MMA News

Category: UFC

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

  • Usman Tells Covington Airport Story That Made Him Rethink Everything

    Kamaru Usman has recounted a story from years ago about an airport encounter with Colby Covington that later left him dumbstruck and resentful.

    By now, it’s difficult to remember a time when Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington were not rivals. The animosity between the two welterweights has contributed to two of the best title fights the division has ever seen.

    In an appearance on the FULL SEND PODCAST recently, Usman discussed the origins of his long-running feud with Covington. According to a tale from the reigning champion, the tension between the two didn’t really take off until after a strange episode in an airport following a UFC event.

    “Funny story: Colby, started doing this whole—because of course, he wasn’t getting any love. I mean, he was winning but he’s just a little boring, beady-eyed little mug. No one really cared about this guy. And so I’m winning, and I’m just kinda moving up more than he is. And so he started oing the shtick. He started talking shit online. He started tweeting and stuff. And then I seen it. I’m like, ‘Damn, we just got in the UFC, maybe two fights deep each. And I’m like, ‘Goddamn, why does this guy have a problem with me?’ And so we went to a fight. I forget where that was at. But we went somewhere, so we were flying back. 

    “So we seen him at the airport, and he’s by himself. He’s got that stupid little neck pillow on, and I seen him across. I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna run up on him. If he talk crazy, I’mma steal on him right here. We about to fight him right here.’ But then, at the same time, I’m thinking, ‘Damn, I don’t wanna be on the no-fly list. Because if you mess around in the airport, you get put on that list. I don’t wanna do that.”

    What happened next threw Usman for a swerve. The mean-spirited character displayed by Covington over the Internet seemed to have vanished, leaving Usman feeling like the only bad guy in the conversation.

    “So I’m thinking, ‘OK, how do I approach it? Let’s approach him here, give him the look. Let him know, ‘Hey, is is not cool.’ So I go up to him and my teammate is recording it like a jackass. He’s recording it and he’s instigating it. You know how it is. He’s like, ‘You won’t do nothin’. I bet you won’t do nothin’.’ So I walk up to him, and I’m like, ‘Alright, let me not come too aggressive, but at the same time, let him know that I’m serious.’

    Kamaru Usman
    Kamaru Usman (Photo: Mike Roach/Zuffa)

    “So I go and I sit in front of him and I’m like, ‘What’s going on, man?’ And I give him the look, like the tough look. ‘What’s going on, man?’ And he was so nice that I felt like a jackass right after the break. I was like, ‘Ugh! Damn, I was trying to be mean, and he’s trying to be nice.’ He’s like, <polite voice> ‘What’s up, man? How you doing?’ I was like, <awkardly> ‘Uh, I’m cool. I’m cool. What’s up?’

    “So I was all ready for action, but he was so nice. I was like, ‘Damn, I’m like, I’m kind of a jackass here….and so now I felt like a jerk and I’m like, <meekly> ‘Aight, um, yeah, aight, see you later.’ So I get up and I’m like, ‘Damn, I felt like a jerk for that.”

    The story doesn’t end there, however. What happened next would inspire an epiphany from Usman, which is that there would inevitably come a day when he would punch Colby Covington in the face.

    “Then the next week, this motherfucker gets online, he’s like, ‘Next time you see me at the airport, I’mma smack the shit out of you if I see you!’ I’m like, ‘Bro! You were just a nice guy!’ And that’s really at that point I was like, ‘OK, at some point, me and him are gonna be locked in that Octagon and we’re gonna scrap.”

    Usman was victorious in both of these eventual scraps. Their bout at UFC 245 in 2019 was the MMA News Fight of the Year. And earlier this month, the premier UFC welterweights ran it back in another nail-biter. Once again, Usman would emerge victorious, keeping his undefeated UFC record intact.

    Covington appeared to be friendly in the Octagon immediately after the bout concluded. However, similar to Usman’s account in the story above, Covington would then revert to trashing him from afar after their face-to-face confrontation.

    What do you make of this story from Kamaru Usman?

  • Khamzat Chimaev: The Gilbert Burns Fight Comes Down To His Manager

    UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev has addressed rumors he could fight Gilbert Burns next, suggesting whether or not the matchup comes together is down to the Brazilian’s manager Ali Abdelaziz.

    The fact that we’re already in a position to discuss Chimaev and Burns in the same breath is remarkable. It’s a testament to the 27-year-old’s rapid and brutal rise up the UFC ranks, something he’s achieved in just over a year in the promotion.

    Last summer, “Borz” arrived in style, picking up two wins over John Phillips and Rhys McKee in the space of just 10 days on Fight Island. A couple of months later, he boosted his UFC record to 3-0 with a 17-second knockout of middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.

    After being sidelined for over a year due to COVID-19 complications, something which led to a booking against top-three contender Leon Edwards collapsing, many wondered whether Chimaev could pick up where he left off in his return. Against Li Jingliang at UFC 267, he did that and more.

    The Chechen-born Swede jumped into the rankings with a memorable first-round submission victory in which he rendered “The Leech” unconscious with a rear-naked choke.

    Since his successful comeback, Khamzat Chimaev’s future has been one of the most talked about topics in the UFC. While some even called for “Borz” to be immediately accelerated to the top to challenge Kamaru Usman, UFC President Dana White suggested he needed “one or two” more wins against high-ranked contenders to earn a title shot.

    It appears Chimaev could have his chance to stake his claim for a championship opportunity in January. Recent reports suggested the promotion was targeting a matchup between the newly-arrived contender and former title challenger Gilbert Burns.

    Chimaev Believes Burns Would Accept The Fight

    During a recent appearance on the MMA Hustle podcast, Chimaev was asked about the rumored clash, which would likely serve as a title eliminator. After expressing interest in facing “Durinho,” the 27-year-old suggested it’s down to Burns’ manager Ali Abdelaziz, who Chimaev parted ways with earlier this year.

    “I don’t really know, but I’d love to fight (Burns) and we’ll see. If (his) manager Ali (Abdelaziz) says. The fighter himself, I don’t think he will refuse. The manager decides. Ali understands who I am and who he is… It seems that’s what Ali is trying to tell him, that it’s not advantageous for him. I’m number 10 and he’s number three or two. And whether (it’s) advantageous or not, I’ll get to him and to everyone anyway.” (Via translation)

    If the Dominance MMA CEO does give the green light for his man to enter the Octagon with one of his former fighters, Chimaev doesn’t believe he’ll have an issue dispatching the Brazilian. In fact, the #11-ranked contender went as far as to agree with one of the podcast hosts who claimed the matchup would be easy for him.

    “Yeah, of course. He’s small, not big. I’ll out-box him… No way he could go low on me. A jiu-jitsu fighter, there’s no way. I don’t think he will get me on the mat. When was the last time he managed that? Fighting is different. Jiu-jitsu is on the floor and you still have to get there.”

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

    Having fallen short of the gold at UFC 258 earlier this year, Burns would be looking to secure a second crack at dethroning Usman by halting the surge of Chimaev if the booking comes together.

    After rebounding against Stephen Thompson at UFC 264, “Durinho” has made it clear he’s ready to face anyone who can get him back to the title, expect for teammate Vicente Luque, that is.

    How do you think a fight between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev would play out?

  • Rob Font Considers Petr Yan To Be The True Bantamweight Champion

    UFC bantamweight contender Rob Font has admitted that he sees interim titleholder Petr Yan as the division’s champion over Aljamain Sterling.

    Up until the fourth round of his first title defense, Yan looked set for a long reign of dominance atop the 135-pound mountain. Having earned a shot at gold with a 6-0 UFC record that included wins against Jimmie Rivera and Urijah Faber, “No Mercy” faced legendary former featherweight champion José Aldo for the vacant strap last July. With a brutal fifth-round TKO, the Russian left Abu Dhabi with the title.

    At UFC 259 in March this year, Yan faced the first challenge to his throne in the form of Sterling. After three-and-a-half rounds, the 28-year-old appeared comfortably on his way to a successful retention. But after landing an illegal knee, Yan was disqualified and saw the bantamweight belt leave the Apex in the possession of “Funkmaster.”

    After his chance for redemption was called off after Sterling withdrew from UFC 267, Yan had to settle for an interim title shot. Against Cory Sandhagen, “No Mercy” looked at his best, and secured a unification fight with a five-round victory on Fight Island.

    Despite only getting his hands on interim gold on October 30, many see Yan as the true champion of the bantamweight division, even with that official title remaining at the feet of Sterling. Font, the #4-ranked contender, shares the same sentiment.

    In a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, the 34-year-old said Sterling was having very little success against Yan at UFC 259. Judging by their performances in that fight, and the Russian’s interim crowning since, Font considers Yan to be the champion at 135 pounds.

    “It sucks man. You’ve gotta look at Yan and his performance and consider him, obviously, the champion. ‘Cos it wasn’t like, it wasn’t like Sterling was putting together clean combinations and hitting him with anything clean. He was busier but it wasn’t much, it wasn’t gonna do much. It was never gonna stop Yan from coming forward. And then the shots were kind of like, they weren’t set up.

    “He was never really in that fight. So it’s tough. And then obviously, he gets hit with the knee, so it sucks man. I guess to answer your question, I guess, technically, I would consider Yan the champion right now.”

    Font Looks To Jump Closer To Gold With Win Over Aldo

    Rob Font will be looking to move a step closer to challenging either Yan or Sterling when he returns to action this weekend at UFC Vegas 44.

    In his second main event of the year, the Massachusetts native will enter the cage with #5-ranked contender Aldo, who has built a two-fight winning streak after an initial unsuccessful drop to bantamweight. Wins against Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz have seen the Brazilian begin another charge to a UFC title, something which Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t believe will be possible.

    Font will aim to prove “The Eagle” right in Saturday’s headliner as he puts his four-fight winning streak on the line. After securing victories over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, and Marlon Moraes, Font cemented his top-five position with a decision triumph over former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Vegas 27 in May.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdjK7DpasY/

    Despite admitting he’ll likely have to defeat Aldo and one other top name in order to secure a title shot, Font will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Yan vs. Sterling 2, which is expected to take place in February or March 2022.

    Do you agree with Rob Font? Do you see interim titleholder Petr Yan as the true bantamweight champion?

  • Bisping Slams “Suspect” Jake Paul For Refusing Drug Tests For Fury Fight

    Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping has questioned Jake Paul’s decision not to allow drug testing to take place for his upcoming fight against Tommy Fury.

    Having maintained his unbeaten record in the squared circle, much to the dismay of many in the combat sports community, Paul looks set to continue his boxing venture for some time to come. The next man looking to stop that from happening will be the younger half-brother of world champion Tyson Fury.

    After defeating fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, retired basketball player Nate Robinson, retired former Bellator and ONE welterweight titleholder Ben Askren, and former 170-pound UFC champion Tyron Woodley, Paul is finally set to face his first professional pugilist. He’ll challenge “TNT” on December 18, with both men’s unblemished records on the line.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CW1CmlCt2aR/

    Bisping Criticizes Paul’s “Bizarre” Stance

    According to Fury’s camp, Paul has refused the implementation of drug testing ahead of their eight-round boxing match in Tampa. Despite it being unclear whether the YouTube sensation was tested against AnEsonGib or Askren, it was confirmed that he had been for his August victory over Woodley.

    In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping addressed the news that testing won’t be in place for Paul’s fifth outing in the ring. As a big advocate for clean fighting and stringent testing, “The Count” branded Paul’s reluctance to allow it as “bizarre” and “suspect.”

    “Just recently, we’ve seen the rise of Jake Paul. Jake Paul is doing great things in combat sports and he’s young in his career, but I just saw, just a moment ago, MMA Junkie just did an article, and they said that, MMA Junkie said that he’s refused a drug test for his latest fight. Well, not refused a drug test, he hasn’t allowed drug testing to happen for his latest fight against Tommy Fury, which is bizarre. He’s put in all kinds of stipulations about, ‘You gotta change your name to Tommy Fumbles’ and this and that.

    “There’s all kinds of things in there, all kinds of stipulations, lots of rules, lots of work for the lawyers to put in. But he refused, or said he didn’t want, to have VADA testing in there, which is, I don’t know, that’s a little suspect. If you’ve got nothing to hide, test the shit out of me, test the shit outta whoever.”

    While Paul has certainly been facing tougher opposition every time he enters the squared circle, and has gone some way to legitimizing himself thanks to wins over two MMA pros, a triumph over a boxer would certainly force everyone to take him seriously.

    However, should he find a path to victory having prevented drug testing from taking place, it’s arguable there’ll be a cloud hanging over the result.

    What do you make of Jake Paul’s desire to avoid drug testing for his fight against Tommy Fury?

  • Tony Ferguson Threatens To Make Khamzat Chimaev His “B*tch”

    Tony Ferguson has blasted Khamzat Chimaev seemingly out of the blue, even going so far as threatening to make the surging UFC star his “bitch.”

    Khamzat Chimaev is swiftly becoming one of the most active social media users on the UFC roster. Just yesterday alone, Borz called out not one, not two, but three retired former UFC champions: Georges St-Pierre, Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Cormier. He also laid into Colby Covington for the second time in recent weeks.

    After one of Chimaev’s tweets directed at Covington, there was one unexpected retweet from none other than former UFC interim lightweight champion, “El Cucuy” Tony Ferguson. Ferguson joined the list of those who have drawn comparisons to Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov and then made an explicit threat to the undefeated phenom.

    “you do not represent USA i represent USA you represent cowardice,” Chimaev posted in a tweet directed at Covington.

    “The Fuck You Do. Ya Can’t Even Make Weight Like Fathead @TeamKhabib Sit Down Shut Up Before I Make You My Bitch Where Were You During The Start Of The Pandemic? # Merica’MF” Ferguson said in his re-tweet.

    Tony Ferguson is currently on a three-fight losing streak and has not competed at welterweight since winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2011. Therefore, the chances of him being paired with undefeated welterweight Khamzat Chimaev in the near future are likely slim to none.

    Chimaev is reportedly in talks to fight Gilbert Burns next, yet there has not been any movement or further reports on those negotiations since the initial report two weeks ago.

    Do you have any interest in seeing a bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Tony Ferguson?

  • Mickey Gall: I’m A “Bigger Killer” Than Alex Morono

    UFC welterweight Mickey Gall is confident he can take a step closer towards the 170-pound rankings when he faces Alex Morono this weekend.

    Since victories over Mike Jackson, CM Punk, and Sage Northcutt got him off to a 3-0 start in the UFC and established himself as one of the most promising prospects in the promotion, Gall has been unable to carry forward any momentum, trading wins and losses since 2017.

    In-between victories over George Sullivan and Salim Touahri, the 29-year-old fell to setbacks against Randy Brown, Diego Sanchez, and Mike Perry. Having rebounded from his defeat to “Platinum” with an impressive submission win against Jordan Williams at UFC Vegas 32 in July, Gall will be looking to close 2021 out with a second consecutive triumph, something he hasn’t managed in five years.

    If he’s to succeed in doing so, he’ll have to get past welterweight mainstay Morono at UFC Vegas 44 this Saturday. Ahead of their prelim clash, Gall spoke exclusively to MMA News’ James Lynch.

    Discussing his 10th opponent in the UFC, Gall admitted that Morono, who’s fought 14 times since 2016 and boasts wins over Donald Cerrone and Max Griffin, is an unassuming threat, but a dangerous foe nonetheless. Despite that, Gall believes he boasts the superior killer instinct.

    “He’s a tough dude, man. He’s very, he’s scrappy, he’s tough. I knew I had to come correct to this fight, and I did that… He’s one of those guys like, he doesn’t look like a killer, but he’s definitely a killer. So am I. I believe I’m a badder killer and a bigger killer. I feel real good about the fight.”

    When asked for his prediction, Gall told MMA News he’s capable of having his hand raised through multiple routes, be it knockout or submission. Either way, he expects to deal damage come December 4.

    “I see me bashing my bones into his skull; cracking him with big, heavy shots, concussive blows. I could submit him, I could knock him out. Wherever the fight goes, I’m just gonna go in there and be me; just do what I do.”

    Gall Claims He’s Had His “Best Fight Camp” Ahead Of Morono Clash

    Despite coming up against an experienced veteran who’s riding a two-fight winning streak, Mickey Gall is clearly confident he’ll get the job done on fight night. The 29-year-old’s self-belief derives from a positive fight camp, which he described as the “best” he’s had in the UFC.

    “Fight camp went well. Even if it didn’t, I’d probably tell you the same thing. But it really was, I think, my best one. I think I was able to peak, and like, do everything right. It’s just been great. My team around me; it’s been a homegrown like, good camp… We’ve been putting in some good, hard work, and I’m really proud of what we did as a team. The way I feel now is beautiful, everything’s great.”

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

    Gall vs. Morono will be the second fight on the UFC Vegas 44 card, following a bantamweight contest between Louis Smolka and Vince Morales.

    Having missed out on a bonus for his first-round stoppage win last time out, Gall will be hoping to leave the Apex with an extra $50,000. But with the likes of Rob Font, Jose Aldo, Rafael Fiziev, Alonzo Menifield, Manel Kape, Brendan Allen, and Jimmy Crute all in action, he’ll have to deliver a special performance versus Morono to make the bonus list.

    Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC Vegas 44, Mickey Gall or Alex Morono?

  • Rafael dos Anjos Trades Barbs With ‘Khabib Wannabe’ Islam Makhachev

    Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev are back at it once again, throwing insults back and forth.

    dos Anjos and Makhachev have been on the docket to fight each other on multiple occasions, with the fight falling through each time for various reasons. This has led to a beef between the two that has ebbed and flowed throughout the years, never ceasing to entertain.

    The most recent of these interactions came when dos Anjos posted a clip of an altercation between he and Conor McGregor to Twitter, captioning it by saying that the Irishman was lucky that guards were between them. Makhachev chimed in by noting that there were no guards stopping RDA during that altercation.

    “Let’s meet without security to break up the fight. See you in 2022,” dos Anjos wrote, directing his message to McGregor.

    “There was no security around you man ?” Makhachev quipped.

    This led to a fiery response from dos Anjos, who brought up the fact that Islam Makhachev has not faced any former champions and saying that he only has hype because of his close relationship with former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

    In response, the Dagestani made the point that he was booked to fight RDA, but the Brazilian withdrew.

    “How many champions have you fought? How many main events? You only getting the hype because of your brother, Get my name out of your dirty mouth Khabib wanna be,” dos Anjos said.

    “Never fought champion, because you keep pulling out, unfortunately,” said Makhachev in response.

    Finally, dos Anjos stated that Makhachev is lucky to not be facing him and that he must be his manager, Ali Abdelaziz’s favorite fighter. However, Makhachev countered this by somewhat sarcastically saying that this honor clearly belongs to Justin Gaethje, who appears to be getting the title shot over him while he instead faces Beneil Dariush.

    “Btw you’re lucky because you’re yours manager’s favorite,” dos Anjos tweeted.

    “Wrong, Justin is favorite , he’s fighting for title ???,” responded Makhachev.

    This was an entertaining back-and-forth between Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev. While it is unclear if they will ever end up actually fighting, it is always entertaining to see them trading barbs online.