Author: mmafighting
Colby Covington couldn’t back up his universally despised comments ahead of UFC 296. The MMA world has been left with a relatively sour taste in its collective mouth going into 2024. Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena played host to UFC 296 this past Saturday to close out the promotion’s calendar year, as it usually does. This year, welterweight gold took center stage when the aforementioned Covington participated in his third attempt to become an undisputed UFC champion. After enduring numerous insults in the build-up to the fight, the champion Leon Edwards remained unrattled at the pre-fight press conference until Covington volleyed…
Camila Oliveira, Brazil’s first UFC octagon girl, announced Tuesday that she’s expecting a baby with her partner Luis Ricardo Franco. The Brazilian model, who has worked as ring girl for almost 11 years, debuting at UFC Sao Paulo in January 2013 at 21 years old, and currently hosts the Conexão UFC show on UFC Fight Pass Brazil. “And everything we dreamed of came true, in my womb, we have proof of our love,” Oliveira posted on social media. “We will be parents! Thank you, my God, for allowing me to experience this alongside my great love.” Jhenny Andrade, fellow UFC…
Alex Pereira is leaving it up to Israel Adesanya to decide if they ever fight again. Following a second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka that won him the UFC light heavyweight title this past November, Pereira immediately called for a trilogy bout with Adesanya. The longtime rivals have met four times in combat sports, with Pereira defeating Adesanya twice in kickboxing before splitting a pair of fights inside the UFC octagon. Pereira defeated Adesanya at UFC 281 to become middleweight champion before giving the belt back to “The Last Stylebender” in their rematch at UFC 287. A third meeting could settle…
If Jake Paul really wants to fight in MMA, Tyron Woodley believes there’s only one obvious answer for his opponent and it’s not Nate Diaz. After facing Paul twice in the boxing ring — once on very short notice — the former UFC welterweight champion believes that Paul should return the favor and face him in the cage. Paul signed with the PFL with hopes that he’ll make his MMA debut sometime in late 2024 or early 2025 and Woodley wants his chance to avenge his past losses while competing in the sport that made him famous. “I think if…
Alexandre Pantoja might be the nicest guy in MMA. On Saturday, Pantoja successfully defended his flyweight title, taking home a unanimous decision victory over Brandon Royval in the co-main event of UFC 296. The win was Pantoja’s first successful title defense, and despite his own elation at retaining his belt, Pantoja says he also felt legitimate sadness for Royval. “He’s a very nice kid. He worked so hard to [get] to that moment,” Pantoja said Monday on The MMA Hour. “Maybe people think I’m [full of] s*** right now, but I’m very sad for Royval. He worked so hard for…
Aljamain Sterling has seen plenty in his fighting career, but his UFC 296 experience was a first. The former bantamweight champion expected to be inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena for the UFC’s last pay-per-view event of 2023, but when he and his crew arrived at the venue they were told there were no tickets available. Sterling commented on the situation on social media, apologizing to fans who he may have brushed off as he waited outside. Sorry to the fans asking to take pictures while we were stuck outside. Just a bit annoyed that we found out our tickets were…
Colby Covington had the Las Vegas crowd in the palm of his hands throughout UFC 296 fight week, including the press conference where he took a controversial shot at Leon Edwards, his walk to the octagon for the main event, and the last-minute powwow with Donald Trump. However, then the fight began, and he was dominated by the champion and put forth an effort that has left the MMA community scratching their heads. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reacts to UFC 296, Edwards’ successful title defense, and if Covington will be able…
The knives are out for Colby Covington, but why have the past few days felt so different than when any other polarizing MMA figure loses? Old pals Jed Meshew and Damon Martin join co-hosts Shaun Al-Shatti and Alexander K. Lee this week to unpack everything UFC 296. The gang hits the absurdity that was Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis (around 11:05), as well as the reckoning Covington now faces (around 20:51) and where his third title loss ranks among the great ya-blew-it nights in UFC history. Then, the boys discuss Leon Edwards snatching the No. 3 spot from Jon Jones…
UFC 297 headliners Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis went at it the past weekend in Las Vegas, engaging in a brawl cageside during UFC 296 at the T-0Mobile Arena, and it all happened around Gilbert Burns’ wife and kids. The UFC welterweight contender was watching the event alongside Bruna Burns and his children, Pedro and Joshua, supporting close friend Alexandre Pantoja ahead of his co-main event title defense against Brandon Royval, when Strickland and Du Plessis were shown on the broadcast. The middleweight champion, who defends his title in the main event of UFC 297 on Jan. 20, jumped…
By any measure possible, Colby Covington had an abysmal week at UFC 296. From the abhorrent comments he made about Leon Edwards’ late father at the pre-fight press conference to his lackluster performance while coming up short in his third attempt at becoming undisputed welterweight champion, the always outspoken Donald Trump acolyte limped out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to a chorus of boos with a lopsided loss on his resume. UFC CEO Dana White went as far as saying Covington looked “slow and old” during his performance, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that the 35-year-old contender curried…