Author: mmafighting
Cory Sandhagen has some harsh words for Marlon Vera. This past weekend, successfully defended his UFC bantamweight title, dominating “Chito” Vera for 25 minutes at UFC 299. Given that it was widely believed that Vera got the title shot due to his rivalry with O’Malley and not because he was the most deserving challenger, the one-sided nature of the fight was a tough look, and Sandhagen didn’t pull any punches when breaking down the fight on his YouTube channel. “Chito obviously had no business being in the cage with O’Malley,” Sandhagen said. “Really tough showing by Chito. Awesome performance by…
Jorge Masvidal is out to prove a point with his Nate Diaz rematch. “I want to murder this guy,” Masvidal said Wednesday on The MMA Hour. “And it’s nothing personal with him, but I want to beat the f****** brakes off him. He always said that the referee saved me. I don’t think anybody with common sense would agree. So I think this fight right here puts an end to all that bulls***.” Masvidal, 39, and Diaz, 38, are set to meet in a 10-round, 175-pound professional boxing match on June 1 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The…
Francis Ngannou didn’t feel quite right in the moments leading up to his fight against Anthony Joshua, though he makes no excuses for his loss. In just his second professional boxing match, the former UFC heavyweight champion found not even a fraction of the success he did in losing a razor-close decision to Tyson Fury. Instead, he suffered a knockdown in the first round and then got planted on the canvas in similar fashion in the second. The end came just after Ngannou got back to his feet. Joshua blasted him with a huge overhand right that shut the lights…
The UFC is back in the world’s most famous APEX. Following the sensational UFC 299, the world’s leading MMA promotor returns to its home base for UFC Vegas 88 this weekend, headlined by a heavyweight fight between Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura, so of course the No Bets Barred boys are here with a full breakdown of the card. Conner Burks and Jed Meshew speak fondly of the wonder that was last weekend in combat sports, where UFC 299, Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, and a Cedric Doumbe fight all took place. Then it’s on to the business at hand…
Kayla Harrison is fully prepared to make her UFC debut. In many respects, she has been the face of the PFL since entering MMA in 2018. But in January, the two-time Olympic gold medalist signed with the UFC and was immediately booked to fight Holly Holm at UFC 300. It’s a major change for Harrison, who has fought 16 of her 17 career fights inside the SmartCage, but speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, she explained the decision. “Of course [there was trepidation] – you think I’m crazy?” Harrison said. “It was definitely — it was a really…
Junior dos Santos became the first Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight champion with a devastating knockout of Alan Belcher, but he didn’t walk away from the fight unscathed. Early in the bout, as he battled with Belcher against the cage, dos Santos broke free but caught a punch that effectively sent his nose to the other side of his face. For the remainder of the fight, the former UFC heavyweight champion competed with a cut down the middle of his face and his nose disjointed in two separate places. He vividly remembers when it happened, but surprisingly, the Brazilian didn’t feel…
Merab Dvalishvili is more than ready for a shot at UFC bantamweight gold. If a 10-fight winning streak doesn’t earn a title shot in the UFC, nothing will, right? That’s the fear for Georgia’s Dvalishvili, anyway. UFC’s No. 1-ranked contender in the men’s 135-pound weight class has been on a tear since he started his promotional run off on a two-fight skid in late 2017. Dvalishvili’s lengthy stretch of success became the new divisional record after he defeated Henry Cejudo via a unanimous decision at UFC 298 last month, his ninth decision of that streak. The 33-year-old Dvalishvili (17-4) arguably…
Lightweights Grant Dawson and Joe Solecki are expected to clash on June 1 at UFC 302, an event which is being targeted for Newark, N.J. Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday. UFC has made no official announcements about the event, but the location is currently targeted for a return to New Jersey at the Prudential Center in Newark. Dawson makes his first appearance since suffering a surprising loss to Bobby Green this past October. That setback put an end to his 12-fight unbeaten streak, which included nine fights in the…
Jiu-jitsu legend Gabi Garcia returns to MMA on April 25 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a rematch with Barbara Nepomuceno, Centurion FC officials confirmed to MMA Fighting. The event will air live and free on Caze TV on YouTube. Garcia (6-0, 1 no contest) last fought in MMA in December 2018, submitting Nepomuceno with a keylock in just under three minutes at RIZIN 14. The heavyweight grappler fought her entire MMA career in Asia, scoring all six wins by stoppages. “Centurion FC is coming, and coming strong,” Centurion FC CEO Roberto Gallo told MMA Fighting. “Having Gabi Garcia, it’s a…
UFC 300 is almost upon us — and it is ridiculous. On April 13, UFC 300 takes place in Las Vegas, headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill, and featuring a truly ludicrous lineup of matchups. And in the official trailer for this upcoming event, the UFC leaned into that, showcasing not just the main and co-main event fighters, but also featuring a number of the other former champions that make up the fight card. Alongside Pereira and Hill, the trailer shows the women’s strawweight co-main event fight between Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan,…