MMA News

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

If things had gone according to plan, dominant UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson would have taken on Ray Borg in the main event of UFC 215 this weekend. Regrettably, Borg was forced out of the fight with an illness at the very last minute, leaving Johnson without an opponent – and apparently, without a payday. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, the flyweight champ explained that he has still not been paid by the UFC – despite the fact that he was prepared to show up for the fight, and the bout’s cancellation really had nothing to do with him. Luckily, it sounds as though his bout with Borg will be rescheduled for UFC 216 in October, however.

Justin Golightly - September 12, 2017

Creeping up on us after the last minute switch-out of UFC 215, UFC Pittsburgh is a sleeper card with some guaranteed killer fights. Headlining the card is former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold fighting David Branch. The welcome wagon continues for Branch, after getting a win over over Krzysztof Jotko at UFC 211. It was the first time since 2011 that Branch fought in the UFC, meanwhile he was off in World Series of Fighting becoming a two-division champion, holding both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles. He brought more than just his experience becoming a “champ champ” back into the UFC with him, wasting no time showing everyone what kind of attitude he brings into fights. “[Luke Rockhold]’s going to try and come out to establish his dominance. He’s going to try and run his alpha male sh-t on me and I’m going to shut that sh-t down, obviously. I think that in that fight against [Michael] Bisping the motherf-cker slipped up. You can’t go out there and take anybody lightly. That’s the thing with me, I come from a different background than Luke, and I don’t have that kind of indoctrination that he does. I come from the f-cking streets and I don’t take anybody lightly.”

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

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Dr Pete - September 12, 2017

This week, Dr. Pete hit the mats with Rener Gracie at Gracie Academy in sun-soaked Torrance, California. Rener Gracie is the grandson of Brazilian jiu jitsu co founder Helio Gracie, and the son of UFC co creator Rorion Gracie. As the head instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and the co-creator of Gracie University, he is widely considered one of the finest BJJ instructors in the world. Together, he and Dr. Pete break down an absolutely savage method of posture control – a key addition to any BJJ practitioner’s arsenal.

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

Mickey Gall, one of the brightest young stars in the UFC welterweight division, is set for a return to the cage at UFC 217, this November 4 in New York City. Gall, who rose to prominence on Dana White’s Lookin for a Fight web series, will battle a fellow product of the show, Randy Brown. This bout was announced by the UFC on Tuesday morning (via Newsday).

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

Last weekend, in the main event of UFC 215, women’s bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes stepped into the Octagon to defend her title against dangerous challenger Valentina Shevchenko. The bout was a rematch of a close 2016 fight, and just like that initial 2016 fight, it was incredibly competitive. In the end, the judges gave the fight to Nunes by split decision. Not everyone, however, agreed with the decision. Many members of the MMA community – and Shevchenko herself – were quick to call the fight a robbery.

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

On November 4, in the main event of UFC 217, former UFC welterweight king Georges St-Pierre is scheduled to make his long-anticipated return to the Octagon. His opponent will be UFC middleweight king Michael Bisping. At least, that’s the plan. In the opinion of former champion Luke Rockhold, St-Pierre’s actually showing up on fight night is unlikely. Rockhold shared his doubts about St-Pierre on a recent episode of MMAJunkie Radio, also assuring that if the Canadian bails on UFC 217, he’ll happily step in to replace him.

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

Earlier this month, dominating UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk teased an imminent fight announcement. This morning, we got that fight announcement. As expected, the champ’s next defense will pit her against long-time strawweight contender Rose Namajunas. The two stars will collide at UFC 217 this November, 4 inside New York City’s hallowed Madison Square Garden. The bout was announced by Fox Sports on Twitter.

Russell Ess - September 11, 2017

The UFC 215 main event featuring Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg was canceled just a few days before the fight date, which took place over the weekend in Edmonton, Canada. The announcement that Borg was pulled from the fight came on Thursday with doctors ruling the UFC flyweight title challenger unfit to compete due to an illness. With Borg given no choice but to have to pull out from the fight, many assumed that the fighter was having complications with making weight. However, with the UFC releasing a statement claiming an illness was the issue and doctors not clearing Borg to fight, it seems a choice to fight was completely out of Borg’s discretion.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

This Saturday night, on the very same night that Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin duke it out in the boxing ring, the UFC will return to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with UFC Fight Night 116. The card will be headlined by a middleweight scrap between two decorated talents. In one corner, we’ll have former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight king Luke Rockhold, who will be stepping into the cage for the first time since he lost the title to Michael Bisping in June of 2016. In the other corner, we’ll have former two-division World Series of Fighting champ David Branch, who will look to build on the momentum of a defeat of Krzysztof Jotko in his recent UFC debut.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

Shortly after Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone agreed to fight Darren Till in the main event of UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk, Poland, he told MMAFighting.com that he “didn’t know anything,” about the man he had just agreed to fight. According to Till, who appeared on a recent edition of Talking Brawls podcast, that will soon change. As the much larger man, he expects to blow through “Cowboy.” “Why should he know me?” Till queried on the podcast (h/t SevereMMA.com). “It’s not disrespectful. He’s going to know me when I knock him out. That’s just irrelevant; why should he know me?”

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

Over the weekend, on the main card of UFC 215, long-time featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens picked up one of the best wins of his career, blasting former Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez to a lopsided, unanimous decision win. With this win, Stephens set himself up for more big fights inside the talent-rich UFC featherweight division. His main priority, however, is a pay increase.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

On October 7, in the main event of UFC 216, streaking lightweight contender Tony Ferguson will battle rising star Kevin Lee for the interim UFC lightweight title. It should come as no surprise that the two dynamic lightweights are exchanging plenty of verbal heat in the buildup to this anticipated scrap. The pair’s latest exchange occurred on Twitter, where Kevin Lee got things started, assuring that he’ll dominate Ferguson on the mic when it comes time for trash talk.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

Conor McGregor didn’t beat Floyd Mayweather. Instead, he succumbed to a storm of 10th-round punches dealt by the undefeated boxing legend. That said, McGregor did far better than many fans and pundits expected, arguably winning the fist few rounds of the fight, and surprisingly, out-landing many of Mayweather’s previous opponents – stars like Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, and Miguel Cotto.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

Back in August of 2016 – now well over a year ago – at a press conference for UFC 202, Conor McGregor and his opponent Nate Diaz got into a heated confrontation. This confrontation reached a hectic crescendo when McGregor and Diaz’s team got into a strange firefight, whipping water bottles and energy drink cans at one another from opposite sides of the David Copperfield Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unsurprisingly, the sanctioning Nevada Athletic Commission was not particularly thrilled with this rather juvenile bottle battle. After months and months of proceedings, McGregor was handed a $25,000 fine and given 25 hours of community service for the debacle. Diaz, meanwhile, was fined $15,000 and given 15 hours of community service.

Tom Taylor - September 11, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in the Canadian combat sports hotspot of Edmonton, Alberta. One of the most compelling features of the UFC 215 main card – at least from an entertainment standpoint – was a featherweight scrap between former Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and long-time featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens. The fight delivered just as we all hoped it would, earning both men $50,000 Fight of the Night checks. Unfortunately for Melendez, it’s not a fight he’s going to forget anytime soon. Early on in the contest, he began absorbing crackling leg kicks from Stephens. These kicks quickly damaged his legs, causing him to fall on several occasions – though he always returned to his feet, demonstrating all the heart and toughness he and his training partners are known for.

Tom Taylor - September 10, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in the Canadian combat sports mecca of Edmonton, Alberta with the action-packed UFC 215. In the UFC 215 main event, we saw UFC women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes score a razor-close win over surging challenger Valentina Shevchenko. In the co-main event, meanwhile we saw former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos establish himself as one of the hottest contenders at welterweight, steamrolling Neil Magny to a first-round choke. Elsewhere on the main card, we saw former UFC flyweight contender Henry Cejudo club Wilson Reis to a first-round win, while Ilir Latifi slowed the rise of Tyson Pedro with a decision, and knockout artist Jeremy Stephens spoiled the featherweight debut of Gilbert Melendez with a unanimous nod.

Tom Taylor - September 10, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in the Canadian MMA hub of Edmonton, Alberta with the anticipated UFC 215. In the UFC 215 main event, we saw UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes score a razor-close win over red-hot challenger Valentina Shevchenko. In the co-main event, meanwhile we saw former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos assert himself as one of the hottest contenders at welterweight, steamrolling Neil Magny to a first round submission win. Elsewhere on the main card, we saw former UFC flyweight contender Henry Cejudo club Wilson Reis to a first-round win, while Ilir Latifi slowed the rise of Tyson Pedro with a decision, and Jeremy Stephens spoiled the featherweight debut of Gilbert Melendez with a unanimous nod.