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  • ‘I’m Going To Move Forward The Best I Can’ – Ben Askren Discusses Mindset In Latest Recovery Update

    ‘I’m Going To Move Forward The Best I Can’ – Ben Askren Discusses Mindset In Latest Recovery Update

    Ben Askren took to social media on July 12 to provide another update on his ongoing health recovery.

    Askren reached out to the MMA community, openly discussing his mindset as he deals with recovering from a double lung transplant — needed after Askren suffered pneumonia, following a severe staph infection, which left him hospitalized.

    Askren opened up on his mindset as everything left an impact on him.

    “‘Man, I never smoked one cigarette, never smoked any weed, never did anything,’” Askren said, reflecting. “‘Why did my lungs get stolen from me? Why isn’t this happening to someone who smokes?’ Then I realized…it happened.”

    Ben Askren Says He Will Not Feel Sorry For Himself

    In a video update earlier this week, Askren spoke to the public for the first time since the news of his illness first came out. Askren discussed the effects the illness has had on him, flatlining “just four times” as well as losing 50 pounds and having no memory of events from May 28 to July 2.

    In this newest update, Askren admits while he has gotten down on himself, it’s not something he can do now. Askren promised to stay positive and carry on with how things are.

    “I can be bitter and angry, I could whine and cry, but that’s not going to help anybody,” Askren said. “I am where I am now and I’m going to move forward the best that I can. So I hope you guys are enjoying the updates. I will not feel sorry for myself. I’m going to be out of here very soon.”

    Many in the combat sports world have reached out to share their love and offering assistance. This includes UFC CEO and President Dana White, who called Askren’s recovery an “unbelievable journey” and confirmed at the UFC Nashville post-fight press conference that he provided financial support for Askren and his family.

  • ‘Can A Lighter Lewis Defend Aspinall’s Takedowns?’ – Fans & Fighters React To Derrick Lewis Ending Tallison Teixeira’s Undefeated Streak In Under A Minute At UFC Nashville

    ‘Can A Lighter Lewis Defend Aspinall’s Takedowns?’ – Fans & Fighters React To Derrick Lewis Ending Tallison Teixeira’s Undefeated Streak In Under A Minute At UFC Nashville

    “The Black Beast” continues to deliver with highlight performances (which may include removing his fight trunks), needing just 35 seconds to put away Tallison Teixeira in the main event of UFC Nashville.

    A punching exchange seemed to hinder Lewis’ vision almost right away, with a knuckle from Teixeira going into it. Because it came from a punch, however, the referee did not stop the fight.

    Lewis, however, landed a powerful left hook that dropped Teixeira. He then swarmed on Teixeira with follow-up strikes, and despite Teixeira making it to his feet after some struggle, the referee waved the action off, giving “The Black Beast” another knockout win to extend his UFC record.

    Derrick Lewis KOs Tallison Teixeira, Handing Him First Loss, At UFC Nashville

    https://twitter.com/HomelanderMMA/status/1944247140752273514

    Lewis has now won three of his last four fights, which includes finishes of Marcos Rogério de Lima and Rodrigo Nascimento.

    Teixeira suffers the first pro loss of his career. This marked just his second UFC bout, debuting in a performance bonus-earning win over Justin Tafa at UFC 312 in February.

  • ‘Stalling With Wrestling Is Not Scored Highly’ – Fans & Fighters React To Gabriel Bonfim Earning Controversial Judges’ Nod Over Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson At UFC Nashville

    ‘Stalling With Wrestling Is Not Scored Highly’ – Fans & Fighters React To Gabriel Bonfim Earning Controversial Judges’ Nod Over Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson At UFC Nashville

    Gabriel Bonfim scored the biggest win of his career in the UFC Nashville co-main event and will most likely find himself in the welterweight rankings. It doesn’t come without controversy, however, as plenty of people felt his opponent, longtime UFC veteran and former welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson should have been given the judges’ decision.

    Thompson looked to keep his distance in the early part of the fight, aware of Bonfim’s wrestling while looking to land his traditional striking. Bonfim scored a pair of takedowns halfway through the first, however, locking up a tight choke attempt on Thompson, but the veteran escaped.

    After a bit of a striking battle in the early portion of the second round, Bonfim got to Thompson’s back again and scored another takedown — though it was brief before Thompson returned to the feet. Thompson got to break out of Bonfim’s clinch a minute later and started to find his groove.

    Bonfim would check a kick from Thompson, resulting in a really nasty gash. Thompson did land a head kick, however, stumbling Bonfim and stopping a takedown before the end of the round.

    Bonfim looked to pressure Thompson in the third round, bringing him to the fence during the first minute. Thompson fought out of it and continued to throw with the cut leg. Thompson landed another strong head kick; however, Bonfim scored a pair of takedowns and used his grappling to control the action — or lack of it as the fight was in its concluding stages.

    Gabriel Bonfim Scores Narrow, Controversial Decision Over Stephen Thompson

    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1944240435557544345
    https://twitter.com/ElonTrumpDonald/status/1944238075619504305

    Bonfim, a 2022 alumnus of Dana White’s Contender Series, is now 5-1 in the Octagon, including a three-fight win streak now, defeating Ange Loosa and Khaos Williams as well over the last year.

    Thompson has now lost three straight and five of his last six.

  • ‘For Real’ – Fans & Fighters React To Steve Garcia’s Shocking Domination Of Calvin Kattar At UFC Nashville

    ‘For Real’ – Fans & Fighters React To Steve Garcia’s Shocking Domination Of Calvin Kattar At UFC Nashville

    Steve Garcia was known to be a talented fighter, but that talent may now be on another level after pulling off a strong victory over Calvin Kattar at UFC Nashville — guaranteeing him a spot in the featherweight rankings in the coming days.

    Garcia controlled the action from the beginning with a mix of heavy leg kicks, wild combinations, and spinning attacks, overwhelming Kattar and making him crumble under the pressure.

    Garcia continued to dictate the pace in the second, focused on body shots and bloodying Kattar up with his jab. Kattar tried to bring up the intensity with the vintage striking we’ve seen from him, but Garcia consistently got the better of him in every exchange.

    Garcia turned up the aggression still in the third round, rocking Kattar with a left hand and body strikes, not letting up on the gas as he hunted for the finish. Kattar tried to rally back but was blocked again.

    Garcia didn’t get the finish, which would have been his sixth straight KO/TKO, but he did sweep the judges’ scorecards.

    Steve Garcia Scores Decision In All-Around Performance vs. Calvin Kattar At UFC Nashville

    https://twitter.com/CharlieQuinnMMA/status/1944230026121294311

    Garcia has now won six straight, a stretch that began with his featherweight debut in a win over Chase Hooper at UFC Vegas 63 in October 2022.

    Kattar has now lost five straight and six of his last seven — just one win since his loss to Max Holloway in January 2021.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Wins 2025 UFC Fighter Of The Year ESPY Award

    Merab Dvalishvili Wins 2025 UFC Fighter Of The Year ESPY Award

    UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili can add another piece of hardware to his collection.

    Though ESPN’s ESPY Awards ceremony will not be held for four more days, the UFC revealed the nominees and winner of the ESPY Award for UFC Fighter of the Year, with Dvalishvili taking home the honors. The UFC made the announcement during the UFC Nashville broadcast.

    The other nominees were UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, and UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

    Dvalishvili is the only one of the nominated winners to win in three title fights during the July 1, 2024 – June 20, 2025 timeframe the awards are based on.

    This stretch began with Dvalishvili capturing the UFC bantamweight title from Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in September. He then retained the title in a comeback decision over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and a finish of O’Malley at UFC 316.

    He is expected to face Cory Sandhagen in his next defense of the gold.

    Merab Dvalishvili Wins Fighter Of The Year ESPY Award

    Makhachev retained his lightweight title, defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 and Renato Moicano at UFC 311, before vacating the title to move up to welterweight.

    Harrison defeated Ketlen Veiera at UFC 307 before defeating Julianna Pena at UFC 316 to become women’s bantamweight champion. She is expected to face the returning great Amanda Nunes at a time and place to be determined.

    Du Plessis retained the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and Sean Strickland at UFC 312. He will defend the title against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 next month.

    The UFC commentary team stated new lightweight champion and former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria was not nominated because of the timeframe the awards are based on. His lightweight title win came a week after deadline.

  • ‘Absolutely Pummeled Landwehr’ – Fans & Fighters React To Morgan Charrière Pulling Off Violent Comeback Finish Of Nate Landwehr At UFC Nashville

    ‘Absolutely Pummeled Landwehr’ – Fans & Fighters React To Morgan Charrière Pulling Off Violent Comeback Finish Of Nate Landwehr At UFC Nashville

    Morgan Charrière went into enemy territory and, despite some early trouble, scored a violent finish of hometown hero Nate “The Train” Landwehr at UFC Nashville.

    Charriere got off to a strong start, thanks to the usage of fast leg kicks and sharp, speedy counters. Charriere added in a takedown, controlling the grappling action.

    Landwehr stormed back in a big way, pushing the pace and increasing his output. He tried to bring up the intensity and landed plenty of combinations on Charriere, making the fight more of a slugfest as he took control of the action.

    But Charriere fought fire with fire, connecting on his own flurries at the start of the third round, rocking and dropping Landwehr for a TKO victory.

    Morgan Charrière Stops Nate Landwehr At UFC Nashville

    https://twitter.com/EagleMMA_/status/1944222743383486656

    Charrière is now 3-2 in the Octagon since coming over from Cage Warriors.

    Landwehr has now lost three of his last four.

  • VIDEO: Jake Matthews Locks Up Quick Submission Of Chidi Njokuani At UFC Nashville

    VIDEO: Jake Matthews Locks Up Quick Submission Of Chidi Njokuani At UFC Nashville

    At 30 years old, Jake Matthews really seems to be coming into his own, and that wasn’t more on display than his fast finish of Chidi Njokuani during the UFC Nashville preliminary card.

    Matthews ate some strong leg kicks from Njokuani to start the action before Matthews got the action to the ground.

    Njokuani got to his feet, but it wasn’t long before Matthews, on his back, locked up a choke, scoring the submission.

    Jake Matthews Submits Chidi Njokuani At UFC Nashville

    https://twitter.com/RookieParlays/status/1944190321421955093

    Matthews has now won three straight and four of his last five, with his sole loss in that span coming against now-top-10 ranked Michael Morales.

    Njokuani, the Bellator and UFC veteran, sees a three-fight win streak snapped.

  • ‘Went Out Like A Gangster’ – Fans Salute Lauren Murphy As She Retires Following Loss To Eduarda Moura At UFC Nashville

    ‘Went Out Like A Gangster’ – Fans Salute Lauren Murphy As She Retires Following Loss To Eduarda Moura At UFC Nashville

    After about a decade in the Octagon, Lauren Murphy hangs up the gloves following her loss to Eduarda Moura during the UFC Nashville prelims.

    “I’ve been in the UFC 10 years, [in MMA] for 15,” Murphy said. “I want to thank me for doing all this hard motherf****** work at 41 years old. I’m still in here f****** these girls up.”

    Moura scored a couple of notable shots on Murphy early before a Murphy takedown — only for Moura to get up right away and score one of her own. Moura controlled the action from there and seemed to land speedier, more effective strikes the rest of the way.

    Moura continued to get the better of Murphy in terms of striking in the second round. Murphy was able to land her own fair share as Moura slowed in the second half of the frame; however, Moura was still the quicker fighter with better striking.

    Murphy pulled off a near-fairytale ending out of nowhere in the third round, locking up a guillotine choke that looked tight but failed to get the submission. The fight’s pace slowed from there, though Murphy landed the better strikes up until the final 30 seconds, when Moura started to get some of her gas tank and power back.

    No judge gave Murphy a 10-8 for the near finish, however, as Moura took the cards with three 29-28s.

    Lauren Murphy Retires Following Loss To Eduarda Moura

    Moura is now 3-1 in the UFC since her first-round submission of Janaina Silva on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

    Despite a string of losses early in her UFC tenure, Murphy found her groove in 2019 as a flyweight, ending her UFC tenure 6-3 since then. Murphy lost three of the last four fights in her UFC career, which began with an unsuccessful flyweight title challenge against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266.

  • VIDEO: Valter Walker Locks Up Third Straight Heel Hook Submission, Defeating Kennedy Nzechukwu In Less Than A Minute At UFC Nashville

    VIDEO: Valter Walker Locks Up Third Straight Heel Hook Submission, Defeating Kennedy Nzechukwu In Less Than A Minute At UFC Nashville

    Three fights into UFC Nashville’s preliminary card, and we have our third finish in a row — and it’s the third finish via heel hook in a row for Valter Walker.

    Walker, the older brother of light heavyweight Johnny Walker, needed less than a minute to put away Kennedy Nzechukwu.

    Walker brought pressure right away, quickly pressing Nzechukwu to the fence. Walker then scored a takedown and quickly was able to contort one of Nzechukwu’s legs, locking up another heel hook and scoring a submission in just 54 seconds.

    Valter Walker Wins Third Straight Via Heel Hook At UFC Nashville

    In addition to three straight wins, Walker has now won four of his last five. Walker’s three heel hook submission victories over these past 12 months have helped him rebound from dropping his UFC debut against Łukasz Brzeski.

    Nzechukwu had come into this bout 2-0 since moving up to heavyweight, defeating Chris Barnett and Brzeski at UFC 308 and UFC 310, respectively.

  • ‘Still Has Insane Fire Power And Athleticism’ – Fans & Fighters React To Mike Davis Going From Grappling Domination To Flying Knee TKO Of Mitch Ramirez At UFC Nashville

    ‘Still Has Insane Fire Power And Athleticism’ – Fans & Fighters React To Mike Davis Going From Grappling Domination To Flying Knee TKO Of Mitch Ramirez At UFC Nashville

    Talk about quite the all-around performance, Mike Davis lived up to being one of the biggest favorites on the UFC Nashville card, pulling out a second-round finish of Mitch Ramirez during the preliminary card of UFC Nashville.

    Davis took Ramirez down early in the first round, controlling the round from that second. Davis would make his way to Ramirez’s back, threatening multiple choke attempts, though running out of time before he could score the submission.

    Davis’ pace appeared to slow early in the second round, as Ramirez landed a pair of shots that seemed to do damage. The fight became a striking battle from there, and Davis got back control as the action went on. Eventually, Davis landed a flying knee that rocked Ramirez, and follow-up shots got Ramirez to crumble to the mat, ending the fight.

    UFC Nashville: Mike Davis Lands Flying Knee In Finishing Sequence On Mitch Ramirez

    https://twitter.com/Non_Standard114/status/1944171002063143416

    Davis has now won five of his last six and rebounds from a decision loss to Fares Ziam at UFC Saudi Arabia in February.

    Ramirez, who lost to Carlos Prates on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, is now 0-2 in the UFC. He was stopped by Thiago Moises in March 2024.

  • VIDEO: Fatima Kline Starts Off UFC Nashville With Impactful Head-Kick KO On 25th Birthday

    VIDEO: Fatima Kline Starts Off UFC Nashville With Impactful Head-Kick KO On 25th Birthday

    Talk about a heck of a way to celebrate turning 25 years old.

    Fatima Kline has appeared to impress the masses in her third Octagon bout, quite literally kicking off the action at UFC Nashville with a bang in her finish of Melissa Martinez.

    Kline used her pressure to control the fight from the get-go, using her reach to land jabs and kicks, focusing on body shots. Kline continued to push the pace, working over Martinez in the clinch with sharp strikes, while Martinez’s power increase only resulted in some strikes landing.

    Fatima Kline Lands Head Kick To KO Melissa Martinez At UFC Nashville

    Kline then ended things dramatically in the third with a head kick that dropped Martinez. Kline landed a couple of follow-up strikes before the referee stepped in and waved things off.

    Kline has now won back-to-back fights, defeating Victoria Dudakova this past January. Kline made her UFC debut last year in a loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius.

    Martinez now falls to 1-2 in the UFC.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Derrick Lewis TKO’s Tallison Teixeira

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Derrick Lewis TKO’s Tallison Teixeira

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira clashed. While in the co-main event, Stephen Thompson faced off with Gabriel Bonfim in a welterweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Derrick Lewis def. Tallison Teixeira via TKO: R1, 0.35  
    • Gabriel Bonfim def. Stephen Thompson via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
    • Steve Garcia def. Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (30-27×3)  
    • Morgan Charriere def. Nate Landwehr via TKO: R3, 0.27
    • Vitor Petrino def. Austen Lane via submission: R1, 4.16  
    • Tuco Tokkos def. Junior Tafa via submission: R2, 4.25

    Preliminary Card

    • Chris Curtis def. Max Griffin via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29) 
    • Jake Matthews def. Chidi Njokuani via submission: R1, 1.09
    • Eduarda Moura def. Lauren Murphy via unanimous decision (29-28×3)  
    • Valter Walker def. Kennedy Nzechukwu via submission: R1, 0.54
    • Mike Davis def. Mitch Ramirez via TKO: R2, 4.08  

    Fatima Kline def. Melissa Martinez via TKO: R3, 2.36

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Fatima Kline def. Melissa Martinez

    Fatima Kline earned a TKO in the third round.

    Mike Davis def. Mitch Ramirez

    Mike Davis earned a TKO in round two.

    Valter Walker def. Kennedy Nzechukwu

    Valter Walker took less than a minute to submit Kennedy Nzechukwu.

    Jake Matthews def. Chidi Njokuani

    Jake Matthews took just over a minute to submit Chidi Njokuani.

    Main Card Highlights

    Tuco Tokkos def. Junior Tafa

    Tuco Tokkos locked in an arm triangle to get the win in his light heavyweight bout.

    Vitor Petrino def. Austen Lane

    Vitor Petrino submitted Austen Lane in round one of their heavyweight matchup.

    Morgan Charriere def. Nate Landwehr

    Morgan Charriere got it done with a TKO in the third.

    Steve Garcia def. Calvin Kattar

    Steve Garcia got it done on the scorecards in this featherweight matchup.

    Gabriel Bonfim def. Stephen Thompson

    In the co-main event, Gabriel Bonfim got it done with a split decision over Stephen Thompson.

    Derrick Lewis def. Tallison Teixeira

    In the main event, Derrick Lewis took just 35 seconds to TKO Tallison Teixeira.

  • The Brutal Truth About Mike Tyson’s Chin: Butterbean Reveals What the World Never Saw

    The Brutal Truth About Mike Tyson’s Chin: Butterbean Reveals What the World Never Saw

    Butterbean does not rate Mike Tyson’s durability inside of the ring as the endeared pugilist chases possible fights with both ‘Iron’ Mike himself and Tyson’s prior in-ring adversary. During a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, the man known as Eric Esch touched upon several subjects including multiple prospective opponents he would like to fight.

    When discussing how he would see a potential future fight against Jake Paul playing out while referencing the influencer’s contest against Mike Tyson, Butterbean said,

    “I’ll be honest, after the fight Mike had with Jake, I don’t think it would even be a close fight. I think I would destroy him that quick. Tyson does not have a chin. Mike cannot take a punch. If you’ve noticed, he’s been knocked out many times. Buster Douglas knocked him out, Kevin McBride knocked him out. Funny thing is, I fought a guy who knocked both those guys out—and I knocked him out.”

    Butterbean calls out Brock Lesnar for desired comeback tour

    Butterbean dropped 220 pounds and now seems keen on getting back into the ring with a former UFC heavyweight champion also in his crosshairs. This was expressed furing a seperate interview with Bloody Elbow, Esch stated his eagerness to throw down with the former WWE champion in a shoot fight (plus several other big name heavyweights through multiple excerpts fron the chat)\ when Butterbean quipped [via Bloody Elbow],

    “I would’ve loved to have fought [Mike] Tyson back in the day. I would still like to fight Tyson.”

    “I’d love to fight Brock Lesnar. That would be a good fight. I wanna fight that people want to see and would be a challenge for me also. Brock would be a challenge, just like Jake would be a challenge. Tyson is in there. I’m just out there for a good fight that makes sense.”

    “Somebody like Evander Holyfield, who is going to hit, run, and jab, wouldn’t be the fight for me.”

    “I wanna fight someone who wants to fight.”

  • When 2 Splintered UFC Title Lineages Came Together: A Spotlight

    Many know of the lineal MMA heavyweight title path that extended from Randy Couture to Francis Ngannou today but ‘The Natural’ created a separate splintering of the UFC title’s lineage that lead to an unheralded unification bout years ago. Observing the more widely known lineal heavyweight title path, Couture cemented himself as the UFC heavyweight champion within his first four professional MMA bouts before departing the promotion as their reigning titleholder.

    The decorated wrestler would then lose the lineal strap to Enson Inoue when Couture submitted via armbar in the first round of their Vale Tudo Japan bout in October 1998. Inoue would drop the unofficial crown to Mark Kerr in the opening round of the 2000 Pride Grand Prix with the lineal title being passed around throughout that tournament. When the dust settled on the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, Kerr dropped the lineal title to Kazuyuki Fujita who then promptly dropped it to Mark Coleman who won the stacked tournament in the end.

    Couture again leaves as UFC champ and the lineage passes through Japan once more

    The other break within the UFC title’s lineage was driven by Couture yet again and his reclaiming of that organization’s heavyweight crown took place at UFC 28 in November 2000. Randy Couture would not only return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship but again became the UFC heavyweight champion when he finished Kevin Randleman with strikes in the final minute of the third frame. Couture would again leave the promotion as their reigning heavyweight champion and after defeating Tsuyoshi Kosaka under the Rings Japan banner, he would lose this separate lineal distinction to Valentijn Overeem in February 2001.

    Overeem would lose this quasi title to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira who also captured the Rings Japan 2001 tournament title in the process. Following his own lineal title defense at Pride 15 after submitting Gary Goodridge with a first round triangle choke, Pride FC would then book a clash between the 2000 Pride Grand Prix champion and the 2001 Rings Japan tournament champion.

    Two wayward UFC Title lineages coming together in the Pride ring

    The stage was set for these two splintered UFC title championship lineages to finally come together as one and it all transpired at at Pride 16 in September 2001. Coleman has also quasi defend his version of the lineal title when he halted Allan Goes with knees at the seventy nine second mark of their Pride 13 contest. This clash between Coleman and Nogueira was initially set to transpire at Pride 15 in July 2001 before a knee injury Mark Coleman sustained scrapped that planned prizefight.

    When the two finally stepped into the ring a matter of weeks after the fact, it was Nogueira who would consolodate both lineages and fuse them into one. This moment of galvanizing the wayward title lineages came in the form of ‘Big Nog’ snatching a triangle armbar onto ‘The Hammer’ and illiciting a tap at the 6:10 mark of round one with ten minute opening rounds being commonplace under the Pride FC banner.

  • Jessica Eye “Coming Back Was Never an Option, [BKFC] Just Kind of Happened”

    Jessica Eye “Coming Back Was Never an Option, [BKFC] Just Kind of Happened”

    As a relatively recent guest on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Jessica Eye expounded upon her first win in gloveless combat at BKFC Texas and how she came to return to combat sports after her UFC retirement a few years ago. When initially asked if everything in this bare-knuckle debut played out relative to her preconceived notions or if there were some surprising facets from her BKFC 76 effort, Jessica Eye said,

    “A little bit of both but the hand wraps are wild. It’s so wild, it’s like nothing [laughs]. Gee [Perez], their cut guy, is great, he’s absolutely awesome and he does a great job. But I can’t wait to perfect that wrap. It’s kind of cool but it was basically nothing. That was what I expected, so I kept my hands super closed most of the fight. Most of it. I only had my hand open the one time [laughs]. I don’t know. Did you see it in the fight? Did you see when I slapped her?… I didn’t even mean to. Didn’t even mean to happen. Didn’t even know that I guess you’re allowed to slap on some level.”

    When playfully asked if that was Eye’s way of putting out feelers to Power Slap, Eye stated,

    “Not even close. Somebody slap me, I might have a problem with it. But no, I was trying to parry punches and I didn’t get my hand closed in time [laughs]. But so no, it was not on purpose but it was hilarious. Listening to Chris Lytle say that I Stockton slapped her hilarious.”

    Jessica Eye’s unexpected return to combat sports after a three year hiatus

    Jessica Eye is a former UFC flyweight title challenger who seemed content to ride off into the sunset after a loss to Maycee Barber amid some serious health issues that caused a shift toward some meaningful life changes for Eye. When expounding upon the specifics of her timeline in the last few years that has seen her personally surprising return to competitive combat sports, Eye quipped,

    “Oh my god, yeah. In three years like so much has happened. I mean, I think that ultimately it was really downplayed how sick I was from the parasite, right. Like I got the parasite in 2018 when I fought in Singapore. I retired in 2022, like a month and a half before I retired and had my last fight against Maycee [Barber], the parasite had just come out. My life, my body needed to heal. There was so many things that have happened since then. Mental healing, physical healing, I moved to Florida, I created a team that was really, really unique to me that I really have been so fortunate that I did that.”

    “Coming back was never an option, it just kind of happened. I had gotten the call, it seemed like the right thing to do. I wanted to try it and Mariya [Agapova] was good. I think Mariya is going to be really successful in bare-knuckle herself too. I don’t think people are ready for even her kind of experience. I mean, there’s still a short number of UFC girls over in the bare-knuckle world.”

  • BKFC Champ Confident He Stops Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van

    BKFC Champ Confident He Stops Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van

    A man who made multiple bids for the UFC flyweight title against then-champion Demetrious Johnson feels confident he could return to the promotion and stop both the current 125 pound champion as well as the number one flyweight contender. John Dodson is the reigning BKFC flyweight champion and has been plying his trade in an MMA context with Rizin but seems confident he could make a return to the octagon one day in a big way.

    ‘The Magician’ expressed this thought while taking part in BKFC’s Champions Summit press conference event. When speaking with Danny Segura of MMA Junkie, Dodson said,

    “Well, I can go ahead and knock out [Alexandre] Pantoja. That Joshua Van guy, I guarantee you, they want to talk about somebody who has incredible knockout power… my Filipino power can knock out his Filipino power.”

    When asked by Segura if the door was open at all for a UFC comeback someday, Dodson stated,

    “That door can always be reopened. I just gotta go ahead and secure my victories, go back out there, put dominant performance sin BKFC, and then also go back to Japan and go settle what’s out there too.”

    The ‘stupid’ interim BKFC title situation this weekend in Dodson’s eyes

    The flyweight title has not been contested for in BKFC in over a year with an interim flyweight title fight being booked for Saturday night. Andrew Strode will knuckle up and toe the line agaisnt Gee Perez at BKFC 78 in Hollywood, Florida for the interim strap. Amid a landscape of champions vacating their belts or even outright being stripped of them, it is a bit of a curiosity that this Dodson title reign has gone on uninterrupted to where we are now getting an interimchampion in the mix when the dust settles this weekend.

    Addressing this title bout set for tomorrow and his overview of everything, John Dodson quipped [via Bloody Elbow],

    “First of all, I think that’s stupid that they make an interim title that I’m an active champion. Like, I’m waiting to fight anybody. I asked to fight both the guys that are fighting for the title. I’ll go ahead and get the winner.”

  • ‘A Bust’ – Fans React To Katie Taylor Sweeping Trilogy With Amanda Serrano

    ‘A Bust’ – Fans React To Katie Taylor Sweeping Trilogy With Amanda Serrano

    Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are two of the best women’s boxers of all-time, and their rivalry has been nothing but epic. The third fight proved to be completely different from their first two meetings; however, the result was the same — Taylor getting her hand raised and retaining the undisputed women’s super lightweight championship.

    The trilogy fight headlined the first all-women’s boxing card — featuring a Guinness World Record 17 titles on the line — on July 11 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

    The first two rounds did not feature much action, as both women looked to find their groove and judge their opponent’s rhythms and attacks. The third round saw flashbacks to the first two fights, as Serrano got aggressive with flurries a couple of times — only to get hit with counterpunches from Taylor.

    After a clear fourth round for Taylor, the fifth round was once again super close, with more technical fighting than the aggressive kind. Serrano picked up the aggression in the sixth round, but the fight returned to its strategic-based pace in round seven.

    That pace continued for the remainder of the fight, as the final three rounds all could have fallen either way. One judge, in fact, did score the fight a 95-95 draw; however, Taylor took the fight with 97-93 totals on the other two scorecards.

    Katie Taylor Defeats Amanda Serrano To Retain Undisputed Title In Trilogy Fight

    https://twitter.com/riskiiiix/status/1943887565389533563

    Taylor and Serrano first clashed in 2022, with Taylor retaining the undisputed title in a controversial unanimous decision. The same occurred in their second meeting this past November as part of the undercard for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul.

    Taylor, a gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics, became undisputed champion when she claimed the WBC women’s super lightweight title from Delfine Persoon in June 2019 as part of the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. undercard. Taylor retained the undisputed title seven consecutive times. She’d drop the titles to Chantelle Cameron in May 2023 but regained the gold that November.

    Taylor is responsible for three of the four losses in Serrano’s career. Serrano has previously won nine major world titles across seven weight classes — and is the only Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in more than four weight divisions. Serrano most recently a female featherweight champion, becoming undisputed champion with a win over Ericka Cruz in 2023.

  • Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 Live Results and Highlights

    Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 Live Results and Highlights

    They are two of the greatest and most decorated fighters in women’s boxing history. They are arguably the two best in women’s boxing today. And tonight, the rivalry between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano concluded with one final, epic, highly-anticipated clash — one that headlined the first-ever all-women’s boxing card in history! And MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    Taylor had long worked her way up the ranks at women’s lightweight before, picking up belt after belt before defeating Delfine Persoon to become undisputed women’s lightweight champion at Madison Square Garden in June 2019.

    She would retain the belt seven consecutive times, a stretch that saw the first clash between Taylor and Serrano in 2022, with Taylor edging out a controversial split decision victory. Taylor would lose the undisputed title briefly to Chantelle Cameron before winning it back months later.

    Then, in November 2024, as part of the undercard for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, the two met again, with Taylor again coming out on top in a controversial decision.

    Serrano is a longtime veteran of the game, coming into tonight with a 47-3-1 record, having picked up nine major world title across seven weight classes in her career.

    Now, Taylor and Serrano meet one last time in the Big Apple, once again at MSG, for all the marbles!

    The card also featured five other world title fights — for a record total of 17 world boxing championships on the line throughout the evening.

    With the event now concluded, see below for the full results and highlights!

    Taylor vs. Serrano 3 Live Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Undisputed Super Lightweight Championship: Katie Taylor def. Amanda Serrano via majority decision (95-95, 97-93 x2)
    • Undisputed Super Featherweight Championship: Alycia Baumgardner def. Jennifer Miranda via unanimous decision (98-92 x2, 97-93)
    • IBF/WBO Super Middleweight Championship: Shadasia Green def. Savannah Marshall via split decision (95-94, 93-96, 96-93)
    • IBF/WBO/WBC Super Bantamweight Championship: Ellie Scotney def. Yamileth Marcado via unanimous decision (100-90, 98-92 x2)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Undisputed Bantamweight Championship: Shurretta Metcalf def. Cherneka Johnson via TKO (Rd. 9, 0:02)
    • WBC Interim Super Lightweight Championship: Chantelle Cameron def. Jessica Camara via unanimous decision (99-91 x2, 98-92)
    • Super Bantamweight: Ramla Ali def. Lila Furtado via unanimous decision (77-75 x2, 76-74)
    • Middleweight: Tamm Thibeault def. Mary Casamassa via TKO (Rd. 5, 2:18)

    Tamm Thibeault def. Mary Casamassa

    Ramla Ali def. Lila Furtado

    Chantelle Cameron def. Jessica Camara

    Shurretta Metcalf def. Cherneka Johnson

    Ellie Scotney def. Yamileth Marcado

    Shadasia Green def. Savannah Marshall

    Alycia Baumgardner def. Jennifer Miranda

    Katie Taylor def. Amanda Serrano

  • Conor McGregor mocks Mike Perry in tense BKFC face-off

    Conor McGregor came face to face with Mike Perry at a BKFC event yesterday as rumors continue to swirl regarding a possible future fight between the two men.

    As we know, Conor McGregor plays a pretty big role in the operation over at BKFC – or, at least, that’s how it seems. He also isn’t a big fan of Mike Perry, to the point where he even seemed to ‘fire’ him once upon a time. Now, though, ‘Platinum’ is back in BKFC, and it would appear as if they’re teasing the idea of these rivals actually battling it out in the ring.

    Conor McGregor hasn’t been in active competition since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier four years ago, and it’s not quite clear as to if he’ll ever compete again. If he does, though, this would seem to indicate that Mike Perry is definitely a potential foe for him.

    Conor McGregor teases Mike Perry

    “You’re welcome back because I welcomed you back,” McGregor said, referencing when he claimed Perry was fired from BKFC after losing to Paul. “Oct. 11 is your date, and you’ll dance for me, boy. You’ll dance for the owner, and then we can talk.”

    “Your date is Oct. 11, Michael Perry, the return of ‘Platinum’, and we’ve got [one] hell of an announcement for an opponent for you,” McGregor teased. “One of the baddest men to ever grace the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but when it comes to bare-knuckle, he’s going to throw down with you in front of me for my viewing pleasure, and then I’ll decide if you’re worthy.”

    Quotes via MMA Fighting

  • Gervonta Davis Arrested For Alleged Domestic Violence Against Ex-Girlfriend In Florida

    Gervonta Davis Arrested For Alleged Domestic Violence Against Ex-Girlfriend In Florida

    Gervonta Davis has once again found himself entangled in legal turmoil.

    On Friday morning, WPLG Local 10 was first to report that the reigning WBA lightweight champion had been arrested in Miami, Florida on a battery charge tied to accusations of physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend of four years.

    According to the report, Davis was taken into custody and brought to the Doral Police Department in connection with an incident that reportedly occurred outside the alleged victim’s residence last month.

    “Tank” and his former partner, with whom he shares custody of two children, reportedly got into an argument when Davis arrived to pick them up on Father’s Day. What began as a verbal dispute quickly escalated into a physical altercation. The 30-year-old boxer from Baltimore allegedly struck the woman on the back of the head and then slapped her across the face as she leaned into his car, causing a minor cut to her lip.

    This is the third time Gervonta Davis has been accused of assaulting a woman. He was previously charged with domestic battery in both February 2020 and December 2022.

    When Was Gervonta Davis’ Last Appearance In the Ring?

    Gervonta Davis most recently competed in March, when he defended his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr. in a bout that nearly cost him both his belt and his undefeated record.

    “Tank” was outclassed for much of the fight and controversially took a knee in the ninth round. He later claimed it was to clear grease from his eyes due to a recent hair treatment, and the sequence was not ruled a knockdown. The fight was ended in a majority draw, allowing Davis to retain his title.

    Davis currently holds an undefeated professional record of 30-0-1, with 28 of those wins coming by knockout.

    Image: @oneof1x/Instagram

  • Daniel Cormier reveals who hit him hardest in his MMA career

    UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has revealed who hit him the hardest throughout the course of his mixed martial arts career.

    It’s safe to say that Daniel Cormier is one of the greatest of all time. In addition to his wrestling credentials, he went on to become a two-weight world champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. There aren’t many fighters who can claim to have done that, and DC is within that group.

    He’s also taken on some of the hardest hitters in the history of the game. From Anthony Johnson to Derrick Lewis and beyond, Daniel Cormier has never been afraid to take someone on. He’s never been a guy who shies away from a challenge, which is one of the reasons why he’s so highly thought of.

    In a recent podcast, Daniel Cormier revealed who it was that actually hit him harder than anyone else when he was in the cage.

    Daniel Cormier talks about hardest hitter he’s faced

    “I think you and I could agree with one though, one guy that hit harder than just about everyone. Dan Henderson. Dan Henderson never got to hit me. He never really got to hit me outside of him being on his back and hitting me or in the clinch hitting me a couple of times. I could not believe how much impact he was making from such a short distance. I was like, ‘What is this dude made out of?’”

    Quotes via Bloody Elbow

    God bless Dan Henderson and the violence he brought to this wonderful sport.

  • Jon Jones continues to tease the idea of UFC return for White House event

    Jon Jones continues to tease the idea of UFC return for White House event

    Former UFC fighter Jon Jones continues to tease the idea of a comeback, just a few weeks after announcing his retirement from mixed martial arts.

    One thing we’ve come to learn is that you should expect the unexpected with Jon Jones. He likes to keep the mixed martial arts world on its toes, and he doesn’t really care how he does it. For the longest time he was stringing Tom Aspinall along, not fighting him for the undisputed championship. Then, he retired, and it’s safe to say that a lot of people weren’t happy about that decision.

    For Jon Jones, trolling fans and critics alike is just what he does. He flip flops between one thought process and the other, and after it was announced that the UFC plans on taking an event to the White House, things have only ramped up even further.

    In a recent series of tweets, Jon Jones made it pretty clear that this is a venture he’s interested in pursuing – and you’d have to imagine he’ll be coming back to fight Tom Aspinall.

    Jon Jones teases return at UFC White House event

    “Donald made his announcement on the morning of the Fourth of July, I called the UFC headquarters that very same afternoon. I’ll just leave it at that. America! Now that tickles my pickle.”

    “It would be, for me it’s about the opportunity to represent America at the White House. I don’t care who I fight that night. I found my reason why, that’s what I needed, something that was more than money.”

    “Who knows what the future holds, but the moment I heard Donald Trump‘s announcement, I started training again.”

  • Joshua Van Says Loss Changed Everything: “The Greatest Thing That Ever Happened”

    Joshua Van Says Loss Changed Everything: “The Greatest Thing That Ever Happened”

    UFC flyweight contender Joshua Van has said that his knockout loss to Charles Johnson last year was one of the best things that could’ve happened to him.

    As we know, 23-year-old Joshua Van is the number one contender for the UFC flyweight championship. He looks set to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the belt in a fight that pits the old guard against the new, with many wondering whether or not Van has what it takes to become one of the youngest UFC champions of all time.

    However, while he may be on a great five-fight win streak, Joshua Van has two losses to his name – both by finish. In the latest of those two defeats, he was knocked out by Charles Johnson last year in what was fairly surprising for those who always knew his full potential.

    In a recent interview, Joshua Van spoke candidly about how losing in such a way actually helped him grow.

    Joshua Van reveals impact of defeat

    “It was just the faith thing. The loss was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, because if not, I would have been out of the world—get a big head and things like that. I got humble real quick. Now, I never want to go back to that type of moment. So, I’m just staying in my lane, doing what coach is telling me to do, so that none of that type of thing will ever happen to me again.”

    Get ready, folks, because a new star is rising.

  • Alexander Volkanovski admits he suffered bad concussion against Islam Makhachev

    Alexander Volkanovski admits he suffered bad concussion against Islam Makhachev

    UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has spoken candidly about the concussion he suffered in his short notice rematch against Islam Makhachev.

    As we know, Alexander Volkanovski is one of the most beloved fighters in recent memory. He made history as featherweight champion during his first run and now, he has the belt back once again. With that being said, prior to his triumph over Diego Lopes, he suffered nasty knockout losses at the hands of Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.

    While some may think that the Topuria defeat was worse, Alexander Volkanovski himself has revealed that he got a pretty bad concussion off the back of losing the rematch to Makhachev.

    Alexander Volkanovski reveals Islam Makhachev concussion

    “I had a decent concussion from Islam,” Volkanovski said on Demetrious Johnson’s MightyCast. “I feel like I had more of a concussion from the Islam one. Even though I was knocked out longer with Ilia, I had a lot more of the symptoms with the Islam one. … So I didn’t have head contact [training afterward], but then when you’re easing into it, now you’re easing into it, making sure you’re not getting hit. Trying to put yourself in safer positions and you even start camp wrong. I should have had the break.”

    “I can accept the situation and I’ll tell myself to make it work even though it’s probably not going to,” Volkanovski said. “I’m telling you, I went in there [ahead of the Makhachev rematch] going I’m going to be more dangerous now because I’m at 11 days. I literally told myself that. … I’m literally like, ‘This is the most dangerous you’ve seen me.’ I’m not beating him by decision, I have to go, I’m going to have to be more aggressive, I’m going to take more risks, and I literally believed it.”

    Quotes via MMA Fighting

  • Jon Jones Picks Up New Charge In Alleged February Hit-And-Run Incident

    Jon Jones Picks Up New Charge In Alleged February Hit-And-Run Incident

    The February car accident that saw Jon Jones hit with charges on the same day he announced his MMA retirement has now had added charges for Jones onto it.

    Per MMA Fighting, the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion is now another case from the incident, filed on June 30. This criminal complaint has a duplicate charge of leaving the scene of an accident; however, it also now adds a charge for “Use of Telephone to Terrify, Intimidate, Threaten, Harass, Annoy or Offend.”

    Jones is facing accusations of leaving the scene of a car accident that took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 21. A woman in the vehicle who was seen “exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down” claimed Jones was the driver of the vehicle she was in; however, he had “subsequently fled the scene on foot.”

    When a police aide communicated on the telephone with Jones — using the woman’s phone after she called him — Jones notably “appeared to be heavily intoxicated and made statements implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties.”

    After backup was requested, Officer Andrew Romero spoke with Jones, noting that similar “allusions to violence” were made when trying to communicate with Jones, with Jones reportedly evading questions trying to confirm his identity. Jones later told police that the person on the other end of the call he received had “immediately opened the conversation with unprofessional language,” making Jones question the legitimacy of the person’s status as a police offer.

    Jon Jones Facing Another Criminal Complaint Stemming From February Car Accident

    MMA Fighting notes that Jones’ call records were subpoenaed by police, who found that Jones called the woman involved in the accident 13 times between 2:17 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. the next morning. Police also noted a gap in Jones’ location from 11:51 p.m. to 2:11 a.m., when the accident took place.

    Jones’ attorney, Christopher Dodd, released a statement to Uncrowned on June 23, claiming that “In the thousands of cases I have handled in my career, I have never seen a case as strange and unwarranted as this one.”

    “Jon was not driving that night; he wasn’t in the car,” the statement read. “It appears that an intoxicated woman used a false allegation against Jon to avoid being arrested for DWI, and the police fell for it.

    “It is truly unbelievable that the police would waste this amount of resources on such a case. The only thing I can think of is that the police were targeting Jon for improper purposes. We will get to the bottom of it and make sure that this baseless case is dismissed.”