MMA News

Author: Cole Shelton

  • Sergio Pettis Out Of Bellator Grand Prix, Interim Title Goes To Winner

    Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix has suffered a major blow as champion, Sergio Pettis suffered an injury and is now out of the tournament.

    On Tuesday morning it was revealed by CBS Sports that Pettis was forced to withdraw from the field due to injury. He was supposed to fight Raufeon Stots in the opening round at Bellator 279 on April 23 in Hawaii. With Pettis out of the fight, Juan Archuleta will now face Stots on the card for the interim bantamweight title, which will be on the line throughout the grand prix.

    Pettis’ injury was not disclosed but it is a massive blow for the grand prix as the eight fighters will now be fighting for the interim title. The champ is coming off a stunning KO win over Kyoji Horiguchi to defend his bantamweight title for the first time. He won the belt by decision after defeating Archuleta in May.

    Along with Pettis being out of the Bellator bantamweight grand prix, it’s likely that Josh Hill will now enter the tournament. He was named the alternate after a vicious KO win over Jared Scoggins in December.

    Raufeon Stots, meanwhile, is 17-1 and coming off a decision win over Magomed Magomedov in August. He’s currently 5-0 in Bellator with notable wins over Josh Hill, Keith Lee, and Cass Bell. His lone loss was a spinning backfist KO to Merab Dvalishvili.

    Juan Archuleta, on the other hand, has not fought since his loss to Pettis to lose his bantamweight title. He won the vacant belt with a decision win over Patchy Mix in September 2020 after dropping back down to bantamweight.

    With Stots now fighting Archuleta, Bellator 279 is as follows:

    • Raufeon Stots vs. Juan Archuleta – interim bantamweight title
    • Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe- featherweight title
    • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Patchy Mix – bantamweight grand prix
    • Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Justin Kish
    • Yancy Medeiros vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
    • Kai Kamaka III vs. Justin Gonzalez

  • Sean Strickland Blasts ‘Pathetic’ Colby Covington Over Recent Comments

    It’s safe to say that Sean Strickland is not a fan of Colby Covington.

    After Covington defeated Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272, he was asked in an interview about his thoughts on Strickland, and ‘Chaos’ was dismissive saying he didn’t know who he was and wondered if Strickland was a girl.

    After catching wind of the comments, Strickland took to his Instagram to blast Covington for his comments. (h/t MMAMania)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CbYNoO8P3f2/

    “I thought [Donald] Trump’s c—k would of been too deep in your mouth for you to speak …” Strickland’s caption to an Instagram video read. “Just because someone can fight doesn’t mean their not a coward.. @colbycovmma Look what happened when you got called out for being a troll you ran away and pulled out your phone. You’re a f-cking Karen.

    “Covington, you like to run your f—king mouth,” Strickland continued. “You didn’t run your mouth when I seen you now you run your mouth now on the internet. Bro, we all see what [Fabricio] Werdum did to you. Werdum walked up to you, f—king punked you, you ran away and you pulled out your phone and recorded him like a f—king Karen, bro. You’re a f—king embarrassment. Yeah, I’ll be honest with you, you’re a good fighter but like, as far as a man, you’re f—king pathetic.”

    Of course, the Werdum incident he is talking about was when he allegedly threw a boomerang at Covington in Australia and it caused quite a scene. It also shouldn’t be a surprise to see Sean Strickland take a shot at Covington, as he is also vocal about a lot of things.

    Although Strickland is taking a shot at Covington, it seems unlikely they will ever fight. Strickland is at middleweight and seems comfortable there while Covington is a welterweight. However, he has talked about wanting to face Israel Adesanya, so maybe he’ll consider moving up to face Strickland first prior to ideally challenging Adesanya.

    Would you like to see Sean Strickland fight Colby Covington?

  • Sonnen Thinks Charles Oliveira Should Thank Tony Ferguson

    Chael Sonnen believes Charles Oliveira should thank Tony Ferguson because without him, he wouldn’t have gotten the title shot.

    At UFC 256 in December of 2020, Ferguson stepped up to face Oliveira on just a few weeks’ notice. It was an intriguing matchup as ‘El Cucuy’ was linked to Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler before that. However, because he wanted to fight, Ferguson took the fight against Oliveira who was ranked below him. With that, Sonnen says Oliveira should be thanking Ferguson for the opportunity.

    “One real cool move that Tony did, he did it for Charles Oliveira and I’ve never heard Charles thank Tony, he may have thanked him but I didn’t hear it,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel (via Sportskeeda). “Oliveira was a really good fighter but he couldn’t get on a docket with one of the stars of the division. Tony was a star of the division, got up in the loft, threw the ladder down behind him so Charles could climb up.

    Ferguson Oliveira UFC
    Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira, UFC 256

    “Charles gets done with Tony, Tony has gotta figure out what he’s gonna do, Charles goes into a world title fight, the rest is history – but Charles does not have a world title fight let alone a world championship if it’s not for Tony Ferguson,” Sonnen added.

    After Charles Oliveira dominated Tony Ferguson for three rounds, he got the title shot against Chandler in May, on the same card Ferguson lost to Beneil Dariush. Oliveira ended up scoring a second-round KO to win the vacant belt and has since defended it with a submission win over Poirier.

    Although Oliveira has cemented his status as the current best lightweight in the world, Sonnen hopes the Brazilian thanks Ferguson. He will have the chance to do so again as they will once again be on the same card as Oliveira will headline UFC 274 on May 7 against Justin Gaethje while Ferguson will take on Chandler in the co-main event.

    Do you agree with Chael Sonnen that Charles Oliveira should thank Tony Ferguson?

  • Dana White Disagrees With Poirier On Cormier’s Presidential Potential

    Dana White doesn’t think Daniel Cormier could replace him as UFC president.

    For years now, people have talked about who will replace White when he decides to retire. Many, including, Dustin Poirier thought Cormier would likely be the best replacement as he knows the sport and would be a great face for the company.

    “That’s a tough spot to fill,” said Poirier. “I’m not sure. I think Daniel Cormier maybe? Maybe somebody who’s been in combat sports. I don’t know if he knows a whole lot about the business side, but I think he would be a great face of a company.”

    However, prior to UFC London, White was asked about that by Robbie Fox of Barstool Sports and the UFC boss shut down the idea of Cormier. And he also revealed they have someone ready to take over but it isn’t that anyone knows.

    Dana White
    Dana White (Image Credit: Logan Riely/Getty Images)

    “There’s a formula to what we do and why we’ve been successful and there is a guy, there’s one guy that [can replace me],” White said (via Sportskeeda). “There’s certain things that I do that he wouldn’t be able to do but the important things that get done over there is what really matters and this guy could absolutely, positively, do it. Nobody would even know who the f*** he is. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy… Yeah, Daniel Cormier couldn’t do it. I love Daniel but Daniel couldn’t do it.”

    Although Dana White says he has someone ready, that isn’t Daniel Cormier, it’s likely White will still do this for years. He has openly talked about how much he loves doing this and is only 52-years-old so he can still do this for more decades if he wants. But at least now we know that there is, in fact, someone ready to take over if White is to retire.

    Who do you think would be a good replacement for Dana White?

  • Paddy Pimblett Responds To Ilia Topuria Saying He’s Afraid To Fight

    Paddy Pimblett has responded to Ilia Topuria already accusing him of ducking him.

    Before UFC London was even a thought, Pimblett and Topuria went back-and-forth on social media. Pimblett said some controversial things on social media about Georgia, where Topuria is from. It caused a major backlash and with them being on the same card at UFC London, they had a run-in at the hotel.

    Topuria and his team saw Pimblett in a room and approached him. After some words were exchanged, Pimblett threw a hand sanitizer bottle at his head. To no surprise, after Topuria picked up a KO win over Jai Herbert, he called out Pimblett but ‘The Baddy’ doesn’t seem too interested in it.

    “As I said, he’s just ‘hand sanitizer boy to me.’ A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of sheep,” Pimblett said after the fight.

    Although Pimblett didn’t seem too interested in facing Toupira, the Georgian said it is because he doesn’t have the “balls” to fight him. However, for the Brit, he says that is not the case as for him, he says everyone wants to fight him and he’s the star so he will decide who he gets next.

    “Everyone wants to fight me. Everyone wants to hang on my coattails. No one knew who ‘hand sanitizer boy’ was until he decided to start an altercation with me. No one knew who he was. I’m the (star). Everyone wants to fight me.”

    Paddy Pimblett did score a first-round submission over Kazula Vargas at UFC London. It improved him to 2-0 in the UFC and he is now an even bigger star as fans got to see how well-received he is in England. Ilia Topuria, meanwhile, scored a vicious KO win over Jai Herbert, but it seems likely he will drop down to featherweight.

    Do you think we will see Paddy Pimblett fight Ilia Topuria?

  • Usman Seeks “Face Of The Fight Game” Status With Win Over Canelo

    Kamaru Usman is looking to become the face of the fight game with a win over Canelo Álvarez.

    Usman is currently the pound-for-pound best in the UFC and has called out Álvarez for a boxing match. Although Usman is known as a wrestler, he is confident he would be able to defeat the Mexican. With that, promoter, Eddie Hearn said he would be open to making the match for his client Álvarez.

    There’s no question if the two do end up boxing, Canelo would be a massive favorite, maybe the biggest in his career. However, Usman says his unusual boxing style would throw Álvarez off and he would get the win.

    Kamaru Usman
    Kamaru Usman, Photo Credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

    “Obviously, the bigger the dream, the bigger the manifestation,” Usman said to The Sun. “And the more it scares me, the more I’m willing to prepare and go through [hell] to achieve it. It’s no surprise. Canelo is a tall glass for anybody—a tall pint.

    “And it scares me, it scares me to death. But the real reason [I want the fight] is: I wanted to be welterweight champion, I got it,” Usman added. “I wanted to be pound-for-pound, I got it.

    “I always thought this phrase was special, and the phrase that I’m after now is: ‘The Face of the Fight Game’. And Canelo, right now, can’t say [he’s the face of the fight game]. Yeah, he’s the face of boxing, but he can’t say he’s the face of the fight game.”

    Even though Kamaru Usman is calling for the boxing match with Canelo, he is likely to defend his welterweight title in July against Leon Edwards. The Mexican, meanwhile, is expected to face Dmitry Bivol in May and then will have the trilogy match against Gennady Golovkin after that, but perhaps after that, the Usman fight will happen if the Nigerian-American gets his wish.

    For now, however, both Usman and Álvarez have to defend their own titles before any fight becomes to fruition.

    Would you like to see Kamaru Usman vs. Canelo Álvarez ?

  • Aspinall On Volkov: This Is A Complete Mismatch In His Favor On Paper

    Tom Aspinall believes that, on paper, his UFC London main event against Alexander Volkov is a terrible matchup for him.

    Aspinall is set for his first UFC main event in just his fifth UFC fight while Volkov will be headlining his sixth event. It’s an intriguing matchup as Aspinall has run through all his competition, but Volkov is an experienced veteran and has fought the who’s who of the heavyweight division. With that, even the Brit believes that, on paper, this should be a fight he loses.

    “I mean, I’ve trained for five rounds. Like you say, I’ve never gone past the second. So, new territory for me. I’m completely aware that if you look at the stats on paper, this is a complete mismatch in his favor,” Aspinall said at media day. “I’m aware of that. Like, he has got so much more experience than me, he’s fought far more higher-level guys than me, he’s been in the top 10 for I don’t know how many years at this point. I’m just an up-and-coming guy breaking (into) the top 10, on paper. But on paper doesn’t really mean nothing when it comes to actual fighting.”

    Tom Aspinall
    Tom Aspinall

    Although Tom Aspinall believes on paper this is a fight Alexander Volkov should win, the betting odds have the Brit as a -125 favorite with the Russian as a +105 underdog. With that, Vegas and the public have been backing the Brit in this one, thinking he will win. However, as Aspinall says, paper means nothing when it comes to an actual fight.

    Tom Aspinall enters the fight riding a seven-fight win streak and coming off a first-round TKO over Serghei Spivac in September. Prior to that, he submitted Andrei Arlovski which is the biggest win of his career but should he beat Volkov, it will propel Aspinall into the top-5.

    Do you think Tom Aspinall will beat Alexander Volkov at UFC London?

  • Jędrzejczyk: Namajunas Is On A Different Level Than Esparza

    Joanna Jędrzejczyk believes we will hear “And Still” when Rose Namajunas rematches Carla Esparza sometime later this year at a date TBD.

    Namajunas and Esparza first fought back in 2014 for the inaugural strawweight title which Esparza won by third-round submission in the finale of TUF 20. After that, Jędrzejczyk went on to beat Esparza to win the belt and had it until Namajunas knocked her out in 2017.

    With Namajunas reclaiming the belt in 2021, she now appears set to rematch Esparza sometime this year. It’s an intriguing matchup as Esparza has had a career turnaround of sorts but in the rematch, Jędrzejczyk believes it will be Namajunas getting her hand raised this time around.

    I'm so proud of you' – Rose Namajunas shares touching moment with her parents after beating Zhang Weili at UFC 268

    “I think that Rose will defend her belt,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie. “Carla won back in the day in 2014, but both of them are totally different fighters, different athletes with different mentality, as well, but I think that Rose will win this fight. She’s very strong. She’s very, very fast. Her timing is just perfect with her footwork. Of course, Carla has a few wins streak, but Rose is a different level, I think.”

    If Rosa Namajunas does defeat Carla Esparza as Joanna Jędrzejczyk thinks it’s likely Marina Rodriguez would be next for the champ. However, the Pole has made it known she still wants the third fight against ‘Thug’ even though she’s 0-2 to the champ.

    The plan for Jędrzejczyk is to rematch Weili Zhang sometime this year and should she win, she could very well earn another title shot. She still remains a big name in the sport and she could help sell the fight against Namajunas, which could happen sometime in 2023 as she looks to reclaim her belt.

    Who do you think will win the fight between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza?

  • Chris Curtis Out Of UFC 273, Du Plessis Now Faces Anthony Hernandez

    Chris Curtis has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 273 fight against Dricus Du Plessis.

    According to MMAFighting’s Mike Heck, Curtis had to pull out but Du Plessis will now face Anthony Hernandez at UFC 273 on April 9 in Jacksonville. Hernandez was supposed to fight Albert Duraev, but the Russian was also forced off the card, MMAFighting reports.

    Chris Curtis (28-8) made his long-awaited UFC debut back in November at UFC 268 and he scored an upset first-round knockout over Phil Hawes. He then returned three weeks later and TKO’d Brendan Allen in another upset win. The 34-year-old went 6-0 in 2021 and before signing in the UFC fought for promotions like PFL, XMMA, and CES among others. He also competed on the Contender Series and got a third-round KO but was not offered a contract.

    Dricus Du Plessis (16-2) is also 2-0 in the UFC and coming off a vicious KO win over Trevin Giles back at UFC 264. In his debut, he scored a first-round KO over Markus Perez. Before signing with the Las Vegas-based promotion, he was the EFC welterweight and middleweight champion. He also held the KSW welterweight title.

    With Curtis being out, Du Plessis will now face Anthony Hernandez, who’s 8-2 as a pro and coming off a massive upset win over Rodolfo Vieira via submission back at UFC 258. He’s currently just 2-2 in the UFC with his other win over Jun Yong Park while his losses were to Kevin Holland Markus Perez.

    With Du Plessis now facing Hernandez, UFC 273 is as follows:

    • Alex Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie
    • Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan
    • Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
    • Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
    • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
    • Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks
    • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
    • Irene Aladana vs. Aspen Ladd
    • Vinc Pichel vs. Mark O. Madsen
    • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Anthony Hernandez
    • Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker
    • Mike Malott vs. Mickey Gall
    • Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
    • Kay Hansen vs. Piera Rodriguez

    Who do you think will win, Dricus Du Plessis or Anthony Hernandez?

  • Santos Finally Feels “100%” After Knee Injury Ahead Of Ankalaev Fight

    Thiago Santos says he finally feels like himself again ahead of his UFC Vegas 50 main event against Magomed Ankalaev.

    Santos returned to the win column last October with a decision win over Johnny Walker which snapped his three-fight losing skid. On the losing streak, he dropped a decision to Aleksandar Rakic, a submission loss to Glover Teixeira, and a split-decision loss to Jon Jones for the belt in a fight he tore both his knees in.

    Since the Jones fight and tearing both his knees, Santos has admitted his knee hasn’t felt the same but that changed this camp.

    “It’s going good. It’s a long process. I came back, I fought, I didn’t win, but I feel like my progress—I feel better every single fight. I’m pretty sure this next fight, I will be so much better than my last fight,” Santos said to MMAJunkie.

    Thiago Santos
    Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    According to Santos, he says he doesn’t think he returned when he was 100% and that showed in his performances. He says the mental toll also played a role in his performances

    “I was able to fight, you know, but I can’t say I was 100%. Like I said, it’s a long process. Not only physical, but mental. I cannot say I was 100%. I was able to fight, but I did not feel 100%,” Santos explained. “Now, I can say I feel 100%. I feel mentally good (and) physically good. Even in my camp, I didn’t have any problems. I did everything, all our training stuff—wrestling, jiu-jitsu; I could train everything, so I feel 100%.”

    Thiago Santos is currently ranked fifth at light heavyweight while Magomed Ankalaev is ranked sixth. Both men believe if they get a big win here they could get a title shot. It’s certainly not out of the question, as even in Santos’ fight against Teixeira, he dropped him a couple of times and nearly finished him.

    Do you think Thiago Santos will defeat Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Vegas 50?

  • John Lineker KO’s Bibiano Fernandes To Win ONE Championship Title (Video)

    John Lineker is a world champion.

    In the co-main event of ONE Lights Out in Singapore, Lineker was finally fighting Bibiano Fernandes in a highly-anticipated bantamweight title fight. The two were booked earlier this year but Lineker tested positive for COVID-19 which led the fight to be delayed.

    Right off the bat, the champ in Fernandes got an early takedown and held the former UFC fighter down. He held him there for nearly two minutes but Lineker was able to get up. Once that happened, the challenger landed a solid combo that appeared to rock Fernandes but as he was stumbled, he landed a beautiful counter that dropped Lineker down.

    After he got dropped, Lineker was able to scramble on top and finished the last-minute on top of Fernandes, and landed some ground and pound.

    The second round began with both men still being stunned from the last round. Just over a minute into the first round, Bibiano Fernandes shot for another takedown and got it but after a minute of control, John Lineker was able to get back to his feet. Once they were on their feet, Lineker started landing heavy shots to the body and head. After landing some heavy shots, the challenger landed a massive check hook that knocked Fernandes out to become the new champ.

    With the KO win, John Lineker is now 35-9 and is 4-0 in ONE Championship. The Brazilian left the UFC after a decision loss to Cory Sandhagen and signed with the Singapore-based promotion. In the UFC, Lineker went 12-4 with notable wins over Rob Font, Marlon Vera, and Ian McCall.

    As for Bibiano Fernandes, he defended the belt seven times over two title reigns. In his career, he holds notable wins over Kevin Belingon four times, and Joe Warren on the regional scene while losing to Urijah Faber in his second pro fight.

    What do you make of John Lineker winning the ONE bantamweight title?

  • UFC 272 Prelim Viewership Highest Since Poirier-McGregor 3 In July

    UFC 272 had apparently caught the attention of a lot of people.

    Although the card was not headlined by a title fight, UFC 272 did see a welterweight grudge match between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. The fight was hyped up as the two were former roommates and close friends who became bitter rivals.

    Ultimately, the UFC did a good job of promoting the event as the prelims on ESPN were the highest since UFC 264 in July, which saw Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3 in the main event.

    “Saturday’s #UFC272 prelims averaged 1.53 million total viewers on ESPN, per UFC officials. Also aired on ESPN+ and ESPNews, but those numbers are not reported. ESPN numbers are the highest since July 2021 and the prelims for Poirier-McGregor 3, which averaged 1.61 million,” MMA reporter John Morgan reported.

    The ESPN prelims did have some solid fights, as the final fight saw Jalin Turner TKO Jamie Mullarkey in the second round. Although neither were big names, it was hyped up that the winner could very well get a ranked opponent next. The prelims also saw a potential #1 contender fight in Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xioanan which Rodriguez won by split decision.

    The other two ESPN prelims saw Maryna Moroz submit her former training partner and rival, Mariya Agapova in the second round. Nicolae Negumereanu beat Kennedy Nzechukwu by split decision as well.

    After the event, UFC President Dana White said this was a massive success and all the trends showed this to be a big night. If the ESPN prelims show anything, it is that UFC 272 will be one of the biggest cards of the year.

    In the main event of the card, Colby Covington dominated Jorge Masvidal over five rounds to win a clear-cut decision.

    Are you surprised with the UFC 272 viewership?

  • Kevin Holland Targets Six Fights In 2022

    Kevin Holland is hoping to be quite active in 2022.

    Holland had his first fight of the year on Saturday on the main card of UFC 272, which also marked his return to welterweight. On the regional scene, Holland fought at 170 but eventually moved up to middleweight where he had some success, including going 5-0 in 2020. Yet, after an 0-2 and one No Contest campaign in 2021, he made the drop down to 170lbs.

    In his return to welterweight, Holland took on Alex Oliveira, and in the first round, he struggled early on. However, he came out guns blazing in the second round and got the TKO win. Following the victory, he made it clear he wants to fight as often as possible and recapture the success he has in 2020.

    Kevin Holland

    “Everything is about timing,” Holland said on The MMA Hour. “I had fun at ‘85, still plan on having some more fun there, so I can’t complain. I have a pretty decent name at ‘85. I was ranked 14 going into this fight, at middleweight. … You’ve got some of these guys ranked ahead of me at middleweight on some losing skids.

    “If we’re just speaking here, just throwing out things, I feel like I could be ranked higher than those guys,” Holland continued. “And if we’re talking about 170, I would like to see where that goes. So no, [I don’t] wish that I did it sooner. I like where I’m sitting. I might be the only guy ranked at both weight classes, so it could be fun.”

    After the win, Holland called out Donald Cerrone who’s fighting Joe Lauzon on May 7. Yet, in his post-fight press conference, he walked back on it and said he has his eyes set on Daniel Rodriguez, who’s coming off a decision victory over Kevin Lee back in August.

    With Holland possibly being open to fighting at 185lbs again, he hopes he can get six fights in 2022.

    “Shoot, if they’ve got something available next month at 185 pounds — because I don’t feel like going on a diet right this second — then I’ll do that, too,” Holland said.

    “It would mess things up if I was shooting for something specifically. I’m just shooting to be an active guy. I’m just shooting to continue to grow and get experience and be a better fighter. So if I can fight five, six times this year, that’d be awesome. I like to fight a lot, so I can’t do every fight at 170 pounds if I’m gonna fight six times this year. There’s still some good fights at ‘85, so I’ll take whatever comes. I think an ‘85 fight sounds good right now if I want to go out and eat carne asada for the next few weeks.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

    With the win at UFC 272, Kevin Holland is now 22-7 and one No Contest and will likely get a big name next. The Rodriguez fight does make sense, as the two were scheduled to fight one another on May 30, 2020, just two weeks after Holland beat Anthony Hernandez at middleweight, but Holland was forced out of the bout due to an injury.

    Who would you like to see Kevin Holland fight next?

  • Kayla Harrison Re-Signs With PFL On Multi-Year Deal

    The Kayla Harrison sweepstakes are over as the two-time Olympic gold medalist has re-signed with PFL.

    After Harrison won the 2021 PFL lightweight season, she was a free agent. And for the past couple of months, she has been talking with other promotions. Many were curious to see if she would leave PFL or sign somewhere else.

    On Tuesday, it was revealed she re-signed with PFL on a multi-year deal after the promotion matched the offer Bellator gave her.

    “I’m happy the free agency is over and I have a fight on the horizon,” Harrison told The New York Post via text. “I’m excited to continue to grow and challenge myself and be one of the highest-paid athletes in the sport.”

    Harrison is 12-0 as a pro and 11 of her 12 pro fights have been in PFL with one fighting being Invicta in 2020 when PFL didn’t have a season. She is the two-time champ and is now looking to remain the only PFL lightweight champion.

    Kayla Harrison
    Kayla Harrison

    “I am also excited PFL is on board with helping me reach my goals of becoming the best and trying to acquire some of the biggest competition in the game to come and challenge me,” Harrison said. “I look forward to us making those fights happen and until then I have another belt to win.”

    In the 2022 season, Harrison could very well have the toughest test of her career as former Bellator featherweight champ, Julia Budd has joined the promotion.

    When and who Harrison will fight in the season opener is uncertain at this time. However, along with the season, PFL announced in a statement they are launching a new pay-per-view super-fight division.

    “I am also excited to announce the PFL is launching a new Pay-Per-View Super Fight Division where star MMA fighters will compete on a global stage against the best fighters in the sport,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. “Two-time PFL Champion, Kayla Harrison, will be fighting in the PFL’s 2022 Season starting this April on ESPN networks and will also continue to build her legacy as a main event in the PFL’s PPV Super Fight Division.”

    Are you surprised Kayla Harrison re-signed with PFL?

  • (Archives) White: Costa Tried To Use Fake Doctor To Get Cleared (2020)

    The following article was published on this day two years ago, and it is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Two Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 5, 2020, 10:15 AM]

    UFC president Dana White says Paulo Costa attempted to be cleared by a fake doctor so he could fight Israel Adesanya.

    Following Adesanya’s UFC 243 knockout win over Robert Whittaker, Costa was in attendance and took shots at the champ. The two were then scheduled to fight at this event but an injury to the Brazilian left Yoel Romero to step in.

    Although Costa was reported to be out for six months, White said Costa got one of his friends to pretend to be a doctor so he could get cleared.

    “I respect him,” White said a recent media scrum (via MMA Mania). “I respect the fact he wants to fight. ‘I’m ready, I’m ready,’ no you’re not. You’re not a doctor. And then he got some guy who’s his buddy or something to say he’s okay. No, that’s not how this works. I don’t want to push him and make him hurt himself again. Take your time, you’re getting the fight, that fight is gonna happen, don’t worry about it.”

    “He’s close, but let’s take our time,” White continued, encouraging Costa to slow down. “The more time the better with that injury. Then he starts throwing up videos of himself hitting the mitts and doing all kinds of crazy s*** that he probably shouldn’t be doing right now. But he’s a freak athlete too, so who knows. I just don’t want the guy to get hurt again.”

    There is no doubt Costa is next in line for the winner of the main event between Adesanya and Romero.

  • Harrison Invites Cyborg To Her Gym With PFL Likely To Re-Sign Her

    Kayla Harrison is getting tired of Cris Cyborg’s tweets about her.

    On Tuesday evening, it was revealed the PFL has matched Bellator‘s offer and it’s likely Harrison will sign back with PFL. After the news came out by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, Cyborg chimed in with a response.

    Shortly after her response, Harrison issued a fiery response to Cyborg about her constantly adding in her thoughts about her decision.

    “Hey @criscyborg @ me if you have something to say,” Harrison quote tweeted. “I’m so sick of this shit. @AmericanTopTeam’s addy is 5750 sr 7 coconut creek fl. I’m there 6 days a week.”

    Of course, had Harrison signed with Bellator, she would’ve fought at featherweight and would have been an immediate title challenger for Cyborg. It would be a massive fight, as Cyborg is considered one of the best featherweights of all time while Harrison is undefeated but hasn’t been tested enough, so the bout makes sense. However, it appears the two-time Olympic gold medalist is set to re-sign with PFL.

    Kayla Harrison (12-0) won the 2021 PFL women’s lightweight tournament as she defeated Taylor Guardado by submission. In the 2021 season, she also defeated Genah Fabian by TKO, Cindy Dandois by submission, and Mariana Morais by TKO.

    Harrison has competed at featherweight before as in 2020 with PFL not having a season, she fought Courtney King in Invicta. There, she scored a TKO win, but that is the only time she cut down to 145lbs.

    With Harrison re-signing with PFL, she will look to become a three-time champion. However, she will likely have her biggest test to date as PFL did ink former Bellator champion Julia Budd to compete this season.

    Are you surprised Kayla Harrison re-signed with PFL? And what do you make of her interaction with Cris Cyborg?

  • dos Anjos Reacts After White Confirms Makhachev Turned Down Fight

    Rafael dos Anjos was satisfied when UFC President Dana White revealed Islam Makhachev was the one that said no to stepping up to face him at UFC 272.

    After it was revealed Rafael Fiziev was forced out of the fight due to COVID-19, Makhachev said he would take the fight. dos Anjos quickly called his bluff and after that, it was announced Renato Moicano took the fight and will now fight the Brazilian.

    With Moicano stepping up, many people were surprised it wasn’t Makhachev. And on Wednesday, White confirmed that it was the Dagestani fighter who turned the fight down.

    Rafael dos Anjos
    Rafael dos Anjos (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

    “I thought we had it done,” White said in an interview with Barstool Sports. “When I went to bed one of the nights there, I thought it was done. Woke up the next morning and found out (Makhachev) turned it down.

    “It’s, ‘What’s the best fight that you can possibly make?’ The best fight that we could possibly make would’ve been him and Islam. RDA vs. Islam. Islam turns down the fight, ‘What’s the best fight you could make?’ Moicano… I love the Dariush fight. Since he turned down this fight we’re going to remake the Dariush fight. Dying to see that fight. And then (if) he gets through Dariush, it’s very interesting.”

    After hearing White says Makhachev did turn the fight down, dos Anjos went to Twitter to react to the news.

    “The truth always comes out!,” dos Anjos wrote on Twitter in response to White confirming Makhachev turned the fight down.

    Rafael dos Anjos vs. Islam Makhachev is a fight many fans want to see, and it has been booked three times but has fallen through. Perhaps if RDA wins, this fight will happen in the future, as the two have unfinished business.

    dos Anjos has not fought since he beat Paul Felder by decision in November of 2020 in his return to lightweight.

    What do you make of Rafael dos Anjos’ reaction to Islam Makhachev turning down the fight?

  • Rachael Ostovich Signs New Multi-Fight Deal With BKFC

    Rachael Ostovich will be competing in BKFC again.

    Ostovich made her BKFC debut in July of 2021 and beat Paige VanZant at KnuckleMania 1. It served as a rematch, as the two fought in the UFC which VanZant won by submission in January of 2019.

    Since the fight against VanZant, there has been no word about Ostovich’s fighting future. However, according to MMAJunkie’s Danny Segura, Ostovich has signed a new multi-fight deal with BKFC which means she will have her second fight soon.

    After her BKFC debut against VanZant, Ostovich said she enjoyed it but she wasn’t certain if she would compete again in the sport. Well, seven months later, she has decided she wants to fight again.

    “Bare-knuckle, totally different sport. Honestly, when you get in there, it’s fun,” Ostovich said at the post-fight press conference. “I was having fun. I was talking. I was bout it. I was down. It was great. It’s definitely up to my manager. I can say yeah [I’ll fight bare-knuckle again] all I want up there but when it comes down to it, it’s got to be on the paper and I’m sure they’ll have a good talk after this.”

    Rachael Ostovich is 1-0 in BKFC and 4-6 in MMA. The Hawaiian was released from the promotion after losing three straight as she was submitted by Montana De La Rosa, VanZant and in her last MMA fight, suffered a TKO loss to Gina Mazany. She went 1-3 in the UFC with her lone victory coming over Karine Gevorgyan.

    At this time, it’s uncertain when and who Ostovich will face in her BKFC return. She could very well earn a title fight or perhaps have a trilogy with VanZant as “12 Gauge” is also returning soon and they are 1-1 against one another in combat sports. Regardless, Ostovich will be back, which is good news for BKFC.

    Who would you like to see Rachael Ostovich fight in her BKFC return?

  • Korean Zombie: Nobody Even Thought About Beating Aldo 9 Years Ago

    Korean Zombie will be fighting for UFC gold for the second time in his career, but this time around, he has much more confidence.

    Zombie fought José Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013 when the champ was 22-1 and hadn’t lost since 2005. He was viewed as unbeatable and many weren’t giving Zombie a chance as he was around a +600 underdog which was the biggest he was in his entire career.

    Ultimately, it was Aldo winning by fourth-round TKO after Zombie dislocated his shoulder. Now, years later, the fan-favorite spoke about the fight and said it is a good learning experience for him.

    “Nine years ago, nobody could beat José Aldo. Nobody even thought about beating him. Nobody entertained (it). And (I’m) so happy that (I’m) fortunate enough to fight him because (I) had the experience now to actually step up and win a title (fight),” Zombie said through his interpreter on The MMA Hour.”

    Korean Zombie is set to return to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the main event of UFC 273 on April 9. Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway but the Hawaiian was forced out of the bout due to an injury, which allowed Zombie to get the shot. The event also takes place in Jacksonville, Florida.

    Korean Zombie (17-6) is currently ranked fourth at featherweight and returned to the win column last time out with a decision win over Dan Ige. In the fight before, he lost a decision to Brian Ortega which snapped his two-fight winning streak and had he won, he likely would’ve gotten a title shot. In his career, Jung holds notable wins over Dustin Poirier, Frankie Edgar, and Dennis Bermudez among others.

    Do you think Korean Zombie will win the featherweight championship this time after coming up short against José Aldo 9 years ago?

  • Green Not Expecting Title Shot With Makhachev Win: “I’m Not Stupid”

    Bobby Green isn’t expecting a title shot, even if he pulls off a massive upset and beats Islam Makhachev tonight at UFC Vegas 49.

    Green is stepping up on 10 days’ notice to take on Makhachev after Beneil Dariush was forced out of the bout due to an injury. The fight will take place at a 160lbs catchweight, and even though Makhachev is fighting a short-notice replacement, many still believe he will get the title shot due to his win streak.

    However, should Green win, he doesn’t believe he will get the title shot.

    “I’m not stupid. I know this is a business. I know that the UFC are the storytellers. They write the story. They don’t tell you who you goin’, and where it’s goin’, and how it’s goin’. I’m just here to play my part. That’s it,” Green said on The MMA Hour. “And so I don’t believe there will be a title shot next. People would be pissed. ‘He just jumped over everybody and blah, blah, blah.

    Bobby Green, Nasrat Haqparast
    © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

    “‘And it doesn’t make sense. And he wasn’t ranked, and blah, blah, blah. And he only has two or three wins (in a row) and blah, blah, blah.’ They’re gonna have every excuse of why I shouldn’t (receive a title shot). And I don’t care. I just want you to put me in front of somebody next and keep this money rollin’ in. That’s all it’s about is money, OK? That’s it.”

    Bobby Green just fought at UFC 271 and defeated Nasrat Haqparast by decision. It was his second win in a row as he scored a TKO victory over Al Iaquinta at UFC 268 prior to that. Green has been in the UFC since 2013, and this will be his first main event. Should he win, this will easily be the biggest win of his career and possibly put him in the top 5 at lightweight.

    Do you think Bobby Green would deserve a title shot with a win over Islam Makhachev?

  • Smith: Rockhold Is ‘Not Good Enough To Beat Anybody Worth A F**k’

    Anthony Smith has continued to take shots at Luke Rockhold.

    After Smith fought Jon Jones, Rockhold began blasting “Lionheart” for being a bad middleweight that was able to get a title shot. That began a feud as Smith told him to move up so they can fight. And after Rockhold did move up and got KO’d by Jan Blachowicz, their rivalry only increased.

    Now, as Rockhold is angling to face Paulo Costa next time out, Smith doesn’t think it is a good idea, as he thinks the former champ would get knocked out.

    “He’s not able to stay awake at work… He falls asleep on the job all the time. But it’s just like he sucks now. And ok that’s a lie,” Smith said on Michael Bisping’s podcast (via Sportskeeda). “I don’t want to put it out there like that. I think he’s very skilled. He’s super dangerous, he’s got insane kicks, he’s got good power, he’s an insane wrestler, he’s a fantastic guy on top. But defensively, he’s not good enough to beat anybody worth a f**k.”

    Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    Given both Smith and Rockhold do not have a fight booked, perhaps this recent trash-talk will allow this fight to happen. It would be a big fight, as it could headline a Fight Night card or be on a pay-per-view, as the two don’t like one another. However, Rockhold has made it clear he isn’t interested in fighting at light heavyweight.

    Anthony Smith is coming off a submission win over Ryan Spann, which was his third win in a row as he also beat Jimmy Crute and Devin Clark. He’s currently ranked fourth at light heavyweight while Luke Rockhold has not fought since UFC 239, where he was KO’d by Jan Blachowicz.

    Do you agree with Anthony Smith’s harsh assessment of Luke Rockhold?

  • Dale Brown Says Other UFC Fighters Have Reached Out For Cornering

    Detroit Urban Survival Commander, Dale Brown surprised everyone when he was in Joaquin Buckley’s corner.

    Brown was considered a joke to many on social media for his defense techniques, but Buckely wanted to see it first-hand. After going to Brown and working with him, he began gaining respect for him and ended up having him in his corner for his UFC Vegas 48 fight against Abdul Razak Alhassan.

    Buckley ended up winning the fight by split decision and Brown says the KO artists used some of his techniques in the scrap.

    “I will say he did use some techniques that are associated with my training,” Brown said to TMZ Sports.

    With Dale Brown now being 1-0 as a cornerman, he says other UFC fighters have reached out about him training them.

    “We’ve had several just the past couple of days reaching out, emailing, texting, trying to reach out and see if they can come by the facility and see what we can do to coordinate and collaborate,” Brown said.

    However, even though several UFC fighters have reached out to him, Brown says he will only work with Buckley, as he is loyal to him.

    “We’re #teamBuckley so that’s not gonna happen,” Brown said.

    With Buckley beating Alhassan with Brown in his corner, he improved to 14-4 as a pro and is riding a two-fight winning streak. He’s also 4-2 inside the Octagon. But with him getting the win, perhaps he goes back to the D.U.S.T. commander next time out. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and Buckley had success against Alhassan so perhaps he runs back his exact same corner for his next fight.

    What do you make of Dale Brown saying other UFC fighters have reached out to train him?

  • Tyron Woodley Open To Boxing Tommy Fury Next

    Tyron Woodley is interested in boxing Tommy Fury next time out.

    Woodley stepped up on short notice to rematch Jake Paul when Fury pulled out. After he was knocked out, Paul said that Woodley should box Fury. Since then, there has been no talk, but just recently, Paul’s promotion posted on social media asking if fans would want to see the fight.

    https://twitter.com/TheBreadBatch/status/1496481570726846466

    On his Instagram Stories, Woodley wrote “I’m with it,” in response to the idea of a bout against Fury.

    Although Jake Paul wants to see Tyron Woodley vs. Tommy Fury, the Brit has made it clear he wants the Paul fight rebooked.

    “I’d look to see the [Paul] fight happen by the back end of the year. I’m not really waiting around for it, he knows I’m ready to fight at all times,” Fury told Sky Sports. “I’ve put that out there countless times, I’m not the issue here. If the man wanted to fight we’d have a rescheduled date by now. The ball’s in his court, I’m ready to fight whenever. I would like to see it happen at the end of the year, I know Frank [Warren] is still trying to reach out to him and stuff like that.”

    “I sort of want him to fight Tyron Woodley and see what happens there. Because I think Tyron would knock Tommy out, so, I almost want to have them fight. Then, maybe we could run it back after that,” Paul later added on The MMA Hour.

    Tyron Woodley is 0-2 in boxing as he suffered the KO loss to Paul in December and dropped a split decision to Paul in August. Prior to that, he was on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC after losing his belt.

    Tommy Fury, meanwhile, is 7-0 as a pro boxer and coming off a decision win over Bellator veteran Anthony Taylor last time out. He hasn’t fought anyone of note in his career.

    Would you like to see Tyron Woodley vs. Tommy Fury?

  • Maryna Moroz On Ex-Teammate Mariya Agapova: “This Girl Is Garbage”

    Maryna Moroz is doubling down on her callout of ex-teammate, Mariya Agapova.

    Moroz recently claimed Agapova struggled with jealousy and was a drug addict which is why she got kicked out of American Top Team. Along with that, Moroz claims Agapova was flirting with other fighters as well as trying to hurt them in purpose in training. However, Agapova was quick to deny those allegations and instead said she wanted to fight Moroz.

    Now, the former teammates are set to face one another at UFC 272 on March 5 and ahead of the scrap, Moroz doubled down on the trash-talk of Agapova. The event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a grudge match between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.

    “Before, I said she’s a dangerous person and it’s true. She used drugs, we have all the proof. Videos, screenshots, everything. And of course, I didn’t post it. I don’t need to. I don’t need my Instagram showing garbage,” Moroz said to CageSide Press. “This girl is garbage. I don’t want my Instagram looking like garbage. I show OnlyFans, beautiful pictures, but now I can show the journalists who is real and who is who. ‘Mashka’ is a person who is a liar, very dangerous. In interviews, she’s ‘Oh, I’m nice girl, I’m training,’” Moroz continued. “Of course, she trains, but she used drugs. She was crazy and dangerous saying she’d kill me and want to cut my face.”

    Given the history between the two, this fight will be highly anticipated. Agapova called for it to happen and got her wish, as she said that she wanted to punish Moroz for her comments. She will get her chance to do so at UFC 272.

    What do you make of Maryna Moroz’s trash talk about her former teammate in Mariya Agapova?

  • Michael Bisping Responds To Complaints About His UFC 271 Commentary

    Michael Bisping made his pay-per-view commentary debut at UFC 271, but many fans thought he was biased towards Israel Adesanya.

    Throughout the fight, Bisping was praising Adesanya and believed he won nearly every round and the scrap was not that close. However, to many fans watching, it felt very close, and some media members even score the bout for Whittaker. But for Bisping, he doesn’t think he was biased and says the judges’ scorecards prove he was calling the fight correctly.

    “It was a really close fight and to all you haters out there that are talking s***, the judges agree with everything that I f***ing said,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.

    “So, I’m not taking validation from that nor am I using this as an excuse to sit here and say I know it all. I watched a fight very closely, very intently, but I will go away and watch it and see if I made any mistakes. If you hear bad reviews of your work, you want to take it on board with an open mind. I want to get better; I want to learn and grow as a human being.”

    Michael Bisping
    PHOTO: KEVIN IOLE

    Israel Adesanya was awarded the unanimous decision with the scorecards being 48-47 x2 and 49-46. It marked the fourth title defense of his middleweight and second win over Robert Whittaker. He has started to clean out the middleweight division, but this fight was much closer, despite Bisping believing it was a clear victory for the middleweight champ.

    We should find out soon who Israel Adesanya will fight next.

    Michael Bisping was added to the UFC 271 commentating team as a late replacement for Joe Rogan. Despite the criticisms of Bisping’s commentary, the former middleweight champion no doubt adds a lot to the booth with his experience fighting and knowing what the fighters are going through.

    Do you think Michael Bisping was biased towards Israel Adesanya?