MMA News

Author: Nicole Bosco

  • Ben Askren and Jamahal Hill Get Into Twitter Spat Over Walker Trolls

    Jamahal Hill has come to Johnny Walker’s defense against Ben Askren.

    Following his win at UFC Vegas 48, Jamahal Hill has been riding high. His opponent, Johnny Walker, however, has not been. Walker has been taking many shots from internet trolls regarding his loss and memes of his knockout have been circulating. Walker and his fiancée both issued statements asking fans to leave them alone and to address the hardships that come after a public loss like Walker experienced.

    Fighters being trolled is not new, unfortunately. Many times when a fighter loses via knockout, the image of them on the Octagon floor becomes viral. One man who knows this feeling well is Ben Askren. He became the subject of such ridicule when he lost to Jorge Masvidal. Now, he has taken to Twitter himself to mock Walker and his response to the situation.

    “We all know what we signed up for. Fighters need to quit being little babies about people making fun of them on Twitter,” Askren wrote.

    Jamahal Hill Claps Back At Askren

    This message by Askren was following Hill coming to the defense of Walker. He put out his own message to fans warning them about the effects of their words and asking people to be kind. Askren did not embrace this message, instead took to mocking it instead.

    To this end, Hill did not back down. He shot back at Askren in a series of his own Tweets.

    “If you knew what u signed up for why did u retire after a year in the ufc? U couldn’t handle the heat and ran!!” Hill wrote. “I don’t need fans to love me, I love me some me!! But your a b–ch if your ok with ppl harassing your family. I would expect u to understand a alphas mind!!”

    These two continue to go back and forth. Askren is no longer fighting, and it is unlikely that this feud will amount to anything, but Hill has been relentless in his attack on Askren.

    What do you think of this spat between Ben Askren and Jamahal Hill?

  • Green Responds To Makhachev’s Plans Of Trash-Talking During Fight

    Islam Makhachev plans on chatting it up with Booby Green on the canvas at UFC Vegas 49.

    Islam Makhachev will be headlining the upcoming UFC Vegas 49 card this weekend against Bobby Green. There has been a lot of talk about Makhachev and his position in the UFC lightweight rankings lately. On Saturday night, it will be Makhachev who plans on doing the talking once the two hit the mat.

    “We’re gonna talk inside the cage. I’m gonna take him down, then tell him, ‘Hey, let’s go. Get up. Yeah, I’m gonna talk,” Makhachev explained during media day (MMA Junkie). “He gonna talk with me when we beginning, striking, but when I’m gonna take him down, I’m gonna ask him a couple questions.”

    Makhachev is undefeated in his last nine fights. His last three wins all came by submission. He is excellent on the ground and is the protĂ©gĂ© of one of the greatest wrestlers in UFC history, Khabib Nurmagomedov. And Makhachev shows just how much he’s learned whenever he is in the cage. Makhachev is often compared to Nurmagomedov in terms of fighting style, and Green also sees another resemblance.

    Green Responds To Makhachev’s Plans

    Bobby Green
    Bobby Green, Image Credit: Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News

    “I think that’s kinda dope. I think it’s dope,” Green said. “Say what you gotta say, brother. Nobody’s holding you back from your words. Say what you say. You are kinda stealing from your big brother Khabib. That was his shit. So you jockin’ his swag.”

    Green is stepping into this fight with Makhachev on short notice. Makhachev’s original opponent, Beneil Dariush, was injured and Green decided to make the quick turnaround and fight. He last secure a win just 12 days ago when he defeated Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision at UFC 271. Green has been in the UFC since 2013 and has dealt with his fair share of wrestlers. He was never been submitted in his UFC career.

    Do you think Makhachev’s takedown-and-talk strategy will have an effect on Bobby Green?

  • Miesha Tate Reflects On ‘Crazy Journey’ Of Her Big Brother Win

    Miesha Tate is the big winner of Celebrity Big Brother.

    Things are going pretty well for Miesha Tate. She is back in the UFC, she has a fight booked, and she just won a huge prize on a reality show. Tate was among ten other celebrities as she battled through various competitions to be the remaining member of the Celebrity Big Brother household. As the big winner, Tate took home $250,000.

    After her win, Tate sat down with ET Canada to discuss how she is feeling.

    “I’m just trying to take it all in,” Tate explained. “I can’t believe that I did that, but I managed to get through that. What a crazy journey.”

    Tate had to endure living in a house with strangers while competing with them to be the last one standing. During the course of the show, there were some surprises and times when Tate had to learn on the fly. She was taken aback by some of the goings-on.

    “One thing I know as a fighter is that it’s very different when you’re in it, in the Octagon and you are fighting,” she said. “As opposed to watching it from the outside. I feel like I need to gain both perspectives. I think I was very naive in all of it, in the way I entered the game, the lack of preparedness on my part, and not really looking at things in a different light or big picture.”

    Tate will now return to her MMA training and get ready for her upcoming bout scheduled against Lauren Murphy. That fight is set to go down on May 14.

    Did you watch Miesha Tate on Celebrity Big Brother?

  • Gegard Mousasi Would Be Open To A Boxing Match With Anderson Silva

    Gegard Mousasi could be the next MMA fighter to move to boxing.

    Gegard Mousasi has had a long and successful MMA career. From the UFC to now in Bellator, Mousasi isn’t closing the door on new opportunities. He is getting ready for his Bellator middleweight title defense against Austin Vanderford. That fight will go down at Bellator 275 this Friday night.

    During a Q and A with the media prior to the event, Mousasi explained how he would like to try out boxing. He also has a very big name in mind if he does.

    “We were aiming for Anderson Silva because of Showtime and boxing and he was boxing,” Mousasi told the media via MMA Junkie. “I wanted to do something different, but I don’t know. I want to do it, but it is up to them. Boxing because MMA [he] is a bit too old. Boxing he is doing well, he beat a former champ I think. And I think it is something different. Or they give me another fighter, a boxing fighter, but I think Anderson is a bigger name.”

    Silva was a longtime UFC champion. He is known in some circles as the greatest fighter of all time. With a reputation like that, he is bound to be the target for many other fighters, no matter the sport.

    After his UFC career came to a close, Silva decided to make his way to the squared circle. He has had four professional boxing fights so far, winning three of them, including most recently going 2-0 in 2021, with an upset win over Julio CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez Jr. and defeating fellow UFC legend Tito Ortiz. Silva is showing that he still has the skill and drive to continue fighting, even if it is in another manner.

    Although both Silva and Mousasi spent the majority of their careers in the UFC at the same time, in the same division, they never fought each other. They do have some former opponents in common, so it would be interesting to see who would get the win between them.

    Taking the opportunity to fight in the boxing ring seems fashionable at this point. Lately, a few former MMA fighters have been taking their talents to the ring in order to continue their careers and make some money. Silva is still a draw and having him face any other MMA fighter would be entertaining, especially if it is the current Bellator middleweight champion.

    Would you like to see a boxing match between Anderson Silva and Gegard Mousasi?

  • Adesanya Gives Jake Paul’s Campaign For Improved Fighter Pay A Nod

    Israel Adesanya is giving props to Jake Paul.

    Israel Adesanya is fresh off his latest title defense when he defeated Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC 271. Right before that fight, Adesanya closed a massive deal with the UFC. He signed a new deal with an undisclosed amount of money involved, but according to his management made him one of the highest-paid fighters on the roster.

    Now that Adesanya is where he should be moneywise, he is giving Jake Paul some admiration for his battle for better fighter pay.

    “I think Jake Paul was the right guy to [challenge Dana White] at the time,” Adesanya told talkSPORT (via Daily Mail). “He was one of the guys to get this conversation going that Francis [Ngannou] jumped in. You have me even now speaking about it. I’m talking about the guy who is having the second fight in the UFC, I think they should be paid well enough that they can have a 12-week training camp without having a second or third job.”

    Paul has been vocal about wanting to help UFC fighters raise their paychecks. He has gone back-and-forth publicity with Dana White regarding the urge to pay the fighters more money. Paul has just a handful of boxing fights on his résumé but is making a lucrative living. Not only is he living well through fighting, but he says he wants to help others do the same.

    Paul has taken it upon himself to buy some stock in UFC’s parent company Endeavor in hopes of having a say in the decision-making process regarding fighter pay. Although he has not made an impact formally just yet, Adesanya thinks that Paul bringing the subject too light is helping. Adesanya explained that he had a chance to speak with Paul personally and believes that he is sincere in his campaign to help other fighters.

    “I ended up at his house after the fight and we went deep into some conversations and talking to him, you realize ‘man, this guy is really serious. Like, he’s not just doing this for [clout, etc],” Adesanya said. “Because if you don’t know him, you just kind of fall into that ‘Ah, this snobby little kid we think he’s just doing this for attention, for likes or clout, but you talk to him and it’s like ‘Yo, he’s really serious.’”

    It is not only the new UFC fighters or the prelim fighters that are having issues regarding money. The top fighters are also looking for higher wages. UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has been vocal about wanting more money and freedom from the UFC. Now, perhaps with Adesanya being paid more, the door will be open for other fighters as well.

    Do you agree with Israel Adesanya? Is Jake Paul’s outspokenness on fighter pay is helping?

  • Robert Whittaker Can “Definitely” See Himself Fighting At Light Heavyweight

    Robert Whittaker could have a new path to a UFC title, at 205 pounds.

    Robert Whittaker has been trying to regain the UFC middleweight championship for years now. He worked his way back up to a rematch with Israel Adesanya but unfortunately lost at UFC 271 earlier this month. Now he might be finding a new path to take, which might include a change of weight classes at some point in the future.

    “I can definitely see myself fighting at 205. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, just because I have to cut to middleweight, and cutting sucks,” Whittaker said in a recent appearance on Submission Radio. “So I think it might be fun. Obviously, I do understand the gravity of going up to 205—the bigger guys, the tall guys, longer reach, heavier set guys, more power. But stylistically, I have the style that can handle moving up to a heavier-pound division. But honestly, I’ll take it as it comes.”

    Whittaker has been unstoppable in recent years to everyone not named Israel Adesanya. Whittaker ruled the middleweight division for a short amount of time as champion but has been a staple in the division for much longer. After some time away from the sport following the first loss to Adesanya, he returned with a newfound purpose and motivation. If Adesanya remains at the top at 185, Whittaker might be wise to look elsewhere for a title shot.

    Although the UFC has been booking trilogies without thinking twice, the middleweight division has other options for the champ. On the other hand, Whittaker would be fresh blood at light heavyweight and a problem for many of the top fighters there.

    The top five at light heavyweight at this time are Jan Blachowicz, Jiƙí Procházka, Aleksandar Rakic, and Anthony Smith, who are all waiting for their shot at champion Glover Teixeira. If Whittaker could position himself in that mix, he could make his way to a title shot with a win or two. All things considered, there may be no better time for Whittaker to make the jump than now.

    What do you think of Robert Whittaker making the move to light heavyweight?

  • Mike Perry: A Loss To Julian Lane “Would Have Been It For Me”

    Mike Perry is relieved he won his BKFC fight against Julian Lane.

    Mike Perry just had his first bare-knuckle fight this past weekend, and he is happy he won, or else it could have been his last. Perry beat former UFC fighter Julian Lane in the main event of BKFC Knucklemania 2. This bare-knuckle venture for Perry was not supposed to be an “end of the road” type situation, but Perry explains how it could have turned out that way.

    “He brought it as far as talkin’ trash, being there in the fight even after I hurt him—he tried,” Perry told MMA Fighting. “He brought it, he wanted to win, and I didn’t let him. And had it gone the other way, that would have been it for me. Like, you can’t lose to that guy, close or not. That’s the pressure that was on me.”

    BKFC result: Mike Perry out-slugs Julian Lane, wins unanimous decision
    Mike Perry vs. Julian Lane at BKFC Knucklemania 2

    This BKFC fight came after Perry fought out his UFC contract. During his time with the UFC, he went 7-8. The last few years were particularly bad, with Perry losing seven of his last ten fights. His release may have come much sooner had he not been such a colorful character. Perry’s attitude and antics outside the cage make him a draw and fans typically either love him or hate him.

    Perry has also been in hot water with the law several times over the last few years. After his UFC departure, this opportunity at BKFC could have served as a new beginning. Now that he has won the fight bout via unanimous decision, there are plenty of opportunities for him in this promotion, if he chooses to stay. Bare-knuckle boxing has become very popular over the last year or so and having a character like Perry headlining cards is sure to make people want to tune in.

    Perry is fitting the part with his ongoing unpredictable behavior. He even showed up to the pre-fight press conference with a baseball bat! “Platinum Mike” is certainly playing the part perfectly and maybe could find his way back to MMA soon.

    Do you think Mike Perry would have quit fighting with a loss at BKFC to Julian Lane?

  • Johnny Walker’s FiancĂ©e Comes To His Defense Against Trolls Following Loss

    Johnny Walker’s fiancĂ©e, Tara Campbell, has come to his defense against haters.

    Saturday night was not Johhny Walker’s night. Walker lost a vicious KO to Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Vegas 48. As with most brutal knockouts, the image of Walker laying on the mat went viral. He was unfortunate in the loss, but the hits just kept on coming.

    Following the loss, haters began to chime in. Walker came into the UFC with such hype around him that many believed that he would have been a UFC champion one day. Although he still very well might be, his career has taken a turn for the worse lately.

    This loss was the second in a row and the fourth in five fights. Walker addressed fans after the fight, but as he was still receiving terrible messages, his fiancée Tara Campbell decided to take matters into her own hands with a post of her own.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CaRMl5hrzPM/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f2e8f9ea-3692-4d99-b5fc-757f0f486624

    “And just a note in response to the onslaught of comments online. And the disgusting DMs I’ve received from fake or private accounts antagonising me, and/or ridiculing Johnny. How f–king dare you?” She wrote. “This is a sport. No one but the athletes and their inner circle know the sacrifices the athletes make. The effort and dedication that goes into a camp. The training. The early mornings. The late nights. The diet. The sleep. The recovery. The impact it has on those around them. The mentality.”

    In the aftermath of the fight, Walker posted a video of himself with his coach John Kavanagh enjoying some food and drinks. This was received poorly by fans who claimed that he was not taking his training or the loss seriously. Campbell continues to scold those who claim Walker was slacking.

    “But before you comment, ask yourself. When was the last time you pushed your body to its limits with training? With diet? With mentality?” she wrote. “I know these keyboard warriors probably haven’t broken a sweat in their life and live their pathetic existence through fake or private accounts. And they probably think their comments or posts won’t be seen. But I can tell you while Johnny was in the ER, and I was in the waiting room alone- I saw the comments. I got the messages. And on a good day, it’s water off a ducks back. But on days like Saturday- they were tough.”

    Walker took his training to Ireland to fix holes in his game and work with some of the best out there. He will continue to train and work his way back. Despite the loss, he is still one of the best at 205 pounds.

    Do you think Johnny Walker is catching too much heat for the loss at UFC Vegas 48?

  • Faber Defends Ngannou Amid UFC Contract Negotiations: “Pay That Man”

    Urijah Faber is coming to the defense of Francis Ngannou.

    There have been public disagreements between Francis Ngannou and the UFC lately. Contract negotiations have been a problem for Ngannou, and he has been vocal about wanting more from the promotion.

    One man who thinks Ngannou deserves more is Urijah Faber. He spoke a bit to The Schmo about what the UFC should do with Ngannou and his contract situation.

    “I think the answer is money. Pay that man the money,” Faber said. “He’s the heavyweight champion of the world. I really think that when it really comes down to the really last minute, I feel that the UFC will pony up and hopefully they reach an agreement that works because we all want to see the best fighters in the world in the UFC. I know I do.”

    Ngannou has just defended the UFC heavyweight title successfully at UFC 270. Leading up to the fight, there was plenty of talk about his contract status. After Ngannou won the heavyweight title, he wanted a fight against Jon Jones. Jones also wanted the fight, but they wanted to be paid more than what was offered.

    This interim title being created just months after Ngannou won created a rift between him and the UFC. Over the next few months, Ngannou was vocal about wanting to be paid more. He also wanted to be able to box if he had the opportunity. After defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou now needs time off to heal from injury.

    Faber has been with the UFC for many years and knows how the system works. He is hopeful that Ngannou and the promotion can come to an agreement and keep him on the roster.

    Do you agree with Urijah Faber to think the UFC needs to give Ngannou what he wants?

  • Coker Explains Why Zingano Isn’t Next For Cyborg As Originally Planned

    Scott Coker has explained why Cat Zinagno is not fighting Cris Cyborg next.

    Things are getting a little gray in the Bellator featherweight division. In recent months, title contender Cat Zingano was gunning for a title shot against champion Cris Cyborg. Then, it was announced that Zingano will actually not be facing Cyborg next but will instead be facing Pam Sorenson.

    The reason behind the switch-up was not given at first and many theories began to pour in. Now, Bellator President Scott Coker is ready to shed some light on the situation.

    “So basically Cat wanted to have one more fight before she fought Cris,” Coker told MMA Fighting. “I don’t even think she was the one that really made that call; it was her manager.”

    Zingano was the one calling for the fight with Cyborg. Following her last win over Olivia Parker, Zingano proposed the title fight. She had a time and location picked out for the fight. She even offered to meet Cyborg in LA to fight at an upcoming event, but that never happened. Zingano also accused her of dodging drug tests in order to delay the fight. Cyborg and her team claim that did not happen.

    Cyborg accepted Zingano’s challenge and seemed ready to fight—that is until the announcement of Zingano vs. Sorenson. After that news came out, Cyborg tweeted and deleted a message accusing Zinagno of running.

    “So the manager said ‘we want one more fight.’ So we said ‘OK’ and we put together the fight for her. From there if she wins, she can fight Cris,” Coker explained.

    Zingano has won two fights in the Bellator featherweight division since joining the organization following the end of her UFC run. If she wins this third fight Coker claims that she will get Cyborg next, however, if she loses it could be Sorenson who leapfrogs into the title shot.

    At this time, Cyborg does not have another option in the works. She could just wait for the winner of this bout featuring Zingano and Sorenson.

    Do you think Cat Zingano really wanted to face Cris Cyborg next?

  • Hooker Explains Why Fighters Didn’t Face Islam On Short Notice Like Him

    Dan Hooker knows firsthand how difficult it is to face Islam Makhachev.

    The UFC event coming up on Saturday night has gotten a facelift. The main event was originally scheduled between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, but unfortunately, Dariush was injured and removed from the fight. Makhachev was still an option but finding him a replacement could have been a difficult task. One man did step up, however: Bobby Green.

    Bobby Green claims to be lightweight 'BMF' after accepting Makhachev fight on short notice - MMAmania.com
    Bobby Green, Image Credit: Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

    Makhachev is one of the most dangerous men in the lightweight division. He has been rising up the rankings for a while now and with nine wins in a row, he is a problem in the division.

    Dan Hooker was the last man to lose to Makhachev and is shedding some insight on why no other ranked opponent stepped in on short notice against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protĂ©gĂ©. (h/t Sportskeeda)

    “You can draw down the list of fighters that don’t really have a fight right now. I guarantee you that every single one of them was asked if they wanted to fight Islam and there’s a reason Bobby Green took the fight because none of these other guys stepped up to the plate,” Hooker told The AllStar. “To take on a guy like Islam on one or two weeks notice is a pretty tough call and [Dustin] Poirier and [Michael] Chandler and Tony Ferguson wouldn’t even be expected to make that kind of jump or sacrifice just because the risk is not worth the reward for a guy with a name like
 The reward is not there for a fighter like Dustin Poirier to take on Islam on a weeks’, or two weeks’ notice. It just doesn’t make any sense for him.”

    Makhachev is currently ranked fourth in the division and has been discussed as a possible title contender with a win over Dariush. Now that he is facing Green instead, the title contention discussion might not still be there.

    Green is coming off two impressive wins, but he is not ranked. Makhachev has been calling for top ten opponents for a while now, and Dariush was the answer. Now, he might have to face another top-five opponent before receiving that title shot he has been searching for.

    Do you think Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the top five at lightweight?

  • Nick Maximov vs. Andre Petroski In The Works For May 14 Fight Night

    A battle between middleweight prospects Nick Maximov and Andre Petroski is in the works.

    There is a very exciting battle being targeted between two men who could be the future of the UFC middleweight division. According to reports by Iridium Sports Agency, Nick Maximov is set to make his next walk to the Octagon in May when he will take on Andre Petroski.

    Petroski is trying to make his way in a stacked UFC middleweight division. He has had two fights in the UFC so far following his stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season 28. He won his last fight over Yaozong Hu via third-round submission and turned some heads in the process. Fans may have grown to love Petroski during his time on TUF. He is a former heroin addict who made his way through addiction to the UFC. He is looking to make more of a name for himself, but his next test is a tough one.

    Petroski will be taking on Nick Maximov. The young up-and-comer has a big backing behind him. He is a product of The Nick Diaz Academy and has both Nick and Nate Diaz on his side. He made his UFC debut in September with a win over Cody Brundage and followed it up with a second win just two weeks ago over Punahele Soriano.

    Maximov is great on the ground and has been involved in a few submission events recently. Being a protégé of the Diaz brothers brings all eyes to Maximov. He will need to show that he can take on this next tough test in Petroski and continue his rise up the rankings.

    This bout is targeted for the Fight Night event being held on May. 14. The entire fight card to date is as follows:

    Lauren Murphy vs. Miesha Tate

    Viviane AraĂșjo vs. Andrea Lee

    Andre Petroski vs. Nick Maximov

    Frank Camacho vs. Manuel Torres

    Daniel Pineda vs. Jamall Emmers

    Angela Hill vs. Virna Jandiroba

    What do you think of this bout between Nick Maximov and Andre Petroski?

  • Jorge Masvidal Takes Full Credit For UFC 272 Main Event Placement

    Jorge Masvidal is taking all the credit for being the main event at UFC 272.

    Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington are headed to the main event clash together at UFC 272. This is a rare occasion where a non-title fight is main eventing a pay-per-view. For the UFC to consider a non-title fight for a main event, the bout has to be one that fans are dying to see. The ongoing feud and interest in these two men bring enough fuel to be a good fit for a headliner.

    However, Masvidal believes that it is his star power, not Covington that made this fight worthy of the main event slot.

    “Definitely about (my star power), though he’ll try to take credit for it,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie about what was responsible for the main event billing. “He hasn’t broke, in all his pay-per-views combined, 500,000 pay-per-views. I don’t have to say what I’ve sold. Everybody knows. So it’s definitely solely because of my star power, nothing to do with his.”

    Masvidal and Covington have a long history together. They used to be friends, training partners, and roommates. They had a falling out and have been trash-talking to each other ever since. They are both in the same boat as title contenders in the welterweight division, and them fighting each other seemed to be inevitable.

    Both men have recently lost twice to champion Kamaru Usman, and both are trying to get back to that title shot. Masvidal has been rising in popularity over the last few years with his personality and impressive wins in the Octagon. However, Covington is also one of the more recognized if not popular fighters on the roster. Masvidal feels he is the star in this one, but Covington most likely feels the same way.

    Who do you think holds the bigger star power, Jorge Masvidal or Colby Covington?

  • Burns Says He’s Getting Constant Messages To End Chimaev Hype

    Gilbert Burns is ready to end the hype associated with Khamzat Chimaev.

    Gilbert Burns has been atop the welterweight rankings for some time. He had a title fight against champion Kamaru Usman back in February of last year and has been trying to get back to that ever since.

    Burns has been gunning for almost all of the top five fighters in the rankings. Unfortunately for him, none of them have agreed to fight him. One man is interested, however, and that man is rising star Khamzat Chimaev.

    Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. The UFC was doing a series of events in Abu Dhabi on Fight Island and Chimaev quickly became the star of that show. He fought twice on Fight Island in two weeks and won both by way of stoppages. He made another quick turnaround fighting two months later and kept the hype train moving. After falling ill from COVID, Chimaev took some time off, but fans haven’t forgotten his talent.

    Chimaev has been calling out ranked fighters left and right. He wants to quickly make his rise up the ranks and fight for the title soon. He has the backing of other fighters and fans around him. He might be the most hyped fighter on the roster at this point, and Burns is ready to stop that if they get the chance to fight.

    “I’m getting messages from everybody from everywhere,” Burns told The Schmo. “‘Finish that guy,’ ‘Stop the hype,’ and everything. I appreciate you guys. And tune in on April 9th. It’s not a done deal yet, but I believe it will be very soon. So tune in April 9.”

    The fight between these two has been rumored for quite a while now. Chimaev wants it because Burns is sitting in the number two spot and Burns wants it partly because everyone is high on Chimaev. This potential fight has a lot riding on it, with the winner potentially being next in line for champion Kamaru Usman.

    Do you think Gilbert Burns can end the hype behind Khamzat Chimaev?

  • Peña Understands How ATT Drama Could Lead to Nunes’ Exit

    Julianna Peña can see where Amanda Nunes is coming from leaving ATT.

    Julianna Peña has a rematch set with Amanda Nunes. Leading up to the next fight these two will be spending a lot of time together. They will be coaching the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, and that calls for six weeks of close encounters between them. There was some bad blood leading up to the first fight, and now coming into the second, Peña is siding with Nunes on one issue.

    Recently, Nunes decided to take some time away from her longtime gym, ATT. She cited wanting to branch out on her own and do her own thing as her reason. ATT has been in the news for another reason as well. Former ATT athlete Colby Covington will be fighting current ATT fighter and former training partner Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.

    ATT owner Dan Lambert has recently stated that the fallout between Covington and Masvidal was so toxic that at one point both fighters had to be removed from the gym. This, along with other recent incidents, makes it easy for Peña to understand why Nunes would want out.

    “I absolutely do believe that. It’s probably because she’s felt this way for a long time. She’s at a one-stop-shop at American Top Team; a McDonald’s, cookie-cutter type gym, where they’re just throwing these guys in and out, and in and out, and everyone trains with everyone,” Peña said during a recent media scrum.

    “You’ve got Jorge Masvidal used to be friends with Colby Covington, used to be friends with Dustin Poirier, now they all hate each other, but they still gotta train in the same gym. It’s awkward. It’s, ‘Do I trust these people? Do they have my best interests? Are they telling people about me? Are they watching what I’m doing like a hawk and then this information’s gonna get leaked out?’”

    Peña Believes Kayla Harrison May Have Played Role In Exit

    Amanda Nunes, Kayla Harrison

    Nunes is maintaining that she is still holding a good relationship with the team. But Peña looking in from the outside can see many flags, including another former teammate who has expressed interest in fighting Nunes: Kayla Harrison.

    “It’s a whole lot of paranoia. It’s a lot of people making sure they have your best interests. So, I feel – I don’t know exactly what happened—but I feel like that’s definitely some part of why she feels like she needs to leave,” Peña said. “Especially with them saying, ‘Oh, Kayla Harrison’s the team captain, how do you feel about that?’ 
 ‘But now Kayla Harrison is my training partner, but now Kayla Harrison wants to fight me for a mega-million-dollar fight.’ It’s like, who is really your friend here? You can’t trust anyone in that gym. I anticipate if she said this was a long time coming, I believe that I really do.”

    In the lead-up to the first bout with Peña, Nunes said she had a bad training camp. She said she suffered injuries in the weeks before the fight. Now with a new training gym and time to heal, she is expecting a different outcome.

    Do you think Nunes’ departure from ATT will helo her in the rematch with Peña?

  • MMA Fighter Faelly Vitoria Setting Up A Gun Raffle To Pay For Surgery

    Newly signed Invicta FC strawweight Faelly Vitoria is holding a very unique fundraiser.

    Faelly Vitoria has been waiting patiently to make her Invicta FC debut. The 20-year-old signed with Invicta back in 2020 as one of the hottest prospects in the sport. She was scheduled to make her debut shortly after her signing, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed that back. Now with Invicta FC back up and running, Vitoria would like to get in the cage and fight, the only thing is she needs surgery.

    Vitoria has a torn ACL in her knee that will require surgery. In order for her to pay for the operation, she is looking to raise money. The route to raise the funds is a creative one. She is working closely with her local police department to raffle off a gun.

    “My teacher came up with the idea of asking for help, with a 30% cut of the amount if we sold 500 tickets,” Vitoria told Globo Esporte via Bloody Elbow. “The police chief was more generous and offered us a 50% cut if we sold a thousand tickets. We explained to them what kind of surgery it was,” Vitoria added. “My ACL is completely torn. There’s no other way but having the surgery.”

    The local police force in her hometown of Macapa, Brazil are the ones helping her out. She is selling tickets for 10 reais each (1.94 United States Dollars) in order to raise the cost of the operation which is 4,000 reais (775 United States Dollars). Half the proceeds of the raffle will go to the police force.

    In her MMA career so far, Vitoria is undefeated in four professional fights. She fought for a few local Brazilian promotions. Her last win was in December of 2019.

    The prize being raffled off is a G2C Tauros handgun provided by the police force.

    What do you think of this type of raffle?

  • ATT Owner Says Masvidal/Covington Beef Was Unfixable

    The bad blood between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will finally be settled at UFC 272.

    At this point, many people know about the feud between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington. They were friends, training partners, and roommates. They used to train together at ATT, one of the most famous MMA gyms in the U.S. The gym is or was home to many top fighters from the UFC to Bellator and boxing. With that many high-quality athletes, there are bound to be some butting heads, however, the beef between Covington and Masvidal was unable to be reconciled.

    The owner of ATT, Dan Lambert spoke about what led to Covington being asked to leave the gym when he spoke to MMA Junkie.

    “Yeah, it got toxic. And it got to the point where it was affecting the gym,” Lambert said. “We’ve had lots of fighters in this gym over the past 25 years. We’ve had people that love each other, we’ve had people that don’t like each other. But we’ve always been able to separate that, keep some professionalism in the gym and not let it affect the team. And their situation, it just got to the point where it was affecting people inside the gym, and I couldn’t keep it under control. And at one point, we had to tell both of ’em to leave.”

    Masvidal has continued to train at ATT while Covington has found his new home elsewhere. It seems the fact that Masvidal “won” the gym in their friendship divorce is the fuel that he is continuing to add to the trash talk fire. Masvidal recently uploaded a message to Covington bragging about the gym and how Covington got kicked out.

    “We try to address situations immediately when we see ’em comin’. It’s one of our benefits for being around for a long time,” Lambert said. “We’ve dealt with a lot of the issues before and learned from things we did right and things we did wrong. This one just kinda—it just kept growing, and growing, and growing. And we tried to find solutions inside the gym to make it work, and we just weren’t successful in doing that. And it finally got to a point where it boiled over and we had to do something drastic. And at that point, we told both guys to leave the gym just ’cause it was out of control.”

    Since his departure from ATT, Covington has been training at MMA Masters in Miami. He left ATT in May of 2020 and since then, has had two fights in the UFC with his new training camp: a win over Tyron Woodley in September 2020 and the recent loss to the champion Kamaru Usman in November of last year.

    Do you think Colby Covington and his new gym will beat Jorge Masvidal and ATT at UFC 272?

  • Michael Chandler On UFC 268 Classic: I Out-Gaethje’d Gaethje

    Michael Chandler is taking some time to reflect on his loss at UFC 268.

    Michael Chandler came to the UFC with the mission to become a champion. After losing to Charles Oliveira in a vacant title fight at UFC 262, he hit a second roadblock in that mission when he lost recently to Justin Gaethje.

    The fight between Chandler and Gaethje at UFC 268 was considered to be a title eliminator match to see who will face champion Charles Oliveira next. Unfortunately for Chandler, he was eliminated from that discussion. Now, he is taking some time to look back at what went right and what went wrong in the cage with Gaethje.

    Chandler is a seasoned vet. He knows when he was been in a good fight and when he has been in a bad one. He feels that the fight against Gaethje, although a loss on paper, was a good one for him. However, after Gaethje downplayed the entertainment value of the classic by calling it ‘boring,’ Chandler explained to CBSSports.com why Gaethje might feel that way.

    “I think in Justin Gaethje’s mind, I think he was disappointed in his performance and when that comes about, it can play tricks on your mind that it was a boring fight because there are a lot of times when we as fighters get done with our fights and we see the fight differently in our head or we remember how we felt after the fight right away,” Chandler said. “Then you go back and watch it and realize it was a much more exciting fight or a much more dominant fight. Case in point, my fight against Benson Henderson years ago. I lost the fifth round, so I felt like I lost the entire fight. I was just so disappointed by the way the fight came to a close after that fifth-round win. Really, I spent the first four rounds dominating him on a lot of people’s scorecards.

    Chandler: I Out-Gaethjed Justin Gaethje

    Michael Chandler Justin Gaethje
    Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

    Chandler was happy with the bout, although not the outcome. It was a brutal fight in which both men ended up being sent to the hospital afterward. Chandler has mentioned that he has no desire to fight in that manner again in his career again, but he still believes the quality of his performance and the fight can’t be denied.

    “So I think what happened there was, I think Justin Gaethje was a little bit disappointed in his performance,” Chandler said. “Not to mention the fact that he did drop me and wasn’t able to finish me. Not to mention the fact that I think I out-Justin Gaethje’d Justin Gaethje in some of those exchanges. I think there is no doubt it was definitely not a boring fight. The Fight of the Year awards on everybody’s cards solidifies that. Maybe we’ll share the Octagon again and we’ll give the fans another treat. We’ll see.”

    Chandler is putting the Gaethje fight behind him and is looking ahead to new opportunities. He has a rumored fight in the works against Tony Ferguson. And although the fight is not official yet, a win there could have Chandler right back in the mix. As for Gaethje, he is next for the champ Charles Oliveira later this year.

    Where do you rank the fight between Michael Chandler vs. Justin Gaethje all time?

  • Jorge Masvidal Hopes For A Late Stoppage Against Covington At UFC 272

    Jorge Masvidal is taking his grudge against Colby Covington as late into the fight as he can.

    A grudge match between former friends and training partners turned bad is going down in the main event of UFC 272. Colby Covington will be taking on Jorge Masvidal for the possible number one contender spot in the welterweight division. There is no love lost between these two. They used to train together at ATT in Florida before having a falling out. Now, they get to settle the score inside the Octagon.

    The lead-up to the fight so far has been filled with trash talk mostly coming from Masvidal’s end. He even recently teased his opponent about being removed from their gym. Through all the drama, it’s all business as usual for Masvidal, but he wouldn’t be upset to have extra time against Covington in the cage.

    “It’s nothing personal. It’s business since I got into it,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie. “I knew the type of people I’d be getting myself involved (with). I knew the options that could happen and so forth and so forth. So it’s somebody I firmly don’t like at all whatsoever, and I’m hoping that the referee, on the way to pulling me off of him, slips on a banana peel and I get some extra shots and really change his life and his face structure.”

    Masvidal is coming into this matchup having lost his last two, both to the champ, Kamaru Usman. Covington is in the same boat: His only two losses in the last few years have been to Usman as well.

    Both of these men have proved that they are among the best at 170 pounds and both want another shot at the belt. They will be doing everything they can inside the Octagon to make sure they beat the other and capture that next chance at Usman, pummeling a nemesis is a bonus.

    Who do you think takes home the victory at UFC 272, Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal?

  • ATT Owner Dan Lambert Supportive Of Amanda Nunes Leaving

    Amanda Nunes is changing up her training gym and is getting a nice farewell from American Top Team owner Dan Lambert.

    Amanda Nunes is coming off her first loss in several years. She lost her bantamweight belt to Juliana Peña in December and is now ready to make some changes. A lot has been said of Nunes’ training camp leading up to the loss, injuries, and difficulties all around. Following the loss, Nunes decided to leave her longtime gym ATT in Florida and is hoping to start her own fight team.

    The news of her leaving the gym that she spent so many years being a part of was shocking to most fans. The gym is home to many high-caliber fighters and one of the most notorious gyms in the country. The owner of ATT Dan Lambert spoke to MMA Junkie about Nunes’ decision to leave.

    “Hey, we have 100 fighters at our gym. You’re gonna have people from all levels. We’ve got fighters that are champions down to fighters that are newcomers in our developmental programs,” Lambert explained. “And we want people at our gym that want to be at our gym. And as long as it’s a good fit for us and it’s a good fit for the fighter, we do great things together if we can. And when it’s no longer a great fit for us or them and somebody’s gotta move on, we have an open-door policy.”

    Nunes’ departure is not an all-or-nothing thing. She has mentioned that she will still visit ATT when she sees a fit. For her, the idea of having her own space to train is important. Nunes recently became a mother with her partner, fellow UFC fighter Nina Nunes, and they will be training at the new space together.

    “If someone doesn’t want to be at the gym, they’re not gonna be at the gym,” Lambert said. “Amanda decided she wants to start her own place and be a coach, maybe set something up for her post-fighting career? I support that, and I hope she does well.”

    Nunes will be utilizing this new training facility for her next bout that is already set. She will be fighting Peña again in an immediate rematch following coaching on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes leaving ATT is a good idea or not?

  • McKee vs. Pitbull II & Nemkov vs. Anderson Final Booked For April 15

    A massive Bellator double-header is booked for April 15 when AJ McKee vs. Patricio Pitbull II and Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson take place in the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

    AJ McKee’s run as the Bellator featherweight champion has just begun, but he will already be facing a familiar foe. McKee will be matched up with the man he defeated to become that champion, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.

    Both McKee and Pitbull fought their way through the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix last year to make it to the finals. On July 31, 2021, the two met in the final with the featherweight belt and one million dollars on the line. Pitbull was holding the strap coming in, but it would be McKee who would walk out with it. He was able to stop Freire by submission in the first round.

    McKee was on the last fight of his Bellator contract, but winning the title renewed it. He will now begin his title reign against a very formidable foe. Prior to losing the featherweight title, Pitbull was simultaneously holding the lightweight belt as well. He decided to vacate that 155-pound belt so that his brother could have a shot at it. Now without any belt, Pitbull will be coming in hard against McKee to regain what he lost.

    McKee has spent his entire professional career with Bellator. He started as a 0-0 prospect and worked his way up to the very top. Scott Coker believes that he may be the best featherweight in the world at this point. There is no love lost between these two as Pitbull is adamant that he was not finished by McKee in their first meeting.

    In the co-main event, we will see the finals of the light heavyweight grand prix when defending champion Vadim Nemkov takes on Corey Anderson. To reach this point, Nemkov defeated Phil Davis and Julius Anglickas while Anderson defeated Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov and Ryan Bader, both via TKO.

    Which two fighters do you think will emerge victorious in this massive double-header?

  • Sean O’Malley Has “Learned” Not To Speak Negatively About Fighter Pay

    Sean O’Malley says he should be taking it easy on bashing the UFC pay system, but he still wants his fair share.

    Sean O’Malley is one of the more popular fighters on the UFC roster. He is loved by many fans and gets a lot of recognition from the media. He demands attention inside the cage and out, and that makes him marketable to the UFC. O’Malley knows all this and would like to see his pay reflect what he brings to the table.

    O’Malley spoke recently about fighter pay. The topic has been at the forefront of MMA discussion as of late and O’Malley gave his thought about it. He believes that fighters who don’t put up numbers are not going to be paid well. However, he knows that he is a draw and wants to be paid as such.

    But perhaps his speaking publicly about this is not the right way to go about getting his wishes.

    “It’s a good question, I get asked it a lot. I learned to not say anything negative about it. This will probably get click-baited, ‘Sean doesn’t think the UFC pays him’ or some s’, but like a lot of the times, yeah. I’m in a different position where I have two fights left in my contract,” O’Malley said on his podcast, Timbo Sugar Show (via Sportskeeda). “The contract I’m on right now, I get paid decent, but in two fights, Dana went on record and said, ‘Hey, we need to f–ing pay him’ which is rare because Dana never says that. So I think I’m going to get a good contract after these two fights.”

    Fighter pay was not the only money topic O’Malley weighted in on recently, as he spoke about the rise in PPV prices as well. Too much criticism is not good for any employee, and it seems that is what O’Malley is getting at. However, he is not just going to lay down and allow the UFC to steamroll him. He wants to be paid like one of the more important fighters because he believes that’s what he is.

    “That’s why I argue that I should be getting f—ing paid more. Because dude, I mean realistically, whoever I’m fighting next, I don’t have to sell that fight because I’m not gonna get paid any more if five people watch it or a million people watch it,” O’Malley explained. “There should be incentives there
 You do if you’re in the main event and you get pay-per-view points. Like Izzy [Israel Adesanya] will probably get pay-per-view points because he’s the champ. Robert Whittaker probably won’t because he’s fighting for the belt. But like even in my position, I should get pay-per-view points because I can sell fights.”

    O’Malley recently saw his way into the top 15 of the bantamweight rankings. However, despite not being ranked until recently, he has been featured on six main cards and all on PPV events, once he was even in the co-main.

    O’Malley definitely has drawing power, and he plans to use it to his advantage. All things considered, it would seem unlikely that the UFC will not be paying up.

    Do you think Sean O’Malley has a point about fighters getting paid, and himself needing more?

  • Cat Zingano Set To Face Pam Sorenson Next, Not Cris Cyborg

    Cat Zingano will not be fighting for the Bellator featherweight title next.

    It seemed like the Bellator featherweight title picture was pretty clear. Cris “Cyborg” Justino was being called out by Cat Zingano and both had publicly agreed to fight one another. Now, it seems that Zingano will not be facing Cyborg for the title next. Instead, a bout was announced where Zingano is matched up with Pam Sorenson.

    Zingano came to Bellator after a good run in the UFC, which included a title shot. She has two wins now in Bellator’s featherweight division and has been campaigning for a shot at the belt. She proposed that Cyborg and herself meet at the Bellator event that was scheduled for Los Angeles in January, but that date was not set. Following the agreement to fight, she began to call Cyborg out for allegedly failing to agree to take a drug test.

    Cyborg denied claims that she would not adhere to drug testing and now is claiming that it was Zingano who passed up the chance to make their agreement official. In a tweet that was later deleted, Cyborg addressed the Zingano vs. Sorenson match-up.

    “She turned down a World Title Fight to compete on the prelims?!” Cyborg wrote and deleted (via Yahoo! Sports.)

    Sorenson is ranked seventh in the Bellator rankings, and Zingano sits in second. Sorenson is coming off a loss to Arlene Blencowe back in November. Before that, she won two in a row in Bellator and Invicta FC. Most likely with a win, Zingano would be next for a title shot; however, the terms that led to the potential fight falling through this time around could very well create issues going forward.

    Do you think a fight between Cris Cyborg and Cat Zingano will ever be made?

  • Hill Preparing For The “Wild” Side & The “Calculated” Side Of Walker

    Jamahal Hill is looking for a crazy fight with Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 48.

    Jamahal Hill is quickly rising up the light heavyweight rankings. He has his next assignment right ahead of him when he takes on Johnny Walker this weekend at UFC Vegas 48. That fight was bumped up to the main event when the scheduled bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev was pushed to another card.

    Coming into this fight with Walker, Hill doesn’t quite know what to expect. He sat down for an exclusive interview with MMA News to discuss the bout.

    “I’m expecting, I don’t know man. Honestly, I know there’s only a couple ways, one of two ways he’s gonna come in. He’s gonna come in wild and crazy, or he’s gonna come in and try and be calculated and try to set things up,” Hill said. “Those are the two things. I’m preparing for whatever, I’m preparing for everything. Because I’m not in his camp, I don’t know what he’s gonna do. I don’t know what they’re working on or what they think they see, what holes they see. I’m preparing for everything.”

    Hill is coming into this bout having won his last outing against Jimmy Crute. Prior to that win, Hill lost to Paul Craig and during the bout, suffered a nasty arm injury that kept him out of competition for a while. Now that he is back in the win column and healed up, Hill is looking to make a run for a title shot. A win over Walker could be a great way to get there.

    Walker had a great run going in the UFC and was close to a title shot himself before hitting a bit of a skid. He has now lost three of his last four and dropped to number ten in the rankings. Hill is currently sitting in the number 12 spot and, with a win over Walker, could finally break the top ten.

    Who do you see taking home the win at UFC Vegas 48, Jamahal Hill or Johnny Walker?

  • Tate Says Peña’s Doubters Are “Crazy” To Think Nunes Win Was A Fluke

    Meisha Tate is putting all her confidence in Julianna Peña ahead of the new bantamweight champion’s rematch against Amanda Nunes.

    It is no secret that Miesha Tate is a fan of the newly crowned champion Julianna Peña. The two are good friends and former training partners. Tate was also Peña’s coach on their season of The Ultimate Fighter, and since then, she knew that Peña had what it takes to become a UFC champion.

    Now that Peña has defeated longtime champ Amanda Nunes, some people are caulking it up to luck or an off day on Nunes’ part. To these doubters, Tate has a message.

    “Oh, they’re crazy,” Tate said.

    Tate knows firsthand what it takes to become a UFC champion. And although her championship run was cut short by Nunes herself, Tate is positive that Peña could beat her again.

    Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes

    “Yes, absolutely. She just has a no-quit, no-give-up mentality. And now that the seed of doubt has been planted in Amanda’s mind, that’s probably where I see the biggest change going, and that’s not gonna favor Amanda,” Tate told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour.

    The rematch between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes is targeted for later this year after the two women have wrapped up the upcoming season as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.

    As for what 2022 holds for “Cupcake,” Tate has announced that since Peña, her good friend is the reigning champ at 135 pounds, she will be dropping to flyweight. Tate will be making her flyweight debut against Lauren Murphy in April.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes would beat Julianna Peña in a rematch?