MMA News

Author: Cole Shelton

  • Greg Hardy vs. Serghei Spivac Moved To UFC 272

    Greg Hardy will now be fighting at UFC 272.

    Hardy was supposed to make his return at UFC 270 against Aleksei Oleinik, but the Russian was forced out of the fight. Shortly thereafter, it was announced Serghei Spivac agreed to step up on short notice, but the former NFL Pro Bowler injured his finger and was forced to pull out.

    Now, the UFC announced that Hardy and Spivac has been rebooked for UFC 272 on March 5 in Las Vegas. The main event of the card sees Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal.

    Greg Hardy (7-4 and one No Contest) is on a two-fight losing streak. He’s coming off a first-round KO loss to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264 and before that, suffered a TKO loss to Marcin Tybura in December of 2020. Prior to the setbacks, he TKO’d Maurice Greene and beat Yorgan de Castro by decision.

    The former Dallas Cowboy and Carolina Panther is 4-4 and one No Contest in the UFC with other wins over Dmitry Smolyakov and Juan Adams. His other losses were to Alexander Volkov and a DQ loss to Allen Crowder in his debut.

    Greg Hardy
    Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    Serghei Spivac (13-3) had his three-fight winning streak snapped last time out as he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Tom Aspinall in September. It was a fight he took on short notice after beating Aleksei Oleinik, a TKO win over Jared Vanderaa, and a decision win over Carlos Felipe.

    The 26-year-old is 4-3 in the UFC with his other win being a submission victory over Tai Tuivasa. His losses came to Tybura by decision and a knockout loss to Walt Harris in his debut.

    With the addition of Greg Hardy vs. Serghei Spivac at UFC 272, the card is as follows:

    • Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal
    • Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
    • Greg Hardy vs. Serghei Spivac
    • Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan
    • Jessica Eye vs. Manon Fiorot
    • Maryna Moroz vs. Mariya Agapova
    • Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
    • Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
    • Jalin Turner vs. Jamie Mullarkey
    • Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira
    • Devonte Smith vs. Erick Gonzalez

    Who do you think will win at UFC 272, Greg Hardy or Serghei Spivac?

  • White Walks Cejudo & Manager Through How To Properly Request A Fight

    Dana White has given some advice to Henry Cejudo and Ali Abdelaziz on how to get the former flyweight and bantamweight champion a fight.

    After it was revealed Max Holloway was out of his trilogy match against Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight belt, Cejudo was vocal about wanting the fight. However, the UFC showed no interest in the bout and decided to turn to the Korean Zombie instead. This was not the first time Cejudo has teased a comeback or called for a fight against Volkanovski. “Triple C” has been calling out Volkanovski frequently since his decision to retire.

    Now, White has given Cejudo and Abdelaziz some advice on what they should do if Triple C is really serious in wanting to return.

    “The thing is, Cejudo is retired,” White told Yahoo Sports (via MMAFighting). “There’s a way to go about it if you really want to fight, if that’s what you really want to do, you want the Volkanovski fight. What you don’t do is – I mean, you could. You could go online and start talking to Volkanovski and calling him names and all this stuff, but what you’d really have to do is pick up the phone and call and say, ‘Hey, what’s the procedure I need to follow to get back into a fight? I want to unretire and when can I get back into the USADA pool? How fast and what do I need to do?’ That’s how you get a fight.

    “His manager (Ali Abdelaziz) has 280,000 fighters under contract in the UFC, Cejudo’s been here forever,” White continued. “If you really want to fight, get down here and make some calls and say, ‘Hey, what do I need to do to get back in to fight? I want to jump back in.’ That’s how you do it. You don’t call people out and call them names on Twitter and then expect we’re gonna pick up the phone and go, ‘Hey, we’ve got a fight for you!’”

    Henry Cejudo
    Photo via Instagram @henrycejudo

    Henry Cejudo retired following a TKO win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 to defend his bantamweight title for the first and only time. Although he retired, he has continued to talk about returning. Yet, Dana White says he or his manager hasn’t made a serious effort to actually book a fight.

    For White, he makes it clear, if Cejudo is serious about returning, he needs to prove that and not demand a title fight on social media.

    “Then get it done,” White said. “You know how to do it. Have your manager call over here and get the deal done. That’s why I was saying the other night and the media is saying, ‘Well, Henry Cejudo said this and this guy said that,’ – it’s a silly conversation. This is ridiculous to even talk about. You’re asking me about a retired fighter that isn’t anywhere near coming back, to take on Alexander Volkanovski, who is in a different weight class, in a short notice fight. Why are we talking about this? How does this make sense?

    “If you really want to fight, get on the phone with your matchmaker and get the ball rolling.”

    Do you think we will see Henry Cejudo fight again?

  • Gunnar Nelson Signs New Deal With The UFC, Teases Fight Announcement

    Gunnar Nelson will be coming back soon.

    Nelson, who last fought in September of 2019 where he lost to Gilbert Burns, has not been heard from for over two years. There has been little talk of his next fight, but the Icelandic fighter announced on social media he has inked a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. He also teased a fight announcement.

    “New multi-fight contract signed with the @ufc. Hopefully a fight announcement coming soon,” Nelson wrote on social media.

    Before the loss to decision loss to Burns at UFC Copenhagen, he suffered a split decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC London in March of 2019. Before the back-to-back setbacks, he picked up a submission win over Alex Oliveira in a violent fight at UFC 231.

    Gunnar Nelson
    Image Credit: Dave Mandel of Sherdog.com

    Nelson has been in the UFC since 2012 and is 8-5 inside the Octagon, including headlining a card against Santiago Ponzinibbio, where he was knocked out in the first round. He does hold notable wins over Alan Jouban, Zak Cummings, Omari Akhmedov, and Albert Tumenov.

    Part of the reason why Nelson has not fought is due to injuries and back in December, he opened up about it to MMAFighting’s MMA Hour.

    “It takes a long time, and it can be so crippling,” Nelson said of the back-to-back rib injuries that have now kept him out of the cage for over two years. “They’re just terrible. It was at the top here, so the top ribs, so it affects the shoulder, it affects the breathing, it affects everything.”

    At this time, it’s uncertain the 33-year-old when he will fight again and who it will be against. However, the UFC London card serves as a likely date for Nelson to make his return back in Europe.

    Who would you like to see Gunnar Nelson fight in his return?

  • Jake Paul Hints At Announcement Related To Fighter Pay

    Jake Paul is teasing an announcement related to Dana White and fighter pay.

    Paul has taken shots at White for not paying his fighters enough money and not providing them health care or benefits. It has gotten the attention of the UFC president, who responded to Paul in a video on social media.

    Now, just recently, UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou said he wouldn’t fight for the UFC again on his current contract.

    “No, I will not fight for $500,000, $600,000 anymore,” Ngannou said to ESPN. “I mean, it’s over. It’s over. I just did this. I took this fight for a personal reason, and I want to make sure that regardless, even if it’s unfair, I have been wrongly treated, I can make my case to say I have completed the eight fights. But no.”

    To no surprise, that got the attention of Jake Paul who took to social media to let Dana White know he is working on something big.

    “give this man what he wants Dana. such a f****d company to be apart of… I got something coming soon,” Paul wrote on social media.

    Although many MMA fighters have criticized Jake Paul, he has been vocal in wanting to help fighters get paid more. He donated to former UFC fighter, Sarah Alpar’s GoFundMe to help with her training.

    Paul has also offered to retire from boxing and take an MMA fight in the UFC if White ups the minimum amount of pay to $50,000 a fight. However, that still has not happened, so by all outward appearances, the YouTuber-turned-boxer will continue to be an advocate for fighter pay in an attempt to get UFC fighters to make more money.

    Jake Paul is coming off a sixth-round KO win over Tyron Woodley back in December, which improved his record to 5-0.

    What do you make of Jake Paul being an advocate for fighter pay?

  • Chael Sonnen Applauds Masvidal For Risking It All In Covington Fight

    Chael Sonnen has praised Jorge Masvidal for taking the very risky fight against Colby Covington.

    In the main event of UFC 272 on March 5, Masvidal and Covington will finally settle their differences. It’s a highly-anticipated bout as they used to be roommates and close friends; however, they had a massive falling out and have taken shots at one another for years now.

    For Sonnen, he says he is surprised “Gamebred” took this fight, as it is a tough matchup for him coming off two losses in a row and with very high stakes.

    “In all fairness, I really got to show respect to Masvidal because this is a career-ending fight,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel (via Sportskeeda). “It is that big of a deal, there will be that much attention and that much focus and that much hatred going into this battle. Jorge, who is the second biggest draw in combat [sports] right now who’s coming off of two defeats.

    Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington
    Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington

    “If he goes out there and he gets taken down and he gets mauled for 25 minutes, it is going to take a lot of luster off of the shine that is the second biggest draw [in MMA], the BMF, Jorge Masvidal. It’s a big deal and Jorge signed up anyway. God damn, I respect that,” Sonnen concluded.

    Jorge Masvidal was a massive star in 2019 as he scored a KO win over Darren Till, the flying knee KO over Ben Askren, and a TKO win over Nate Diaz to win the BMF belt. Since then, however, he has lost two straight to Kamaru Usman for the belt, including the last being by KO, which many viewed as the knockout of the year in 2021.

    If Masvidal loses to Covington, it would be three straight and would likely signal the end of his time as a top contender. It would also hurt his damage as a superstar, which is the chief reason Chael Sonnen is praising Gamebred for taking this scrap.

    Are you surprised Jorge Masvidal accepted the fight against Colby Covington?

  • Katlyn Chookagian Becomes A Free Agent After UFC Vegas 46 Win

    Katlyn Chookagian fought out her contract at UFC Vegas 46 on Saturday night.

    Chookagian was rematching Jennifer Maia where she picked up another decision win in a solid performance. It was Chookagian’s 10th UFC win, which all have come by decision, and cemented herself as one of the top contenders at flyweight. However, after her win, she revealed that was the last fight of her deal and the UFC declined to offer a new contract before the scrap.

    “This was the last fight on my contract, and usually when you have one more, they renegotiate your contract,” Chookagian said at the post-fight press conference. “So when they offered this fight, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m up for negotiation for a new contract,’ and they were like, ‘Oh no, we want you to fight this [contract] out.’

    “That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to cut me, but it’s usually not good news. Hopefully with this performance, I’d like to think they want to keep me. I want to stay here. So hopefully I proved that tonight,” Chookagian continued.

    Image Credit: Katlyn Chookagian Instagram

    Katlyn Chookagian is currently ranked second at women’s flyweight and is on a three-fight winning streak. Before beating Maia for the second time, she defeated Viviane Araujo and Cynthia Calvillo. She’s currently 10-4 in the UFC and has fought for UFC gold once losing by TKO to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 247.

    With her not being under contract, the hope for Chookagian is to reach a deal soon which would lead her to get another crack at the belt.

    “I think the UFC needs to re-sign me before I think about [a title shot],” Chookagian said. “I’m on a three-fight win streak, all top-five opponents, so I would hope they re-sign me. They didn’t want to extend my contract before this fight, so hopefully I proved I belong here. I’m No. 2 in the division. I’ve been No. 2 or No. 1 for three or four years since the division started. I have as many wins as Valentina [Shevchenko]. I’ve beaten probably more top-10 fighters than any other fighter in the UFC, male or female. This is my 14th fight. I think all but two, maybe three, were all top-10 opponents.

    “So I think I earned my spot here in the UFC,” she concluded. “So hopefully I get that call next week. I just hope that I’m still a UFC fighter after this performance… I’m a fighter. I’ll keep fighting no matter what, but I want to stay in the UFC, for sure.”

    Do you think the UFC will re-sign Katlyn Chookagian?

  • Tommy Fury: The Ball Is In Jake Paul’s Court

    Tommy Fury is still interested in fighting Jake Paul next.

    Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champion, Tyson, was set to box Paul in the main event of a Showtime boxing pay-per-view in December in Tampa. However, less than two weeks before the fight, the Brit was forced out of the bout citing a chest infection and a broken rib.

    With Fury being out, Paul then rematched Tyron Woodley who he subsequently knocked out in the sixth round. Since then, Tommy Fury has made it clear he wants that fight back and says the ball is in Jake Paul’s court to make it happen.

    “Make no mistake, that’s the fight I want next and I’ll always be checking in with my team every day to see where we’re up to with that,” Fury said on The MMA Hour. “But there comes a time where I have my own career. My goal still doesn’t change. My goal is to be a champion in this sport and, believe it or not, fighting Jake Paul doesn’t give me that at all. Fighting Jake Paul will never make me a champion in boxing. So, Jake Paul, yeah it’s a great fight, it’s a big fight, but it doesn’t really make me achieve my dreams.

    Jake Paul, Tommy Fury
    Jake Paul, Tommy Fury (Image Credits: Mike Ehrmann/Jason Miller/Getty Images)

    “So at the end of the day, I’ll wait for a certain amount of time. I’m trying my best to get this fight back on track,” Fury continued. “You talk to anybody, this is the fight I wan. I’ll wait for him an amount of time, it comes off, great, if it doesn’t, I will resume my career and start winning some titles. That’s just the way life is.

    “The ball is in Jake Paul’s court now. I’m doing everything I can with my team to get this fight rescheduled.”

    Jake Paul had said he wanted to take some time off after his last win so whether or not the Tommy Fury fight will be rescheduled is uncertain. If it isn’t, the 7-0 boxer in Fury will look to make his return in the spring as he looks to eventually become a world champion.

    Do you think we will see Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury next?

  • Jared Cannonier: The World Needs More Sean Stricklands

    Jared Cannonier believes the world needs more of Sean Strickland and his approach to life.

    Strickland has been vocal in interviews and on social media as he speaks his mind and doesn’t hold back. To many, they don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but Strickland doesn’t care. For Cannonier, he says that is a welcomed sight and something he wishes more fighters would do.

    “That’s absolutely why. I don’t like having to figure you out. Be who you are. If you’re not being honest with me, you’re definitely not being honest with yourself. You’re just putting on another face. You’re hiding your true self, and I don’t trust that,” said Cannonier to LowKick MMA. “I don’t trust somebody who’s hiding their true selves. If you’ve done something bad, that’s shadow work that needs to be done within that individual, so that they can come out and be their authentic self, so they can love themselves in front of the world, you know what I’m saying? Without having to hide ‘hide this part of me, hide that part of me.’

    Jared Cannonier
    Jared Cannonier (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

    “I do appreciate that (in Sean Strickland). The world needs more of that,” added Cannonier. “We’ve been living in this Dionysus-themed thing, with the social media and the media in general. People just put on faces, they put on masks whenever they go in front of a camera or in front of other people. I find it hard to trust that. One thing I will trust is somebody who’s gonna be themselves in front of me, whether you’re gonna be my friend or my enemy, I wanna know who you are and what’s your intent here?”

    Although Cannonier believes the world needs more Stricklands, he has gotten in trouble for some of the things he has said online. He does cross the line on multiple occasions, but as Cannonier says, that is truly Strickland, and he isn’t hiding anything.

    Jared Cannonier is set to return in the co-main event of UFC 271 on February 12 as he takes on Derek Brunson in a number one contender bout. Sean Strickland, meanwhile, headlines the February 5 Fight Night card opposite Jack Hermansson.

    Do you agree with Jared Cannonier that the world needs more Sean Stricklands?

  • Newspaper Tricked Into Using Photo Of Hasbulla In Local Snow Section

    A United Kingdom newspaper had a photo of Hasbulla in their section of local kids enjoying the snow.

    The local paper asked the citizens to send pictures of kids enjoying the snow, and one person sent in a photo of Hasbulla. The newspaper obviously did not know who it was and published it with the caption, “Hasbullah, seven, had never experienced snow before last week.”

    https://twitter.com/officialkappa99/status/1480897378043539458

    The user who sent in the photo of Hasbulla tweeted the screenshot of his e-mail to the newspaper where he wrote, “Wee Hasbullah aged 7 on the Gleniffer Braes with Paisley/Glasgow in the background. This is the first time he has actually seen snow!”

    Hasbulla became famous in 2021 as his faceoff with Abdu Rozik went viral. Ever since then, the world became enamored with him, and he even got the attention of the UFC. Dana White had a meeting with Hasbulla while he was in attendance at UFC 267, and he was inside the Octagon with Khabib Nurmagomedov after Islam Makhachev submitted Dan Hooker.

    White also knows how big of a star Hasbulla is, as he says a video he posted about him is the most-watched on his Instagram.

    “You know I posted that video of him saying, ‘Dana I’m coming to UFC Abu Dhabi,’ and then I said, ‘I’m on the plane can’t wait to meet you in Abu Dhabi?” On Instagram, I have 6.7 million followers, right? 6.4 million people watched that video on Instagram. It’s the biggest thing that I’ve ever posted. It’s insane,” White said to Barstool.

    White also says there is a chance Hasbulla fights inside the Octagon against Rozik, which would be one of the most anticipated fights ever.

    “I love the kid. Is there more than a zero percent chance [that he fights in the UFC]? Yes!”

    What do you make of the newspaper being trolled to post a photo of Hasbulla?

  • Mendez: Khabib & Makhachev Would ‘Dominate’ Charles Oliveira

    Javier Mendez is confident that both of his pupils in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev would beat Charles Oliveira with ease.

    Oliveira is the current UFC lightweight champion and defended his belt for the first time in December with a submission win over Dustin Poirier. He is now likely to face Justin Gaethje sometime in the spring or summer. And should he win that, a bout against the winner of Makhachev-Beneil Dariush will be next.

    Although Oliveira has looked dominant since he became the champ, American Kickboxing head coach Javier Mendez believes the former champ Nurmagomedov as well as Makhachev would be able to defeat the Brazilian.

    “I know they both would beat Charles, in my opinion… Stylistically wise, Islam could strike, he can kick. Khabib wasn’t a great kicker,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Khabib would have to go straight to the grappling with Charles and probably dominate him there. As a matter of fact, I know he would. I know Khabib would dominate him there. And I kind of feel, my personal opinion, as great as Charles is, I think Islam would dominate him there too.”

    Charles Oliveira
    USA Today

    Of course, Nurmagomedov is retired and doesn’t seem too interested in ever returning to the Octagon again. However, there is a very real chance Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira fight in 2022 so we can see if the Dagestani fighter would really beat the Brazilian and become the new champion.

    In order for him to even get the title shot, he will need to defeat Dariush in the main event of a Fight Night card on February 26. This is easier said than done, as Dariush has been on an incredible run. However, Mendez believes it is only a matter of time before Makhachev does what his longtime friend and teammate did: become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

    Do you think Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov would beat Charles Oliveira?

  • ONE CEO Disagrees With How White Does Business, Open To A Fight

    Chatri Sityodtong doesn’t agree with how Dana White runs the UFC.

    Sityodtong, the CEO of ONE Championship, is all about martial arts and respect, and he doesn’t like when his fighters talk trash. White and the UFC, however, embrace trash-talking because it helps sell pay-per-views. That is one of the things Sityodtong doesn’t like about how the UFC is run.

    “I think he is an outstanding businessman,” Sityodtong said on The MMA Hour. “I don’t necessarily agree with the way he does things, but obviously he’s built UFC into a phenomenal company. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. But I don’t think he knows anything about martial arts. I don’t think he knows anything about fighting. I think he’s a fan, so I have differences. I come from the martial arts community. I come from the martial arts background. And how I treat my athletes, they are my peers. I come from the community. It’s very, very different.

    “I think if you’ve never been punched in the face or choked out, you can disrespect people publicly [with your comments],” Sityodtong continued. “But if you have had lifelong hard training — I just say we have stylistic differences. I don’t particularly respect the way he talks down to athletes.”

    Chatri Sityodtong (Image Credit: Paul Miller/Bloomberg)

    With Chatri Sityodtong disagreeing with how Dana White runs the UFC and him claiming White doesn’t know martial arts, he says he is open to a fight with him. They are both over 50-years-old, but Sityodtong is confident he would beat the American with ease.

    “I’m a lifelong martial artist,” Sityodtong said about a fight with White. “I’ve been doing Muay Thai for 35 years and I’m a jiu-jitsu brown belt. I train five, six times a week. If there’s a fight with someone my age, why not? I’m 50, turning 51 this year. I train five, six days a week, one or two hours every day.”

    Although Sityodtong is open to a fight against White, it is highly unlikely the bout happens. White is just focused on running the UFC, and he doesn’t gain anything by fighting the ONE CEO. Nevertheless, Sityodtong’s remarks are sure to get more people talking about him and his promotion.

    What do you make of Chatri Sityodtong calling out Dana White for a fight?

  • Tai Tuivasa Shares Prediction For Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane Title Fight

    Tai Tuivasa believes Ciryl Gane is the real deal and is the new breed of heavyweights, but isn’t sure if he beats Francis Ngannou this soon.

    In the main event of UFC 270, Francis Ngannou is looking to defend his heavyweight title for the first time against the interim champ, Ciryl Gane. It’s a fascinating fight due to the fact they are former training partners and both are phenomenal fighters.

    Ngannou has the one-punch KO power while Gane is a technical striker and is hard to hit. Gane has rarely been touched in the UFC, but Ngannou only needs to land one. For Tuivasa, he believes Gane has the skills to avoid that shot.

    “Yeah, they are two freaks. You know what I mean. I think I have said the other day…I think if Ciryl plays the long game at points and can stay away from Francis, I think he might win over the five rounds,” Tuivasa said on InsideFighting (via Sportskeeda). “But that’s harder than it sounds, you know what I mean. If Francis touches him or lands one of those massive shots, I think we’ve all seen what Fancis does. He might put him out. Like, that’s, again, another 50-50.

    “Ciryl’s a nice guy, but I think Francis might get it. I’m not sure but I’m gonna go with Francis. But Ciryl Gane is a new breed of heavyweights for sure.”

    Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane
    Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

    The current betting odds have the fight between Ngannou and Gane as a pick’em, so Tuivasa is right in saying it is a 50-50 fight and a hard one to call. But, we will all find out on January 22 who becomes the new heavyweight champ.

    Tai Tuivasa, meanwhile, is coming off a KO win over Augusto Sakai at UFC 269 to make him the 11th-ranked heavyweight. He’s now riding a four-fight winning streak as he also KO’d Greg Hardy in July and Harry Hunsucker in March. To start 2022, he will be facing Derrick Lewis next month at UFC 271.

    Who do you think wins between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane?

  • Evloev vs. Topuria Scrapped From UFC 270, Topuria Calls Out Ige

    The battle of two undefeated featherweights Movsar Evloev and Ilia Topuria has been canceled after Evloev was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a positive COVID-19 test.

    Soon after news of Evloev’s withdrawal became known, Topuria was immediately hot on the trail in pursuit of a replacement.

    “Bad news! @MovsarUFC is out. We already knew that this was gonna happen. @Dynamitedan808, are you up for a fight? Let me know ASAP and if you are down, hope to see you January 22. Let’s go!”

    Dan Ige is currently ranked #9 in the division while Topuria is unranked, so the callout certainly makes sense for Topuria, who is coming off a vicious KO win over Ryan Hall at UFC 264.

    The 24-year-old was ranked 15th at featherweight not too long ago and is 3-0 in the UFC. He made his debut on short notice back on Fight Island in October of 2020 as he beat Youssef Zalal by decision. In his next fight, he scored another highlight-reel vicious KO over Damon Jackson last December.

    Movsar Evloev (15-0) last fought back at UFC 263 as he beat Hakeem Dawdou by decision it was his fifth fight inside the Octagon. The 27-year-old gas beat Nik Lentz by split decision, Mike Grundy, Enrique Barzola, and Seung Woo Choi, all by decision in the UFC. He’s currently the 13th-ranked featherweight and is the former M-1 bantamweight champion.

    There is no word on if Topuria will remain on the card as he wishes or if this fight will be rescheduled.

    With this cancellation the updated UFC 270 lineup is as follows:

    • UFC Heavyweight Championship Bout: Francis Ngannou (c) vs. Ciryl Gane
    • UFC Flyweight Championship Bout: Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
    • Derek Brunson vs. Jared Cannonier
    • Greg Hardy vs. Aleksi Oleinik
    • Wellington Turman vs. Rodolfo Vieira
    • Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho
    • Poliana Botelho vs. Ji Yeon Kim
    • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Cody Stamann
    • Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales
    • Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
    • Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
    • Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
    • Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira

  • Calvin Kattar Explains Why He Hasn’t Tried To Replace Holloway At UFC 272

    Calvin Kattar was one of the few featherweights who did not put his name in the hat to replace Max Holloway to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the belt.

    Volkanovski was supposed to defend his belt in a trilogy match against Holloway at UFC 272 in March. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian was forced out of the bout. After that, several featherweights like Giga Chikadze, Korean Zombie, Josh Emmett, and Yair Rodríguez all called for the fight.

    For Kattar, however, he didn’t see a reason to call for the fight, especially when he has a scrap coming up.

    “Yeah, man, talk is cheap,” Kattar said on BetQL Tapped Out. “I’m trying to go out next week and earn it…Him throwing his name in the hat, it’d be a shame if I went out and ruined his plans, you know?”

    Calvin Kattar & Max Holloway
    Calvin Kattar & Max Holloway (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

    Kattar is set to headline UFC Vegas 46 this Saturday against Giga Chikadze in a battle of top-10 featherweights. The winner could very well be in title contention, and that is all Kattar is focused on, not trying to call out the champ for a bout in March.

    “All I know is a W gets me that much closer,” Kattar said. “You only get closer off wins. And some of these guys calling for the title shot off losses, it doesn’t really make sense to me. Yeah, it happens every now and then, but go out and win some shit and then talk.”

    Calvin Kattar is currently ranked fifth at featherweight and is coming off a beatdown loss to Max Holloway in January last year. The loss dropped him to 22-5 as a pro and he’s 6-3 in the UFC with wins over Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, Jeremy Stephens, Andre Fili, and Ricardo Lamas among others.

    Do you think Calvin Kattar will beat Giga Chikadze in the main event of UFC Vegas 46?

  • Watch: Khamzat Chimaev Restrained By Security At MMA Event

    Khamzat Chimaev was involved in an incident at an MMA event.

    According to several reports, Chimaev was sitting in the front row to cheer on one of his teammates. After the ref called the fight off, the Swede then jumped the rails to make his way toward the cage to protest the stoppage.

    Security was quick to get Chimaev and intervened, but a small scuffle did happen.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTcsvQPm9c&ab_channel=MMAHotTakes

    The good news is, no one was hurt in the altercation, and security was able to calm Chimaev down rather quickly.

    The 10-0 Khamzat Chimaev is currently the 11th-ranked welterweight and is coming off a submission win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in the first round. It was his fourth win inside the Octagon as he also has a one-punch KO win over Gerald Meerschaert and stoppage wins over Rhys McKee and John Phillips in 10 days.

    Chimaev does not have his next fight booked, but many are hoping he gets a title shot sometime soon. As it stands, a bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 appears the most likely scenario.

    Chimaev has been considered one of the most feared men in the UFC. Dana White has claimed that other welterweights do not want to fight him, while Chael Sonnen believes he’s already psychologically defeated the entire division.

    “There’s a lot of ways to beat a guy, but if you can do it psychologically and you never have to get out there,” Sonnen explained on his Beyond the Fight show. “Dan Henderson had a great line one time, which is Dan was in a bar with somebody, and the guy said, ‘Hey, Dan. If I get in some trouble, you know, will you walk over there, beat this guy down for me?’ And Dan simply said, ‘Why do I need to beat him down when I can stare him down?’ And that rule of life doesn’t go away…”

    “You can stare a guy down, and he backs down; it is the art of war because the great generals never fire a shot,” Sonnen said. “They don’t need to. They align their troops and make the other people retreat. And if Chimaev is successfully doing that – If less than 20 minutes of action, three double-legs, a rear-naked choke, and a left hook – If that’s going to scare an entire division away in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, then shame on them. Fair play by Chimaev.”

    What do you make of Khamzat Chimaev being restrained by security?

  • Alexander Gustafsson: “I’m Not Done Yet”

    Alexander Gustafsson says he isn’t done fighting just yet.

    Gustafsson has not fought since he suffered a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum in his heavyweight debut back in July of 2020. The loss was his third straight. He was booked to return this past September against Paul Craig, but a week before the event, the Swede was forced out of the bout.

    Since then, there has been little talk of Gustafsson’s future, but the three-time title challenger says he will still fight again.

    “Let’s see what is going on. We’re talking to the UFC a lot. I wanna fight. I wanna fight early this year, and basically take it from there,” Gustafsson said to ESPN. “I wanna make up for the Werdum fight. I feel like I didn’t really get into that fight… I feel like I need to do stuff, take a fight, and take one fight at a time. I wanna fight early this year to just get in there and have fun. Take one win at a time.”

    In his career, Alexander Gustafsson has accomplished a lot as he fought for UFC gold three times. However, he lost twice to Jon Jones and once to Daniel Cormier. Yet, in the first fight against Jones, it was very competitive and some even think the Swede won, the same can be said about the Cormier fight.

    He also has beaten top fighters like Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Shogun Rua, and Jimi Manuwa among others. Yet, he still thinks he needs to do more in his career, which is why he wants to fight again.

    “I’m probably in the middle, in the between somewhere. I’m very happy about my career. But I feel like I’m not done yet, you know? I’m still writing the book. I have to keep going in there and doing my thing,” Gustafsson explained. “That’s what I miss doing… I really miss getting back to the Octagon and fight. That’s what I’m gonna do, basically; go back and do my thing.”

    When and who Gustafsson will fight in his return is uncertain, but the Swede is focused on making a return and snapping his losing skid.

    Who would you like to see Alexander Gustafsson fight in his return?

  • Jake Paul Breaks Down Why Woodley KO Had Nothing To Do With Luck

    Jake Paul has responded to claims that his sixth-round KO over Tyron Woodley was lucky.

    In the rematch, both Paul and Woodley hesitant were to throw much volume but in the sixth round, Paul landed a vicious right hand that put Woodley out cold. Although many were critical of his performance, according to “The Problem Child,” he was setting up that shot the entire fight.

    “I’ve done that to every single person that I’ve fought,” Paul said during an episode of Boxing with Chris Mannix as a rebuttal to those who claim the punch was lucky. “So it’s not like I’ve knocked out everyone in a violent fashion in one way or another. My power is only increasing, and I set up the shot, you watch the whole sequence.

    “I think I see his hand come flying down, I think again, go to the body, and then bring it up top with all my power and brought my hips through,” Paul continued. “It’s not lucky, look at all the people that Tyron Woodley has been in there with, and he’s never been KO’d like that.”

    Jake Paul
    Jake Paul, Image Credit: (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

    With the KO win over Tyron Woodley, Jake Paul improved to 5-0 and continues to be a big name in boxing. However, after his last win, he said he wants some time off and will likely return in the summer. Who he fights in his return is uncertain.

    Although there is no clear-cut next opponent for Paul, he does have options, as he could rebook the Tommy Fury fight or perhaps face Julio César Chávez Jr., who has called out the YouTuber.

    Regardless, Jake Paul is still set on continuing his boxing career following his violent KO win over Woodley in December. The fight also marked the end of his two-fight Showtime deal.

    Do you think Jake Paul’s KO win over Tyron Woodley was lucky?

  • Lobov Reveals He’s Still Receiving $500k Offers Despite Retirement

    Artem Lobov recently retired from combat sports, but he’s still receiving big offers.

    After Lobov suffered a TKO loss to Denys Berinchyk in a bare-knuckle fight, the fan-favorite announced his retirement from combat sports. Although Lobov didn’t have the best record, he always looked to fight the best fighters around and always put on entertaining fights.

    With that, even though he is retired, Lobov says he is still getting big offers to fight and end his retirement, but he isn’t interested in doing that.

    “I still have offers. There are still offers in my inbox. And actually, I’ve got some of the better offers since I retired,” Lobov said on The MMA Hour. “I couldn’t even believe it. Some offers were coming up to like, nearly half a million, some of the offers I’ve been getting. I’ve got some sh*t offers as well, but I’ve got a lot of offers. But I gave myself a promise, ‘Artem, you will not go back in there, no matter what.’

    Artem Lobov
    Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    “Very difficult (to say no to them). The thing as well, all this has been like, with some YouTubers, you know, in Russia, I’ve had an offer from Poland as well, to box a YouTuber there,” Lobov continued. “So it’s kind of like, I used to fight really tough guys for 100 euros, 500 euros, now I’m getting offered to box exhibition bouts against guys that aren’t even that good, and I have to turn it down. But I have to be like, ‘Are you a man of your word, or are you not a man of your word?’ That’s what I ask myself.”

    Artem Lobov ends his career with a professional MMA record of 13-15-1 and one No Contest along with a bare-knuckle record of 2-2. He also went 2-6 inside the Octagon but headlined a Fight Night card, thus showing his star power. In his career, he did beat Paulie Malignaggi in BKFC and holds decision wins over Chris Avila and Teruto Ishihara inside the Octagon.

    Do you think we will see Artem Lobov fight again?

  • Bisping To Lightweights: Blame Yourselves If McGregor Gets Title Shot

    Michael Bisping believes there is a good chance Conor McGregor gets a lightweight title shot upon his return.

    McGregor is currently rehabbing the broken leg he sustained in his trilogy match against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. During his time off, however, he has taken shots at Charles Oliveira, and the Irishman has said he would fight the Brazilian next. The champ has also expressed interest in that fight. And if McGregor does get the next title shot, Bisping believes lightweights can’t blame anyone but themselves.

    “A lot of people inside the top 15, top 5, top 10 they’re gonna say, ‘What the f**k is happening? Why is Conor McGregor getting to skip the line?’ Well, guess what? As I said, this is prizefighting, this is pay-per-views, this is the UFC, and they put on the fights, historically that we want to see, okay?” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.

    Charles Oliveira Conor McGregor
    Charles Oliveira Conor McGregor

    “The fights that we want to see, they are the fights the UFC put up. So, if you’re not happy that Conor McGregor might get to skip the line and fight the champion when he’s not even ranked, don’t blame Conor McGregor, don’t blame Dana White, don’t blame the UFC, blame your-f**king-self because you are ultimately responsible.”

    Although Bisping says McGregor is unranked, that is not true. He is ranked ninth but he still is well outside the top-five, which is generally where you need to be to get a title shot. However, even when Bisping fought Dan Henderson for the belt, Henderson was ranked 10th, so we have seen this before. Additionally, Georges St-Pierre was also unranked at middleweight when he defeated Bisping for the title at UFC 217.

    McGregor is the biggest star in MMA history and draws a ton of pay-per-views, so financially it does make sense for the UFC to put the Irishman in the title fight, even if he is on a two-fight losing skid.

    Do you think Conor McGregor should get the next lightweight title shot?

  • Jake Paul Reacts To Winning SI’s “Breakout Boxer Of The Year” Award

    Jake Paul has taken the boxing world by storm, and he has now been named Sports Illustrated Breakout Boxer of the Year.

    Paul made his pro debut in 2020 where he scored a first-round TKO over fellow YouTuber, AnEsonGib. He followed that up with a vicious knockout win over Nate Robinson in November, but in 2021, he had a phenomenal year.

    Paul headlined a Triller Fight Club pay-per-view against Ben Askren, where he scored a first-round knockout. After the fight, he signed with Showtime boxing and fought former UFC champion, Tyron Woodley, in August in the main event of a pay-per-view card where he edged out a split decision. Although going 2-0 in the year is good for many boxers, Paul fought one more time as he rematched Woodley in December and scored a violent sixth-round KO.

    Now, after going 3-0 in 2021 and being a big name in boxing, Sports Illustrated named him their Breakout Boxer of the Year, which Paul is blown away by.

    “Today I’m overwhelmed with many emotions and a deep feeling of gratitude. Less than 2 years ago I made my professional debut after having 1 amateur fight that lasted 5 rounds and now today, I won Sports Illustrated Breakout Boxer of the Year. Wow,” Paul wrote on social media. “I got into boxing because I needed a new calling in life and in the process I fell in love with this amazing sport and decided to dedicate my entire life to it. I saw a ton of room for innovation and had a vision of being able to change this sport forever. People laughed in my face and talked s*** in every gym I went to. They told me I couldn’t become a real boxer because I was a “YouTuber” and that nobody would take me seriously. I laughed right back.”

    Right now, Jake Paul does not have his next fight booked but he mentioned he wants some time off and will likely return in the summer. When he does, it will no doubt be another big fight as Paul looks to continue his success in boxing.

    What do you make of Jake Paul winning SI’s Breakout Boxer of the Year?

  • Diaz Hints Poirier Fight May Take Place On The Streets After Failed Booking

    Nate Diaz still wants to fight Dustin Poirier one day, even if it isn’t a sanctioned fight.

    On Tuesday, Poirier said on Teddy Atlas’ podcast that he had agreed to a short-notice fight against Diaz. He wouldn’t reveal what card it was for, but many assumed it would be UFC 270 on January 22 in Anaheim or UFC 271 in Houston, as both cards could use the boost.

    “Honestly – another thing that kinda got that flame going is a couple of days ago, I got a phone call – but I can’t talk about it,” Poirier said. “It’s a very short notice thing. Something I would hate to do is stack things against myself and take a fight on short notice, but, we’ll see what happens, man. I don’t want to give too much ‘cause I don’t know what I can say. No contract has been signed yet, but if this goes go through, I’m gonna take it. I said yes, now we’re waiting on him.” 

    After Poirier revealed that, many thought the fight was nearly official, yet reports then came out that the fight wouldn’t be happening anymore. Diaz then took to Twitter to say he talked to the UFC, but they didn’t want the fight.

    Now, after years of the two taking shots at one another, Nate Diaz took to social media to say he will fight Dustin Poirier whenever and wherever.

    https://twitter.com/NateDiaz209/status/1479016789799436288

    “Still gonna fight u somewhere,” Diaz wrote in a since-deleted tweet along with the image below.

    Nate Diaz hasn’t fought since UFC 263 in June, where he lost a decision to Leon Edwards. It was his second loss in a row after suffering a TKO doctor stoppage loss to Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt in the main event of UFC 244. He also is on the final fight of his UFC contract, which could play a role as to why the Poirier fight never came to fruition.

    Who do you think would’ve won, Nate Diaz or Dustin Poirier?

  • Poirier Takes His Rivalry With McGregor Into The Whiskey Market

    Dustin Poirier has always been up for new ventures, and now that includes owning his own whiskey company.

    Poirier already has a hot sauce company, but on Wednesday evening, Poirier announced he has created his own whiskey called Rare Stash, and it got an immediate buzz from fans. Many thought that, by making it, Poirier was taking a shot at his rival, Conor McGregor, who also has his own whiskey company in Proper No. 12.

    “What’s up man, I just want to say thank you to all my fans across the world, thank you for the love and support over the years,” Poirier said in the video. I’m excited to introduce you guys to my Rare Stash, check it out.”

    With Poirier having his own whiskey business, it is another flow of income for him, as after his title fight loss to Charles Oliveira, he hinted he may retire. If he does decide to hang up the gloves, he now has the whiskey money and the hot sauce money coming in.

    “I can do anything I put my mind to. I can fight for another belt, I can go on another streak, I can claw and climb and get back to wherever I want to be,” Poirier said. “It’s just, do I want to? That’s the question I’ve got to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do it again? Do I want to go down that road again? That answer will come in the next couple days or couple weeks.”

    Dustin Poirier, as mentioned, is coming off the title fight submission loss to Oliveira in the main event of UFC 269 for the lightweight strap. Prior to that, he had back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor in 2021. Those victories made Poirier a big star, especially due to the fact he became the first person to KO the Irishman back in January.

    What do you make of Dustin Poirier creating his own whiskey?

  • Anthony Smith Believes Jake Paul Truly Cares About UFC Fighter Pay

    Anthony Smith believes Jake Paul does care about fighter pay and wants to make a difference.

    Ever since Paul has started to take boxing seriously and began boxing ex-UFC fighters he has brought up fighter pay and how Dana White doesn’t pay his fighters enough. Originally, many thought Paul was only doing that to help sell his fights and get in a rivalry with White. But for Smith, he believes Paul is being sincere.

    “I think he’s being honest, I think he does care. Here’s the deal, we have had these movements where people talk about fighter pay, it is also people it benefits,” Smith said on his radio show on Sirius XM. “In the history of the sport we have had people come from the outside and they want to seem like they are some savior and they are going to come in and save us and help us. At the end of the day, every single one of those guys has had their own end game at the end of it. Jake Paul has nothing to gain here, so I do believe it and it does sound genuine because it is a pain in the ass and it’s hard to do and he’s still attacking it.

    Jake Paul
    Image via YouTube – Graham Bensinger

    “He is continually bringing it up for months and months and months and he’s not letting it go… I think he actually cares and he has shown that,” Smith continued. “Even when he fought Tyron the first time he gave Tyron that little bump in pay, took some of his money, and gave it back to the other fighters so those guys got paid. The easiest way to see if someone is being true and honest is are they willing to put their money where their mouth is and he’s already pulled money out of his own pocket.”

    At this point, it is hard to disagree with Anthony Smith that Jake Paul doesn’t care about fighter pay. After all, as Smith says, Paul has taken money out of his own pocket to help the cause. He has also been so vocal about it for months and even donated to Sarah Alpar so she could train full time.

    Like it or not, Smith believes what Paul is doing will keep happening for quite some time and perhaps will eventually make a difference.

    Do you think Jake Paul really cares about fighter pay?

  • Jake Paul Releases Poll On What Dana White Should Give UFC Fighters More

    Jake Paul has been an advocate for fighter pay, and that has only intensified over the recent days and weeks.

    Paul has taken shots at Dana White for nearly a year now on how little fighters are getting paid in the UFC. Over the past few days, he gave White an offer to increase minimum pay and give fighters health care among other things. And if White complied, Paul would retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC.

    “Happy new year Dana White. Here is a real challenge for you… I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to:

    1) Increase min fighter pay per fight to $50K (it’s $12K now)
    2) Guarantee UFC fighters 50% of UFC annual revenues ($1bn in 2021)
    3) Provide longterm healthcare to all fighters (you previously said brain damage is part of the gig…imagine the NFL said that). There are many UFC alums who have publicly said they are suffering from brain damage

    You have 5 days to accept and to implement the above by March 31, 2022. Once implemented I will immediately retire from boxing, enter USADA and agree to a 1 fight deal with UFC to fight weak chin Jorge

    To all UFC fighters — time to take a stand and create value for yourselves and peers. You deserve higher pay, you deserve long term healthcare and above all you deserve freedom. Support each other. I am not your enemy, I am your advocate…who selfishly wants to KO a few of you to make some big bank    .”

    White, of course, did not agree to that and instead blasted Paul with accusations of steroid abuse. So the YouTuber-turned-boxer created a poll on Twitter asking fans which perk for UFC fighters takes higher priority.

    “Dana White has 2 days left to respond to my offer but not a peep. Dana Dana Dana? What y’all think Dana should do more,” with the two options being to give fighters healthcare and increase minimum pay.

    At the time of this writing, healthcare was leading with the way with nearly 58% of the votes, with 38,000 people voting.

    To some, that may come as a surprise, as fighter pay is the big talking point; however, healthcare is something many people, including Paul, believe should be included for UFC fighters, especially after their career is done.

    At this point, it seems like the feud between Jake Paul and Dana White is not ending anytime soon.

    Are you surprised by Jake Paul’s poll results?

  • Anthony Johnson Still Not Cleared For Bellator Return, Reveals Scott Coker

    Anthony Johnson may not fight again for a little while.

    Johnson was supposed to face Vadim Nemkov in the light heavyweight semifinals but was forced to pull out of the fight with an undisclosed illness. Now, according to Bellator President Scott Coker, “Rumble” is still dealing with that and remains out.

    “I talked to him about a week ago and we had a very good conversation,” Bellator president Coker told MMA Junkie. “Without getting too much into his medical condition, he’s got to worry just about being healthy first. Fighting will always be there. I told him to keep doing what he’s doing, keep listening to the doctors and keep at it. We’re going to be here, we’re not going anywhere. If you get cleared at some point, we’ll definitely have you back.

    Anthony Johnson
    Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea of USA Today Sports

    “I think he has a little ways to go, to be honest, and we’re going to be there rooting him on. But until he gets clearance – I don’t look at it like he’s going to be fighting in six months or four months or eight months,” Coker continued about Johnson. “Let him take his time, let him get healthy and when he gets healthy we can have a conversation. If it’s a year from now, 18 months from now, or six months from now, we’ll get at it. But until then, he’s got to heal up and get healthy because there’s so much more in life than just fighting. I want him to have a long, healthy life and that’s the most important thing.”

    Anthony Johnson had a successful Bellator debut back in May at Bellator 221, where he knocked out Jose Augusto in the opening round of the grand prix. It marked his first fight since UFC 210 where he was submitted by Daniel Cormier for the UFC’s light heavyweight title.

    In his career, Rumble holds notable wins over Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, Alexander Gustafsson, Andrei Arlovski, Phil Davis, and Jimi Manuwa. He is also a fan-favorite due to his one-punch KO power, so the hope is he will be able to fight sometime in 2022.

    Who would you like to see Anthony Johnson fight when he returns?