MMA News

Category: UFC

Latest UFC news articles, interviews and more covering the world’s top Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

  • Report: Joe Rogan’s Spotify Deal $200 Million, More Than First Reported

    Podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan got paid more than first reported to bring his The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to Spotify.

    Rogan signed what was originally reported to be a $100 million deal to stream his podcast on Spotify. But according to a new report by The New York Times, this is half of what he’s actually earning from the platform.

    A pair of anonymous sources told The Times that Rogan is making roughly $200 million to stream his podcast on Spotify, with the possibility of more. The deal covers three and a half years, dating to when he first signed the original deal in May 2020.

    Rogan has been under fire in recent weeks regarding his views on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines, along with a viral compilation video with him using a racial slur. Spotify has elected to keep him on the platform despite calls for him to be removed, such as from musical artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

    Rogan was also notably absent from the UFC 271 commentary team, for a reason which is still unclear. After it was originally reported as a “scheduling conflict”, UFC president Dana White downplayed it and said that it was Rogan’s choice not to attend.

    While Rogan’s podcast has skyrocketed Spotify to the top of the streaming world, the podcast’s tenure with Spotify hasn’t come without controversy. He’s been accused of spreading alleged misinformation regarding the pandemic and more specifically, vaccines and vaccine side effects.

    Rogan has yet to respond publically to the latest report from The New York Times.

    What is your reaction to Joe Rogan’s massive Spotify deal?

  • Gilbert Burns Provides Update On Chimaev Bout, Wants Five-Rounder

    Gilbert Burns intends to find out just what exactly rising star Khamzat Chimaev is really made of.

    Khamzat Chimaev is widely considered to be arguably the top rising prospect on the entire UFC roster. He has earned this reputation by looking more dominant than anyone has looked in the UFC across four fights both statistically and visibly speaking. However, the fact remains that he is still very much untested in terms of Octagon time and level of competition.

    WATCH! Khamzat Chimaev talks to UFC President Dana White while lifting up his opponent mid-air » FirstSportz
    “Borz” Manhandles Li Jingliang Just Because

    At UFC 267, Chimaev proved that he can impose his will and manhandle a proven and ranked opponent in Li Jingliang. But even still, as the MMA saying goes, ‘There’s levels to this.’ And there are still many levels for Chimaev to climb yet.

    Burns Requests Five-Round Bout Against Chimaev

    Gilbert Burns says he is ready and willing to introduce Chimaev to the difference between what “Borz” has seen thus far in his 10-fight MMA career and the level that awaits him in the top-5 of the UFC’s welterweight division.

    In a recent interview, Chimaev revealed that he has no idea what the delay is from making his targeted fight with Burns official. Now, Burns has addressed where things stand in the contract negotiations, which include his alleged request for the fight to be a five-rounder.

    “Just waiting on the UFC with the confirmation and the contract,” Burns told The Schmo in his update on where things stand. “But I’m already in camp. I’m already getting ready for April 9 in Jacksonville against Chimaev. That’s what I see.

    “And I asked for five rounds. I don’t see no contract yet. I hope they do five rounds. And (I’m) just getting ready.”

    Burns went on to state that he does not know whether the UFC will grant his request or not, but he expects to gain clarification once he is presented with the official contract.

    One thing we did learn from this latest interview from Burns is that all signs are a go for Chimaev vs. Burns on April 9. Now, all that’s left to do is send out the contracts to both fighters, which may or may not include the words “five-round bout” in the documentation.

    Do you think Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns being a five-round fight would make a difference in how the fight would play out?

  • Renato Moicano Wants Bobby Green For Main Event Fight This Year

    UFC lightweight Renato Moicano wants a shot at Bobby Green following their respective wins at UFC 271 last weekend.

    Moicano earned a dominant win over Alexander Hernandez shortly after Green put on a striking showcase against Nasrat Haqparast. Both men are right in the thick of things in the lightweight division following their performances at UFC 271.

    Some, including UFC commentator Jon Anik, have called for Green to get a main event slot at an upcoming Fight Night event.

    Yesterday, we learned that Anik and Bobby Green fans will get their wish when Green faces Islam Makhachev on February 26. Prior to that bout being announced, Moicano wanted to be Green’s first main event opponent.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Moicano spoke about what could be next in his UFC career and liked the idea of a fight with Green.

    “I don’t know, let’s see what the UFC has to offer,” Moicano said. “I heard some people are asking for a main event for Bobby Green. Maybe it’s good if we do a Fight Night. I have a lot of respect for Bobby Green. On the same day, he put on a great performance, so did I. He deserves a main event. If he goes to do a main event, I want to be there and fight, promote the fight, get the fans excited about that. But let’s see what the UFC has to offer. Let’s put some guys with action like boxing versus Jiu-Jitsu. I can strike too, it’ll be a fun fight, five rounds and the fans will enjoy.”

    Moicano has now won three of his last four in the Octagon following back-to-back featherweight losses to José Aldo and Chan Sung Jung. He made the move to lightweight in 2020 with his lone defeat in the division coming against rising contender Rafael Fiziev.

    Moicano has been known for his strong grappling base, but his striking has improved in a big way in recent outings. This could make a matchup with Green particularly entertaining for the fans.

    If Green defeats Makhachev on February 26, though, Green would almost surely be looking very high up the lightweight ranks for his next fight. If he loses, a defeat suffered to Makhachev is not exactly anything to hang one’s head over or damage one’s athletic reputation, so there’s a good chance Moicano’s offer would still stand to face Green next.

    Do you want to see Renato Moicano vs. Bobby Green in 2022?

  • Luke Rockhold Suggests Drug Usage To Blame For Strickland’s Remarks

    It’s safe to say that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold isn’t a fan of Sean Strickland’s antics.

    Rockhold is working towards a return to the UFC in 2022, nearly three years after his last fight against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239. He has alluded to a move back to middleweight after falling flat in his light heavyweight debut.

    Rockhold was supposed to face Strickland at UFC 268 to wrap up 2021, but Rockhold pulled out with an injury. Strickland was removed from the card and instead fought and defeated Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 47.

    Tensions flared when Strickland threatened Rockhold on his social media pages, going as far as to promise a fight with Rockhold if the two ever met in a parking lot.

    During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Rockhold made his opinion of Strickland as clear as can be.

    “I don’t have a lot of respect for the man, what that man says; I don’t think anybody does,” Rockhold said. “I don’t think he really knows what he’s talking about. When you’ve done that many drugs, I don’t know if things really come out clearly. I don’t know if there’s much of a thorough process to what he does. I think why he’s so effective is he doesn’t think, he doesn’t know. He just fights with stupidity. It actually benefits him to a certain extent.”

    Rockhold has previously said that Strickland is “stupid but effective” when it comes to his brash approach to fighting. Rockhold has fought and defeated some of the best ever in the middleweight division, including Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida.

    Following his win over Hermansson, Strickland appears to be knocking on the door for a potential middleweight title shot. He could earn a No. 1 contender fight next or a possible showdown with his adversary Rockhold.

    What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland?

  • Gane: I Had A Better Striking & Ground Game Than Ngannou At UFC 270

    Despite falling to defeat against Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane believes he displayed better striking and groundwork than “The Predator” at UFC 270.

    In the opening pay-per-view main event of 2022, then-interim titleholder Gane and reigning heavyweight king Ngannou met for a blockbuster unification showdown.

    As well as their own brief history training together at Paris’ MMA Factory gym, narratives surrounding the champ’s feud with Fernand Lopez, his desire to meet Tyson Fury in the boxing ring, and his ongoing contractual dispute with the UFC loomed large over the event.

    Under that pressure, the Cameroonian held firm, delivering a comeback performance that meant a lot more than simply retaining his heavyweight gold.

    While Gane had started strong, taking the opening two rounds with his evasive and technical striking on the scorecards of most fans and pundits, it was Ngannou’s strength and imposing top game that saw the final three frames fall in his favor.

    But despite spending many minutes on his back in the later rounds and failing to overcome the champ’s wrestling, Gane believes he was “better” in all aspects beyond power.

    During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, “Bon Gamin” suggested he displayed better technique on the feet and on the ground, citing his ability to prevent Ngannou’s ground-and-pound and submission attempts as evidence.

    “I think I was better with my striking, and I was better on the ground game too,” said Gane. “Because if you see, he catch me and kick me. It was difficult for him to do some ground-and-pound or some submission because my technique is good, you see? And it was more about the power and the plan.

    “He used the power for the wrestling. Unfortunately, it was about two seconds when he catch me just on my ribs, behind my ribs,” added Gane. “After that, it’s more complicated to go out with the power of Francis, that’s why I went down. After that, he leave his body on me. He don’t do too much. This is respect for him still because he don’t need to do much… It was just a little mistake. For me, I was better on the striking (and) on the ground game. But, for me, I know this is a little bit strange to say, but I was better on my wrestling too; if you compare the technique. That’s why I’m okay (with the loss).”

    Gane: Herb Dean Should Have Stood The Fight Up In The 5th Round

    Despite his disappointment and belief that he edged most realms of the fight, Gane has consistently given credit to Ngannou for executing his game plan.

    While he continued to do that during his conversation with Ariel Helwani, the Frenchman did suggest referee Herb Dean perhaps should have stood the pair up during Ngannou’s lengthy period of low-activity top control in the fifth round.

    “When you have a big guy like Francis on your chest, if you want to go away, if you want to stand up, that’s not a good plan; to push the guy (up like a rep),” said Gane. “I don’t want to do that with Francis. So I was waiting for a good position to stand up. That’s what the regret is more like, the referee in the fifth round. The referee, for me, he take his time to stand up the fight a little bit.

    “I looked, I connect the eye with the referee like, ‘Okay, let’s go, let’s go, stand up please, look.’ So that’s why this is a little regret. But he (Ngannou) did very well. Congratulations to Francis,” concluded Gane.

    While it’s uncertain whether or not the pair will meet inside the Octagon again or if Ngannou will share the cage with anyone else in the UFC, it would certainly be interesting to see how Gane would go about adjusting to deal with the one area he believes led to him falling short at UFC 270: Ngannou’s strength and power.

    What did you make of Ciryl Gane’s performance against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270? Do you agree with the Frenchman’s assessment?

  • 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?

  • Poirier Details Reason Behind Oliveira Charity Donation Misunderstanding

    Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has cleared the air regarding the donation issue with Charles Oliveira following UFC 269.

    Just minutes after getting submitted by Oliveira for the lightweight title, Poirier and Oliveira embraced and Poirier promised to donate $20,000 to a charity of Oliveira’s choice.

    But a few weeks after the initial donation promise, Oliveira revealed that he hadn’t received it and some began to question whether or not Poirier’s promise was legitimate.

    During a recent interview with InsideFighting, Poirier provided clarity regarding the situation and said the initial confusion has been resolved.

    “So, I ended up getting in touch with Charles and his team,” Poirier said. “We had some back and forth, talking about where the money was gonna go. Right after the fight, he had sent me his personal banking information. I was like, ‘I have a non-profit, I can’t directly deposit $20,000 from my non-profit into your bank account.’ I’m sure the translation, he was probably using a translator to text me back, that’s how we were speaking, on WhatsApp. All the stuff probably got mixed up, maybe, when I asked him about where the money would go and he sent his personal info.

    “Now we got it resolved. So he’s looking for a charity and we’re also speaking to the UFC, the Brazilian department of the UFC, and we’re working with them. So $20,000’s going to somewhere.”

    Poirier’s defeat to Oliveira was his second shot at the lightweight title after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. He would go on to earn back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor along with a unanimous decision win over Dan Hooker.

    Poirier has hinted at a potential move to welterweight to face his adversary Nate Diaz. Formal negotiations haven’t materialized regarding a fight but both sides have expressed a profound interest in the matchup.

    As for Oliveira, he will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje later this year at UFC 274. It appears that any potential tension between him and Poirier regarding the promised donation to charity has diminished.

    Who do you want to see Dustin Poirier fight next?

  • Maycee Barber: “I Wasn’t Ready” To Become Youngest Ever UFC Champ

    Maycee Barber believes she wasn’t sufficiently developed as a mixed martial artist to become the youngest ever UFC champion. 

    Barber, who made her promotional debut in 2018 as a 21-year-old, had long been touted to become the youngest ever to take UFC gold—a record held by Jon Jones, who won the light heavyweight belt at the age of 23 years and 243 days.

    The Contender Series alum experienced a rapid rise through the flyweight division, winning her first three fights via TKO in blistering fashion. Comparisons to Ronda Rousey were made, and it seemed Barber was destined to soon challenge for the title.

    However back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso, in between lengthy layoffs due to an ACL injury, saw Barber’s rapid rise through the flyweight ranks halted. ‘The Future’ returned to action with a win over Miranda Maverick in July last year, but as she approaches her 24th birthday this May, the chance to break Jon Jones’ record has all but passed her by.

    Miranda Maverick, Maycee Barber
    Maycee Barber gets back into the win column against Miranda Maverick last July. Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

    Barber Says She Wasn’t Ready To Become Youngest Ever Champ

    As she prepares to return to the Octagon against Montana De La Rosa in April, Barber spoke exclusively with MMANews about her missed opportunity to go down in the UFC record books. The #14 ranked flyweight was philosophical about how her career has panned out, explaining that she needed to grow as a fighter before she could become champion.

    “Honestly, when I tore my ACL, I was thinking about it,” she says. “Because I was like, me being the youngest champion, it didn’t seem as feasible. Because obviously, I was gonna be out for a whole year. And that kinda messes with the timing and everything. But the thing that I learned was: maybe I wasn’t ready to become champion at that age. Maybe there is so many more lessons that I had. Maybe there was so much more growth that I had to do as a striker, as a wrestler, as a grappler.”

    Barber says that becoming the youngest ever UFC champ was a personal ambition that she was “trying to achieve for everybody.” Failing to reach that goal, the 23-year-old explained, has attracted some haters. But it’s this pressure from fans that Barber says helps her progress towards her goals, so she’ll continue to dream big and share her ambitions publicly.

    During her extended layoff, Maycee says she also realized that simply dreaming about becoming the youngest ever champ, and nothing other than that, was somewhat short-sighted.

    “The other thing that I also learned is; when having that goal, I feel like that was the goal that I set,” she says. “That was the goal for me that I was like, that’s what I’m gonna go after. And I didn’t really plan anything after that. Because I definitely had that feeling, I was like, ‘Well, wait. So I’m not gonna get that. So obviously, I’m not achieving that. And I was just like, so, wait…what’s next?” 

    Maycee-Barber-
    PHOTO: FIRSTSPORTZ

    Barber says that while she’s won’t be erasing Jon Jones’ name from the record books, youth is still very much on her side, and she’s got plenty of ambition to make a huge impact in the UFC. 

    “So for me, it was kinda a realization of like, I’m still freakin’ 23,” she says. “Urijah [Faber] tells me this all the time: ‘I didn’t start fighting or training until I was 24’ And to me I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I am young. I am young. And I’m 9-2, soon to be 10-2 as a professional fighter and however many in the UFC at 23 years old. And I just have so much potential and so much growth. And the thing that I’m gonna do in this life, and in this career, and in this platform is gonna be huge, and this is literally just the beginning.”

    What do you think? Can Maycee Barber make it two wins in a row against Montana De La Rosa?

  • Korean Zombie: Max Holloway’s Recovery “Doesn’t Make Sense”

    UFC featherweight contender “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung has questioned Max Holloway’s fast recovery from injury, which has seen the former champion pursue backup status for UFC 273.

    In the pay-per-view’s main event, reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski will hope to successfully defend his gold for the third time. In his way of doing so will be a UFC veteran renowned for his exciting style and thrilling performances throughout over a decade in the promotion.

    Volkanovski was initially slated to share the Octagon with Holloway, who’d earned another shot at reclaiming the belt with 2021 victories over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez, for a third time at next month’s UFC 272 event.

    When “Blessed” withdrew after aggravating a previous injury, the hunt for a replacement was on. Despite the pitches from Giga Chikadze, Henry Cejudo, Josh Emmett, and Rodriguez, it was “The Korean Zombie” who was granted the chance to dethrone “The Great” Volkanovski at the April 9 event.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZnhjU5tQNd/

    Despite withdrawing from his scheduled trilogy bout with Volkanovski, it was recently revealed that Holloway has returned to training and is even open to serving as a backup fighter for the UFC 273 headliner.

    Korean Zombie Joins The Sceptical Side

    While Volkanovski made his feelings about the fast recovery crystal clear in a post on Twitter, accusing his rival of faking an injury in order to avoid a potential third defeat to the Aussie, others, including former opponent Kattar, have suggested it’s wrong to question Holloway’s withdrawal.

    Now, with opinion largely split, the new next challenger for the featherweight strap has given his take on the latest revelations. During an interview with The Schmo, “The Korean Zombie” suggested Holloway’s ability to make the UFC 273 event “doesn’t make sense.”

    Nevertheless, Jung claimed that while he won’t be pulling out himself, he’s open to an interim title clash with “Blessed” should Volkanovski be forced out of the PPV for whatever reason.

    “It doesn’t make sense that he’s gonna be ready to go in a month,” Jung said via Coach Eddie Cha. “It’s pretty crazy. (I) won’t be getting injured. (I’ll) be making April 9th. So, if Volkanovski gets injured, (I’m) down to fight Holloway.”

    If Holloway is not required on April 9, it’s likely the UFC 273 main event victor will be standing opposite him in the cage later this year for what will either be Volkanovski’s third clash with “Blessed” and fourth title defense, or Zombie’s first defense and first meeting with Holloway.

    What do you make of Alexander Volkanovski and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung’s comments about Max Holloway’s fast recovery?

  • Ilia Topuria vs. Jai Herbert Added To March 19 UFC London Card

    A lightweight scrap between Ilia Topuria and Jai Herbert has reportedly been added to the UFC’s return to London on March 19.

    In one of many matchups featuring British fighters, Herbert (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will have a huge opportunity in front of a home crowd when he welcomes Topuria (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) to 155 pounds inside the O2 Arena. The bout was first reported by Eurosport’s Gonzalo Campos.

    Topuria initially rose up the featherweight ladder with a trio of impressive victories on MMA’s biggest stage. After arriving with a unanimous decision win against Youssef Zalal and a knockout of Damon Jackson, the Georgian established himself as one of the promotion’s hottest prospects with a memorable KO of veteran grappler Ryan Hall at UFC 264 last July.

    Having moved inches away from a place in the featherweight rankings, “El Matador” was set to have his chance to enter the top 15 last month against Movsar Evloev, the current #13 contender. After the Russian withdrew, Charles Jordain stepped in, only for Topuria to be forced out days later. He’ll hope to return to regular activity in the coming months, starting with a win on his lightweight debut in England’s capital.

    In the way of the 25-year-old making an impression at 155 pounds will be Herbert, a former lightweight champion in the renowned Cage Warriors promotion. While the Wolverhampton native fell to consecutive losses in his first two UFC outings, he was faced with the tough challenges of Renato Moicano and veteran Francisco Trinaldo.

    Having entered the win column in the UFC for the first time last October, a triumph that came in the form of a first-round TKO victory over Khama Worthy, Herbert will hope to continue his momentum by adding the first blemish to Topuria’s record in front of a home crowd.

    Herbert initially appeared set to meet Mike Davis on the March 19 card. However, with the 29-year-old’s reluctance to fight overseas, “The Black Country Banger” was left searching for a new foe, one that’s come in the form of an unbeaten divisional newcomer.

    With Herbert’s place on the card set, he’ll join fellow Brits like Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, and Molly McCann in London, as well as prominent international fighters like Dan Hooker, Gunnar Nelson, and Nikita Krylov.

    Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:

    Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)

    Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)

    Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov (light heavyweight)

    Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

    Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

    Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

    Gunnar Nelson vs. Claudio Silva (welterweight)

    Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)

    Ilia Topuria vs. Jai Herbert (lightweight)

    Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)

    Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

    Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)

    Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

    Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Ilia Topuria or Jai Herbert?

  • Adrian Yanez’s Twitter Hacked, Fans Scammed By Fake Giveaway

    UFC fighter Adrian Yanez suffered a Twitter hacking earlier this week, resulting in many fans getting financially scammed in a fake giveaway.

    It all started when a post from Yanez’s accounts allegedly posted a giveaway of a PlayStation 5 gaming console and a glove. This prompted many fans to message the account and provide the Yanez imposter with banking information to enter the giveaway.

    After fans would provide their banking information, the imposter would block them from accessing and contacting Yanez’s account.

    One Twitter user going by Rudy Sanchez called out the scam on social media, prompting many fans to question the validity of the giveaway and Yanez’s recent posts.

    “Please don’t fall for the PS5 and glove!” Sanchez said. “This is a scam, people are really out here getting [scammed] left and right. Adrian Yanez got hacked on [Twitter] and Instagram.”

    Shortly after many fans complained about getting scammed, Yanez spoke out on his Twitter after getting his account back.

    “My Twitter was hacked yesterday,” Yanez said. “I didn’t get access til just a moment ago. If you’ve gotten scammed, please reach out to your bank immediately and dispute the transaction.”

    All of the giveaway posts from Yanez’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been deleted and Yanez has recovered both pages.

    Yanez has a 15-3 professional MMA record and has impressed many UFC fans since his time on Dana White’s Contender Series. After successfully earning a UFC contract, he would go on to win four fights in a row over the likes of Davey Grant and Randy Costa.

    Yanez is arguably one of the most intriguing UFC bantamweight prospects entering 2022 and has been linked to a potential fight with Sean O’Malley. This goes back to when O’Malley called him out on social media last November.

    Coincidentally, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was hacked as well this week, but it’s unclear if it was by the same culprit.

    “I’m sorry for anyone that was DM’d from me,” Sterling said. “I was hacked like a JV superstar. I got played and didn’t realize the fake email, being half asleep after training. I hope no one bought anything from that scammer! Let my tweets continue to attack [Petr].”

    Yanez and Sterling aren’t the only ones to have their social media accounts hacked. UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was infamously hacked back in 2020, with the account sending various threats.

    Has your social media ever been hacked?

  • Khamzat Chimaev Tells Daniel Cormier Why He’s Better Than Him

    Khamzat Chimaev has fired back after former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier doubted the welterweight’s chances of defeating middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya.

    In last weekend’s pay-per-view main event, Adesanya extended his rule over the 185-pound weight class with a unanimous decision victory over Robert Whittaker. With the triumph, “The Last Stylebender” improved his unbeaten middleweight record and added a fourth title defense to his immaculate résumé.

    But despite the win, not everyone was impressed. In the aftermath, former flyweight and bantamweight king Henry Cejudo touted Chimaev as the man who can stop Adesanya’s dominance.

    “Borz,” who has expressed a desire to achieve success at both welterweight and middleweight in the past, responded to Cejudo’s prediction by suggesting Adesanya “is not ready to die.”

    While Chimaev’s dominance in the UFC to date has seen him dismantle and finish four opponents, including Gerald Meerschaert at 185 pounds, and gain widespread acclaim as a future welterweight champion, Daniel Cormier believes his success will be limited to 170 pounds for as long as Adesanya is on the middleweight throne.

    During a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s DC & RC, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight titleholder suggested Chimaev’s downfall in a fight against Adesanya would be his nature to “rush” and search for an early finish.

    “I’ve been hearing Chimaev from a lot of people. Cejudo said it this morning. My problem with Chimaev is: Chimaev’s going to rush, and because he’ll rush to get Izzy out of there, he’s gonna get himself into trouble,” said Cormier. “I don’t know if Chimaev is the guy because he’s obviously smaller (than Adesanya). But his style won’t allow for him to sit back with Adesanya.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

    If there’s one man you have to expect a response from when discussing a future defeat for him, it’s Chimaev…

    Chimaev To Cormier: “I’m Not You”

    Before he even responded directly to Cormier, Chimaev has previously discussed one of the last remaining questions about his ability and potential: his conditioning.

    Having never fought beyond the second minute of the second round in the UFC, and having finished three of his foes in the opening frame, many have questioned whether Chimaev can maintain his level of dominance and intense output across three or five rounds.

    “Borz” recently answered those questions in an interview with RT Sport MMA by claiming he actually improves in the later rounds. Acknowledging Cormier’s “rush” theory, the Chechen-born Swede suggested he becomes more technical and calculated when he enters deeper waters because he’s too explosive and energetic at the start of fights.

    With that belief in mind, it’s no surprise to see Chimaev shut Cormier’s prediction down emphatically. In a post on Twitter, the #11-ranked welterweight contender had a simple response: “I’m not you.”

    “@dc_mma for you and your team, it may be a problem, but not for me. If you think he might be a problem for me let him try to stop me. Do you know why I am better than you? because I’m not you, I’m different”

    As it stands, with compatriot Kamaru Usman on the welterweight throne, Adesanya is safe from below. But if Chimaev dispatches Gilbert Burns, a matchup that’s long been rumored and is expected for the coming months, and continues his unbeaten form all the way to one belt, “The Last Stylebender” may well be met with a puzzle unsolved by anyone during Borz’s pursuit of another.

    Although with their latest exchange, perhaps that previously discussed Cormier vs. Chimaev wrestling match will come first…

    How do you think a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Israel Adesanya would play out?

  • Kayla Harrison Tired Of Free Agency Process: “I’m Ready To Fight”

    Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison is ready to be done with the business aspect of fighting and focus solely on competing and training.

    It’s reportedly been a wild ride for Harrison during her first experience with free agency on a massive scale. She was originally reported to be close to re-signing with the PFL, but the door has reopened due to a recent alleged roadblock in negotiations.

    After also admitting that the UFC’s offer to sign her was a case of bad timing, the biggest platform in MMA doesn’t seem completely out of the running. Harrison has also teased a potential fight against UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Harrison was blunt when asked about the status of her free agency and speculation regarding her next move.

    “I’m getting real sick of it at this point,” Harrison said. “I can’t comment on where I’m going or what I’m doing, but I can comment that I’m getting real sick of it. So whoever wants me, I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to sign on the dotted line, get a contract, get a fight booked. I’m tired of talking about it. I’d like to find either a new home or I’d like to talk to PFL and continue to make them my home. But I’d like to get this done sooner rather than later.”

    Harrison went on to elaborate on the ups and downs that come with the free agency process and the pressures that come with it.

    Kayla Harrison
    Kayla Harrison, Image Credit: Gregory Payan/Associated Press

    “I mean, at first, it was kinda fun. You know, you go to the dances, you go get wined and dined…you feel special, everyone’s interested in you, you’re the new kid. But at this point, I know the fans are sick of it, I know the media is sick of it, I’m sick of it,” Harrison admitted. “I know the promotions are all like, ‘Where the hell is she going? Let’s figure this out.’ And I know that patience is a virtue and it’s something that I sorely lack. But at this point, I would really just—I already had to take a year off almost from fighting because of COVID, so I don’t want to waste any time, you know? I’m here for a good time, not a long time. I want to get back in there and keep getting better.”

    Harrison capped off another dominant season in the PFL with a win over Taylor Guardado at the 2021 PFL Championships. She also earned first-round finishes over Genah Fabian, Cindy Dandois, and Mariana Morais in the PFL cage.

    Harrison has competed at lightweight for virtually her entire MMA career except for a featherweight bout against Courtney King in Invicta FC. While it’s unclear where she’ll compete next in MMA, she appears ready to focus on the fighting part of the fight game.

    Who do you want Kayla Harrison to sign with in free agency?

  • Israel Adesanya: Khamzat Chimaev Is Not Relevant

    Israel Adesanya has issued a response/non-response to the ever-querulous Khamzat Chimaev.

    At UFC 271, Israel Adesanya turned in another successful middleweight title defense when he defeated Robert Whittaker for the second time. His performance was met with mixed reviews, but there was nothing complimentary at all coming from rising star Khamzat Chimaev.

    Chimaev began his UFC career with an eye on both the welterweight and middleweight championships. When he returned to action in October 2021, he had committed to focusing solely on the welterweight division.

    But Borz just cannot help himself. He is always hungry when looking at gold on other warriors’ plates, especially when the owner has competed in a division that is familiar to him.

    Chimaev Says Adesanya Would Be “Easy” Work, Adesanya Responds

    UFC 243 takeaways: Adesanya's perfect night and next fight with Costa
    Israel Adesanya

    After Adesanya’s UFC 271 victory, in a since-removed tweet due to violating Twitter rules, Chimaev posted:

    “@stylebender easy money for me, 0 wrestling. 1 round I’m gonna kill him.”

    When told about Chimaev’s tweet at the UFC 271 post-fight press conference, Adesanya responded with one word, two letters: “OK.”

    In a sit-down interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Adesanya would have more to say—about why he doesn’t have more to say.

    “I mean, he’s not really relevant right now,” Adesanya explained. “I don’t have to take him seriously till I have to take him seriously. Like, his last fight, I was impressed with. I was like, ‘Yo, that guy’s good.’ But there’s levels. So we’ll see how he does with Gilbert [Burns]. And he’s only fought like one middleweight fight that I’ve seen. And I’m just like, ‘Who has he fought?’”

    Khamzat Chimaev is currently 10-0 as a professional and 4-0 in the UFC. He is also 4-0 in career middleweight bouts. His lone middleweight victory in the UFC came against Gerald Meerschaert via one single punch. His only win over a ranked opponent was in a welterweight contest against Li Jingliang at UFC 267.

    Still, Adesanya acknowledges that Chimaev has talent. Even with the relatively small sample size, that would be hard for anyone to deny. But at the same time, the reigning middleweight king feels “Borz” has a lot more to prove until he is worthy of his attention.

    “And he can beat a lot of middleweights, I’ll tell you that much—a lot of top-level middleweights,” Adesanya said. “But I don’t have to take him seriously until I have to take him seriously.”

    As Adesanya alluded, Chimaev is currently expected to fight Gilbert Burns next, but that bout has not yet been announced. Adesanya is expected to fight next this summer against Jared Cannonier.

    What are your thoughts on Israel Adesanya’s comments about Khamzat Chimaev?

  • Bobby Green Replaces Beneil Dariush To Face Makhachev Feb. 26

    Bobby Green will be replacing Beneil Dariush to face Islam Makhachev in the new UFC Fight Night main event on February 26.

    Ariel Helwani was the first to break the news of Dariush pulling out of the fight. Dariush is citing an ankle injury as the reason for his withdrawal. Hours later, ESPN confirmed that Bobby Green will serve as Dariush’s replacement in what will now be a catchweight bout at 160 lbs.

    The Feb. 26 headliner between Makhachev and Dariush was expected by many to serve as a lightweight title eliminator to determine who would challenge champion Charles Oliveira next.

    Beneil Dariush has won seven consecutive fights and was considered to be a very challenging stylistic matchup for Makhachev. Dariush has proven that he is more than willing to stand and bang with bonus-worthy performances, but what made this pairing most intriguing is the fact that Dariush is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is considered one of the best grapplers in the UFC. Given Makhachev’s grappling-heavy style, this match was considered a strong example of “something’s gotta give.”

    Islam Makhachev is currently enjoying an incredible nine-fight winning streak. A win here would have not only made for a 10th straight victory but would have finally included that elusive win over a top-5 opponent that many have demanded of him. During this winning streak, Makhachev has defeated names like Thiago Moisés, Drew Dober, and most recently Dan Hooker.

    Scouring the scoring: Round 3 of UFC 265's Bobby Green vs. Rafael Fiziev - Bloody Elbow
    Bobby Green

    Enter Bobby Green. Green is currently unranked but he has just turned in two exceptional back-to-back performances, including TKOing Al Iaquinta in the first round at UFC 268 and then putting on a striking showcase at the expense of Nasrat Hasparast last weekend at UFC 271.

    Coincidentally, the UFC 271 commentating team had lobbied for Bobby Green to be booked in his first UFC main event. Perhaps the MMA gods listened as this idea gained public backing before they granted their own official approval.

    While it is unclear if a win for Makhachev would be enough for a title shot, it is certain that a win for Bobby Green here would be career-changing and earn him a strong presence in the lightweight rankings.

    Who do you think will win between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green on February 26?

  • Kevin Holland On Sean Strickland: “I Think I Got The Bigger C**k”

    Kevin Holland has fired back after middleweight contender Sean Strickland detailed an altercation they had at the UFC Performance Institute earlier this month.

    If there’s one man who doesn’t struggle to ruffle feathers and form feuds outside the Octagon, it’s Strickland. If there’s a second, it’s Holland. With that in mind and with both men’s vocal presence on social media, an exchange and rivalry were always likely.

    In an interview ahead of Strickland’s latest outing, a five-round victory over Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 47, “Trailblazer” made his negative feelings about “Tarzan” common knowledge. That led to an interaction at the PI during fight week.

    According to the #6-ranked middleweight, Holland confronted him with a “popped out” chest and was looking for a fight but shied away after Strickland invited him to the parking lot for a “man dance.”

    While speaking to the media at UFC 271 this past weekend, Holland gave his side of the story. Explaining his reluctance to scrap Strickland in the parking lot, “Big Mouth” suggested they could have made the most of the PI’s facilities for an animosity-fueled sparring session.

    “I seen him at the PI, and he had said some stuff online about murdering me or something like that if we ever have a fight,” recounted Holland. “So, when I see him, I was just checking his energy. He said I had my chest poked out, but as you guys see me on camera all the time, I have a bird chest. It’s kind of hard to poke this thing out. So, (I) walked up to the man, and I wasn’t trying to say nothing to him. He was speaking to me like we were friends or something. I was just looking at him like he was fucking crazy.

    “He said something stupid, so I probably said something stupid back,” added Holland. “Little words got exchanged. He said something about going to the parking lot. But if I’m not mistaken, there’s a full-blown Octagon and a boxing ring upstairs, and we could easily make it a sparring session. That way the UFC doesn’t lose money by somebody getting their head bashed in in the parking lot.”

    While Holland no doubt thinks he can match Strickland’s in-fight trash talk and go toe-to-toe with him on the mic, there’s one area he says he boasts a size advantage…

    “I think I got the bigger cock.”

    Holland Ready To Offer Strickland A Rebound Opportunity

    While their back and forth and in-person exchange would have set the stage nicely for a grudge match inside the cage, the pair are currently at very different points on the UFC ladder.

    On a six-fight win streak and coming off his second consecutive main event triumph, Strickland has risen into title contention and is perhaps just one victory away from a date with champion Israel Adesanya.

    Holland, meanwhile, is winless in his last three and set to move down to welterweight to face “Cowboy” Alex Oliveira at UFC 272 next month.

    But despite their opposite paths in the promotion right now, Holland is harboring hope of a clash down the line. He even offered to be waiting with a rebound opportunity for Strickland if the Anaheim native earns a title shot and is beaten by “The Last Stylebender.”

    “Yeah, I would love to do that fight,” Holland further told the media. “Sean’s on a really good winning streak right now, and Sean’s making really good waves in the middleweight division. I’m no dummy, we all know Sean’s probably close to a title shot. There’s not very many people for Izzy to fight at 185. Once Izzy knocks him the fuck out and he needs a rebound fight, here I am baby. Another tall, lanky guy ready to take that ass.”

    If Holland can resurrect his career at 170 pounds and return to middleweight in the future, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see him throw down with Strickland.

    Would you like to see Kevin Holland and Sean Strickland settle their differences inside the Octagon down the line?

  • Amanda Nunes Shares More Details Behind Decision To Leave ATT

    UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes has further explained her decision to part ways with the American Top Team gym.

    Before December 2021, it was perhaps difficult to imagine Nunes, the then-two-division champion, being in a position to make changes to her preparation outside the Octagon in order to rebound from a crushing loss.

    The woman who made that unlikely scenario a reality was Julianna Peña.

    At UFC 269, the final pay-per-view of last year, “The Venezuelan Vixen” defied the odds to end Nunes’ 12-fight win streak, hand the Brazilian her first taste of defeat since 2014, and take home the bantamweight gold.

    Following the result, which was branded by many as the greatest upset in UFC history, it was revealed that Nunes had decided to leave the renowned American Top Team gym, which had been her training home since 2014 and for the duration of her remarkable reign over both the 145 and 135-pound weight classes.

    During a media scrum earlier this month, Nunes explained her departure, which came as a surprise to many given the immense success she achieved at the Coconut Creek, Florida-based facility.

    The “Lioness” revealed that, regardless of her recent setback, opening her own private training space was always the target.

    “I always wanted to open a private spot, you know. I never said I’m gonna open a gym to compete against (ATT), that never came out my mouth,” said Nunes. “But I’ve always wanted to have like, a private space for me. Because, even at American Top Team, I always did my thing separately. I had my time to go and have the coach there waiting for me to help me with my camp. So, it was always like that.

    “It was always in my head that one day, I want to have (my own) space,” added Nunes. “I wanna see all my victories on the wall, putting my logo (up). Honestly, I feel like a lot of fighters wanna do that at some point in their career. This is the moment for me. I wanna go on my own for a little bit.”

    Nunes Says The Door Is Still Open For Her At ATT

    With that in mind, Nunes confirmed that there has been no break or souring in relations between herself and the coaching, ownership, and team over at ATT. Instead, the reigning featherweight queen suggested the door is still open for her to enter the gym to train at any time.

    “American Top Team, together we did amazing things. All the coaches, the gym, the owner Dan Lambert; I feel like we did everything for each other. But now, for me, for my head, for now I feel like I should go do what I really want. I feel like I deserve to do what I want to do. It’s nothing to do with the gym. Actually, we’re still good. I can still walk in the gym and train whenever I want. I didn’t close the door because (nothing) happened. I did it my way, but we did a lot of things together. We made history together,” Nunes concluded.

    Despite maintaining a good relationship with individuals at ATT, including longtime head coach Mike Brown, Nunes will be employing the help of some former ATT mentors for her upcoming stint as a coach on this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, namely wrestling coach Kami Barzini and Roger Krahl.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkxe7fPyiM/

    As well as entering the fight at 100% and injury free, something she says wasn’t the case prior to UFC 269, Nunes will be hoping that some fresh faces in her camp will help her rebound immediately in 2022 and secure redemption against Peña.

    Do you think Amanda Nunes can exact revenge on Julianna Peña in their rematch later this year?

  • Johnny Walker Promises Return Of “Explosive” & “Unpredictable” Walker

    UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker is expecting to deliver an “explosive” and “unpredictable” performance against Jamahal Hill this weekend.

    Throughout his UFC career so far, we’ve pretty much come to expect those words to be incorporated into Walker’s game plan. From his brutal elbows against Khalil Rountree to his flying knee against Misha Cirkunov, not many fighters on the promotion’s roster, barring his compatriot Michel Pereira, have fans waiting for something crazy quite like the #10-ranked 205lber.

    However, that was far from the case in his last outing. In the UFC Vegas 38 main event last October, Walker had his chance to break through into the elite of the division against former title challenger Thiago Santos. What was billed as a five-round thriller turned out to be the opposite, and saw the 29-year-old fall on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict.

    Now set for another main event chance this Saturday thanks to the postponement of Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev, Walker will be hoping to return to the win column, and to his unique and enthralling approach, against fellow rising contender Hill.

    During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Walker suggested sharing the Octagon with a fellow Brazilian last time out may have played a part in his toned-down performance.

    With that not being an issue this time around, the Rio de Janeiro native is targeting a return to his “explosive” style on February 19.

    “I’ve trained so much. I’m gonna put everything on the edge of my glove this Saturday,” said Walker. “And I’m gonna do my best. I’m gonna be very professional. I’m gonna use all my level, all my experience. I’m gonna be explosive, I’m gonna be unpredictable, I’m gonna use all my weapons, and I’m gonna take my time as well. I’m just gonna be another level.”

    Walker Expects An Early Finish

    Despite suggesting he’ll be taking his time and not going too crazy inside the Apex on Saturday, Walker did still predict an early finish, especially if Hill decides to throw everything at him from the get-go.

    “I have no idea (how many rounds), I don’t ask, I just wanna fight. I don’t care if it’s three, five; I can fight 20 rounds,” claimed Walker. “I don’t need that much (five). If this guy (Hill) wants to come with everything then I will as well, so I’m gonna finish the fight early.”

    While Walker certainly presents a unique challenge to anyone when he’s at his best and most bizarre self, Hill told MMA News he’s preparing for everything.

    Fresh off a knockout against Jimmy Crute, and having seen his rival be finished by Corey Anderson and heavily rocked by Ryan Spann, “Sweet Dreams” will have plans of his own for a quick night at UFC Vegas 48.

    Who do you think will have their hand raised in this weekend’s main event, Johnny Walker or Jamahal Hill?

  • Kayla Harrison Admits Sadness At Estranged Relationship With Rousey

    Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison has admitted she’s saddened by her broken relationship with former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

    While Rousey has left the sport after holding gold on its biggest stage and pioneering the rise of female MMA into the mainstream, Harrison is currently forging her own legacy inside the cage.

    After transitioning to MMA following two gold medal triumphs at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, Harrison made a splash in the rising PFL promotion. Now approaching her fourth year in the sport, the 31-year-old sits as the most sought-after free agent in the game after back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2021.

    But while Harrison continues to pummel her competition and perhaps gets set for a move to the UFC or Bellator, she’s creating her success in the sport without former friend Rousey by her side.

    During a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi, Harrison discussed her current relationship with Rousey, whom she was roommates and good friends with when the pair were part of the US judo team together over a decade ago, long before “Rowdy” gained celebrity status.

    After admitting that they aren’t friends anymore, Harrison suggested the turn of events is saddening, especially given how Rousey helped her during the Ohio native’s teen years.

    “No, I think we kinda are like, I don’t think we’re friends anymore. I don’t know. We’re estranged, that’s the perfect word,” Harrison said. “We were roommates, you know. We traveled the world together at one point. She was buying me groceries cause I was a poor 16-year-old with like, five bucks in my account. So, at one point I really looked up to her and we were close. So, it is sad.”

    Harrison Comments On Rousey’s WWE Return

    Since her invincibility inside the Octagon was crushed by a Holly Holm head kick in 2015 and an Amanda Nunes onslaught in 2016, Rousey has pursued ventures outside of MMA. That’s included a transition to the art of professional wrestling.

    She made her first WWE appearance early in 2018 before debuting at the company’s showcase event, WrestleMania, later in the year. After winning the Raw Women’s Championship and holding it for 231 days, the 35-year-old’s contract expired.

    After taking time away, a period that included the birth of her first child, Rousey returned to the ring last month.

    During her interaction with ESPN, Harrison reacted to her former roommate’s return to her “fake thing.” She also shut the door on a potential reunion with “Rowdy” on the pro wrestling circuit.

    “I heard she’s back to, ‘Be nice Kayla…’ She’s back to doing her thing, her fake thing [LAUGHS]… Can you imagine if I joined her (in WWE)? … We’d beat the men. Like, legit. It’s never gonna happen,” Harrison stated.

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

    While Rousey begins another stint with WWE, Harrison will be hoping to confirm her immediate future and next destination soon as she gears up for a targeted spring return to the cage.

    It initially appeared another season with the PFL was leading the charge. But an apparent breakdown in negotiations has left the door wide open. Having met with UFC officials in previous months, perhaps we’ll see Harrison pursue similar success to Rousey on MMA’s biggest stage soon enough.

    Do you think Kayla Harrison can surpass Ronda Rousey’s achievements and legacy in the sport of MMA?

  • White Puts Tuivasa Into HW Picture Alongside Ngannou, Miocic, & Jones

    UFC President Dana White has assessed where heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa sits in the division following his knockout victory over Derrick Lewis.

    At UFC 271 this past weekend, two of the UFC’s hardest hitters and most prolific KO artists collided. On one side was “The Black Beast” Lewis, the promotion’s KO record holder, who was coming off a main event finish against Chris Daukaus in December. Opposite him was the rising “Bam Bam” Tuivasa, who was coming off four consecutive stoppage wins.

    Inside Houston’s Toyota Center, it was the younger and more durable Tuivasa who had his hand raised. After surviving an onslaught against the cage and firing back with his own bombs, the Australian hurt Lewis in the second round before knocking him out with a brutal elbow.

    White Expects Tuivasa To Be “Mixing It Up” With The Best

    Entering 2020, Tuivasa was on a three-fight losing skid following consecutive defeats to Junior dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov, and Sergey Spivak, and his place in the promotion looked insecure.

    Having rebounded with victories over Stefan Struve and Harry Hunsucker, re-entered the rankings with memorable 2021 KO’s of Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai, and now joined the elite conversation with a thunderous stoppage against two-time heavyweight title challenger Lewis, the sky appears to be the limit for “Bam Bam.”

    That’s a sentiment that was shared by Dana White at the UFC 271 press conference. When asked where the Aussie’s latest win puts him in the division, the UFC President said he expects Tuivasa to experience a heavy rise up the heavyweight ladder come the next rankings update.

    “Well, you guys are gonna rank him. But yeah, I mean, he should be top three, top five,” said White. “So wherever he shakes out in the rankings, yeah, he’ll be mixing it up with those guys.”

    Indeed, yesterday it was confirmed that Tuivasa is ranked #3 in the heavyweight division. When assessing how the title picture now shapes up, White placed Tuivasa alongside reigning champion Francis Ngannou, consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic, and former two-time light heavyweight king Jon Jones.

    “We’ll see here pretty soon how this all plays out: Jones, Stipe, Francis, and Tai now, too.”

    Not bad company is it?

    From his pop classic walkouts to his post-fight shoeys to his brutal KO power, Tuivasa has captured the attention of just about every MMA fan and has grown to be perhaps the only universally loved fighter in the UFC.

    But if his latest win shows the rest of the division anything, it’s that he’s not just an entertainer who likes a beer, he’s a bona fide title contender on the hunt for gold.

    Who would you like to see Tai Tuivasa share the Octagon with next?

  • Former UFC Fighter Mike Swick Announces He’s Battling Cancer

    On February 16, Mike Swick announced his battle with cancer on Instagram.

    Mike Swick first graced the MMA cage in 1998. His exceptional debut was won by a round 1 rear-naked choke. From there, Swick continued to be a phenomenal contender in the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

    After taking a loss in his WEC debut, Swick showed up a few months later for redemption in his first UFC appearance. In only 20 seconds of the first round, he knocked out Alex Schoenauer.

    Swick certainly lived up to the name. “Quick” finished eight fights inside of round 1, mostly by knockout. Out of his 15 wins, only four went to decision.

    His last bout was in 2015 where he took his 6th professional loss in the octagon against Alex Garcia.

    Two years later, Mike teased a matchup between him and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. The bout would have been both fighters’ return to the cage. A fight with Hughes was Swick’s dream during the prime of his career, but, unfortunately, the match never took off.

    Now retired, Swick is the founder and owner of Boxing Boyz, a metaverse boxing platform. He also owns the MMA gym AKA Thailand. Additionally, he has served as the host and creator of the “Real Quick With Mike Swick Podcast.”

    On Wednesday, Swick spoke on Instagram about his cancer diagnosis and recovery.

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

    “Anyway, for those wondering where I have been the last 5 weeks, I been battling Cancer in the toughest and most aggressive battle I have ever had. Started with a 48 hour water fast, then the first Chemo session with an additional 24 hour water fast, then a day of solid plant based organic food, followed by another chemo and fast, then plant based again, keeping this routine until the week was over. From then I kept Chemo every other day for the next 3 weeks while eating only plant based organic cancer killing foods daily.”

    “I will get a scan and update in just over a week but I decided not to hide this. I want everyone to watch as I beat this BS and recover myself back to 100% with a full recovery. So stay tuned…”

    Swick ensures everyone he is staying strong through recovery and will continue to keep fans up-to-date. Many left hopeful and encouraging comments to send positive vibes to the MMA veteran.

    What’s your all-time favorite Mike Swick moment?

  • 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?

  • Coach Debunks Rogan’s Theory Of Adesanya Breaking Hand At UFC 271

    Israel Adesanya’s head coach Eugene Bareman has shut down Joe Rogan’s in-fight assessment that the UFC champion broke his hand at UFC 271.

    Adesanya earned a unanimous decision win over former champion Robert Whittaker in the UFC 271 main event. He utilized an efficient striking attack to out-pace Whittaker, especially in the later rounds.

    Eyebrows were raised when Rogan texted play-by-play commentator Jon Anik in the middle of the broadcast that he thought Adesanya had broken his right hand. Adesanya appeared to curl his right hand and not be as active with it as the fight went on.

    During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Bareman clarified Adesanya’s reasoning for the inactivity with his right hand.

    “No, that’s more to do with something that happened in Rounds 2 through 4, trying to get that right-hand side going,” Bareman said. “But for whatever reason, Robert was making Israel a little anxious to throw not just the right hand but the right side in terms of the leg going a little bit. [Israel] said not just the right side in terms of the upper body moving, but there was a block there that [Israel] tried to mitigate [his] way through each round. But for whatever reason, [he] wasn’t able to successfully get that right hand going the way we wanted to. So it wasn’t about a broken hand or anything, it was [mental].”

    Rogan was absent from the commentary team due to an unknown conflict. It was originally reported by some outlets that it was due to a scheduling issue, but UFC President Dana White has since shut that theory down.

    Adesanya has now successfully defended his title four times since knocking out Whittaker at UFC 243. He also challenged for the light heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 but fell short in a decision.

    Bareman has clarified Adesanya’s health status with his hand and it sounds like the middleweight champion is still anticipating a return for some time this summer.

    Who do you want to see Israel Adesanya fight next in 2022?

  • Khabib Thinks Ngannou Should Box Fury Just For Money, Not For Sport

    Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou should box Tyson Fury for the big payday.

    Ngannou has alluded to moving to boxing down the line, potentially when his current UFC deal comes to a close. He’s been at odds with the UFC brass regarding a new deal and has advocated for changing the promotion’s pay structure.

    During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Nurmagomedov gave his thoughts on the potential Fury vs. Ngannou crossover fight.

    “If they fight in the UFC yeah, Fury doesn’t have too many chances,” Nurmagomedov said. “But in boxing, I don’t see anyone even touching his face—maybe Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk is going to be a tough challenge for Fury. But Ngannou? I think he has to stay with the UFC. But if he goes to boxing and he’s making 50 or 60 million dollars— he has to. Why not?

    “I know Ngannou comes from a very, very poor life in Africa. He was with no money, no home, nothing. So if someone pays you more money then go and take.” (h/t The Sun)

    Nurmagomedov was reportedly offered $100 million to box Floyd Mayweather at the end of his UFC run, but he turned it down. Nurmagomedov would retire in 2020 following a win over Justin Gaethje.

    Ngannou most recently defended his UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He suffered a significant knee injury leading up to the event and is expected to miss some time following surgery.

    Fury most recently defeated Deontay Wilder in their trilogy last year and has been in negotiations to fight Dillian Whyte next. Nevertheless, both Ngannou and Fury have traded barbs on social media and are interested in a future clash.

    Do you want to see Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou?