes Poirier feel worse than anything else is the nonfulfillment of a post-fight moment he envisioned would last a lifetime for someone who means the world to him.

    “The real thing that sucks for me, man, my daughter was there for this one,” an emotional Poirier said. “I really wanted to win and dedicate this world championship to my daughter and just show her that [Emotional Pause]—it hurts, man…” Poirier stated, unable to complete his thought.

    “I really wanted to become the world champion and show tell that she can do anything she sets her heart out (to). That was important to me,” Poirier later concluded.

    There is no doubt that Poirier’s daughter has a father she can be very proud of, regardless of a championship label or lack thereof being attached to the family name. In addition to the fact that he has proven to be an elite fighter regardless, his philanthropical work in and of itself is an even better example for his daughter to follow than any success in hand-to-hand combat.

    Poirier’s The Good Fight Foundation continues to change lives across Louisiana and beyond, and that’s about as good an example as any father can hope to present to his child.

    What do you believe the future holds for Dustin Poirier after his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269?

  • Archives: Thompson Says He’s Got Tyron Woodley’s Number (2017)

    Tonight, both Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson will be in action four years after the publication of the following article. Woodley will look to leave no doubt that he is better than Jake Paul while Thompson will be competing against Belal Muhammad at UFC Vegas 45. The two also made headlines earlier this week for having some level of involvement in the Netflix series Cobra Kai.

    As far as their own personal history goes, Woodley and Thompson fought one another in the UFC two times. The first encounter at UFC 209 resulted in a majority draw. Prior to their UFC 209 rematch, which Woodley would go on to win, Thompson believed he had “The Chosen One’s Number.”

    The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 10, 2017, 11:52 PM]

    Headline: Stephen Thompson: ‘I’ve Got Tyron Woodley’s Number’

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    The welterweight title rematch between champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson is finally official. After trading barbs and talk of big money fights, the two finally reached a deal to scrap once again at UFC 209.

    “Wonderboy” and “The Chosen One” went to war at UFC 205 in New York City in November. Thompson took an incredible amount of punishment, but was never out of the fight. They went the distance and the fight was ruled a majority draw. Both men earned a “Fight of the Night” bonus.

    Woodley still argues that he was the clear winner in their first encounter and that in the rematch, he’ll prove that he is the better fighter. Thompson has other plans (via MMAJunkie Radio):

    “There’s going to be no doubt in everybody’s mind who the winner of that fight is going to be, and that’s going to be me.”

    Before agreeing to fight “Wonderboy” again, Woodley tried to secure a super fight with Nick Diaz. When that didn’t materialize, he aimed for middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Thompson criticized Woodley for trying to settle for a draw.

    “He wants to fight everybody else but me is what it seems like. We did fight to a draw last time, which, in my eyes, we might as well have not even fought at all. It almost seems like he’s happy with a draw, and he’s OK with it. In my eyes, as a champion, I wouldn’t be happy with that.”

    Thompson believes he has the champion figured out. The challenger is confident that he will walk away with only his hand raised and gold around his waist.

    “I know I can hit him, and I can hit him with some power. I’ve got his number, man. Next time we step out there, I can just go out there and do my thing.”

    UFC 209 takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 4.

  • Nate Diaz Lays Down Two Conditions For McGregor Trilogy Fight

    Nate Diaz has laid out two conditions under which he will share the Octagon with Conor McGregor again.

    The last time Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor faced one another was five years ago at UFC 202. Since that bonafide classic, the two have never let up on continuing fighting on social media. It seems only a matter of time until the never-ending Twitter spats between these rivals culminate in a trilogy fight. Or is it?

    Conor McGregor has stated that a trilogy fight with Diaz is sure to happen at some point. Diaz, however, isn’t so sure. In fact, he has shared two specific terms that must be met before he would ever agree to compete with the Irishman again.

    “I’m not fighting Conor until his leg grows back and he beats some people so we know he can even fight still till then Can I get on January card @ufc Thanks.”

    Diaz is facetiously referencing the leg injury McGregor suffered in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 that brought an end to the bout. McGregor would immediately undergo surgery after the event and is expected to return next year after a relatively speedy recovery.

    McGregor and Diaz are still deadlocked at 1-1, with Diaz surprising the world but not himself with his submission victory over McGregor at UFC 196 and then McGregor edging out a decision over Diaz at UFC 202.

    Nate Diaz has one fight remaining on his contract. There were rumblings this week that the UFC would like for that one fight to be against Conor McGregor, but if Diaz’s terms are to be taken seriously, then the UFC should start making other plans. One option that has just emerged is none other than Dustin Poirier, who has exchanged mutual interest with Diaz in making that elusive fight a reality.

    How do you believe Conor McGregor will perform when he returns to the Octagon?

  • MMA Fighter Saves Wife & Sister-In-Law From Deadly Tornado

    MMA Fighter Brian Brooks rescued his wife and sister-and-law from one of last weekend’s lethal tornadoes that took 88 lives.

    Many states and communities were hit hard by tornadoes last Friday and Saturday, including Brooks’ hometown of Mayfield, Kentucky. While Brooks was home with his daughter and granddaughter Friday night, he received a very concerning phone call.

    “It’s my wife,” Brooks told Fox News. “She calls and tells me she loves me, that she’s trapped, and they’re smashed. And she hung up.”

    Kentucky suffered the biggest impact of all the states affected by the tornadoes. There were at least 74 fatalities in Kentucky and at least 100 people missing. After receiving the phone call from his wife, Brooks took swift action to ensure that his wife and sister-and-law were not included in this tragic list.

    “I jumped in the truck and flew to her,” Brooks said.

    Brooks’ wife and sister-and-law were trapped inside the candle factory where Brooks’ wife was employed. The business was destroyed by the tornado, and eight of this weekend’s fatalities were people who were at this factory, which is owned by Mayfield Consumer Products.

    If not for his colorful shoes, the MMA fighter may not have been able to find the two women.

    “She knew it was me … she started hollering, ‘Brian,’” Brooks said in reference to his sister-and-law recognizing him by his eccentric footwear. “I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ and started trying to pull, but the roof, candle wax barrels, bathroom walls, rafters, everything was on top of them.”

    After Brooks was able to pull them out, they were sent to the hospital and released Monday. Despite some bumps and bruises, both women are expected to make a full recovery.

    “They didn’t think they were ever going to see us again,” the MMA fighter said. “I’m so grateful…I just want to say my prayers for everybody who wasn’t so lucky.”

    Brian Brooks has an MMA record of 1-3. He made his debut in 2010 and most recently competed at Cage of Honor 78 in a TKO loss to Nathan Stearns in 2019.

    You can view Brooks’ testimony about his timely rescue below.

  • UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus Weigh-In Results & In-Depth Preview

    The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus are in, and we’ve got the results along with a preview for tomorrow night’s event for you below.

    The weigh-ins are complete for UFC Vegas 45, and three fighters have missed weight. In Justin Tafa’s case, he made history by becoming the first heavyweight to ever miss weight. Greg Hardy initially missed weight at UFC Vegas 12 last year, but he was able to successfuly make weight on his second attempt. Tafa, however, did not return to the scales after weighing in at 267 pounds, which is one pound over the heavyweight limit.

    Macy Chiasson also missed weight for her featherweight bout against Raquel Pennington, coming in at 148.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds over the limit. Meanwhile, Sijara Eubanks’ struggles on the scale continue, with the flyweight weighing in 1.5 pounds over the flyweight limit ahead of her bout against Melissa Gatto.

    UFC Vegas 45 takes place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire card will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims starting at 4:00 PM ET and the main card beginning at 7:00 PM ET.

    UFC Vegas 45 Preview & Faceoffs

    The final card of 2021 goes down tomorrow night in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, top-10 heavyweights Derrick Lewis (#3) and Chris Daukaus (#7) will slug it out. When these two big boys exchange fire, former police officer Daukaus will do so cautiously because of the power he knows Lewis possesses.

    All the while, Lewis will be swangin’ and bangin’ and doing everything he can to avoid being MMA’s answer to Rodney King. Should he be successful, he’d like to move on to the next challenge, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

    In his previous bout at UFC 265 against Ciryl Gane, Lewis admits that the pressure of vying for a UFC title in his hometown got to him. Tomorrow night, there will be a sparse and relatively quiet Apex crowd ready to behold another Black Beast explosion. Should Lewis earn another knockout tomorrow at Daukaus’ expense, he will stand alone as the UFC knockout record-holder.

    Check out the face-off between these two heavyweights below.

    In the co-main event, top-10 welterweights Stephen Thompson (#5) and Belal Muhammad (#10) will do battle. When Thompson first learned that this fight was booked, the UFC veteran was absolutely elated. He expects a fun, honest scrap between himself and Muhammad, unlike the way he feels his fight with Gilbert Burns went at UFC 264.

    Should Thompson come out on the losing end, Muhammad believes that should earn him the same opportunity that Thompson has had on two separate occasions: fighting for the world title. If not, a bout with the highly touted Khamzat Chimaev would also suffice for the Chicagoan.

    Here is the final face-off between these two ranked welterweights.

    Here are the other face-offs for tomorrow night’s main card bouts!

    Amanda Lemos vs. Angela Hill

    Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon

    Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot

    Cub Swanson vs. Darren Elkins

    This is a battle between two hardened UFC veterans. Cub Swanson recently revealed that there are some people in his inner circle that believe he should stop fighting. However, he hopes that big performances like the one he expects to turn in tomorrow will show them that he still has plenty left to offer the sport. Check out the face-off between these to battle-tested featherweights below.

    UFC Vegas 45 Weigh-In Results

    Below, you can find the full lineup for UFC Vegas 45 as well as the weigh-in results, courtesy of UFC.com.

    Main Card

    Main Event – Heavyweight Bout: Derrick Lewis (265) vs Chris Daukaus (235.5)

    Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout: Stephen Thompson (170.5) vs Belal Muhammad (170.5)

    Women’s Strawweight Bout: Amanda Lemos (115) vs Angela Hill (115.5)

    Bantamweight Bout: Raphael Assuncao (136) vs Ricky Simon (135.5)

    Lightweight Bout: Diego Ferreira (156) vs Mateusz Gamrot (155.5)

    Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson (145.5) vs Darren Elkins (145.5)

    PRELIMS

    Middleweight Bout: Dustin Stoltzfus (185.5) vs Gerald Meerschaert (185.5)

    Bantamweight Bout: Raoni Barcelos (135.5) vs Victory Henry (136)

    Heavyweight Bout: Justin Tafa (267)* vs Harry Hunsucker (238.5)

    Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sijara Eubanks (127.5)** vs Melissa Gatto (125)

    Featherweight Bout: Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs Andre Ewell (145)

    Women’s Featherweight Bout: Raquel Pennington (145) vs Macy Chiasson (148.5)***

    Heavyweight Bout: Don’Tale Mayes (256.5) vs Josh Parisian (262)

    Lightweight Bout: Jordan Leavitt (155.5) vs Matt Sayles (155.5)

    MMA News will have you covered with all the UFC Vegas 45 results and highlights tomorrow night!

  • Jake Paul Presents A Close-Up Look At “Most Valuable Boxer” Belt

    Jake Paul has provided a close-up look at the custom-made Most Valuable Boxer (MVB) championship belt, and it is a sight to behold.

    Fans of old-school pro wrestling may be familiar with the Million Dollar Championship belt held by Ted Dibiase during the ’80s. Even by today’s standards, such a fine piece of merchandise would be hard to top.

    The history of the Million Dollar Championship: photos | WWE
    Ted Dibiase, Million Dollar Championship Belt, Credit: WWE.com

    In the UFC, fans were introduced to the Baddest Motherfucker (BMF) championship belt in 2019. This specialty title would later be claimed by Jorge Masvidal in a victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Here’s a look at the artwork:

    Earlier this year, Conor McGregor also presented the idea of the UFC creating a “McGregor Belt,” with the Irishman going back to his initial pitch of the idea from years ago.

    “I feel it’s time to break out this baby for the next fight. I ask the UFC to please create The McGregor belt. I suggest rose gold and rubies. Think patek rare,” McGregor posted.

    Jake Paul Reveals Luxurious MVB Belt

    During Thursday’s pre-fight press conference for the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 event this weekend, Paul brought the MVB championship belt along with him.

    At the time, Paul gave the audience a brief breakdown of the belt’s design and explained its meaning, but the camera angle did not capture a close-up shot of the artwork. In a social media post from earlier in the day, Paul gave the world a much better look.

    “My “Most Valuable Boxer” belt designed and painted by Alec Monopoly is my $500k Christmas present. It’s hand painted by one of the greatest artists of our generation and features a Hermes Birkin bag sewed into the side as well as a diamond Cartier and Rolex watch. 2 days,” Paul posted in his HSN-esque description.

    If Woodley had prior knowledge of such a belt, perhaps he would have challenged Paul to put the belt on the line in their rematch. Then again, with Paul valuating the belt at $500,000, that would be the same amount of money Woodley would gain if he knocks him out tomorrow night. If that happens, maybe Woodley could use that money to create his own version of the MVB title or some other variation more to his liking.

    Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 takes place December 18 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. It will be available on SHOWTIME PPV in the US, Fite TV in the UK, and Kayo Sports PPV in Australia.

    Be sure to check in with MMA News tomorrow night for full coverage of this special attraction event!

  • Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff

    Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley came to face to face two days out from their big rematch, and we’ve got you covered with the press conference highlights.

    This Saturday (Dec. 18), Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley will leave no doubt as to who is the superior boxer when the pair reunite in a rematch of their August contest. Thursday, a press conference was held for the two competitors to field questions and address one another face to face.

    Tyron Woodley: “I just bet I’ll beat his ass. That’s my bet.”

    Jake Paul: “I’mma eat your a—I mean, I’mma beat your ass.”

    With a ski mask, makeshift world title belt, and Freudian slip, you never quite know what to expect from a Jake Paul press conference.

    Paul wore the ski mask because, as he put it, being paired with someone he already defeated for another big payday is tantamount to a bank robbery. He also brought along with him a “Most Valuable Boxer” championship belt prop. As for the Freudian slip, Paul has already made his fondness for Woodley’s backside well known, yet even “The Chosen One” had no choice but to laugh at Paul’s off-color gaffe.

    Tyron Woodley reiterated that this rematch with Paul was destined to happen and that he considers Saturday’s fight to be Round 9 of their August 29th bout. More than anything, Woodley wants to redeem himself on Saturday for letting Paul off the hook the first time out. The former UFC welterweight champion once again seeped with confidence ahead of his upcoming bout.

    Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 Press Conference Coverage

    Below, you can find the extended highlights from today’s press conference.

    And here is the face-off between the two fighters:

    Finally, if you would like to view the full press conference uncut and uncensored, you can do so down below.

    Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 takes place December 18 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. It will be available on SHOWTIME PPV in the US, Fite TV in the UK, and Kayo Sports PPV in Australia.

    Be sure to check in with MMA News Saturday night for full coverage of this special attraction event!

  • Khabib Uses Peña’s UFC 269 Upset As An Example Of WMMA’s Inferiority

    Khabib Nurmagomedov has used Julianna Peña’s UFC 269 upset over Amanda Nunes to help explain why his Eagle FC promotion will not yet add female fighters.

    Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC promotion has been making big waves since the Dagestan native took over the helm last year. In addition to landing a deal with UFC Fight Pass, the promotion will now venture beyond Russia and into the United States, and it has also added a 165lb weight class, which has been long requested by many fighters, including Nate Diaz and new Eagle FC signee Kevin Lee.

    One change that will not be made anytime soon is the addition of any women’s divisions. When asked about the prospect of women joining Eagle FC, Khabib used Julianna Peña’s victory over Amanda Nunes as an example of why WMMA is not quite caught up to the male competition level (h/t Sportskeeda).

    “I am like, we can watch what Julianna Peña did with Amanda Nunes [at UFC 269 last weekend]. But Julianna Peña, she is not like the greatest or something like that. She just beat Amanda Nunes like [on the day]. We can watch not many good [female] fighters all around the world. There are only like five or six of them. And we will wait and see [if we can do anything about it],” said Khabib.

    Khabib did leave the door open to adding women to the Eagle FC roster in the future, so his reasoning does not appear to be tied to any cultural beliefs based on the above remarks. Khabib’s frankness in answering this question should not come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembers his ring-girl remarks from earlier this year that caused quite the stir.

    One of the people who took issue with Khabib saying ring girls are “useless” is UFC women’s flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko. And if Shevchenko was not a fan of those comments, it’s safe to say she won’t be digging these remarks from Khabib all too much, either. And the same can almost assuredly be said for the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña.

    You can view Khabib’s comments for yourself in the video below.

    What are your thoughts on Khabib’s comments on the state WMMA?

  • Jon Jones’ Battery Domestic Violence Charge Has Been Dismissed

    The latest criminal charges brought against Jon Jones have been resolved.

    In September, Jon Jones was arrested for battery domestic violence and injuring and tampering with a vehicle. According to Las Vegas court records, Jones pleaded no contest Tuesday to the vehicle-related charges stemming from him headbutting a police car while being detained. As a result, he was ordered to pay a restitution fee of $750 for damages caused to the vehicle.

    Additionally, the domestic violence charge brought against him has been dismissed. The court ordered Jones to attend anger management counseling, but this has already been completed.

    Following the September arrest, Jones made a vow to “remove alcohol from his life forever.” Last month, he celebrated 60 days of sobriety. He has also posted updates of his personal relationship with fiancée Jessie Moses after allegedly assaulting her during the Las Vegas incident. The pair has presented a united front and remains committed to their relationship moving forward.

    Jon Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. He holds the record for most UFC light heavyweight title defenses, and his only career loss was in a controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009.

    With these charges now behind him, Jones is free and clear to return to the Octagon in 2022, as he has repeatedly expressed to be his intention. Jones has stated that he expects to face the winner of the UFC 270 title-unification bout between undisputed champion Francis Ngannou and interim champion Ciryl Gane slated for January 22.

    MMA News will keep you in the loop on any additional updates regarding Jon Jones’ next bout as he prepares to make his heavyweight debut in 2022.

  • Poirier Only Excited For Nate Diaz Bout, May Never Fight At LW Again

    Dustin Poirier may be in store for some wholesale changes to his career after losing to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269, including a new division with an ‘exciting’ first opponent.

    At UFC 269, Dustin Poirier hoped to finally reach the mountaintop and become a UFC champion. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, and he lost via rear-naked choke for the second time when bidding to become the undisputed lightweight champion.

    Four days removed from the event, Poirier appeared on The MMA Hour to reflect on the loss and what may be next for him. One revelation made by Poirier is that a strong part of him feels he will never have the opportunity to become the lightweight champion again. As he alluded to at the post-fight press conference, that uncertainty is rooted in questions of desire, not his abilities.

    “I don’t know if I’m gonna make that cut again,” Poirier said about a potential quick path back to a lightweight title shot. “I might never fight at 155 pounds again. I don’t know the future.”

    Poirier recalled back to when he chose to make the move from featherweight to lightweight in 2015, a decision brought about by very similar circumstances.

    “Yeah, that’s kinda what nudged me to go over the edge to go to ‘55 when I was at ‘45. I was close to a title shot then I lost to Conor in 2014, and I knew  I would have to make that cut three, four, fight more times, whatever it would be to get another title shot, and I just didn’t have it in me to do it.

    DraftKings fantasy MMA daily picks: UFC Fight Night 94, Poirier vs. Johnson
    Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

    “And here I am at ’55, and I’m thinking, like, well, if I gotta fight two, three more times to get a title shot, I don’t know if I wanna live those training camps on low calories pushing my body like that. I’d rather just do it and have fun because I love what I’m doing, making it as enjoyable as possible instead of sacrificing and hurting every day in camp because I’m low in calories.”

    The One Fight That Gets Dustin Poirier Excited

    Dustin Poirier Nate Diaz
    (via AP & Zuffa LLC)

    During the interview, Poirier confessed that he does not know what the future holds for him. He is not fully certain when or even if he will fight again. Looking at the landscape at both lightweight and welterweight, nothing particularly gets the veteran’s motor running—that is except for one guy from Stockton, California.

    “When I’ve been lying down, thinking about fights, nothing gets me excited—unless Nate Diaz wants to fight. If he wants to fight, that gets me excited.”

    Diaz and Poirier were booked to fight in 2018 at UFC 230, but that fight fell through for unconfirmed reasons. Since then, the two have occasionally chirped back and forth at one another on social media. Most recently, Diaz threw a shot at a downed Poirier immediately following the Louisianian’s loss to Oliveira.

    Earlier this year, Diaz revealed that he is still keen on the idea of fighting Poirier, and that interest has always been returned. Diaz’s current contract with the UFC has been extended, which buys him and the UFC more time to land the perfect opponent for the final fight on his current deal. So all things considered, now may be as good a time as there ever will be to finally settle some unfinished business.

    Would YOU be excited to see Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz in 2022?