Author: mmafighting
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis gave fans a sneak peek of their upcoming UFC middleweight title fight this past Saturday. Last Friday, the UFC held a seasonal press conference to close out 2023 and build hype for the first three pay-per-view event title fight headliner bouts of 2024. UFC 297 on January 20 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada kicks off the upcoming year and concludes with the 185-pound crown on the line between reigning champion Strickland and top contender Du Plessis. The pair traded some heated verbal exchanges at the press conference, which snowballed to a somewhat surprising extent before…
UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell is back home recovering from a severe concussion he suffered at UFC 296. But even as bad as it was getting knocked unconscious by Josh Emmett, he knows things could have been much worse. “I want to let you all know that I am so happy with Josh Emmett,” Mitchell said in a video posted Monday to his Instagram page. “Right after he knocked me out, he could have followed up with hammerfists, and it probably would have killed me. He didn’t even follow up with anything. “He was just happy with his knockout, and he…
Geoff Neal definitely didn’t appreciate Ian Machado Garry making and selling a t-shirt with his mugshot emblazoned on it, but it turns out that didn’t bother him nearly as much as the Irish prospect claimed after their originally scheduled fight at UFC 292 was cancelled. Back in July — just weeks before they were scheduled to clash — Machado Garry proudly displayed a shirt with Neal’s mugshot from a DUI arrest that happened in 2021. When Neal was forced to pull out of their fight, Machado Garry declared victory, touting his mental warfare as the reason the matchup didn’t happen.…
Michael “Venom” Page is excited to take on Kevin Holland in his long-awaited UFC debut, and that’s in part because he knows they will promote their fight “the right way.” Page is thrilled to sign with the industry-leader and get the chance to prove he’s the best welterweight in the world. Less thrilling is the trash talk and misbehavior that’s become a recent fixture of the fighting life. “The trash talking is going to be good, but respectful,” Page said of his UFC 299 meeting with Holland. “What I’ve been seeing so far in combat sports, I hate. I don’t…
Welcome to the latest update to the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings, where every month our esteemed panel sort through the noise to answer one question: Who are the best overall male and female MMA fighters in the world? With the final UFC pay-per-view of the year in the books, how has the home stretch of 2023 affected the global pound-for-pound landscape? Let’s take a look. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images MMA Fighting Leon Edwards is entering rarefied air. The UFC welterweight champion defended his throne once again, effortlessly outclassing Colby Covington at UFC 296 to notch the second defense…
UFC 296 went down on Saturday in Las Vegas and the final fight card of 2023 gave us plenty to talk about. Leon Edwards defended his title, Colby Covington looked impotent, Alexandre Pantoja keeps on winning, Shavkat Rakhmonov made a statement, and Josh Emmett almost killed a guy. There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s talk about all of it. Next up Belal or Shavkat or other next for Leon?— Dazz Rikio (@Dazzrikio) December 17, 2023 I guess we’ll kick things off right at the top with what comes next for the welterweight champion. And while I would have been…
Jon Jones owes Leon Edwards a debt of gratitude. When Edwards successfully defended his welterweight title at UFC 296 on Saturday against a listless Colby Covington, he didn’t just score a win for himself, he also got one over on one of Jones’ most hated rivals. Jones and Covington, once collegiate wrestling teammates at Iowa Central Community College in the distant past, have frequently lobbed insults at each other over the past few years in interviews and on social media. With Covington having lost yet another title fight, Jones took the opportunity to compliment Edwards on the win. Leon Edwards…
Colby Covington sat out for nearly two years before returning at UFC 296, where he lost a lopsided fight to reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards in a failed third attempt at becoming undisputed champion. Afterward, Covington pointed towards the long layoff and ring rust as potential factors in his lackluster performance, while still touting his belief that he actually won the fight. UFC CEO Dana White vehemently disagreed with Covington’s assessment that he was victorious, while also criticizing the always outspoken welterweight for sitting out rather than staying active, especially as he approached the wrong side of 30. “My take…
The fallout of UFC 296 was always a part of what made Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event so intriguing. Following the final UFC card of 2023, where does Leon Edwards and Colby Covington go following Edwards’ dominant win? MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee attempt to answer that question from a matchmaking perspective on the final matchmaking edition of On To the Next One for the year. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja following his unanimous decision win in the co-main event against Brandon Royval, Shavkat Rakhmonov after submitting Stephen Thompson in the featured bout,…
The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Monday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time. 1 p.m. ET: We recap UFC 296 and all the crazy twists and turns in the combat sports weekend. 2 p.m.: UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja reflects on his victory over Brandon Royval. 2:30 p.m.: Andre Fili looks back on his emotional week and big win at UFC 296. 3 p.m.: New UFC signee Michael Page discusses his free agency and UFC 299 matchup against Kevin Holland. 3:30…