Author: mmafighting
Leah McCourt wants her title shot. A matchup between McCourt and featherweight champion Cris Cyborg appeared to be all but guaranteed this past October when McCourt and Cyborg both made short work of their respective opponents, Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, at Bellator 300. The two even faced off inside the cage in anticipation of a future fight. With Bellator acquired by the PFL and Cyborg angling for a fight with Kayla Harrison (which won’t be happening anytime soon with Harrison jumping to the UFC), it would appear Cyborg is still in need of a dance partner. But McCourt has…
In the latest edition of “Fight Motion,” fans can catch a glimpse of all the action from this past weekend’s UFC 297 card in Toronto in vivid slow motion. The event was headlined by a dramatic five-round middleweight title fight between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland. After 25 closely contested minutes, it was du Plessis who walked out as the new champion via split decision. Relive the back-and-forth fight by watching the video above. Also featured is the co-main event between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva, a bout that ended with Pennington winning on points to claim a…
Francis Ngannou’s head coach Eric Nicksick is no longer surprised when big fights come to Ngannou, whether it be in the ring or MMA cage. After taking lineal heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury to the absolute limit this past October, Ngannou returns in March to face Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia. When Nicksick found out about the matchup, it was business as usual. “He never ceases to amaze me,” Nicksick told MMA Fighting. “This guy has been playing chess, and we’ve all been playing checkers, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy. So I’m very happy for our guy.…
Alexander Volkanovski is ready for the NFL. Next month, Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. But even with fight day fast approaching, that didn’t stop him from taking some time out to show off his football skills when Tom Brady came to town. Brady is currently on a two-stop tour of Australia. On Friday, at Brady’s Melbourne show, An Evening with Tom Brady, the 7-time Super Bowl champion and NFL GOAT shared a moment with Volkanovski that the featherweight champ posted to his Instagram. After getting called up on stage to meet Brady, “TB12” showed…
Dricus du Plessis claims Sean Strickland admitted he lost their title bout. Earlier this month, du Plessis claimed the middleweight title with a split decision win over Strickland at UFC 297. In the cage immediately afterwards, both men were complimentary of one another, with Strickland giving du Plessis credit for the win and asking for a rematch. But shortly afterwards, Strickland changed his tune, claiming that an illegal headbutt cut him open and that he was robbed. But du Plessis says that’s not what Strickland told him in the cage. “I chatted to him afterwards,” du Plessis said on SuperSport…
Jon Anik didn’t mean what he said. This past week, Anik made headlines when the UFC commentator suggested he might be nearing the end of his time in MMA, due to the “malice and disrespect” from some MMA fans after Anik voiced his opinion that Dricus du Plessis beat Sean Strickland at UFC 297 fair and square. Anik’s comments became the the talk of the MMA online bubble, with Strickland even responding and chiding Anik for calling fans “the lowest common denominator.” Apparently, Anik agrees, issuing an apology on Saturday via his social media. “Last week on my podcast, I…
Garry Tonon definitely knows a thing or two about grappling. As a second degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who carries a long list of accolades, the 32-year-old submission specialist could take on anybody on the mats and give them hell. Despite his obvious prowess and knowledge on the ground, Tonon still had to learn to adapt his style when he transitioned to MMA, but it’s worked out pretty well thus far. In nine professional fights, he has eight wins, six by submission and two more by TKO on the ground. As much as he’s worked to add new weapons to…
Francis Ngannou, two-sport world champion? It’s possible. When Ngannou stepped into the ring with heavyweight great Tyson Fury this past October, he entered the boxing world as a UFC champion who never lost his title in the cage. He didn’t defeat Fury, but he earned plenty of respect with a thrilling third-round knockdown and a razor-close split decision loss that many felt should have been a win. Now, the PFL fighter is set to face another top boxer in Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At a recent press conference for the event, Ngannou made it clear…
Two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison has signed with the UFC, and she’s agreed to cut down to bantamweight to face Holly Holm in her octagon debut at UFC 300. Harrison’s former foe, Larissa Pacheco, isn’t confident that the Olympian can hit the mark for the April 13 event. Pacheco, a two-division champion in the PFL at 155 and 145 pounds, said in an interview with MMA Fighting that the biggest question going into UFC 300 is whether or not Harrison will be able to hit 135 the morning before. “Let’s see if she can make weight first,” Pacheco said.…
Frankie Edgar has his pick for the rumored Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler fight. McGregor recently announced he will fight Chandler in a middleweight bout on June 29, an arrangement that hasn’t been confirmed by Chandler or the UFC. That hasn’t stopped pundits from picking a potential winner and speculating on how the former lightweight and featherweight champion would perform at 185 pounds. At a recent Q&A in Toronto ahead of UFC 297, Edgar was asked who he thinks will win the matchup, and he sided with “Iron Mike.” “If this is at ‘85, I’m saying Chandler all the way,” Edgar said.…