Author: Dan Hiergesell

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Colby Covington will finally get the chance to prove all of his doubters wrong later tonight (Sat., Dec. 14, 2019) at UFC 245 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he steps inside of the Octagon for a main event bout against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Covington, who captured the interim UFC welterweight title with a win over Rafael dos Anjos back at UFC 225 only to have it later stripped, has been waiting a long time for his first undisputed title shot. It will finally come for the 31-year-old later this evening in Las Vegas atop the biggest MMA card of the year.

While Covington will have the opportunity to cash in on his seven-fight win streak and claim the biggest prize in combat sports, he may not be able to make much leeway with fight fans and fellow UFC fighters alike. That’s because Covington is already one of the most unfavorable fighters on the UFC roster today, mostly due to his own willingness to put his name in the public eye and say whatever he can to gain attention.

One fighter who has experienced Covington’s cringe-worthy trashtalk more than most is none other than UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who lived with “Chaos” during his college days. Jones has never really bashed Covington’s fighting abilities, but he truly believes the welterweight contender is a bad person.

“Colby’s a habitual liar at the end of the day,” Jones said during Friday’s UFC 247 press conference. “He really is. He told the fans that we lived together for two years. We lived together for one semester. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and a lot of people don’t consider me a good person, but coming from me, Colby’s a really bad person. He really is. He really, really is.”

While Jones and Covington have shared their own rocky history many other fighters feel the same way as “Bones.” That includes streaking UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal, who saw his friendship with Covington turn to dust earlier this year, and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who has been chirping back-and-forth with Colby for what seems like forever. Even UFC president Dana White had his own personal run-in with Covington in Las Vegas.

“There’s no coincidence that Tyron Woodley got to know him and hates him, Masvidal got to know him and hates him, I got to live with him and really don’t like him,” explained Jones.

Covington, who is one win away from capturing UFC gold, has been able to utilize his unpopularity among fight fans and UFC fighters to stand out among the pack over the past few years. Whether you like Covington’s persona or not, it’s exactly what today’s MMA game calls for, whether you’re a truly good person or not.

“If any of you guys got to know him, man, he’s a really rotten person,” Jones said of Covington. “I think the MMA community is going to start to see it over the years.”

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 245 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It all goes down later tonight (Sat., Dec. 14, 2019) at UFC 245 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman puts his title on the line for the very first time against surging contender and world-class trash talker Colby Covington in the main event.

In addition to Usman’s grudge match with “Chaos,” reigning UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will look to defend his title for the fourth-straight time when he takes on Alexander Volkanovski, UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight titleholder Amanda Nunes will put her 135-pound crown on the line in a rematch with elite striker Germaine de Randamie, former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will make his first appearance at bantamweight against fellow Brazilian finisher Marlon Moraes, and four-time UFC title challenger Urijah Faber will look to continue his comeback campaign when he takes on promising Russian contender Petr Yan.

Take a look below at UFC 245’s complete fight card lineup and start times:

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie
Marlon Moraes vs. Jose Aldo
Petr Yan vs. Urijah Faber

‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN2)
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

Geoff Neal vs. Mike Perry
Ketlen Vieira vs. Irene Aldana
Ian Heinisch vs. Omari Akhmedov
Matt Brown vs. Ben Saunders

Early ‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass)
6:15 p.m. ET / 3:15 p.m. PT

Chase Hooper vs. Daniel Teymur
Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France
Jessica Eye vs. Viviane Araujo
Punahele Soriano vs. Oskar Piechota

Here are all the ways to catch the action:

Online

• UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” PPV main card can be viewed via the ESPN+ streaming app.
• Subscriptions cost $4.99 per month. The UFC 245 PPV will cost $59.99 for current subscribers.
• UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” early “Prelims” can be viewed via ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass.

Television

• UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” main “Prelims” can be viewed via ESPN2. Check your local providers or click here for instant access to ESPN.
• Canadian viewers can watch UFC 245’s main “Prelims” via TSN Network.

Tablet/Mobile

• UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” PPV main card can be viewed via ESPN+ streaming app through Google Play and iTunes stores.

Bars

• Check out a list of sports bars and pubs near you that will most likely be showing tonight’s fights CLICK HERE

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 245 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

We are just one month away from the Octagon return of the “Notorious” Conor McGregor and it looks like the official poster for the Irishman’s welterweight clash with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 just dropped.

The promotion, which booked McGregor’s return fight against Cerrone just a few weeks ago, usually delivers with these renderings, but it seems like the UFC 246 poster is missing something a little extra. You would think UFC wanted to kill this given the magnitude of McGregor’s comeback.

But you can be the judge. Did the promotion drop the ball on the first official UFC 246 fight poster? Check it out above courtesy of UFC and let us know what you think.

McGregor, 31, will be making his first trip to the cage since getting submitted by rival and undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov back at UFC 229 last year. Before that, McGregor was seen knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to claim the lightweight championship belt before crossing over to boxing for a Floyd Mayweather Jr. money fight.

Considering McGregor has been absent for so long and seems to make headlines for things happening outside of the cage this upcoming main event clash with Cerrone is huge for his legacy. A loss would surely put him closer to retirement and his millions of dollars wrapped up in his whiskey business.

As for Cerrone, this is his opportunity to finally cash in on his long-term notoriety and land the most high-profile bout of his career. Many people thought “Cowboy” shouldn’t have landed a McGregor fight considering he’s riding a two-fight losing streak, but the 36-year-old veteran has proven his ability to bounce back in big spots so many times before. “Cowboy” is also willing to utilize his kickboxing and Muay Thai skills to keep the fight standing with McGregor and go toe-to-toe with the Irishman’s left hand.

UFC 246 will go down on Jan. 18 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a fight card to be finalized in the coming weeks.

For more UFC 246 news and coverage click here.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

We are just hours away from one of the biggest fight cards of the year as UFC 245 sets sail later tonight (Sat., Dec. 14, 2019) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The PPV card will be led by a welterweight title fight between champion Kamaru Usman and top contender Colby Covington, while Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski and Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie 2 title fights round out the action.

In preparation for the UFC 245 madness, which also includes the return of MMA legends Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber, the promotion has released and latest and greatest episodes of UFC 245 “Embedded.” Be sure to catch all the behind-the-scenes action below as combat fans prepare for one of the best nights of fight in a long time.

Here is episode five. The official YouTube description is as follows:

On Episode 5 of UFC 245 Embedded, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman receives support from heavyweight Francis Ngannou. Featherweight champion Max Holloway gets a haircut from his longtime barber, and opponent Alexander Volkanovski does an outdoor photo shoot. Bantamweight Hall of Famer Urijah Faber feels fresh ahead of a bout in which he’s the underdog. The stars of the night’s three title fights attend Ultimate Media Day for interviews and faceoffs. Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie have kind words for one another ahead of their championship bout, but the opposite is true for Usman and Colby Covington. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

Here is episode six. The official YouTube description is below:

On Episode 6 of UFC 245 Embedded, featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski trains at the UFC Performance Institute accompanied by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Everyone on Friday morning makes weight at the UFC 245: Official weigh-ins. Afterwards featherweight champion Max Holloway retreats to his room to eat a meal, and get “cupcake wasted.” Then it’s a final flex-and-faceoff for the crowd at the ceremonial weigh-ins. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

If you missed Episodes 1, 2, 3, or 4 of UFC 245 “Embedded” click here, here, here, and here.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 245 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the Fight Pass/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 245: “Usman vs. Covington” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Surging heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik scored the biggest win of his combat career last night (Sat., Dec. 7, 2019) at UFC on ESPN 7 live on ESPN from inside Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., when he finished former UFC title challenger Alistair Overeem via fifth-round knockout.

Rozenstruik, who was filling in for Walt Harris, was coming off a first-round knockout win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski this past November. Many people believed he was going to be a legit contender in 2020, but nobody guessed he’d go out and stop Overeem in the fashion that he did.

But just because Rozenstruik ended up winning his main event spot at UFC D.C. doesn’t mean things went according to plan. “Bigi Boy” was down on all three judges’ scorecards entering the fifth and final round and needed a stoppage to remain undefeated in his professional MMA career. Luckily for Rozenstruik, he was programmed to never give up and ultimately took what he wanted to take inside of the cage.

“My corner was calling me out all the time like ‘hey, you need to work more,’” explained Rozenstruik after the fight (shown above). “I see him stepping back like he was tired and I faked him and I put out the right hook,”

“It feels great. I’m happy with this,” he continued. “I know I have to work more and I’m ready to go back into the gym, do what I have to do, and make sure I keep winning in 2020.

“I never heard of giving up, I always fight for what I want. And this is one of the things I want and I showed heart in there that I really want to win this fight. I keep believing in myself.”

Rozenstruik, 31, is now one of the hottest fighters in the sport. He has compiled a 4-0 UFC record since his debut back in February and has been one of the most successful fighters of 2019. Heck, he may even be in the running for Fighter of the Year, but I think we all know who’s getting that.

Rozenstruik, who suffered little damage against Overeem, will look to parlay this win into a matchup with heavyweight crusher Francis Ngannou sometime in early 2020.

For complete UFC on ESPN 7 results and coverage click here.

Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Ben Rothwell got the win he was desperately looking for last night (Sat., Dec. 7, 2019) at UFC on ESPN 7 live on ESPN from inside Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., when he took out heavyweight staple Stefan Struve via second-round TKO (punches), but the fight came with a little bit of controversy.

Before his finishing sequence in the second round, Rothwell had connected on two separate, yet equally painful, low blows on Struve. The first accidental kick happened in the first round and had “Skyscraper” rolling around in pain for five hard minutes. Rothwell landed another kick to Struve’s lower region in the early moments of the second round and that forced Struve to take another couple of minutes to recover. When the action resumed Rothwell was able to move in for the kill and get the stoppage.

However, despite his flurry of punches that led to Struve’s demise late in the second round, Rothwell understands that his win may come with an asterisk alongside it after landing the two ill-advised groin shots.

“Yeah, there’s an asterisk, but I can’t do anything about it,” Rothwell said in the post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting). “I tried to be as apologetic as I could and complimented Stefan Struve for being a man. But, you’ve got to move on. I got myself in a really good position to have a big 2020 with all of my coaching staff and the conditioning I’m in. I just want to look better in my next fight. I want to be noticeably better the next time around.”

Struve had commanded most of the action in the early going by utilizing his height along the cage to limit Rothwell’s offense inside. When the action separated in the middle of the Octagon it was Struve who did more damage on the heels of long jabs and blistering body and leg kicks. Rothwell did what he needed to do to survive the onslaught, but found himself fighting from behind on the judges’ scorecards following a point deduction for his second low blow.

“I was down because I knew they were taking a point [away],” Rothwell said. “So I’m like ‘they might stop the fight.’ But then I looked at his cornermen and they were like ‘You’ve got to fight, you got the fight. Coast to a win. You got this.’ So, I was pretty sure he was going to keep fighting. Everything was against me. I had to get the finish or else I’d lose another decision.

“So I was pretty confident he was going to fight. That is unfortunate the ref said that because he’s basically just repeating what his cornermen were telling him.”

Rothwell, 38, came into this fight riding a disappointing three-fight losing streak, dropping his first two Octagon appearances after returning from a two-year suspension earlier this year. This knockout victory — albeit a controversial one — is exactly what the doctor ordered as Rothwell tries to reclaim momentum in the UFC’s heavyweight division entering 2020.

“I think I was on the chopping block,” Rothwell said. “Let’s be honest, I’ve lost three decisions prior to this. I didn’t get helped, I don’t get finished and I fight to the end. But four losses is four losses and it can’t happen. So, this was crucial.”

For complete UFC on ESPN 7 results and coverage click here.