Author: mmafighting
Anatoly Malykhin wants to become the world’s first three-division champion in MMA, and he will challenge ONE Championship middleweight titleholder Reinier de Ridder in the main event of ONE 166 in Lusail, Qatar, the company announced Thursday. Malykhin—ranked in the top 15 in two divisions in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—claimed the the ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight belts in just five bouts under the company’s banner, and is now set to go down to middleweight on March 1 for a chance to claim a third title. The middleweight class at ONE is 205 pounds under the promotion’s no-dehydration system,…
Conor McGregor might not have to wait too much longer to book his next fight. UFC CEO Dana White said in an Instagram Live chat on Wednesday that he and McGregor have spoken about what’s next for the former two-division champion. McGregor, who hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, recently expressed his frustration about not being scheduled for a fight and blamed the UFC for his inactivity. Though nothing specific has been announced for McGregor, White expects to have his biggest star back in the octagon soon. “I…
Colby Covington doubts that Paddy Pimblett will ever be on his level. “Chaos” has thrice fought for the UFC welterweight title, and while he’s fallen short on each occasion — including in his most recent attempt at UFC 296. where he lost a clear-cut decision to champion Leon Edwards — he’s remained one of the most talked-about fighters in his division. He found himself butting heads with Pimblett ahead of the Edwards fight after Pimblett said he hoped his fellow Englishman would send Covington “into the shadow realm” due to Covington insulting Edwards’ deceased father. Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson on…
With just a couple of days left in the year, it’s almost time to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. In the sport of MMA, there was certainly a lot to like this past year — and a lot that needs to be improved upon, from the UFC, to PFL, and beyond. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew bring you the second annual BTL Promotional Festivus — where they grade the UFC for their 2023 performance, both in and out of the octagon, along with their airing of grievances…
Paige VanZant will fight again, but when that happens remains to be seen. The UFC veteran turned bare-knuckle fighter hasn’t competed for more than two years. She originally was scheduled to return in August 2022, but her BKFC bout was cancelled just days before she was scheduled to leave for London. The fallout from that cancellation left her in a vulnerable state, especially after she faced criticism for the dropout despite BKFC making the call. VanZant said she struggled afterward with mental health as she attempted to reconcile the work she’d put in to get ready. “The real frustration, I…
It’s always the quiet ones you need to look out for. Heading into UFC 285, Alexa Grasso was an afterthought. Valentina Shevchenko was the most dominant fighter in MMA: The only true champion that the women’s flyweight division had ever known, with seven straight title defenses under her belt. Sure, Shevchenko struggled against Taila Santos and Grasso had won four straight since moving up to 125 pounds, but still, what chance did this humble, soft-spoken fighter from Guadalajara, Mexico have against arguably the greatest female fighter of all-time? Every chance, as it turned out. From the moment the first bell…
Daniel Cormier believes Sean Strickland continues to be overlooked as champion. Strickland captured the UFC middleweight title in one of 2023’s most shocking results with a five-round domination of Israel Adesanya in September. The 32-year-old champ is now set to make the first defense of his belt on Jan. 20 against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, however Du Plessis isn’t the only person eyeing Strickland’s title. UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards recently teased the possibility of pursuing a second belt at middleweight against the Strickland vs. Du Plessis winner, though Edwards later clarified that two-division glory is more of…
Tyron Woodley is still looking to compete in MMA. The former UFC welterweight champion hasn’t fought since March 2021 when he concluded his run in the promotion off the heels of four straight losses. After a first-round d’arce choke loss to Vicente Luque, Woodley, 41, took his talents to the boxing ring for a pair of matches with Jake Paul that same year. Unfortunately for Woodley, he lost on both occasions, first by split decision and then a brutal sixth-round one-punch knockout. “The Chosen One” hasn’t fought in any capacity in the two years that have followed but he still…
Chuck Liddell always preferred handling his business inside the cage. The UFC Hall of Famer earned a reputation as one of the nastiest knockout artists in the history of the sport, but he never really found the need to settle any beefs with past rivals in a public setting. After sitting just a few feet away from watching Sean Strickland launch himself at Dricus du Plessis at UFC 296, the former light heavyweight champion recounted the closest he came to a street fight while he was still in the middle of his fight career. To exactly nobody’s surprise, Liddell’s grudge…
Colby Covington doesn’t plan to just fade into the background when his fighting career is over. Fresh off of a disappointing decision loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296, the 35-year-old welterweight contender has been making the media rounds to explain his poor performance and discuss what’s next for him after his third failed attempt at becoming champion. Covington told the PBD Podcast that he’d like to follow in the footsteps of his idol, former president Donald Trump, and pursue a career in politics. “I do believe I’m the Donald Trump of the UFC,” Covington said. “He’s my biggest role…