UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has praised undisputed light middleweight boxing titleholder Claressa Shields for making the transition to MMA. Shields is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest female boxer of all time. The 26-year-old has held multiple world championships across three weight classes and holds the record for achieving two and […]
UFC strawweight contender Amanda Ribas has suggested something may have been wrong with featherweight champion Amanda Nunes prior to her shocking defeat at UFC 269. Ahead of the final pay-per-view of 2021, Nunes reigned over two divisions, hadn't lost since 2014, was riding a 12-fight win streak, and had cemented her place as the female […]
UFC President Dana White has provided a positive update on his promotion's ongoing negotiations with heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou. As Ngannou gears up for his return to the Octagon on January 22, much of the build-up so far has surrounded his fractious relationship with the UFC and his uncertain future. Despite holding the heavyweight gold […]
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley says he doesn't want to compete in five-round fights unless he is paid very lucratively. O'Malley is edging ever closer towards main event territory and is arguably already there, mostly due to his charisma and recognizable name. Since a setback against Marlon Vera in 2020 stalled his surge, a defeat […]
UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has issued a challenge for those who continue to doubt and discredit her title-winning performance at UFC 269. At the final pay-per-view of 2021, Peña finally had her long-awaited clash with then-two-division titleholder Amanda Nunes. Having dominantly reigned over both the bantamweight and featherweight classes for years, most expected […]
UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson has discussed his latest setback in the Octagon and explained what went wrong on the night. In early 2021, Thompson was riding high off back-to-back wins against Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. As an in-form top-five fighter and one of the few top contenders Kamaru Usman is yet to face, many […]
Boxing royalty Teddy Atlas believes rising UFC bantamweight Sean O'Malley has all the makings of a star in combat sports. O'Malley has quickly grown into one of the most recognized and talked about names in the world's premier MMA organization. That's down to his unique combination of charisma, eccentric appearance, and clear talent once the […]
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad believes the UFC and Dana White need to start pushing him over other top-five guys like Leon Edwards. Muhammad moved one step closer to the top of the 170-pound mountain this year with victories over a pair of former title challengers. After a disappointing no contest against Edwards in March, […]
The manager of UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has revealed there are two things his client needs if he is to re-sign with MMA's premier promotion. Ngannou ascended the heavyweight mountaintop this year with a brutal knockout of Stipe Miocic. Since falling short of the title for the first time in 2018, "The Predator" has […]
Renowned boxing trainer Teddy Atlas has given credit to YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul for the way he's approached his venture into the squared circle. Five fights into his unlikely journey in combat sports and Paul is showing no sign of slowing down. Unbeaten to date, the Ohio native has certainly proved a large portion of fans […]
Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes we witnessed Dustin Poirier's competitive fire go out following his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. Poirier's inspirational journey to the top first fell short of championship glory at the hands of Khabib in 2019. A third-round submission in Abu Dhabi sent 'The Diamond' back to the […]
Newly-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley has criticized comments Joe Rogan made on commentary during his UFC 269 victory over Raulian Paiva. O'Malley closed out a strong year for "The Suga Show" last weekend at the final pay-per-view of 2021. Having rebounded from his first loss in MMA to Marlon Vera with back-to-back finishes over Thomas […]
UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has admitted it's frustrating not to be granted a title shot despite his impressive run in the division. Since 2018, Dariush has been on fire. After a majority draw against Evan Dunham and defeats to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez left him 0-2-1 in three fights, the Iranian-born American found […]
Newly-crowned UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is aware of the target she has on her back as the 135-pound queen, but she's welcoming every threat and every challenge. Amanda Nunes retaining the bantamweight title throughout 2022 was perhaps one of the few absolute UFC certainties in the eye of many fans and pundits. But […]
UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou doesn't recognize Ciryl Gane as the interim titleholder and believes the Frenchman's belt is illegitimate. After 2018 defeats to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis stalled his rise, Ngannou hit the form of his life. In four fights, "The Predator" recorded four first-round knockouts against Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos […]
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor recently made waves by showing what appeared to be an incredibly bulked-up physique, but Joe Rogan doesn't think all is as it originally seemed. For the first time since 2016, McGregor entered the Octagon twice in the same calendar year in 2021. But while he avenged a loss to […]
UFC President Dana White has argued against the perception that former two-division champion Conor McGregor wrongly receives special treatment from the promotion. While he's certainly had a fall from grace in recent years, both inside and outside the Octagon, McGregor is undeniably MMA's biggest superstar and one of the best to have ever fought on […]
While Sean O'Malley may split opinion among the combat sports community, "Sugar" believes there's one UFC fighter who certainly does the opposite. O'Malley's rise to stardom has been relatively rapid. That's immediately one reason why a portion of fans dislike the charismatic rising bantamweight. That, coupled with his confident and outgoing personality, means many actively […]
UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has responded to Jorge Masvidal's claims that he can't find an opponent for his return to the Octagon. Masvidal was originally booked to be in action earlier this month at UFC 269 against arch-rival Edwards. In a grudge match over two years in the making, "Rocky" was set for his […]
UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori has responded to compliments from Michael Bisping about his championship credentials, promising that he'll be the one to dethrone "PED user" Israel Adesanya. Vettori has already failed to strip Adesanya of his gold on one occasion and failed to have his hand raised at two attempts against "The Last Stylebender." After […]
