MMA News
Ronda Rousey releases her first social media post since UFC 207 loss
Chris Taylor - January 9, 2017
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returned to the octagon at last month’s UFC 207 event in Las Vegas for the first time since her shocking UFC 193 knockout loss to Holly Holm. Unfortunately for fans of “Rowdy”, the fight with Nunes did not go her way at all as she suffered a quick 48-second TKO loss at the hands of “The Lioness”.
BREAKING! Stephen Thompson vs. Tyron Woodley 2 set for UFC 209 in Las Vegas
Chris Taylor - January 9, 2017
Stephen Thompson will get a second chance to become a UFC champion at March’s UFC 209 event in Las Vegas when he rematches current UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. After some initial reluctance, Woodley just announced on his podcast that he will take the fight with Thompson at UFC 209.
TJ Dillashaw gives update on relationship with Team Alpha Male
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
When former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw left his long-time home in Sacramento’s Team Alpha Male, it created something of a media frenzy, as it was reported again and again that his relationships with his former Team Alpha Male training partners had been damaged irreparably. On the latest addition The MMA Hour, however, Dillashaw explained that things are not as tense as they seem between him and his former training partners. In fact, he was actually quite friendly with many of them during the buildup to UFC 207, when he defeated John Lineker, and current Team Alpha Male star Cody Garbrandt defeated Dominick Cruz.
Tyron Woodley: I'm not giving Stephen Thompson a rematch til he admits he lost!
Russell Ess - January 9, 2017
The world is waiting to see what will officially be the next UFC welterweight title fight as champion Tyron Woodley last fought Stephen Thompson to a majority draw at UFC 205 in November. Woodley has had potential matches boiling with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, Nick Diaz, and most recently UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
Yair Rodriguez talks BJ Penn bout, predicts submission win
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
This Sunday, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Phoenix, Arizona, Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez will take on our very own BJ Penn in a fight that is undoubtedly the biggest test of his promising career. In advance of this scrap with Penn, Rodriguez joined Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour to weigh in on the fight itself, his training, and what it means to fight a legend like Penn. In his interview, Rodriguez recounted the first time he saw Penn in action.
VIDEO | Frank Mir's kids smash in wrestling tournament
Russell Ess - January 9, 2017
When your father is a former UFC champion, it seems that training in some sort of discipline in MMA will just come naturally. It seems to be the case with the children of former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.
VIDEO | Dana White fires back at Meryl Streep's 'stupid' and 'uneducated' crack at MMA
Russell Ess - January 9, 2017
At Sunday’s 74th Golden Globes, acrtress Meryl Streep was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award and gave a speech that got a big reaction from a diverse audience.
MMA community reacts to anti-MMA comment in Meryl Streep speech
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
The most buzz-worthy moment of Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony was a Meryl Streep speech that criticized not only Donald Trump and the sport of football, but also threw a subtle jab at mixed martial arts. “Who are we, and what is Hollywood anyway? It’s just a bunch of people from other places,” Streep said after she was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. “So, Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. And if we kick them all out, we’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
After cancelled Caraway bout, Jimmie Rivera sets sights on Dominick Cruz
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
Until last week, rising bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera expected to take on dangerous veteran Bryan Caraway on the main card of the UFC’s upcoming return to Phoenix. Then, Caraway pulled out of the fight with an injury. Though Ecuador’s Marlon “Chito” Vera was briefly targeted as Caraway’s replacement, Rivera ultimately turned down this last-minute challenge, explaining that, at this juncture of his career, it just didn’t make sense. “I found out Monday Caraway was out,” Rivera told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. “Didn’t find anyone new until Thursday. My coach and I discussed that it wouldn’t be a fair fight for the guy. I’m not bullying some guy who wins some and loses some. I want to fight the best of the best. I trained for Caraway, so either I wait for him to get better or fight someone at the very top of the weight class.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov questions Tony Ferguson's confidence, gets dissed in return
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov are now set to battle for the UFC interim lightweight title at UFC 209 – but don’t expect that fact to put an end to their trash talk. Just as they did throughout the negotiation process for this bout, Ferguson and Nurmagomedov are taking every possible opportunity to roast each other on social media. Their latest social media skirmish occurred on Sunday evening, when Nurmagomedov suggested Ferguson wanted his pay check up front because he’s not confident he’ll win their fight.
VIDEO | UFC Phoenix Countdown: Penn vs. Rodriguez
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
This Sunday, the UFC will return to Phoenix, Arizona with an action-packed night of fighting. The card will be headlined by a featherweight bout between dangerous prospect Yair Rodriguez, and our very own BJ Penn. In advance of this compelling showdown, the UFC has released the official UFC Phoenix Countdown, an awesome promo video that shines the spotlight on Rodriguez and Penn.
Meryl Streep criticizes MMA, Scott Coker responds
Tom Taylor - January 9, 2017
Apparently, legendary Hollywood actress Meryl Streep is not a mixed martial arts (MMA) fan. During Sunday’s 74th Golden Globes, Streep was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. In her acceptance speech for this award, Streep got fairly political, criticizing US President Elect Donald Trump, and ultimately, taking a jab at the great sports of mixed martial arts and football.
BREAKING! Stephen Thompson posts signed contract for UFC 209, waiting on Tyron Woodley
Chris Taylor - January 8, 2017
It looks as if Stephen Thompson will get a second chance to become a UFC champion at March’s UFC 209 event in Las Vegas. “Wonderboy” posted the following photo of a signed contract to rematch current UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley at UFC 209.
EXCLUSIVE | Alan Jouban to the UFC: "Let me prove myself, give me Rafael dos Anjos!"
Chris Taylor - January 8, 2017
Surging UFC welterweight Alan Jouban (15-4 MMA) is coming off arguably the finest performance of his octagon career at last month’s UFC on FOX 22 event in Sacramento, where he handed Mike Perry (9-1 MMA) the first loss of his professional career via unanimous decision. The victory marked Alan Jouban’s third win in a row and fifth in his past six octagon appearances.
Artem Lobov and Cub Swanson exchange barbs on social media
Chris Taylor - January 8, 2017
Earlier today we reported that featherweight prospect Artem Lobov was looking to score a fight with either Cub Swanson or “The Korean Superboy” Doo Ho Choi. Lobov explained this desire in a recent interview with Peter Carroll of SevereMMA.com.
Ben Rothwell on Ronda Rousey: if she can't bounce back from two losses,"she was never a champion"
Tom Taylor - January 8, 2017
Ben Rothwell is known for telling it like it is. If there’s something on the hulking heavyweight’s mind, he tends to say it. In a recent interview with Sirius XM Fight Club, Rothwell continued his habit of speaking his mind, this time giving his take on Ronda Rousey‘s recent comeback, which was spoiled in just 48 seconds by reigning bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes.
UFC 207 does more than 1 million pay-per-view buys
Tom Taylor - January 8, 2017
UFC 207 was big business for the UFC. Early estimates show that the stacked card did approximately 1.1 million pay-per-view buys. The card, which occurred on December 30 of 2016, was headlined by a women’s bantamweight title fight between returning former champion Ronda Rousey, and reigning divisional queen Amanda Nunes. Nunes won this fight in the biggest way possible, stopping her foe with punches in a mere 48 seconds.
Bruce Buffer makes unique comparison between Amanda Nunes and Chuck Liddell
Tom Taylor - January 8, 2017
Late last month, in the main event of UFC 207, Ronda Rousey made her long-awaited return to the Octagon opposite reigning women’s bantamweight Queen Amanda Nunes. Rousey’s comeback did not go the way she planned, as she was knocked senseless by Nunes in just 48 seconds. Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer had a front-row seat for this wild fight, and the buildup to it. During a recent appearance on The Pony Hour podcast, Buffer weighed in on Rousey’s demeanor during fight week. Contrary to her abrupt loss, he said she seemed to be very focused.