MMA News

Category: UFC

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

  • Michael Chandler Reveals What He’s Looking For In His Next Opponent

    After a busy and entertaining 2021, UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has revealed the type of opponent and fight he’s looking for when he returns to the Octagon this year.

    It’s safe to say that not many promotional newcomers have made as big of an impact in as short a timeframe as Chandler has since arriving in the UFC. When he signed for the world’s premier MMA organization in 2020, some had low expectations, with a select few expecting his transition to the UFC to follow a similar path to the likes of Ben Askren, who failed in his pursuit of finding success in the promotion.

    While he hasn’t won gold and boasts a negative UFC record, Chandler has firmly turned any doubters he had into believers.

    Last January, “Iron” arrived in style by finishing Dan Hooker in one round on Fight Island. Fast forward four months and Chandler found himself competing for the vacant lightweight title. Despite being the victim of an incredible second-round comeback from Charles Oliveira at UFC 262, the former Bellator lightweight titleholder was inches away from securing his place on the throne in the opening frame.

    And even though he fell to a 1-2 promotional record at UFC 268 last November, Chandler’s contribution to the year’s consensus Fight of the Year against Justin Gaethje ensured his stock rose in defeat.

    Chandler Targets A “Big Name” On A “Big Card”

    With a strength of schedule about as strong as any fighter has boasted across their first three fights in the UFC, Chandler hasn’t shied away from the big names and the big fights. That’s a trend he hopes continues when he enters the Octagon for the first time in 2022.

    During a recent interview with Megan Olivi for ESPN MMA, Chandler outlined his targets in the stacked lightweight division for 2022. As expected, the veteran wants a big-name opponent who will help him provide another entertaining, fun, and back and forth contest for the fans.

    “It’s hard, I was talking to my manager… I think the UFC lightweight division is easily one of the toughest, of course, but also one of the most exciting. There are so many different matchups, with obviously everybody inside the top five, you’ve got Conor (McGregor) coming back from injury, you got Tony Ferguson, who is outside the top five but still a guy who is a perennial entertainer. So it’s such an entertaining division to be a part of.

    “I want big fights. I want to get close to that title shot… I’ve just gotta get back in the win column. And I want a big, fun, exciting, entertaining fight. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and obviously every fight in the UFC is huge, but (I) definitely have to be calculated and really think about what the next move is. But it’s gonna be a big name, on a big card, with big title implications, no matter what. And I’m gonna go out there and do what I do; bite down on my mouthpiece and go out there and try to get a finish.”

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

    While his next opponent is yet to be decided, there are a number of 155-pound stars Chandler could be matched up with next. The 35-year-old has made his desire to face MMA’s biggest star clear, a challenge that McGregor suggested he’d be up for down the line.

    Chandler also recently went back and forth with Ferguson on Twitter. “El Cucuy” suggested the matchup had been agreed with the UFC but claimed “Iron” was stalling it. In his response, Chandler promised to beat Ferguson from “bell to bell.”

    Who would you like to see Michael Chandler share the Octagon with next?

  • Archives: McGregor and White Miles Apart On Pacquiao Fight (2021)

    Today, Francis Ngannou is pushing hard for a fight against Tyson Fury. In fact, the UFC heavyweight champion says he will not re-sign with the promotion unless he is allowed to explore such boxing opportunities.

    Thus far, the only time the UFC has allowed a contracted fighter to participate in such an endeavor was in 2017 when Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather. As recently as last year, White was open to the idea of allowing McGregor to crossover again, this time against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. However, at the time, the two sides were far apart on when it could take place.

    The original story is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day One Year Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 15, 2021, 6:29 PM]

    Conor McGregor and Dana White are not in agreement on whether the Irishman will be boxing Pacquiao this year, if ever.

    Before Conor McGregor agreed to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, his sights were originally set on a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao. And even when he agreed to fight Poirier, there was speculation that McGregor accepted the fight in part to help prepare for Pacquiao’s southpaw style. Speaking to The Mac Life recently, McGregor reaffirmed that his interest in boxing Pacquiao stands, and he even expects the match to take place this year (via The Sun).

    “I am excited for a Manny Pacquiao bout and it looks like it will happen this year. What time this year? I am not sure. “We’ll have to have some good discussions with Dana White and the UFC and see where it goes.”

    Dana White’s Short-Term Plans for McGregor Differ

    Conor McGregor assures that his interest in fighting Manny Pacquiao is not in conflict with his plans for an active MMA year. McGregor said in his MacLife interview that he plans to have a very active year in MMA for 2020. However, McGregor’s confidence in his abilities to multitask is not convincing enough for Dana White, who would love McGregor to focus on one thing while he is at his peak (via MMA Fighting).

    “The way that this kid is right now mentally, physically, emotionally, I mean this kid is on and ready to fight,” White told ESPN. “I would love to see him focused on what he can do here at the UFC. Whether it’s take another shot at that title against Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or fight for the title against somebody else if Khabib retires and defend that title.

    Dana White claims Mayweather vs. McGregor did 6.5 million buys - MMA Fighting
    Conor McGregor boxing Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

    “A boxing match with any of these guys, that stuff’s always going to be there. You are the absolute best in the world right now in MMA and the timing is right now. Not getting any younger. I’d love to see him go for it here over the next year. If he wants to fight one of these boxing guys, do that next year. That fight’s always going to be there.”

    Dana White chalks up McGregor’s previous boxing blockbuster against Floyd Mayweather as being a “perfect storm” that took on a life of its own. At least for the time being, White feels this 2017 boxing contest was a one-off, and there is currently substantial real estate between White’s vision for McGregor’s future and what McGregor has planned for himself in the world of boxing.

    Do you think we will ever see Conor McGregor box Manny Pacquiao?

  • Junior dos Santos On The UFC: “They Don’t Care About Anybody”

    Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos ripped the UFC for how they handled the final days and months of his tenure.

    dos Santos is slated to face Kubrat Pulev at an upcoming Triller Triad Combat event next month. He was released by the UFC last year after a string of losses and alleged tensions with the brass and Dana White.

    During a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, dos Santos revealed how he and the UFC split with a fractured relationship.

    “They are businessmen, they are good at doing that,” dos Santos said. “They don’t care about anybody, they care about making money and that’s it. I’m thankful for everything that happened to me and my career. When I took my last two fights they said ‘you take or you’re out’. After this last fight what he [Gane] did wasn’t legal. After that, the UFC called me with a fight on 20 days’ notice and I was like, ‘I just fought I can’t fight’. If you can’t fight, then you’re out. They do business and they don’t build anything for athletes and our careers. I was treated like that and they were trying to drain everything that I had, everything that I was so that they could keep everything for them.”

    Some fans of dos Santos are concerned about this next chapter of his combat sports career. His next opponent, Pulev has an astounding 28-2 boxing record while dos Santos is making his boxing debut on the Triad Combat card.

    dos Santos challenged for the UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 211 but fell via first-round knockout. He would go on to win three straight before slumping with four straight defeats.

    dos Santos isn’t the only former UFC fighter to allege wrongdoing by the promotion. Fighters such as former champions Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva have also criticized how the promotion conducts their business in the past.

    For now, it appears that dos Santos is hell-bent on success in Triller, but his MMA future remains uncertain.

    What do you think about Junior dos Santos’ allegations against the UFC?

  • Sherman: I’d Rather Be A UFC Washout Than A One-Hit Wonder (2017)

    After the comments featured in this archived article were made, Chase Sherman would lose his next three fights and be released from the UFC. However, that’s not where his story ends.

    He would return to the promotion in December 2018 and win his next four fights. Last year, however, he dropped two straight, first to Andrei Arlovski in April and then to Parker Porter in August, both via unanimous decision.

    Tonight, Sherman looks to avoid a third consecutive loss when he faces Jake Collier in the co-main event.

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

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JULY 24, 2017, 2:40 AM]

    Headline: Chase Sherman Would Rather Be A UFC Washout Than a One-Hit Wonder

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    Chase Sherman’s nightmare is to be a flash in the pan.

    Sherman is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Damian Grabowski this past Saturday night (July 22). It was “The Vanilla Gorilla’s” second straight victory, which is much needed after losing his first two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts.

    Speaking to the media, Sherman admitted there may have been more pressure on him this go-round because of his sudden popularity on social media (via MMAJunkie.com):

    “It almost seemed like I had a little more pressure this time than last time because I don’t want to let my fans down. They invest a lot in me, and they’re constantly watching.”

    The heavyweight is happy to turn things around, but if he wouldn’t have found any success in the UFC he would’ve been satisfied knowing that he wasn’t just lucky.

    “I always want to prove them right. I always want to make them proud, make my family proud, make my friends proud. So there’s a little more pressure there because I told myself I’d much rather just go 0-3 and completely fail at it than be a one-hit wonder – to get that little bit of fame and then fizzle out and no one remember who you are.”

  • Archives: Cyborg On Ronda Rousey’s Loss: It’s Sad (2016)

    The following story from six years ago is published in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Six Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 15, 2016, 11:57 AM]

    Headline: Cyborg On Rousey’s Loss: It’s Sad, I Can’t Say Anything Bad About Her

    After years of trash-talk, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino seems to be developing a soft spot for Ronda Rousey.

    During a recent interview, Justino shared her thoughts on the public reaction to Rousey’s first MMA loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November. Cyborg explained why no fighter likes to lose, however, she admits it does show you who really has your back and who doesn’t.

    Cyborg offered the following comments regarding Rousey’s loss while promoting her own title defense against Daria Ibragimova at the Invicta FC 15 this Saturday, relating to the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion because of her own past troubles in public when she dealt with the reaction to her failed steroid test.

    “It’s terrible. When you’re there, everybody is with you. I feel sorry about this. I know this, because before something happened in my career — the doping — and before everybody is with you [and then they’re not]. But I love my fans. Some fans kept with me and I’m sure she has that, too. It’s sad, but sometimes it’s good so you can see who’s with you. You can see who you really have to appreciate. This is not nice. Losing a fight, winning — it happens. But these people make fun. … I know it’s not nice.”

    While she is understanding of the situation, she did say that Rousey should use this experience to work on being careful about what she says before a fight, pointing out the fact that it might come back around if you lose.

    “I know she hurts now and I know depression. Always you can lose. You can lose, you can win. It’s not embarrassing. It’s embarrassing when you speak before you fight. It’s embarrassing speaking bad. I think you have to work hard on what you say, because if you lose, when you come back from the airport you have to have a pillow on your face. I think she’d like to use this to challenge herself and get better. To come in and change. Something bad in life has to happen before you change and grow. I can’t say anything bad about her. She’s been good for women’s MMA. She opened a lot of doors. I know I [fought] before her, but she had opportunities and she’s handled it and helped everybody.”

  • Dana White Explains Why Ngannou/Gane May Be Best HW Fight Ever

    UFC President Dana White is big on the promotion’s upcoming heavyweight title fight.

    White recently had high praise for the UFC 270 bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. In an interview with BT Sport, White gave his pitch for why the title unification bout could be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time.

    White cited the high level of the fight and the storylines behind it as reasons for why people should pay attention.

    “That fight’s ridiculous—one of the best if not the best heavyweight matchup ever. You got two guys that train together, two guys that had a falling out now and don’t like each other,” said White. “One guy has unbelievable knockout power and the other guy moves around like a middleweight, probably the best technical striker in heavyweight history. So I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better matchup.”

    White: This Fight Has ‘Bad Blood’

    Francis Ngannou, Dana White
    Francis Ngannou, Dana White

    As White said, there is seemingly a real rivalry between Ngannou and Gane heading into this fight. Controversy struck last month, as old sparring footage of them was released by Gane’s camp. Ngannou argued the footage was used to make Gane look good before their fight, potentially playing mind games with the champ and the public as a whole.

    Gane will enter the fight with an undefeated record of 10 wins, including seven in the UFC cage. Ngannou will be fighting to defend his title for the first time in the bout. He first gained the championship last year, stopping Stipe Miocic with a brutal second-round knockout.

    White feels that the stars have aligned perfectly for the upcoming heavyweight title fight.

    “They’re both champions. You got one (who) has the interim title; the other one has the title. Everything’s on the line—and how in-depth the bad blood is between the camp. You just couldn’t write a better story than this.”

    Do you agree with Dana White? Does this fight have the potential to be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time?

  • WATCH: UFC Vegas 46 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream

    The UFC Vegas 46 post-fight press conference will be live once the action concludes.

    In the headliner, Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze will collide in a featherweight clash. UFC Vegas 46’s co-main event will see a clash between Jake Collier and Chase Sherman

    The fighters from both the main and co-main events are expected to attend the post-fight press conference barring any hospital visits. Of course anyone else on the card who has a breakout performance could also attend the presser.

    MMA News will be providing live coverage of the UFC Vegas 46 card. Be sure to check back here for the post-fight presser with a tentative start time of 10:15 p.m. ET.

    Let us know your big takeaways once the UFC Vegas 46 post-fight press conference.

  • (Archives) White On Jones’ Rehab Story: The Truth Will Come Out (2015)

    On This Day Seven Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 15, 2015, 1:16 PM]

    Headline: Dana White Says Jon Jones One Day Rehab Story Isn’t True, “The Truth Will Come Out Soon”

    Author: Matt Boone

    Although Jon Jones’ mother, Camille Jones, claimed that her son checked himself out of rehab after only one day, UFC President Dana White says that is “not necessarily the case.”

    White spoke with the Boston Herald this week about the highly publicized story of Jones’ positive test for cocaine and subsequent rehab stint, indicating that there’s more to the story than people might think.

    “When the whole story comes out, people will understand, it will be put into perspective,” said White. “When Jon Jones comes out and does his interview, the truth will come out, and everyone will understand. Or they won’t, you know. Jon is a very polarizing guy, people either love him or they hate him. Either way, the truth will come out soon.”

    White and the UFC have taken some pretty heavy criticism themselves regarding the matter, as many questioned how a failed drug test on December 4th did nothing to prevent a fight between Jones and Daniel Cormier taking place a month later at UFC 182, and how Jones has ultimately seen zero consequences despite the fact that he consumed illegal drugs.

    White was quick to point out that although it’s a serious situation, legally speaking, he and the UFC’s hands were tied.

    “You can bust guys, you can fine guys, but I can’t pull him out of a fight,” said White. “That thing will be in a lawsuit in 3.5 seconds and I’ll lose. So then we don’t have a fight and I’ve still got to pay the money.”

    The UFC boss continued, “When you start talking about cocaine and some of these other drugs, that’s hardcore stuff, man, and that’s when people need help. So I want to know that. I wish I could know what everybody was doing, but you can’t police 567 guys year-round.”

    Jones is rumored to be attending the NFL’s AFC Championship game on Sunday, as both of his brothers will be playing, however, whether or not he breaks his silence once he’s back in the public eye for the first time since all of this has gone down remains to be seen.

  • Cejudo Says UFC Wouldn’t Offer Enough For Him To Fight Volkanovski

    Former two-division UFC Champion Henry Cejudo is frustrated that he didn’t get the call to face Alexander Volkanovski.

    Numerous names floated around earlier this week after Max Holloway pulled out of his title bout against UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski. One of the many was Cejudo, who said he would come out of retirement for the bout.

    The Korean Zombie has since been selected to fight Volkanovski. Cejudo voiced his displeasure in this outcome in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. Part of his anger in the situation comes from how he doesn’t think he would get his fair slice of the profit from a fight.

    “I would be known as C4,” said Cejudo, mentioning a nickname that implies the four championships he has earned between MMA and wrestling. “But you also have to compensate because I’m the person who’s going to sell the fight. I’m the person who is going to make it entertaining, you know? So yeah, I do want my cake and eat it too. I really do. But I also really do deserve it. If I don’t get it, guys, it’s OK. You guys want me to show you my trophy case once again? It’s OK. I got enough of it. Demetrious Johnson’s record was going to be broken. Somebody better than Jon Jones will come.”

    Cejudo: UFC Wants To Pay Me ‘Peanuts’

    Henry Cejudo
    Photo via Instagram @henrycejudo

    It’s not all about Cejudo, though. He later mentioned how he feels the promotion has large issues about properly paying their fighters as a whole.

    “They don’t want to pay, man,” Cejudo said. “It’s plain and simple. They don’t want to pay. Dana [White] doesn’t want to pay. [If] they pay me, they got to pay the rest. And I’m out here. I’m not here to say to start a union. What I’m here to say is like, ‘Hey, man, everybody should be compensated individually.’ The guys are going to sell the fight, the guys that that are proven, like me. You know what I’m saying? So that’s plain and simple. Dana [White] would love to see the fight, but he wants to pay me peanuts in comparison to what I really deserve. I respect the man because it’s his business, what he’s able to do to take this company to a two-billion-dollar company to what it’s worth now seven [to] nine billion and I can’t get a raise. That just seems a little off to me, man.”

    Cejudo went on to mention how fighters who don’t necessarily do the best in the cage are some of the more financially successful competitors. He feels that the promotion should be paying their actual champions more,

    “If Conor McGregor is making money and getting paid, and Jorge Masvidal. They’re doing what they’re doing and they’re getting paid more than me and I got two belts and I’m doing the exact same shit and I’m not getting compensated, then you know what? F*** you, too.”

    Do you agree with Henry Cejudo’s comments on UFC not paying people, himself included, enough?

  • Flashback To White Worrying Kattar Would Die After Holloway Loss

    As we now know, Calvin Kattar did survive his fight against Max Holloway last year, but Dana White wasn’t so sure that would be the case while watching the fight.

    One year ago immediately following the Holloway/Kattar fight, UFC President Dana White said thought the main event between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar should’ve been stopped after the fourth round.

    In a video the UFC uploaded, it showed White freaking out thinking Kattar might die due to all the damage he sustained.

    After the fourth round, White spoke to UFC executive Hunter Campbell and said he wanted Kattar to the hospital immediately after the fight.

    “He took so much f*cking punishment in this fight, I’m freaking out a little bit, man. I don’t know. I don’t like it. This reminds me of the kind of fight where the fight’s over, and he walks out back and f*cking dies. I think that f*cking Herb Dean should’ve stopped it before the (fifth) round. He was wobbling all over the f*cking place,” White said on the UFC’s Grand Stage video.

    “When we had him up against the cage, that’s when he had him,” Campbell said.

    “He should have stopped the fight right there,” White said.

    Kattar’s Manager Explains Non-Stoppage

    Max Holloway bloodies, batters Calvin Kattar to put on five-round clinic in UFC Fight Island 7 main event - MMA Fighting

    Weeks later, Kattar’s manager, Tyson Chartier, offered the following explanation for why the fight was not stopped:

    “It definitely did [get close to us stopping it],” Chartier stated to MMAFighting. “I’m sitting in the corner and every time things were getting really bad, Calvin’s back was to us, and we see Max, and we see Herb. There was a couple of times when we were like, ‘F*ck, is he gonna stop it?’ And I was hoping Herb would stop it. And then all of a sudden we saw he wasn’t going to stop it, we were like, ‘Should we throw in the towel?’ And then I’m thinking we’re gonna throw in the towel, and then Calvin would crack him. Then he would get off the fence and start landing shots. Like, damn it!”

    “It definitely did [get close to us stopping it],” Chartier stated to MMAFighting. “I’m sitting in the corner and every time things were getting really bad, Calvin’s back was to us, and we see Max, and we see Herb. There was a couple of times when we were like, ‘F*ck, is he gonna stop it?’ And I was hoping Herb would stop it. And then all of a sudden we saw he wasn’t going to stop it, we were like, ‘Should we throw in the towel?’ And then I’m thinking we’re gonna throw in the towel, and then Calvin would crack him. Then he would get off the fence and start landing shots. Like, damn it!”

    “There was one point in the fourth round where I looked at Jake [Mainini], the Muay Thai coach, and I was like, ‘Dude, Max is getting tired.’ It was crazy because he was beating us up, but you could see it in his eyes like, ‘Ughh,’ and then he tried to wrestle, tried to take us down, he was getting tired from beating us up and then Calvin landed a good shot again and the round ended.”

    The good news was that Calvin Kattar ended up healing up his injuries and there was no significant life-altering damage. However, “The Boston Finisher” did sustain a plethora of injuries.

    Tonight will be the first time he competes again since absorbing a record number of strikes from “Blessed.” He will be featured in the UFC Vegas 46 against another top-level striker, Giga Chikadze.

  • Cormier: Like It Or Not, There Are Different Rules For Conor McGregor

    Daniel Cormier knows that the regular UFC rules do not apply to Conor McGregor.

    Daniel Cormier spent seven years in the UFC. During his time there, he was both light heavyweight champion and heavyweight champion. He was one of the biggest names at the time, but even he could see that it was nothing compared to Conor McGregor.

    Now that he is retired from fighting, Cormier is asked quite often what he thinks about current events in the UFC, and he has no problem speaking his mind.

    Cormier was recently interviewed by The Schmo and was asked about Conor McGregor possibly getting a title shot in his return. Now, most people might agree that that is not something that should be happening next for the slumping McGregor, but Cormier is a realist. He knows the rules do not apply to McGregor.

    “Honestly, I really do believe that there are different rules in regards to Conor,” Cormier told The Schmo. “And people might not like it, people may hate it but if he is healthy and he starts to chirp and Oliveira is chirping back at him and there is fan interest, I can see a world where it happens. But again, it would make so many people upset – ultimately a lot of times it comes down to dollars and cents.”

    McGregor is the most popular fighter on the roster and is by far the biggest earner for the company. If anyone can receive a title shot coming off two consecutive losses and a broken leg, it would be him. Cormier is right that money talks and not just from a UFC brass point of view but to his potential opponents as well.

    McGregor is probably the most called out fighter in the UFC. Anyone close to his weight class has been asking for him. Champion Charles Oliveira has already welcomed the idea of McGregor getting his shot, no doubt because of the money the fight would earn him.

    McGregor is still healing up from his broken leg. Only time will tell if he gets his wish and fights for a title upon his return to the lightweight division.

    Would you like to see McGregor get an immediate lightweight title shot?

  • Check Out Last-Minute Betting Odds For UFC Vegas 46

    The final UFC Vegas 46 betting odds are in for as this event is quickly approaching for the Las Vegas-based promotion. 

    The event is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, January 15, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.

    Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze in a featherweight bout will headline the show. In the co-main event, Jake Collier vs. Chase Sherman will take place.

    Rounding out the main card is Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia in a women’s flyweight bout, Brandon Royval vs. Rogerio Bontorin in a flyweight fight, Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Dakota Bush in a lightweight bout and Bill Algeo vs. Joanderson Brito in a featherweight bout. 

    According to oddsmakers, is a – favorite over, who is a + underdog. Other odds for the main card include being a + underdog against, who is a – favorite. Here are the full betting odds: 

    Giga Chikadze (-235) vs. Calvin Kattar (+190)

    Jake Collier (-130) vs. Chase Sherman (+110)

    Katlyn Chookagian (-180) vs. Jennifer Maia (+155)

    Brandon Royval (-160) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (+140)

    Joanderson Brito (-130) vs. Bill Algeo (+110)

    Court McGee (-115) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (-105)

    Joseph Holmes (-150) vs. Jamie Pickett (+130)

    Brian Kelleher (-305) vs. Kevin Croom (+255)

    Viacheslav Borshchev (-180) vs. Dakota Bush (+155)

  • Peña Would Love To Bring Ronda Rousey Out Of Retirement For Grudge Match

    Julianna Peña is already sorting out opponents for her championship reign.

    It has been just one month since Julianna Peña became UFC bantamweight champion, but she is already making a list of possible opponents. The top name on her dream list is a well-known name, but no longer in the UFC. Peña has a desire to lure Ronda Rousey back from retirement to settle an old score between them.

    Peña got her start in the UFC as a member of The Ultimate Fighter Season 18. That season was coached by Rousey and Miesha Tate. Peña was a member of Tate’s team and also a friend of hers. Throughout the season, there was a lot of hatred between the coaches and Peña. Being friendly with Tate, Peña took some of that hate from Rousey as well.

    “She really had a tough time getting along with me on The Ultimate Fighter,” Peña told The NY Post. “She didn’t like me at all because I was friends with Miesha Tate. She wasn’t the nicest.”

    Rousey has a very successful run as the champion of the bantamweight division but hung up her gloves back in 2016. After a short time with the WWE, Rousey is now out of combat sports and raising a family. That doesn’t stop Peña from calling her out though. She would welcome a shot at that former champ if she ever got the itch to return.

    “It would be amazing to pull Ronda Rousey back out of retirement,” She said. “It would be great to have her come back to UFC and fight again.”

    Peña is just beginning her run as the 135-pound champion and has already done something Rousey could not, beat Amanda Nunes. Peña is not holding out for Rousey at this time but she is still holding a grudge.

    “I don’t know that she’ll recall this because she ended up getting taken out by her entire team,” Peña said. “But when we won ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and got out of the house, she told me that, ‘You’re gonna give me a tougher fight than Miesha Tate, but when that day comes I’m still gonna kick your ass….’ I kind of said to her, ‘We’ll see.”

    Would you like to see Ronda Rousey return to the UFC and face Julianna Peña?

  • Two Major Changes To UFC 270 Card Announced

    UFC 270 is just a week away, but there have been a few changes to the card.

    The UFC 270 card will be the first UFC Pay-Per-View in 2022 and it is stacked. The headliner is a heavyweight title matchup between Francis Ngannou and interim champion Ciryl Gane.

    The interesting circumstances between these two fighters and the fact that they used to train together have made this bout the standout on the card. The rest of the main card and prelims are filled with top talent as well. However, there have been two important changes to the event recently.

    The first change is Greg Hardy is off of the UFC 270 lineup. Aleksei Oleinik was originally booked to face Hardy but had to withdraw from the bout. Hardy was then paired against Sergey Spivak. Hardy made the announcement himself on Instagram.

    The other shake-up to the UFC 270 fight card is Charles Jourdain has stepped in to face Ilia Topuria after his original opponent Movsar Evloev fell ill. This news was first reported by Álvaro Gª Colmenero on Twitter. Topuria is currently undefeated as a professional and is now on a three-win streak in the UFC. Jourdain is coming off a win over Andre Ewell just a few weeks ago.

    With these last-minute changes, the current UFC 270 fight card is as follows:

    Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10:00 PM ET)

    • Heavyweight Francis Ngannou (c) vs. Ciryl Gane (ic)
    • Flyweight Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
    • Bantamweight Cody Stamann vs. Said Nurmagomedov
    • Featherweight: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Jourdain

    Preliminary Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, 8:00 PM ET)

    • Middleweight Rodolfo Vieira vs. Wellington Turman
    • Bantamweight Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira
    • Welterweight Bout: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Pete Rodriguez
    • Welterweight Bout: Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho

    Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, 6:00 PM ET)

    • Bantamweight Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
    • Welterweight Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales
    • Lightweight Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
    • Women’s Flyweight Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
    • Strawweight Bout: Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez

    What is your pick for UFC 270 Fight of the Night?

  • Jared Cannonier: Blonde Brunson Gimmick Is Irrelevant To Me

    UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier says upcoming opponent Derek Brunson’s blonde “gimmick” will be irrelevant on fight night next month.

    Since back-to-back losses to Ronaldo Souza and Israel Adesanya appeared to suggest he’d slipped to the role of veteran gatekeeper at 185 pounds, Brunson has been in the form of his life. What did his change in fortunes coincide with? A new blonde hairstyle.

    “Blonde Brunson” debuted against Edmen Shahbazyan in the UFC Vegas 5 main event in 2020. At that point, the 38-year-old was already on a two-fight win streak, having had his hand raised against both Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch. But while Brunson’s career had previously been a tale of beating those below but often falling short against the elite, “Blonde Brunson” was a different beast.

    After brutally handing hot-prospect Shahbazyan his first loss, Brunson went on to halt the charge of five-time 2020 victor Kevin Holland last March, before submitting former welterweight title challenger Darren Till in his third-straight main event.

    Brunson is now set for the chance to stake his claim for a title shot and a rematch with “The Last Stylebender.” If he’s to do so, he’ll have to get through Jared Cannonier, who boasts championship aspirations of his own. The pair are set to collide on the UFC 271 main card on February 12.

    Cannonier: Brunson’s Blonde Hair Won’t Stop An Ass-Whooping

    While the “Blonde Brunson” gimmick is unbeaten in the Octagon to date and has firmly broken free of the gatekeeper shackles non-blonde Brunson was in three years ago, Cannonier has reminded his upcoming opponent that whatever color hair he has, it won’t change the result.

    During a recent interview with LowKick MMA, “The Killa Gorilla” credited Brunson for being able to keep himself relevant with another iteration of himself. However, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight fighter noted it has no relevancy to their fight, which he believes will see the 38-year-old get his “ass whooped.”

    “I mean, it’s a gimmick. Good for him. He’s found another gimmick that keeps him relevant for a little while longer,” said Cannonier. “But that shit is irrelevant to me. Those are all antics and that has absolutely fuck all to do with me whooping your ass. So that’s it.”

    After a damaging loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC 254 in October 2020, both physically and his surge towards the title, Cannonier rebounded in style when he returned to action in 2021. In a main event contest against perennial contender Kelvin Gastelum, “The Killa Gorilla” returned to to the win column with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

    Sitting at #3 in the division with a 4-1 middleweight record, which includes wins against Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson, Cannonier will be looking to book a date with Adesanya when he faces Brunson at next month’s pay-per-view.

    If Cannonier has his way, he’ll be turning “Blonde Brunson” into “Blood Brunson” come February 12.

    Do you expect Jared Cannonier to get the better of “Blonde Brunson” at UFC 271?

  • Curtis Blaydes: Derrick Lewis Hits Harder Than Francis Ngannou

    UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes says that out of his former opponents Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou, it’s “The Black Beast” who packs the hardest punch.

    Across his 19-fight professional MMA career, Blaydes has only tasted defeat against Ngannou and Lewis. In his UFC debut back in 2016, “Razor” had the first blemish added to his record by “The Predator” in the form of a doctor stoppage.

    After going 6-0-1 in his next seven outings, a period that included wins against Aleksei Oleinik, Mark Hunt, and Alistair Overeem, Blaydes had his chance at redemption.

    In the main event of a Beijing, China-held UFC Fight Night in 2018, the Illinois native shared the Octagon with Ngannou for the second time. On that occasion, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion got the job done without a doctor, securing a first-round TKO less than a minute into the contest.

    Like with his first defeat, Blaydes had no issue rebounding after his second setback. Mounting a four-fight win streak, he defeated former titleholder Junior dos Santos and veteran striker Alexander Volkov. That form granted him a title eliminator against Lewis. But in the UFC Vegas 19 main event, Blaydes was knocked out cold for the first time in his career.

    In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Blaydes discussed the immense power of both Ngannou and Lewis, the upcoming UFC 270 main event, his heavyweight GOAT, Jon Jones’ expected heavyweight debut, and his own return to action in 2022.

    Blaydes: Lewis Slept Me, Ngannou Didn’t

    Ngannou is widely regarded as not only the biggest power puncher in MMA but the hardest hitter on the globe. That claim is even backed up by some numbers. In 2017, the Cameroonian powerhouse set the record for the most powerful recorded punch in history.

    That vicious ability to knock everyone and anyone out has been on full display in the UFC. In his five fights since consecutive defeats to Lewis and Stipe Miocic on the scorecards in 2018, Ngannou has knocked out Blaydes, Miocic, dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, four of whom didn’t even escape the opening round.

    But despite that, Blaydes believes the UFC’s power throne is occupied by Lewis, who boasts the most KOs in UFC history. Having felt the power of both top-five heavyweights, “Razor” believes it’s “The Black Beast” who boasts the power edge, citing the fact Lewis was able to sleep him and Ngannou wasn’t as his reasons.

    “Well, Derrick. Obviously, I’d never been put to sleep, he put me to sleep. Gonna have to give it to him,” Blaydes told MMA News’ James Lynch. “When we (Blaydes and Ngannou) fought the first time, that was a doctor stoppage, I was not out, but I guess it goes down as a TKO. And then in Beijing, again, he dropped me twice in rapid succession, and then the referee jumped in, but I was aware, I remember everything. When Derrick Lewis knocked me out, I woke up in the ambulance, so there you go. That’s a big difference.”

    Both Ngannou and Lewis are preparing for fights in the coming weeks. While “The Predator” is set for a title unification bout against former teammate Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 next weekend, “The Black Beast” will ride his main event KO against Chris Daukaus into a clash against fellow hard-swinger Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 next month.

    Blaydes, on the other hand, finds himself in an awkward position. After comfortably defeating Rozenstruik at UFC 266 last September, he cemented his status as a top-five heavyweight.

    However, with three of the four names above him booked, the other being Miocic, who will likely either fight for the title or challenge Jones next and having already defeated the two contenders below him, options are limited for the time being.

    Targeting an April return to the Octagon, Blaydes will seemingly wait for other fights to play out, and will perhaps challenge the loser of next weekend’s pay-per-view main event.

    Who would you like to see Curtis Blaydes enter the cage with next?

  • Dana White Explains Why Cejudo Was Not Selected To Replace Holloway

    Henry Cejudo will have to wait if he wants a title shot upon return.

    Dana White hears pleas from fighters all the time. Many times fighters think they deserve a title shot, but White has to be the person to set them straight. This is the case recently with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo.

    Cejudo wanted to return from retirement and step in to face Alexander Volkanovski when Max Holloway pulled out. Instead, the UFC went with Chan Sung Jung as the replacement. White has now explained why that was the road taken.

    “I can tell you this: The ‘Korean Zombie’ has been here fighting,” White told BT Sport. “This guy’s retired. He’s been off for how many years now, and he wants to come in and fight Alexander Volkanovski? You’ve got guys like the Zombie, Josh Emmett, Giga who’s fighting this weekend. You’ve got these guys that are in here doing it three times a year and working their way up. For Cejudo to retire and then just think he should be able to come in and jump into any weight division and take on the champion, it’s not how it works.”

    Cejudo retired from MMA following his last win back in May of 2020. However, since he walked away he has still continued to tease a return. His desire to fight again has been a bit more prevalent recently. Cejudo was interested in a return to bantamweight but has been calling out featherweight champion Volkanovski as well. Cejudo was interested in jumping into the title fight with Volkanovski but has never competed in the UFC featherweight division.

    Unlike Cejudo, Jung has been active in the featherweight division and has won three of his last four against top opponents. If Cejudo is serious about a return, the UFC would most likely accept it. However, he might need one fight at 145 pounds against someone in the top five if he is looking for a title shot.

    Do you think Cejudo’s résumé could allow for an immediate title shot?

  • Cheyanne Vlismas Says She’s Getting Death Threats After Buys Dispute

    UFC strawweight Cheyanne Vlismas says she is now receiving death threats after her personal issues with husband JP Buys spilled into the public.

    As far as big stories go in the first month of 2022, not many would have called this one. And given the personal nature of it, it’s perhaps a shame to see two married UFC fighters clash in the public domain over their collapsing relationship.

    The attention towards the ongoing divorce proceedings between UFC flyweight Buys and UFC strawweight Vlismas picked up this week after the latter spoke to MMA Fighting. “The War Princess” revealed she had departed the United States for an undisclosed location, with the intention of “escaping” some personal matters.

    In a response that left jaws wide and fans shocked, Buys suggested his wife is in Batumi, Georgia, and has been having an affair with a “Roman.” Given that the location named by Buys matches his birthplace, many inferred that UFC middleweight Roman Dolidze could be the “guy” in question.

    “Hiding from what? In a country no one knows where she’s at? Everyone here knows she has been in Batumi Georgia with Roman, the same guy she has been having an affair with behind my back. While still married.”

    Next, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, who conducted the original interview with Vlismas, has provided Buys with a platform to respond on. In their interview, the South African flyweight accused Vlismas, who he says filed for divorce last month, of creating a false narrative that sought to vilify him.

    “When I saw the interview and I listened to the interview, the article, I was like, it’s pretty much unnecessary because somethings is not right, and just the way you go about things. But, that literally got attention drawn to me as if like, she’s running away from me, physically, or something… I’m getting threats for stuff I didn’t even do.”

    In her interview, Vlismas also stated she won’t be able to fight in the near future for reasons out of her control, despite the fact she “would love” to return to the Octagon soon. Discussing that statement, Buys suggested the opposite is actually the truth. While he is stuck unable to fight in the US, he says Vlismas can actually compete whenever she wants.

    “The fact of the matter is, she says that she can’t fight or earn any money, that’s her choice. That’s her choice that she can’t fight right now for her personal reasons. But from my side, I literally cannot fight, and I literally cannot earn a cent while I’m living in America right now because of my current status. So, I got a fight offer, and I can’t fight, I can’t earn money. That’s why I’m like, she is the one that (says) she’s facing all these tough difficulties, but her life is normally going on? She has money, she’s fighting, she can fight when she wants to, when she’s ready, she can get a house on her name, she has her car, her life is normally going on… I can’t get a house on my name, I can’t get a vehicle on my name, I can’t fight, I can’t earn money. My life is stranded… If we’re speaking about one of the two of us being inactive, it’s this guy.”

    Buys further explained that due to the ongoing divorce proceedings, he ended up missing an interview with immigration, which led to the immediate expiry of his application for permanent residency and his work permit, which he initially received through Vlismas.

    With that in mind, Buys expects his process of securing another work permit to take up to the whole of this calendar year, meaning he may not return to action in the UFC until the start of 2023.

    Vlismas Fires Back At Buys, Says She’s Receiving Death Threats

    Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take Vlismas long to respond and continue the back and forth. In a statement on Twitter, which was later deleted, “The War Princess” denied Buys’ cheating allegations and suggested the pair had only married in the first place to secure the South African fighter a visa.

    “If there is anything I would like to say it’s I for 1 never cheated on my husband nor would I ever cheat on someone. The fact that I have put my business out here is just mind blowing to me. I will not be saying my side of the story as the relationship I had was MY relationship and it was not a good relationship.

    “We only married for a visa and unfortunately things were not how it seemed on media. Things happened this past year that is the reason things ended as it was for (good) reasoning to end… As for what I do after leaving him is also my business. I will not stoop down to the level and bash someone’s name as much as I want to.”

    Vlismas, who is 2-1 in the UFC following a victory over Mallory Martin last month, closed out her statement my pleading with Buys to sign the divorce papers and leave her alone.

    “Also if I must say if I was a cheater (then) take me off your IG bio, sign my divorce papers don’t take my money and my bonus money that I shed my own blood for and leave me alone and let me move on so I can go back to earning money.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CYj1TqOrWk1/

    Vlismas would then release the following note on her social media page, stating that is receiving death threats and pleading with the public to respect her privacy.

    https://twitter.com/CheyWarPrincess/status/1481637159010324483

    I have been thinking about whether or not I should make this post. I have been getting hundreds of hate and death threats.

    I’ve kept quiet about our relationship and not said anything publicly even when I’ve been question and now I’m seeing my name be slandered on social media.

    Our relationship became very bad not just lately but for a long time.

    I’ve had people turn their back on me in these times especially someone I truly thought cared for me and would help me in these hard times.

    I am not able to fight due to paperwork and the fact I need to give part of my money.

    I am away as I do feel emotionally empty and scared. Please, understand that!

    I am not wanting to make problems I just want to have my papers signed and to be left alone.

    I never wanted my business to come out but unfortunately it has been made public. I’m sorry things have come to this point. I just want to move on with my life. I have a lot of things to say but I’m tired from all of this. I don’t need sympathy, I just want peace. I don’t want to fight him or say anything bad about him because I respect our past. I just want to live my life and not need to explain myself anymore or talk about this anymore. Please, I ask for your understanding and to give me time to deal with all of this on my own.

    With Vlismas turning her Twitter private and claiming she won’t be releasing another public statement, it seems this topic may now turn back to personal channels.

    However, with Buys facing a long journey back towards work eligibility in the US and the ongoing divorce, it wouldn’t be surprising if the latest remarks aren’t the last we’ll hear of Vlismas and Buys’ troubles.

    What’s your take on the bitter public feud between JP Buys and Cheyanne Vlismas?

  • UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results & Preview

    The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 46 are in, and every fighter made weight, clearing the way for the first UFC card of 2022!

    Saturday, January 15, 2022, UFC Vegas 46 will take place inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weigh-in results have all wrapped up and we’ll have those results to you shortly. But first, here’s a glimpse at the main event in store for fight fans tomorrow night.

    Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze Preview

    Official poster for UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Chikadze : r/MMA

    Calvin Kattar will once again be one of the two lead-off men to kick off the year for the UFC. Last year at UFC on ABC 1, Kattar faced Max Holloway and lost via unanimous decision. Despite the amount of punishment he took in the fight, Kattar says he would love to have a round 6 against “Blessed,” who Kattar believes to be the uncrowned champion of the featherweight division. But before then, he’ll have to deal with a “Ninja” by the name of Giga Chikadze.

    Holloway was scheduled to have the opportunity to become re-crowned in a trilogy fight against Alexander Volkanovski, but he had to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Many names volunteered to replace Holloway, perhaps none louder than Chikadze, but Kattar did not join the list because he is eager to earn such opportunities by getting back in the win column following his one-sided loss to Holloway last year.

    As for Chikadze, he envisions a knockout of Kattar tomorrow night and thus becoming the official #1 contender that way instead. A recent conversation with UFC President Dana White has given Chikadze all the extra motivation he needs heading into tomorrow’s main event, with the Georgian convinced that a win over Kattar could see him challenge Volkanovski in a bout he believes to be the easiest out of everyone in the top 10.

    Calvin Kattar is ranked #5 in the featherweight division and has a professional record of 22-5. He is currently 0-2 in UFC main events, losing to Zabit Magomedsharipov via unanimous decision in 2019. However, both main events against Holloway and Magomedsharipov won Fight of the Night.

    Giga Chikadze is currently ranked #8 at featherweight and is 14-2 as an MMA pro. He has won nine consecutive fights, and this will be his second consecutive main event. The last main event was his TKO victory over Edson Barboza last August in what earned him Performance of the Night.

    You can catch the final face-off between tomorrow’s headliners below.

    UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results

    UFC Vegas 46 kicks off exclusively on ESPN+ at 5PM ET, 2PM PT. The main card will be simulcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ starting at 7PM ET, 4PM PT.

    You can view the entire weigh-in results and lineup below, courtesy of UFC.com.

    UFC Vegas 46 MAIN CARD (7:00 PM ET ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+)

    Main Event – Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (146) vs Giga Chikadze (146)

    Co-Main Event – Heavyweight Bout: Jake Collier (264.5) vs Chase Sherman (250)

    Flyweight Bout: Brandon Rovyal (125.5) vs Rogerio Bontorin (125.5)

    Women’s Flyweight Bout: Katlyn Chookagian (126) vs Jennifer Maia (126)

    Lightweight Bout: Dakota Bush (155.5) vs Viacheslav Borschev (155)

    Featherweight Bout: Bill Algeo (145) vs Joanderson Brito (145.5)

    UFC Vegas 46 PRELIMINARY CARD (5:00 PM ET, ESPN+)

    Middleweight Bout: Jamie Pickett (184.5) vs Joseph Holmes (185.5)

    Welterweight Bout: Court McGee (170) vs Ramiz Brahimaj (170.5)

    Featherweight Bout: Brian Kelleher (145) vs Kevin Croom (144.5)

    Lightweight Bout: TJ Brown (155) vs Charles Rosa (156)

  • Chikadze Ready To Go From ‘People’s Champ’ To Official #1 Contender

    UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze isn’t expecting anything less than a title shot if he gets an impressive win over Calvin Kattar.

    Chikadze has surged to the top of the featherweight division with seven-straight wins since signing with the UFC in 2019. He most recently earned arguably the most impressive win of his career over former lightweight standout Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35.

    Following each of his past two wins, Chikadze has called out some of the best fighters in the UFC, including former featherweight king Max Holloway. While he didn’t end up getting a fight with Holloway next, he faces a tough test against another solid contender in Kattar tomorrow night.

    During an interview with MMA Junkie, Chikadze made his intentions perfectly clear for his upcoming fight, and where it could put him in the featherweight title picture.

    “They’ve been talking about this, and I get it, but this fight already happened twice,” Chikadze said. “So I could pass this and just ask for a title (shot), but I want to fight someone from the top five, and Calvin Kattar’s name came. I think that was the only guy who wasn’t busy, and ‘Zombie’ (Chan Sung Jung) was injured, so I picked Kattar, and now we have him for January.”

    “I’ve been saying this for a long time, and people didn’t believe it before,” Chikadze continued. “Now finally they’re starting to believe it. I’m the people’s champ. I can beat anyone in the featherweight division in the world, and I feel it’s time, and it’s time to make it all official.”

    Chikadze and Kattar will go to battle in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in Las Vegas, NV. The winner of the bout could also potentially serve as the backup fighter to Volkanovski/Zombie, which goes down at UFC 273 in April.

    Chikadze’s kickboxing has proven to be one of the most dangerous skillsets in the 145-pound division. If he’s able to keep up his positive momentum, he could be holding the title sooner rather than later.

    Do you think Giga Chikadze is a future UFC featherweight champion?

  • Calvin Kattar On Best UFC Boxer Debate: “Who Really Gives A Sh*t?”

    UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar is ready to put the ‘best boxer in the UFC’ debate to rest ahead of his matchup with Giga Chikadze.

    Kattar is looking to get back in the featherweight title picture after his disappointing loss to Max Holloway nearly a year ago. He faces a tough task in Chikadze, an exciting Georgian prospect who has skyrocketed into the featherweight fold.

    In addition to dominating Kattar, Holloway notably yelled “I’m the best boxer in the UFC!” while bobbing and weaving through his strikes. He would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision.

    This sparked the debate of who the best UFC boxer is. Holloway, Sean O’Malley, Conor McGregor, and Petr Yan are just a few of the names who have been thrown into the conversation.

    During his UFC Vegas 46 pre-fight press conference, Kattar explained why he’s tired of hearing about the best boxer debate.

    “Everyone’s catching onto that, ‘Who’s the best boxer in the UFC?’ I mean, who really gives a sh*t?” Kattar said. “This is martial arts. Yeah, you can box, but I mean, there’s elbows, there’s knees, there’s everything man. And if you wanna talk about who’s the best boxer, I mean, everyone’s got everyone’s card at some point, so, it’s just musical chairs at this point.”

    The winner of the Kattar vs. Chikadze fight could get a featherweight title shot next. Alexander Volkanovski will face Chan Sung Jung (otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’). Many threw their name in the hat when Holloway had to pull out of his trilogy with Volkanovski, but Kattar was not one of them.

    Regardless of Kattar’s feelings, it seems that the best UFC boxer debate isn’t going away anytime soon. However, he has the opportunity to throw himself into the conversation with a win over Chikadze at UFC Vegas 46.

    Who do you think is the best boxer in the UFC?

  • Zhang Has No Regrets After 2nd Namajunas Loss, Makes Vow For Future

    UFC women’s strawweight contender Zhang Weili says she has no regrets about her second defeat to Rose Namajunas at UFC 268, and has vowed to come back stronger.

    Heading into 2021, Zhang held the 115-pound gold, was riding a 21-fight win streak, boasted a perfect 5-0 UFC record, and already had a successful title defense over the great Joanna Jędrzejczyk under her belt. But while 2020 saw her extend her reign in style in a Fight of the Year contender, last year was less successful for the Chinese star.

    At UFC 261, Namajunas provided one of the most memorable moments in the promotion’s history, knocking Zhang out with a first-round head kick in front of the first sold-out crowd in over a year. In doing so, “Thug Rose” became the first woman in UFC history to regain a title.

    Seven months later, Zhang had her chance for redemption. In the UFC 268 co-main event, she went five round with the champ inside Madison Square Garden. While many believed “Magnum” did enough to leave the Octagon with the belt back in her possession, Namajunas was awarded the nod on two scorecards.

    Zhang: “I’m A New Me”

    After her KO loss last April, Zhang was visibly unhappy at the stoppage and seemed reluctant to accept the result. She made a number of comments about the defeat in the following months, including a claim that Namajunas made disparaging comments about her in the build-up in order to turn the fans against the-then strawweight queen, as well as a suggestion that Chris Weidman’s leg break played a part in the result.

    However, Zhang’s response to her November setback couldn’t have been more different, despite the incredibly tight nature of it. That positive attitude was clear in a recent interview with People Magazine in China. “Magnum” claimed the defeat has provided her with an opportunity to learn and grow, something she says has built a “new me.”

    “Failure is not a bad thing for us. It’s a beginning for us to learn and become stronger. Now I start anew. I’m a new me. A new ‘Beijing Drifter’. I will keep grinding for my dream.”

    Despite back-to-back losses, Zhang insists she has no regrets about her UFC 268 performance and is not at a low point in her career. Instead, “Magnum” believes she’s on an upwards surge, and is solely focused on accomplishing her goals when she returns to the Octagon this year.

    “I don’t think I’m at a low point right now,” Zhang said. “I think I’m at the point of a final sprint, a point of sprinting upwards.

    “There’s no need to regret the past or worry about the future. Just focus on accomplishing every single thing in the present. Eat well when it’s time to eat. Train hard when it’s time to train. Do your best at whatever it is you are doing and the future will not be too bad.” (h/t South China Morning Post)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CYNUcz2pBP1/

    While her next opponent is yet to be decided, Zhang is seemingly working hard to get back to her best for her next outing. In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Eddie Cha recently revealed Zhang will be returning to the Fight Ready gym in the next few weeks.

    When she does begin training again with the likes of Cha and Henry Cejudo, we can expect a fight announcement to come relatively quickly, perhaps in the form of a rematch against Jędrzejczyk.

    Do you think Zhang Weili will bounce back to the title in the coming months and years?

  • Dana White Confirms Leon Edwards Is Next For Kamaru Usman

    Leon Edwards’ wait for a world title shot appears to be coming to an end.

    Edwards had expected to be fighting for a world title a long time ago. Now, he has reached a point where he is unbeaten in 10 fights and yet was still booked in another non-title bout, this time in a grudge match against nemesis Jorge Masvidal.

    After Masvidal was forced to withdraw from that bout due to a rib injury, that left Edwards without an opponent. Edwards insisted that he would not fight again unless he receives a world title shot.

    History has shown that sitting out and waiting for a title shot can be a very risky play, especially as far as Edwards is concerned. Dana White has cautioned fighters against making such a move, with Edwards himself being among them at one point.

    In an interview with TSN this week, however, White relented and agreed that Edwards is deserving of a title shot and is next in line for UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.

    “100 percent,” White said when asked if Edwards was next in line for Usman. “That kid’s had a rough run. He deserves it. If you look at it, Colby lost to (Usman) twice, Gilbert lost, Leon’s next. He’s number three.”

    White also hinted that one of the reasons for granting Edwards the title shot is because of his willingness to do what he said no one else wanted to do last year: step up and fight Khamzat Chimaev.

    “We were in a matchmaking meeting on Tuesday and I’m always like, ‘Nobody wants to fight him, nobody wants to fight him,’” White said. “Leon Edwards signed the bout agreement to fight him and I think he was ranked number three at the time. So I wanted to make that clear, publicly. He absolutely wanted to fight him, signed the bout agreement and then Khamzat got COVID and that was the end of that.

    “I’m bringing it up for a reason because I said that and never gave that kid the credit he deserved. He said yes to it, signed the bout agreement, and was ready to roll.”

    Leon Edwards first faced Kamaru Usman long before Usman was champion, in a unanimous decision loss in December 2015. In his most recent fight, he defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 263 while Usman successfully defended his title in another rematch—against Colby Covington at UFC 268.

  • Tate Clarifies OnlyFans Remarks, Gets Support From Adult Film Star

    Ranked UFC women’s bantamweight contender Miesha Tate has clarified the controversial remarks she made about the OnlyFans platform.

    Tate, a former 135-pound champion in the world’s premier MMA promotion, sparked widespread outrage after she appeared to describe a career on the notoriously NSFW platform as “desperate.”

    “Cupcake,” who returned to the Octagon after a five-year period in retirement last summer, was last in action in the main event of UFC Vegas 43 last November. Her attempted surge back to the title was stalled at the hands of Ketlen Vieira, who took home a unanimous decision win.

    In a YouTube video earlier this month, Tate answered questions surrounding her future in 2022 having fallen to defeat last time out. While she hinted at a drop to flyweight, a move that was later confirmed with the announcement of a May clash with Lauren Murphy, the 35-year-old shut down a potential venture onto OnlyFans, claiming she hadn’t said she was “desperate.”

    The comment led to widespread outrage, with many suggesting Tate believed the likes of Paige VanZant, Jéssica Andrade, and Kay Hansen were desperate in their decisions to join the platform or create their own exclusive NSFW sites.

    Having been slammed on social media, Tate has now attempted to clarify her stance. In one response to a user who suggested a level of hypocrisy existed in her statements, Tate said her words had been taken out of context.

    “I was being harassed and responded jokingly, this is being taken wa out of context. I support women doing whatever they want to.”

    In response to an adult content creator who was “disgusted” by Tate’s remarks, and even suggested she should be “canceled,” the former UFC titleholder claimed her statement was said as a joke and insisted she fully supports all women and their respective career choices.

    “Ladies this was taken way out of context, I had a some fans harassing me insinuating I needed to start an only fans. I responded jokingly, this was not a statement I made about other women. I appreciate we can all have our own choices and I support women 100%”

    After that response didn’t do much to change the opinion of those she was interacting with, Tate apologized and reminded them that she has friends in the industry, and had simply made a mistake.

    “That’s fair and I am truly sorry I have friends the industry and I support that 100%. In no way shape or form was it my intention to put anyone down, I am only human I let someone make me mad and what I said to them was not a rep of how I feel about this as a whole”

    Tate Gets Support From A Friend In The Industry

    Fortunately for Tate, she wasn’t a one-woman army. In her corner was pornographic actress and Only Fans account owner Kendra Lust. Backing up her friend, Lust said that while she realizes how the comments look, she knows that Tate didn’t intend to offend.

    “I know Miesha she is a friend .. I know she said it came off .. but I know that’s not how she meant it. She has supported me always. I believe her Miesha is one the sweetest that would never intentionally put down other women for there career choices because its adult”

    Tate will hope for this controversy to blow over in the coming weeks as she begins preparation for her flyweight debut. In her attempt to rebound from defeat, she’ll collide with Murphy, whose last outing saw her dominated and finished by 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko.

    Do you think Miesha Tate’s comments were taken out of context?

  • As Medical Coalition Targets Rogan, Schaub Comes To His Defense

    Brendan Schaub is coming to Joe Rogan’s defense after a coalition of medical professionals and educators called on Spotify to rein in Rogan’s alleged misinformation.

    Recently, a letter was published by over 200 doctors, nurses, professors, and scientists imploring Spotify to create a policy to help tackle misinformation on the streaming platform. The specific material the coalition was referencing is the content disseminated and facilitated by Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

    This comes after a controversial episode with Dr. Robert Malone aired last month, with the doctor being accused of “promoting baseless conspiracy theories” regarding COVID-19.

    “This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter wrote regarding JRE & the Dr. Robert Malone episode.

    As of this writing, Spotify has not issued a response to this letter, but Rogan’s good buddy and fellow podcaster/comedian Brendan Schaub has addressed the criticisms Rogan has received. Schaub argues that, unlike other mainstream news outlets, Rogan does not have a hidden agenda.

    “It’s like you want to shut this doctor down, which [Anthony] Fauci [Chief Medical Advisor to the President] has done over and over again. But I don’t agree with him. He tries to get them canceled. He’s notoriously known for that.

    “But also with this it is like hold on, you want to cancel Rogan and this doctor because they don’t agree with what you’re saying? He is more qualified than you guys are… They don’t like that Rogan is this outliner who destroys all of them combined. So they’re trying to censor that… Joe doesn’t have an agenda. If you watch CNN or Fox, there’s an agenda, plan or narrative that they are pushing. Joe is not. (h/t Sportskeeda).

    What do you make of all the criticisms against Joe Rogan, including the letter written by the medical coalition that targeted him?