MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Conor McGregor Makes A Vow To His Fans Ahead Of UFC Return

    Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has vowed to put one aspect of his life on hold as he prepares to return to full training ahead of an Octagon comeback.

    McGregor, who’s experienced championship glory on MMA’s biggest stage at both featherweight and lightweight, has been on the sidelines since a disappointing 2021 in the cage came to a crashing (or snapping) end at UFC 264.

    Entering the year, the Irishman hoped to return to regular action and have the 155-pound gold in his possession again. Instead, he was knocked out for the first time in his career by Dustin Poirier in their rematch at UFC 257, before suffering a second consecutive loss to “The Diamond” six months later.

    At the July pay-per-view, a heated feud came to a sudden stop with the brutal breaking of McGregor’s left leg. Since then, the 33-year-old has been recovering on the sidelines.

    In recent months, McGregor has consistently updated the world on his healing process as he edges closer towards a return to full training and sparring. When he does so, he firmly plans on swapping the whiskey glass for the gloves.

    McGregor Promises To Return The Proper No. Twelve To The Shelves

    Perhaps the most successful of McGregor’s ventures outside the cage is his Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey. After helping it to a rapid rise, the Irishman and his business partners sold their majority stake in the business to Proximo Spirits for a whopping $600 million.

    While his involvement with the whiskey brand continues, McGregor has also entered the free house business with the purchase of The Black Forge Inn, where he can often be seen drinking at on social media. Adding another boozy project to his resume, McGregor has also been plugging his pub’s Forged Stout.

    Despite his ongoing presence in the alcoholic business, and enjoyment of holding a beverage himself, McGregor has promised fans he’ll be returning his bottles to the cabinet and using his hands for punching rather than pouring in the near future.

    In a recent Instagram post, which features an image of a glass of Forged Stout and a bottle of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, McGregor vowed to abstain from his “liquid gold” and indulge himself in full training again soon.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUlROcNLC-/

    “Sitting in actual awe at present. Can’t quite describe it. Last week, Saturday, the first day Ireland became free from restriction, and also coincidentally the anniversary of the late Arthur Guinness, @forgedirishstout outsold Guinness on premise for the first time. And everyday since! @forgedirishstout is now the clear leader in Stout sales for us! All of us in this industry know, for a Stout to do this is just unprecedented! Incredible!” Conor McGregor wrote on Instagram. “The fact it happened for the first time on that day in particular, I feel it a sign that I am on the right path here with all of this! Onwards and upwards we go! For my fighting fans, I want to say I know I am enjoying myself with my liquid, but very soon I will be immersing my self in full training again with complete abstention from my wonderful creations of Spirit and Ale. Just 5 more minutes Ma ❤️”

    While a possible return still seems many months away, McGregor’s desire to compete has consistently remained, something his latest post seems to show once again.

    Whether for a fourth fight with Poirier, a trilogy clash with Nate Diaz, or a meeting in the Octagon with Michael Chandler, it seems likely we’ll be seeing McGregor make the walk in 2022.

    Do you think Conor McGregor can make a successful comeback to the Octagon this year?

  • Joe Rogan Responds To Spotify Boycotts & Accusations Of Misinformation

    Joe Rogan has responded to the accusations of misinformation directed at his podcast after two music legends boycotted Spotify in protest.

    Last week, Canadian music artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young told Spotify that they could either remove his music or the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast, which Young accused of presenting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, Young’s longtime friend and fellow R&R Hall of Famer Joni Mitchell stood in solidarity with him and also decided to remove her music from Spotify.

    The brunt of the criticism came after a pair of controversial medical experts appeared on the podcast. This resulted in over 200 individuals submitting an open letter to Spotify requesting for the streaming service to take action against Rogan’s podcast for allegedly spreading misinformation.

    UFC President Dana White and Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña are among the notable list of individuals who have come to Rogan’s defense against the wave of criticism. In White’s case, he claimed that Rogan was uncancelable; and Peña, who was a recent guess on JRE, did not understand what all the fuss was about for merely exchanging thoughts and opinions.

    Joe Rogan Responds To Misinformation Accusations

    Sunday, Rogan himself would address the backlash he is facing in a post to his Facebook page. Rogan’s impetus for releasing the video was to help straighten out the “distorted perception” of his podcast that may have been influenced by cherry-picked soundbites or “disparaging” headlines and articles about him.

    “The podcast has been accused of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation,’ specifically two episodes—a little bit about some other ones but specifically about two—one with Dr. Peter McCullough and one with Dr. Malone,” Rogan began. “Dr. Peter McCullough is a cardiologist, and he is the most published physician in his field in history. Dr. Robert Malone owns nine patents on the creation of mRNA vaccine technology and is at least partially responsible for the creation of the technology that led to mRNA vaccines.

    “Both these people are very highly credentialed, very intelligent, very accomplished people, and they have an opinion that’s different from the mainstream narrative. I wanted to hear what their opinion is. I had them on and because of that, those episodes in particular were labeled as being dangerous. They had ‘dangerous misinformation’ in them.

    Joe Rogan
    Joe Rogan, Credit: Getty Images

    “The problem I have with the term ‘misinformation,’ especially today, is that many of the things that we thought of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact. Like for instance, eight months ago if you said if you get vaccinated, you could still catch COVID and you could still spread COVID, you would be removed from social media. They would ban you from certain platforms. Now, that’s accepted as fact. If you said, ‘I don’t think cloth masks work,’ you would be banned from social media. Now, that’s openly and repeatedly stated on CNN. If you said, ‘I think it’s possible that COVID-19 came from a lab,’ you would be banned from many social media platforms. Now, that’s on the cover of Newsweek.

    “All of those theories that at one point in time were banned were openly discussed by those two men that I had on my podcast that have been accused of dangerous misinformation. I do not know if they’re right. I don’t know because I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person that sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them.”

    Rogan cited multiple examples of medical professionals he’s had on as guests who offer a differing view from Malone and McCullough, such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Peter Hotez, and even Dr. Michael Osterholm, who has served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 panel.

    Rogan also stated that he agrees with the recent disclaimer Spotify has added to Rogan’s podcast episodes that feature viewpoints that stray from the consensus regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The disclaimer encourages listeners to speak with their physicians to learn more about COVID-19 and what treatment is best for them and issues a general warning regarding the content in the episodes.

    Rogan went on to state that he does not claim to be infallible, but he is willing to correct himself when wrong and will continue having open conversations in pursuit of truth and a stronger understanding of the topics discussed.

    “Do I get things wrong? Absolutely I get things wrong,” Rogan continued. “But I try to correct them. Whenever I get something wrong, I try to correct it because I’m interested in telling the truth. I’m interested in finding out what the truth is. And I’m interested in having interesting conversations with people that have differing opinions. I’m not interested in only talking to people that have one perspective.”

    Joni Mitchell (left) & Neil Young (right) circa 1976

    Rogan also expressed sadness at the Spotify boycott by Young and Mitchell, both of whom Rogan says he’s a big fan of. At the end of the video, Rogan even shared a story of working as a security guard at the age of 19 during a Neil Young concert, where he quit because of the chaos that ensued and drove back home singing along to Young’s classic “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

    Moving forward, Rogan is open to ideas on how to improve his process as a podcast host, with one possibility being to have guests who have differing opinions on back-to-back episodes.

    Rogan closed out the post thanking Spotify for their support and reflecting on how much his podcast has grown beyond his wildest expectations to the point where such massive controversies could even derive from it.

    You can view Rogan’s full response below. (h/t Mindful Motivation)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYdcTacXK9g

    What do you make of Joe Rogan’s response to the backlash against him and his podcast after the Spotify boycotts?

  • Dan Hooker: Being A Dan Hooker Fan Is Not An Easy Run

    Dan Hooker knows that he is not everyone’s cup of tea.

    Dan Hooker is on a new journey in the UFC. After a successful run in the lightweight division, he is now heading down to featherweight. hooker has his first opportunity at 145 pounds as he was recently matched up with Arnold Allen for the UFC London event in March. Hooker’s journey at lightweight ended when he lost three of his last four in the division. Hooker fans may have been looking for an undisclosed reason for the slide, but Hooker has no excuses to give them.

    “Nah, it just sounds like excuses at this point,” Hooker told The AllStar. “Excuses, to me, are like, there’s a lot of people that when you lose, fall off the bandwagon, and there’s a lot of people that are half in and half out,” said Hooker. “I feel like your excuses are to try and convince, or not even excuses, but if you give a reason, you’re almost trying to convince the people that are teetering on the edge of whether to support you or not support you, you’re trying to get them back on the bandwagon. That’s not my intention. If you don’t wanna support me, don’t support me.”

    Hooker’s run in the 155-pound division wasn’t all bad. He put together a string of eight wins from 2017 to 2020 and put himself in line to fight some of the best in the UFC, including Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. This change-up of weight classes will be new hope for Hooker’s title aspirations. However, he is being realistic with his fans.

    “I will admit, I will 100% admit, being a Dan Hooker fan is not an easy run, you know what I mean? It’s not like being a Khabib fan. That’s one guy in the history of this sport that has done that,” added Hooker. “Being a Dan Hooker fan is a tough road, and if you wanna be on that bandwagon, we take the bumpy road, we take the off-road; there’s cracks in our road, there’s bumps, there’s hills, but it’s fun. We’re here because we ride rollercoasters. We’re not here for smooth sailing. If you want smooth sailing, there are plenty of other fighters with nice, pretty records and 0s and this and that. That’s not what my story is about, that’s not why I do this, that’s not what I find fun.”

    His first test at featherweight since 2014 will be a tough one. Allen is on a ten-fight winning streak and has not yet lost since entering the UFC. He is ranked seventh in the division, and Hooker will be looking to replace him in the top ten with a win in London.

    Do you think Hooker will fair any better at featherweight than he did at lightweight?

  • Archives: Bisping Wants GSP & Romero Fights Before Retirement (2017)

    After the following article was published, Michael Bisping had two more matches in his MMA career: Georges St-Pierre and Kelvin Gastelum. It wasn’t the “perfect scenario” he had mapped out, especially considering that he lost both bouts, but you can relive how Bisping envisioned his career winding down in the following article published on this day five years ago, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 12:26 PM]

    Headline: Bisping: Fighting GSP & Romero Would Be ‘Perfect Scenario’ Before Retirement

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr

    Michael Bisping isn’t getting any younger.

    The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight titleholder will be 38 years of age before his next title defense. “The Count” is currently out with a knee injury and won’t be back until at least May.

    With all that he has accomplished, it’s easy to see Bisping as a future UFC Hall of Famer. Before the champion goes, he wants mega fights that are the most lucrative. On his SiriusXM show, “The Countdown” (via Flo Combat), Bisping reiterated his desire for a “big money fight” or two:

    “I said I want to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Whether that’s Yoel Romero, Georges St-Pierre or whether that’s Jacare [Souza] or Anderson Silva, I just want to be a part of the biggest fights ever earning as much money as possible.”

    One would think the potential match-up that would make the most money is one with Georges St. Pierre. “Rush” left the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) with nine straight successful title defenses. He was also the UFC’s most consistent pay-per-view (PPV) draw during his run.

    “The Count” insists that he doesn’t care who his next opponent is, as long as he brings in the cash.

    “We will get the surgery out the way and when it’s done, it’s done and then I’ll fight Yoel Romero if I have to and I’ll whip his ass and if it’s GSP I’ll whip his ass. I just want the biggest fight possible on the biggest fight card possible.”

    It isn’t crazy to think Bisping may get his wish. He has been a mainstay with the promotion since 2006 and his body has been put through the wringer. The ideal set of circumstances would be for the champion to face “GSP,” then Romero to close his career.

    “Yes, that would be the perfect scenario.”

  • Volkanovski: Chikadze Wouldn’t Have Deserved Title Fight With Kattar Win

    Despite their recent social media banter, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski didn’t even consider Giga Chikadze a potential next opponent.

    Chikadze fell to Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 46 via unanimous decision and left the Octagon bloodied and battered by Kattar’s boxing. He had won nine straight fights entering the bout.

    Volkanovski was supposed to face Max Holloway for his next title defense before Holloway pulled out due to an injury. Chikadze had been one of the first featherweight contenders who threw his name into the conversation after news broke of Holloway’s withdrawal.

    Volkanovski and the UFC opted to give Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’, the next title shot as a replacement. This irked Chikadze and created quite the tension between him and the champion.

    During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Volkanovski revealed whether or not he would’ve considered facing Chikadze next if he got the better of Kattar.

    “Mate, to be honest, when he was carrying (I thought) not only does he have to win to even start talking, you know, let’s try and get out of that fight unscathed before you even ask, but then, I still don’t think he’d deserve it,” Volkanovski said. “Remember, he’s ranked #8. He was ranked #8 and he was fighting #5… He’s so surprised that I’m fighting Zombie; these guys (contenders for the title shot) are ranked higher than him, (and) were gonna be ranked higher than him even if he won. It just doesn’t make sense. Yeah you’ve got a winning streak, but let’s fight some contenders, let’s fight some top guys, and you did and look what happened.”

    In the buildup to UFC Vegas 46, Chikadze blasted Volkanovski as a “chump” and alluded to losing respect for the 145-pound champion. After his loss to Kattar, he’ll likely need to go on another winning streak to get back into the featherweight title discussion.

    If Volkanovski beats Jung, the UFC will more than likely attempt to book the Holloway trilogy again. For now, it appears that Chikadze is a long way off from getting a title shot against Volkanovski.

    Do you think we’ll ever see Alexander Volkanovski vs. Giga Chikadze?

  • Cris Cyborg Responds To Cat Zingano’s Allegations Of Drug Test Dodging

    Bellator featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino has hit back at Cat Zingano after she accused the champion of potentially doping.

    Justino is expected to potentially face Zingano for her next appearance in the cage. But, Zingano has alleged that she has a matchup with another opponent set in March as a No. 1 contender fight.

    Zingano has accused Justino of dodging drug tests ahead of a potential return to the cage later this year. This prompted quite the heated response from the featherweight champ.

    “Cat Zingano, why are you lying?” Justino said. “I haven’t refused any drug tests. I’m ready whenever you are. Behind the scenes you keep saying to Bellator you need more time to prepare for me, you need a different opponent first, now you go on social media with lies and smear campaigns and excuses? Sad.” (h/t BJPenn)

    Justino last competed against Sinead Kavanagh back in November, earning a first-round knockout. It was speculated that Justino could potentially face Kayla Harrison next, but Harrison’s free agency appears to be headed in the PFL’s favor and not Bellator’s.

    Zingano, a former UFC title challenger, has yet to fight for the belt since making the move to Bellator. Following a loss to Megan Anderson in her UFC finale, she’s earned back-to-back wins over Olivia Parker and Gabrielle Holloway.

    Justino has had a complicated legacy in MMA. She tested positive for steroids earlier in her career and had her license suspended to compete in California.

    It’s unclear if and when Justino and Zingano will settle their beef in the Bellator cage, but it’s sure to be quite the buildup to their fight.

    What are your thoughts on the Cat Zingano/Cris Cyborg controversy?

  • Archives: Diaz Blasts McGregor & Rogan Over Stephen A. Ordeal (2020)

    After Conor McGregor ran through Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith shared his harsh opinion of Cowboy’s performance, which resulted in Conor McGregor, Joe Rogan, and many others in the MMA community coming down hard on Smith.

    Donald Cerrone would later say, in his own words, that he “didn’t want to be there” at UFC 246. Prior to Cerrone making these remarks, Nate Diaz had already come to Smith’s defense against McGregor’s and Rogan’s criticisms.

    On This Day Two Years Ago...

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2020, 9:38 AM]

    Headline: Nate Diaz Blasts Conor McGregor & Joe Rogan Over Stephen A. Smith Ordeal

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Nate Diaz thinks Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan are in the wrong when it comes to their ordeal with Stephen A. Smith.

    Stephen A.’s post-UFC 246 comments on Donald Cerrone’s performance against McGregor have been a hot topic within the MMA community. The ESPN personality ripped “Cowboy’s” performance and called it “atrocious.” He even said that it looked as if Cerrone “gave up.”

    Rogan criticized Smith over his remarks and said he shouldn’t be allowed to talk about MMA again. Stephen A. responded by saying Rogan is wrong to question his ability to cover MMA but Conor McGregor wasn’t thrilled with the response as he made clear on his Twitter account.

    “The call you discuss here is A+. I didn’t show enough. I’m not paid by the hour though. Joe’s comments however, come from you saying the opposition fighter quit. Broken nose/orbital bone say different. Fighting is vicious. Those who make the walk deserve full respect! Apologize.”

    Nate Diaz Puts Conor McGregor & Joe Rogan On Blast

    Diaz is aware of the whole ordeal and he’s taking Stephen A.’s side as he revealed in a Twitter post.

    “Rogan and Conor should give Stephen Smith a apology he said what it was The fight was over before it started Get offfeachothers nuts.”

    Before the tweet, Diaz had told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi that he felt Cerrone was a layup for McGregor.

    “Cowboy doesn’t care about winning and losing, so [McGregor] didn’t have a very hard fight on his hands,” Diaz said.

    Do you agree with Nate Diaz?

  • Archives: White Disagrees With ‘Harsh’ Punishment For Khabib (2019)

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

    On This Day Three Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2019, 1:16 PM]

    Archives: Dana White Disagrees With ‘Harsh’ Punishment Handed Down to Khabib Nurmagomedov

    Author: Damon Martin

    UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to pay a $500,000 fine for his role in the infamous post-fight brawl that he initiated following his win over Conor McGregor last October.

    Just seconds after Nurmagomedov secured a fourth-round rear-naked choke finish, he leaped over the cage to go after McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis, who was working in his corner for the fight.

    Chaos ensued immediately afterwards but security quickly contained the ugly incident but the commission wasn’t going to let it go without handing down some stiff penalties for everybody involved.

    Nurmagoemdov was dinged with the $500,000 fine and a six-month suspension assuming he completes an approved anti-bullying public service announcement for the state of Nevada. Meanwhile, McGregor was hit with a $50,000 fine and a six-month suspension and both fighters should be eligible to return after April 6.

    UFC president Dana White has definitely gone back and forth with the Nevada Commission in the past over certain decisions that have been made and in this case, he believes Nurmagomedov got a raw deal when it comes to his punishment for the brawl.

    “I was obviously surprised by how much they put on Khabib,” White told ESPN on Wednesday. “You’ve got a half-a-million dollars and six months [suspension] if he does some [public service announcements]. What he did was wrong, he jumped out, we had the whole thing contained in seconds.

    “I don’t know. It was a little harsh in my opinion but it is what it is.”

    The commission also took exception to the excessing amount of trash talking between Nurmagomedov and McGregor that led to their fight at UFC 229.

    As personal as things may have gotten, the fight ended up as the biggest UFC pay-per-view of all time while the promotion put out a study earlier this week showing more than $86 million in revenue was generated for the city of Las Vegas by that single event.

    White obviously doesn’t agree with trying to police what the fighters are saying to each other in the lead up to a fight, especially when it oftentimes leads to the biggest rivalries in the history of the sport.

    “Here’s the thing — it’s a fight. At the end of the day, it’s a fight,” White said. “Sometimes you come across people that don’t like each other and there’s a lot of bad blood. That was the case in this fight. This is what we do. This is the fight business. These guys are talking about fighters saying mean things to each other and all this other stuff.

    “If you break it down and go back to when [Muhammad] Ali fought [Joe] Frazier and you look at the times when that happened, the stuff that he said about Frazier and saying to Frazier was horrible. Horrible things that you don’t say to somebody else back then.”

    It’s tough to imagine the Nevada commission actually attempting to curb trash talk before a fight but either way they definitely made Nurmagomedov pay for his choices after the fight was over.

    Through his manager Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov has reportedly stated that he will no longer fight in Nevada as a result of this harsh penalty.

    Was the Nevada commission wrong to fine Khabib Nurmagomedov so much money? Sound off in the comments and let us know! 

  • Ben Askren Predicts Hypothetical Anderson Silva vs. Jake Paul Matchup

    Ben Askren is lending his thoughts on a potential bout between Jake Paul and Anderson Silva.

    Ben Askren has taken a step back from competing in combat sports. His short stint in boxing led to a loss at the hands of Jake Paul, now he is giving his thoughts on Paul’s most recent win and a potential matchup that could give Paul some trouble.

    Askren spent most of his MMA days fighting for Bellator and ONE Championship in Japan. When he finally got his chance in the UFC, unfortunately, it did not go his way. With one win in the UFC, followed by being made into a meme by Jorge Masvidal, Askren decided to try his hand at boxing.

    Askren was the first former MMA fighter to challenge Paul inside the squared circle and lost. Since then, Paul’s targeting of MMA fighters is becoming his signature move in boxing. He has been rumored to want a fight with former UFC champion Anderson Silva. Although this bout is far from confirmed, Askren is hoping that Silva can do what no other man has done yet, stop Paul in the ring.

    “I thought Tyron [Woodley] was going to. The first bout was obviously really competitive,” Askren told MMA Island. “Anderson Silva looked great in his one boxing match he did. It was against a guy who had a significant amount of boxing experience, so I would say yeah, I would think so. If Anderson can’t do it, then shit, Jake Paul is pretty damn good.”

    Silva has had four professional boxing fights since retiring from the UFC. He has won his last three bouts, including the win Askren referenced that came over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and most recently over fellow former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz. Silva has expressed interest in taking on Paul, but nothing has materialized on that fight being made as of this writing.

    Do you think Anderson Silva would be able to beat Jake Paul in the boxing ring?

  • Cody Garbrandt’s Uncle/Trainer Believes One More KO Could End Career

    Cody Garbrandt’s uncle is worried about his health and safety.

    Coming up in combat sports, Cody Garbrandt was under the tutelage of his uncle Robert Meese. Meese was his boxing and a striking coach. He was Garbrandt’s main coach in his early days and has stayed with him through his time at Team Alpha Male. Meese has seen Garbrandt through ups and downs and was there when he won his bantamweight title. But recently, Garbrandt has been having trouble finding a win in the UFC.

    Meese spoke presently to TalkSports about his nephews’ future and his health overall.

    “If Cody gets knocked out again, I am pretty sure his career is over,” Meese said. “But Cody can come back, George Foreman hit a bump in his career and came back and he had more fun and made more money and won the heavyweight title.”

    Garbrandt has lost two in a row and five of his last six. Of those five losses, four were via KO or TKO. After losing his bantamweight title, Garbrandt decided to try his hand at flyweight. He made his flyweight debut last year but lost to Kai Kara-France. Garbrandt’s uncle knows firsthand what a significant weight cut can do to a fighter.

    “In terms of cutting weight, I can only speak about what I know. I was preparing for a fight, and I had to cut extra weight at the last minute due to the opponent. So, I had to get down to a certain weight,” Meese said. “Then the night of the fight, I thought I was going to die. I cut so much weight it felt like Mike Tyson hit me. So, you’re really not going to know until the night of the fight how it feels to get hit at that weight. The real weight was 125 pounds but you’re not really doing any sparring at 125.”

    The future is unclear for Garbrandt right now. With the loss to Kara-France, his chances at getting a title shot at 125 pounds seem slim. His best bet might be to return to bantamweight and try again to regain his title. From 2015 up until he lost to TJ Dillashaw in 2017 he was unstoppable. He could fight a rematch that the fans could be interested in and work his way back up to the title fight.

    As for staying at flyweight, his uncle doesn’t seem to believe that is a good idea.

    “We all knew Cody wasn’t at his best going into that fight, me, Urijah Faber, Chris Holdsworth we all knew,” he said.

    Do you think Cody Garbrandt is nearing the end of his career or will he have a resurgence?

  • (Archives) Rogan: McGregor “Will Manipulate Leverage” In MMA (2017)

    The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 3:29 PM]

    Headline: Joe Rogan: Conor McGregor “Will Manipulate Leverage” in “Star Driven” MMA

    Author: Adam Haynes

    Joe Rogan and friends theorize on a new dawn in MMA, and discuss Conor McGregor’s announcement on the newly established ‘McGregor Promotions’.

    McGregor had numerous topics to discuss with Ariel Helwani on Saturday in Manchester, England, including a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather, Ronda Rousey and the soon-to-come birth of his first child.

    The current UFC lightweight champion also announced the birth of ‘McGregor Promotions,’ insisting that he will look to co-promote any Mayweather match with the UFC and the boxer’s company, but with considerable conditions:

    “Everyone’s got to know their place,” McGregor said. “There’s Mayweather Promotions, there’s the UFC and now there’s the newly formed McGregor Promotions. And we’re all in the mix.”

    Joe Rogan spoke with ex-UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub and others on Saturday’s installment of their ‘Fight Companion’ podcast, and hypothesized on the rapid evolution of MMA:

    “It’s going to become what boxing is. It’s going to become that. It’s star-driven” Rogan said. “when it’s star-driven like that, guys like Conor who are legitimate stars, they have the leverage. And they’re going to manipulate that leverage. They’re going to utilize that leverage and we’re going to see what happens”.

    You can watch the full clip below:

    https://youtu.be/0RQMgXH3nsE

  • Archives: Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Shevchenko (2017)

    It’s been almost five years to the day since Julianna Peña lost to Valentina Shevchenko. As we now know, Peña was able to turn out just fine, currently sitting as the women’s bantamweight champion. But in the following article, we re-experience her raw reaction to losing in the UFC for the first time.

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

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2017, 8:41 PM]

    Headline: Julianna Peña Issues Statement After Losing to Valentina Shevchenko

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Julianna Peña may have lost her first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but the sky isn’t falling.

    Peña was submitted in the second round courtesy of an armbar from Valentina Shevchenko this past Saturday night (Jan. 28). The loss was Peña’s third as a professional mixed martial artist (MMA). That almost means her four-fight winning streak was snapped.

    On her Facebook page, Peña apologized to her fans for falling short in Denver. She believes the defeat will help her grow:

    “So, so sorry about my loss you guys. Too hungry. At this level of competition, you cannot make the first mistake or you pay the price. This is a big-time learning experience for me. Time to move forward though. I take one look in the past and then I turn around and keep it pushing toward the future.”

    “The Venezuelan Vixen” said she hasn’t lost sight of what’s important. A loss inside the Octagon isn’t going to make her forget about the people who have supported her.

    “Michael Jordan missed shots and even the best MMA fighters have tasted defeat at some point in their career. My character is not defined by my wins and losses nor are they contingent on the amount of love I receive from those who truly matter to me. Thank you to those who realize how much work goes into this process. It takes a village to get to the big stage and I could not be more grateful for my team who continue to help me achieve my dreams on a daily basis.”

    Peña ended her statement by showing appreciation for her fans.

    “You guys motivate and inspire me to continue to be great. You guys are my mentors, my heroes, my main support and without you being there for me, there would be no ‘Venezuelan Vixen.’ Much respect, love and thankfulness to those who tuned in to the fight. Like the terminator says, I’ll be back.”

  • Ferguson Says He Has ‘A Move Reserved’ For Khabib When They Batte

    Tony Ferguson still has his eyes set on Khabib Nurmagomedov.

    Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were booked to fight one another five times but for a variety of reasons, the fight never happened. Ever since then, Ferguson has called out “The Eagle” and said he isn’t undefeated because he “lost” to him due to him pulling out multiple times.

    Now, Ferguson has taken to social media to say he has something ready for Nurmagomedov when they go to battle.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZN8kdwJQzc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    “Got A Five Point Move Reserved For This Asshole When WeBattle,.. Ippon # TeamTiramisu4L -Champ,” Ferguson wrote on social media.

    Ferguson is currently on a three-fight losing streak and during this losing skid, Nurmagomedov blasted “El Cucuy” saying he needs to retire.

    “He is 38 years old,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview posted and translated by RT Sport. “Tell me how he can make a comeback? He was dominated in his last three bouts. Different styles – a striker, a grappler… Dariush, Oliveira, Gaethje, they all dominated him both standing up and on the ground. When you are 38, I believe, you have to pull the brakes and there have to be people around him to say: ‘Hey, you are aging, you have to stop.’”

    Tony Ferguson is coming off back-to-back lopsided decision losses to Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira. Prior to those losses, he suffered a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 for the interim lightweight title.

    Before the setbacks, Ferguson was riding a 12-fight winning streak and was also the former interim lightweight champion. He’s currently in talks to face Michael Chandler next time out in an all-action scrap.

    Khabib Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, retired at 29-0 after his submission win over Justin Gaethje in 2020.

    What do you make of Tony Ferguson’s latest shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov?

  • Archives: Sonnen Says Jon Jones Is Being “Falsely Disparaged” (2019)

    It is no secret Chael Sonnen has historically been one of Jon Jones’ biggest critics. The two have been in conflict, mostly on social media, for years now. In 2019, shortly after Jones had competed at UFC 232 despite atypical test findings, Sonnen would actually come to Jones’ defense—sort of.

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

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 2019, 3:18 PM]

    Headline: Chael Sonnen Says Jon Jones Is Being “Falsely Disparaged”

    Author: Jon Fuentes

    There has been a ton of controversy surrounding UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. “Bones” has been engulfed in criticism for his drug testing issues over the past several years.

    Recently, Jones forced an entire pay-per-view (PPV) event to be moved to a different state. Jones was suspended in 2017 after testing positive for a banned substance. After his suspension was served, he returned last month against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232.

    Initially, the fight was slated to go down from Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Jones again tested positive for traces of the same substance he was suspended for in 2017. It was determined that Jones did not re-ingest anything illegal, but this was instead a pulsing effect. This was not enough for the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to grant him a license to fight at UFC 232. Thus, the promotion moved the event to California.

    Jones defeated Gustafsson via third-round TKO to capture the vacant 205-pound title. Recently, the NSAC granted Jones a conditional one-fight license to defend his title in Vegas on March 2nd. He’ll face Anthony Smith in the main event of UFC 235 from the T-Mobile Arena. One man who knows a thing or two about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) is Chael Sonnen.

    Sonnen has admitted to using PEDs in the past and has served a suspension for doing so. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Sonnen believes Jones is being “falsely disparaged” for having retaken a banned substance (Bloody Elbow):

    “I am seeing Jon falsely disparaged for having retaken banned substances. That’s not true. The conclusion and the analysis is accurate that this is residue that is left over,” Sonnen said.

    “My conclusion and analysis that he was under-punished …. I’m just a guy looking at the rules that understands that on your second violation, you have a minimum of two years.

    “Had they gone through that, we wouldn’t be in this spot (because there would no longer be turinabol residue in his system).

    What do you think about Sonnes’s comments on the Jones situation?

  • Kayla Harrison Suggests UFC Offer Is A Case Of Bad Timing

    Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison hasn’t made up her mind on her free agency, but the UFC’s offer may now be off the table.

    Harrison earned the 2021 PFL lightweight championship after defeating Taylor Guardado in the finals. She remains undefeated in her professional MMA career after a successful tenure in Olympic Judo.

    Many believed that the UFC might’ve been the most likely destination for Harrison. This included a potential matchup with her now-former teammate Amanda Nunes for the UFC featherweight title.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Harrison explained her free agency decision process and what promotions are still under consideration.

    “I got the offer from the UFC. I know what it is. I think timing-wise, because of certain things that are gonna happen with Amanda [Nunes] and Julianna [Peña] etc…” Harrison said. “Timing is kind of everything in this sport, so PFL’s definitely the front-runner. Bellator, again, we had spoken to. I don’t know the exact details of what was said between Ali and them, but I know what I had proposed, so, it doesn’t look like that’s gonna—we’ll see.”

    Harrison was then asked whether or not Nunes’ shocking loss to Julianna Peña altered any plans she had to sign with the UFC.

    “Not really, I was bummed for my teammate that night, there’s a viral video of me screaming something like, ‘Fuck!’ But it was mostly ’cause I was in shock and bummed for her. But what Amanda does with her career has no barring on my career and I respect her, I have a ton of respect for her as a fighter, as a mom, as a human being, but my journey is my journey.”

    Recent reports indicate that Harrison is expected to re-sign with the PFL on possibly a one-year contract. This would allow her to reevaluate the landscape next year.

    Harrison has emerged as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA today and could fight on the biggest platform in the sport sooner rather than later. But for now, it appears that the UFC may be temporarily out of the Kayla Harrison sweepstakes.

    What are your predictions for Kayla Harrison in 2022?

  • Kevin Holland Humbles, Taps Out Internet Troll At His Gym

    UFC fighter Kevin Holland taught one internet troll a brutal lesson after the man called him out on social media relentlessly for weeks.

    Holland is set to make his UFC return at UFC 272 at welterweight, after a long run at middleweight. He’ll face Alex Oliveira in the hopes of getting back in the win column after a series of lopsided performances.

    But Holland has remained one of the most popular UFC personalities on social media. He recently stopped an alleged carjacker in his neighborhood and helped local police apprehend the suspect.

    Holland took up a challenge from one Instagram user who decided to berate the star athlete in his direct messages. After calling Holland out for a fight, the troll was invited to Holland’s gym to attempt to prove his points.

    As Holland would later show, it didn’t go well for the troll.

    Holland made the troll look silly on the mat, showcasing his grappling skills and quickly getting a tap. It’s safe to say that the troll in question won’t be challenging Holland again anytime soon.

    Holland rose to prominence with an electric calendar year in 2020. He earned three-straight wins, including a vicious knockout over Joaquin Buckley.

    As he makes the move to 170 pounds, he’s looking to realize his potential in the Octagon and possibly challenge for a title shortly.

    What are your thoughts on this video of Kevin Holland submitting a troll?

  • Bellator 273 Results & Highlights: Bader Defeats Moldavsky

    Bellator MMA’s first event of the year has just wrapped up, and it featured a heavyweight title fight to determine their undisputed champion. Sitting champ Ryan Bader was in the light heavyweight World Grand Prix, so to keep the heavyweight division moving, an interim title fight between Timothy Johnson and Valentin Moldovsky went down last June with Moldavsky emerging as the victor. 

    Bader lost his semifinal bout in the Grand Prix, so at Bellator 273, he returned to heavyweight to determine who the true champion is. At media day on fight week, Bader said, “The last fight (in Phoenix at Bellator 268 on Oct. 16, 2021) was not the result we wanted. The crowd showed up. Arizona showed up. We packed the house. Let’s get a little redemption here in front of the home crowd.”

    Below, you can find highlights from the main event that saw Bader retain the heavyweight championship.

    Ryan Bader def. Valentin Moldavsky

    Bellator MMA 273 Fast Results

    MAIN CARD

    • Heavyweight Championship Bout: Ryan Bader © def Valentin Moldavsky via unanimous decision (48-47×3)
    • Benson Henderson def. Islam Mamedov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
    • Henry Corrales def. Aiden Lee via unanimous technical decision (29-28, 30-27×2)
    • Sabah Homasi def. Jaleel Willis via submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 (1:42)

    PRELIMINARY CARD

    • Enrique Barzola def. Darrion Caldwell via TKO (strikes) R3 (3:01)
    • Chris Gonzalez def. Saad Awad via knockout (head kick, punches) R1 (0:36)
    • Dalton Rosta def. Duane Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Nikita Mikhailov def. Blaine Shutt via TKO (punches) R3 (3:23)
    • Lucas Brennan def. Benjamin Lugo via submission (arm-triangle choke) – R1 (2:27)
    • Sullivan Cauley def. Ben Parrish via TKO (punches) R1 (4:35)

  • Ngannou Not Worried About Title Being Vacated: “It’s Just A Belt”

    Francis Ngannou knows that if the UFC takes his belt, he will be just fine.

    Francis Ngannou is sitting at the top of the UFC heavyweight division. Fresh off his first title defense win over Ciryl Gane should be putting him in a safe place in terms of his career. However, Ngannou has been having some contract disputes with the UFC over the past year. Now that he is still the champ, should he be worried about the UFC taking his title away?

    Ngannou beat Gane by unanimous decision at UFC 270. Inside the Octagon when the decision was read, UFC President Dana White was nowhere to be found. White is typically the one to wrap the belt around a champion’s waist, but he claims he was dealing with an issue backstage. Many believe that the strained relationship between White and Ngannou was the true reason White was MIA after UFC 270, and some have warned Ngannou to be wary.

    When Ngannou won his title, he began his quest for more money and opportunities. Unable to come to an agreement in a hypothetical bout against Jon Jones, the UFC created an interim title just months after Ngannou was crowned.

    Francis Ngannou Unworried About Potentially Being Stripped

    Francis Ngannou
    Francis Ngannou, Photo Credit: Getty Images

    Following UFC 270, Nagnnou is saying he will need an extended break in order to fix a lingering knee injury. If the UFC were to require him to vacate the belt, Ngannou thinks he’ll be just fine.

    “No, I’m not worried about that because at the end of the day, it’s just a belt, you know?” Ngannou told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour. “As soon as they take the belt away, I’m a free agent [LAUGHS]. But I earned the belt; it’s not the belt that will make me champion. With or without it, I’m still a champion. So, let’s be clear about that. Nothing will change my status of being the champion.”

    Ngannou has been looking for opportunities outside the UFC. He has mentioned wanting to box with Tyson Fury. He will not be able to seek this kind of boxing match while he is under the UFC contract. If he were to be forced out, he would most likely transition over to boxing.

    Do you think the UFC will try and strip Francis Ngannou if he is out too long?

  • Archives: Eddie Alvarez: I’m The Only Man Who Can Beat Khabib (2021)

    Months after Khabib had retired from MMA, a name from his past argued that he was the only man who could defeat the undefeated Dagestani.

    The following article was published on this day one year ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2021, 6:10 PM]

    Headline: Eddie Alvarez: I’m The Only Man Who Can Beat Khabib

    Eddie Alvarez believes he is the only fight that would make sense for Khabib Nurmagomedov to come out of retirement.

    29 men have tried to topple the unbeaten and seemingly flawless UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and all have failed. As the speculation of whether or not Khabib will pursue a 30-0 record spreads, in another world, perhaps he would already be 30-0, with Eddie Alvarez being on The Eagle’s victims list.

    Back in 2016, Eddie Alvarez was the UFC lightweight champion and there were talks of him potentially defending the title against Khabib. In fact, Khabib claims he was sent a “fake contract” to fight Alvarez as a negotiation ploy to lure Conor McGregor into accepting the terms for the UFC 205 main event against Alvarez. McGregor would later dominate Alvarez to become the “Champ-Champ, and Khabib would virally call “Number-1 Bullshit” on the whole fiasco.

    Eddie Alvarez Believes He Is Khabib’s Toughest Matchup

    Morning Report: Eddie Alvarez wants to fight the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz, says 'who gives a s*** about rankings?' - MMA Fighting
    Former UFC Champion Eddie Alvarez. Image Credit: Esther Lin

    Fast forward to 2021 and now Khabib Nurmagomedov is the lightweight champion, and it is Eddie Alvarez who says that a fight between the two would make sense, even though Alvarez is currently competing for another promotion.

    “I’m his only matchup that would make any sense, or give him a terrible time,” Alvarez told Morning Kombat. “There’s one guy that gave him a terrible time in the whole division, and this is just the truth. (Gleison) Tibau gave him a terrible time because Tibau was not overly great at anything.

    “Neither am I. I’m not overly great at anything. You say ‘What is Eddie great at?’ I’m not great at anything. I’m not a great striker, I’m not a great wrestler or great jiu-jitsu guy… I’m athletic, I have a strong spirit, a strong heart, and I will fight, I’ll fight to the death.”

    Eddie Alvarez currently competes for ONE Championship, a promotion Alvarez has called home since 2019. Alvarez is 1-1 in the promotion and has lost two of his last three fights overall.

    How do you think a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Eddie Alvarez would play out?

  • Robert Whittaker Embracing Underdog Role Ahead Of Adesanya Rematch

    Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker knows a lot of people are counting him out ahead of his Israel Adesanya rematch at UFC 271.

    After losing his title to Adesanya at UFC 243, Whittaker has won three straight fights and has worked his way back to the champion. While Whittaker’s rise back to the title shot has been impressive, Adesanya’s recent defenses have been dominant.

    There’s always a lot of pressure that comes with fighting for a world championship. But for Whittaker, he embraces it and isn’t worried by how fans perceive his chances in the rematch.

    During a recent interview with Unibet Australia, Whittaker explained why the odds don’t bother him.

    “I’m the underdog moving into this rematch with Adesanya,” Whittaker said. “(It) makes sense, you know. He already beat me once. He’s the current champ. He’s sitting at the high horse and he beat me the first time. It takes some of the pressure off, being the underdog.

    “No one expects me to win. No one expects me to go over there and dethrone him after he beat me already. Throughout my whole career, I’ve loved being the underdog. I love getting in there and defying the odds. I like going in there and proving people wrong. It gives me that little bit of extra edge.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

    The two Oceania rivals have remained unfriendly with one another in the buildup to their rematch. Whittaker has referred to Adesanya as a “s**t person” in the past, and his apparent disdain for the champion hasn’t waned.

    Whittaker most recently earned dominant wins over Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum in the Octagon. He’s remained arguably one of the top fighters in the world despite losing his title, even ranking #11 on the MMA News Top 100 Fighters of 2021 list.

    Whittaker will have the opportunity to shock the world against Adesanya at UFC 271 and reclaim his throne against his rival.

    What is your prediction for UFC 271?

  • Archives: Rogan To Stephen A. Smith: I Like You, But You’re Wrong (2020)

    As marvelously as Conor McGregor performed in his 2020 victory over Donald Cerrone, much of the attention was placed on what Cerrone didn’t do as opposed to what McGregor did do. Whenever there’s a Conor McGregor fight, the A-listers come out, including the biggest names in sports media, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

    Smith opined that Cerrone looked like he quit during the loss to McGregor and was widely ridiculed for those remarks. Although later that year, Cerrone himself stated that he ‘didn’t want to be there,‘ when everything was still fresh after the fight, Smith’s remarks weren’t taken well by many within the MMA community, including Joe Rogan as you’ll see in the below article published on this day two years ago.

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

    On This Day Two Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 1:20 PM]

    Headline: Joe Rogan Responds To Stephen A. Smith: I Like You, But You’re Wrong

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Joe Rogan has responded to Stephen A. Smith and he’s sticking to his guns.

    Rogan and Smith are in a disagreement over Stephen A.’s assessment of Donald Cerrone’s performance at UFC 246. Smith called Cerrone’s efforts against Conor McGregor, “atrocious” and said that Cerrone looked to have “gave up.”

    Joe Rogan Offers Response To Stephen A. Smith

    Rogan expressed his displeasure with Stephen A. and said the ESPN personality should never be allowed to talk about fighting again. Smith responded by saying Rogan is wrong and offered to debate him on the matter. The UFC color commentator took to his JRE MMA Show to respond.

    “Listen Stephen A. Smith, I guess I should respond. You’re a very entertaining guy. Like you a lot and I appreciate the props you gave me in that video, but you’re wrong. ‘Cowboy’ got f*cked up with those shoulders in the clinch. He had Conor’s arms tied up and they’re in tight spaces. Conor dips low and slams this bone of his shoulder into the nose. And he’s at the beginning of the round, Conor’s a f*cking super explosive guy. Super explosive, all muscle. Just f*cking pulled tight at the beginning of the fight and just, ‘Bang! Bang!’ He got off good shots and ‘Cowboy’ was confused.”

    Rogan went on to disagree with the notion that Cerrone quit.

    “Stephen A. Smith said that he felt like ‘Cowboy’ quit. He did not quit. He got smashed.”

    Another problem Rogan has with Stephen A. is that he doesn’t think “Cowboy’s” credibility and status were taken into account with his remarks.

    “It’s also who you’re talking about. You’re talking about a guy who has the most fights in the UFC, the most finishes in the UFC, the most head kick knockouts in the UFC, the most bonuses in the UFC. ‘Cowboy’ is a f*cking legend. He is as tough as they come. He’s lost before, every human can lose. Especially you’re fighting guys like Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal and these f*cking animals that he’s fighting. Or Conor, and Conor literally broke his face. He broke his nose and he broke his orbital bone. So Stephen A. Smith responded and then Conor responded. Conor told him to apologize and Conor’s right.”

  • Archives: Khabib Receives Nine-Month Suspension & $500,000 Fine (2019)

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

    On This Day In MMA History…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2019, 12:33 PM]

    Title: Khabib Receives Nine-Month Suspension & $500,000 Fine

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Khabib Nurmagomedov has received his punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

    Nurmagomedov was awaiting a final punishment for his role in the UFC 229 brawl. After submitting Conor McGregor back in October 2018, Nurmagomedov leaped into the crowd and went after the “Notorious” one’s teammate Dillon Danis. This sparked a brawl and punches were thrown from Nurmagomedov’s team.

    At a commission hearing earlier today (Jan. 29), it was determined that “The Eagle” will be suspended for nine months and fined $500,000. Nurmagomedov’s suspension can be reduced to six months if he partakes in an anti-bullying PSA. The suspension is retroactive to Oct. 6.

    Nurmagomedov’s ruling was handed down before McGregor’s. The “Notorious” one ended up being suspended for six months retroactive to Oct. 6 and he must pay a $50,000 fine. Nurmagomedov’s teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov also received suspensions. Both men have been suspended for one year retroactive to Oct. 6 and will each pay a $25,000 fine.

    Nurmagomedov took to his Twitter account and clearly wasn’t so enamored with McGregor’s suspension:

    Many aren’t expecting Nurmagomedov to fight this summer as he will be celebrating Ramadan. It’s also unlikely that he will compete without Abubakar and Tukhugov in his corner.

    What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s suspension?

  • Lopez Reveals How Usman Played Peacekeeper Between Him & Ngannou

    Ciryl Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez has revealed what Kamaru Usman said to him after Francis Ngannou’s victory at UFC 270.

    While it may have somewhat drifted into the background with the remarkable situation surrounding the heavyweight champion’s future in the UFC and ongoing contractual dispute with the promotion, Ngannou’s bitter and public feud with MMA Factory founder and head coach Lopez was an intriguing narrative heading into the opening pay-per-view main event of 2022.

    Fueled by a dramatic backstage snub at UFC 268 that was worthy of a place in a soap opera, Lopez and Ngannou’s 2019 split rose back to the surface in recent months. While the Frenchman accused his former student of refusing to pay the gym membership and attempting to sabotage Gane’s rise to the UFC, the Cameroonian branded his ex-tutor as “evil”.

    In the end, it was Ngannou who had the last laugh. Pushing through a heap of adversity, including the possibility of “irreversible damage” from a torn MCL and damaged ACL, “The Predator” wrestled his way to a unanimous decision victory over “Bon Gamin.”

    Usman Pushed For Peace

    With the culmination of the unification showdown and the crowning of an undisputed titleholder, most will hope we’ve seen the end of the public criticisms and insults between Ngannou and Lopez. One man who certainly feels that way is reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.

    Usman, a good friend of his fellow African UFC champ, was in Ngannou’s corner for the UFC 270 main event. While Lopez didn’t share any words with “The Predator” after Gane’s defeat, he did interact with “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

    During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Lopez revealed Usman pleaded with him to leave his differences with Ngannou in the past, something the 43-year-old says he is more than happy to do.

    “When I shake Kamaru Usman’s hand, he stopped me and said to me, ‘Fernand, we are brothers. Let’s stop this. Let’s just move on.’ And I said, ‘You’re right. Let’s move on…’ I’m done. I’m exhausted with that topic,” said Lopez.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZGdI7otpdZ/

    While we may not have seen the interaction and in-person make up between Lopez and Ngannou many wanted, the Frenchman’s post-fight words with the likes of Usman and opposition coach Eric Nicksick suggest both sides are willing to put their differences behind them.

    That is, until we see Ngannou vs. Gane 2 down the line…

    Should the beef between Fernand Lopez and Francis Ngannou be put to bed now that UFC 270 has passed?

  • Archives: Zhang Takes Aim At Jędrzejczyk Over Coronavirus Joke (2020)

    Prior to the epic encounter between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 that saw Zhang emerge victorious via split decision, there was already some tension between the two athletes as evident in the below article.

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

    On This Day Two Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 4:59 PM]

    Headline: Weili Zhang Takes Aim At Joanna Jedrzejczyk Over Coronavirus Joke

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Joanna Jędrzejczyk is under fire for making a joke aimed at Weili Zhang involving the deadly coronavirus.

    According to CBS News, the death toll caused by the coronavirus has risen to 132. Over 5,900 cases have been confirmed in China. Zhang was born in Handan, China.

    Jędrzejczyk Makes Controversial Joke, Zhang Responds

    Jędrzejczyk, who is set to challenge Zhang for the UFC strawweight championship on March 7, shared an image poking fun at Zhang by using the current epidemic. The post has been deleted, but you can see the picture below.

    Zhang Fires Back, Jędrzejczyk Tries To Clear The Air

    Taking to Instagram, Zhang responded to Jędrzejczyk and made it clear that she feels the joke was out of line.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B76CKOrpsFz/?utm_source=ig_embed

    “To make fun of tragedy is a true sign of ones character. People are dying, someones father, someones mother, someones child. Say what you want about me if it makes you feel stronger but do not joke about what’s happening here. I wish you good health until March 7th. I will see you soon.”

    Jędrzejczyk attempted to clear the air on sharing the post but she also threw in another dig at the 115-pound champion in a selfie video (h/t MMAJunkie.com).

    “Hey champ. Hey Weili. I’m so sorry to make you feel bad, but I’d never make fun of sick people or a virus. I didn’t want you to get offended. I just made fun of the funny internet meme. So, so sorry, but still, I’ll see you March 7. Don’t get emotional, OK?”

  • (Archives) Henderson: Fedor May Be All Used Up After Bellator 214 (2019)

    Three years ago, heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko had just lost to Ryan Bader via TKO in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Final. Despite having won two of his last three fights coming into that bout, a former foe of Fedor, Dan Henderson, considered the possibility that the then 42-year-old Emelanenko was, as he put it, “used up.”

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

    On This Day Three Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2019, 1:45 PM]

    Headline: Dan Henderson Believes Fedor May Be All Used up After Bellator 214 Loss

    Author: Andrew Ravens

    MMA Legend Dan Henderson has sounded off the state of Fedor Emelianenko’s career after suffering his most recent loss.

    This past Saturday night in the headliner of Bellator 214 at The Forum in Inglewood, California on the Paramount Network, Ryan Bader finished Fedor Emelianenko to win the vacant Bellator heavyweight title.

    Emelianenko is a historic figure in the history of the MMA game and no doubt an MMA Legend. In the eyes of Henderson, he praised Bader for a job well done but also thinks that Fedor’s chin is suspect and could be all used up.

    “Damn good job from Bader, for sure. Fedor’s had kind of a suspect chin,” Henderson told Fight Hub TV (H/T to MMAMania). “He’s still super dangerous. I figured [Bader] would win but not quite in that manner. It seems like [Fedor] could be all used up, unfortunately, I would love to see him out there more, but.”

    The MMA legend finished former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the main event of the Bellator 198 event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois via strikes in the first round in a Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout. His next fight saw him beat Chael Sonnen on at Bellator 208 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York by first-round TKO.