UFC News

Adam Martin - March 20, 2020

UFC lightweight rivals Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker wished each other well, agreeing to fight when the coronavirus pandemic is over. Poirier and Hooker are set to meet in the main event of UFC San Diego in May, but with the coronavirus outbreak wreaking havoc on the sports world and on the UFC schedule, there’s no guarantee that fight or card will still go on.

Harry Kettle - March 20, 2020

Footage has recently been released of a 16-year-old Andy Ruiz Jr. sparring with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. The combat sports world has gone into lockdown over the course of the last few weeks as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak. Therefore, fans are taking comfort in the knowledge that there is a whole lot of footage out there from years gone by that they can watch as we wait for things to settle down. In addition to that, newly discovered footage is also being unveiled — as seen here when Ruiz Jr. posted up the following clip of him and Arlovski going at it many years ago.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020

Dana White has been working hard to keep the UFC running during the coronavirus pandemic. While he ultimately had to “indefinitely postpone” three UFC shows, he delayed doing so until the last possible minute, and has been adamant future shows will go down as planned. White’s reluctance to bend to the coronavirus pandemic has generated some understandable criticism from fans and media alike. He has not taken kindly to that criticism.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020

Ben Askren wants to see Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight as a badly as the rest of us, and he’s got an idea he believes will ensure the fight happens even amid coronavirus-related restrictions. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight four times previously to no avail. The UFC attempted to book them for a fifth time at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, New York, but of course the coronavirus pandemic had to come along and derail that plan.

Cole Shelton - March 19, 2020

Gegard Mousasi believes he would have success against Israel Adesanya if they were to fight. Mousasi, who is the former Bellator middleweight champion, says he has sparred with people who fought Adesanya in Glory Kickboxing, which is why he thinks he’d have success.

Mike Pendleton - March 19, 2020

The status of UFC 249 is up in the air when it comes to the location and whether or not the event will actually take place, but one half of the main event are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure it happens. On Wednesday night, the NYSAC and the UFC released separate statements acknowledging that UFC 249 which had been scheduled to take place at Barclays Center will not take place in New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cole Shelton - March 19, 2020

Johnny Walker will continue to train under Firas Zahabi at TriStar gym in Montreal despite losing at UFC Brasilia. The Brazilian was someone who many believed was on the fast track to a title shot against Jon Jones. Walker had quick knockout wins over Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and then Misha Crikunov. Yet, he is now on a two-fight losing skid, this after being knocked out by Corey Anderson and dropping a decision to Nikita Krylov.

Adam Martin - March 19, 2020

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis is calling for a rematch with Francis Ngannou, hoping to redeem himself after their first fight was a snoozer. Lewis and Ngannou first met back at UFC 226 in a highly-anticipated heavyweight bout between two knockout artists. Unfortunately for the fans, the fight turned out to be a stinker, with neither man engaging with each other on the feet, leading to one of the most boring fights in recent memory. Lewis won the fight and it earned him a title shot against Daniel Cormier at UFC 230, but two years later and he wants to right the wrong of how disappointing the fight was for the fans to watch.

Adam Martin - March 19, 2020

UFC president Dana White fired back at critics of the way his promotion has handled the coronavirus pandemic, boasting the UFC hasn’t laid off any UFC employees. The UFC has come under intense scrutiny from fans for holding UFC Brasilia last weekend while rival Bellator 241 postponed its events, and for planning on going forward with UFC London and several other events until the government stepped in. While White was not able to save his cards scheduled for London, Columbus, Portland and Brooklyn, he certainly tried his best for those events to go on despite the coronavirus outbreak around the world.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Last Friday, Bellator President Scott Coker made the decision to cancel the Bellator 241 card at the last-minute amid growing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Coker promptly announced that all the fighters that were scheduled to compete on the card would be paid. John McCarthy, a veteran MMA referee who now serves as a Bellator commentator, believes Coker made the right decision, and praised the Bellator boss for his handling of the situation.

Tom Taylor - March 19, 2020

Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC London this Saturday. In the end, however, the coronavirus pandemic made this card impossible, and both men will have to wait for the next fights. Since the cancelation of this event, Edwards has been vocal about his desire for a rescheduled fight with Woodley. Woodley, however, has shifted his attention to his long-time rival Colby Covington.

Natasha Hooper - March 19, 2020

MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz is confident that Justin Gaethje would line the pockets of many fans as the underdog in a Conor McGregor matchup. Abdelaziz, the CEO of Dominance MMA, is responsible for a plethora of MMA stars including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. One of his lightweight talents is none other than “The Highlight” Justin Gaethje.