Jessica Penne: Championship Opportunity Knocks at UFC Berlin

Opportunities arise in the strangest places in mixed martial arts, but Jessica Penne was ready when the biggest moment of her career came to call. The former atomweight turned UFC women’s strawweight contender was training for her upcoming bout against Juliana Lima, set to take place on May 30 at Fight Night 67, when word […]

Opportunities arise in the strangest places in mixed martial arts, but Jessica Penne was ready when the biggest moment of her career came to call. The former atomweight turned UFC women’s strawweight contender was training for her upcoming bout against Juliana Lima, set to take place on May 30 at Fight Night 67, when word […]

Rafael dos Anjos: Steady Progress Leads to Championship Opportunity at UFC 185

Fighter finding their groove fall into a special category where all intangible attributes are locked away.  Alongside other immeasurable qualities like momentum and determination, fighters coming into their own under the bright lights is something that happens, but it becomes difficult to gauge in the statistical realm. Yet, the aforementioned elements are directly tied to […]

Fighter finding their groove fall into a special category where all intangible attributes are locked away.  Alongside other immeasurable qualities like momentum and determination, fighters coming into their own under the bright lights is something that happens, but it becomes difficult to gauge in the statistical realm. Yet, the aforementioned elements are directly tied to […]

TUF 20 Finale: Carla Esparza Dominant in UFC Championship Win

In the end, it was perhaps too much, too soon for Rose Namajunas. They came to the cage as opposite portraits. Namajunas was all bounce and intensity, singing along with Young MC and generally looking like someone who came to Las Vegas to complete her journey. Carla Esparza, who perhaps won walkout song of the […]

In the end, it was perhaps too much, too soon for Rose Namajunas. They came to the cage as opposite portraits. Namajunas was all bounce and intensity, singing along with Young MC and generally looking like someone who came to Las Vegas to complete her journey. Carla Esparza, who perhaps won walkout song of the […]

Luke Rockhold Has Found His Rhythm, Eyeing Championship Run in 2015

It doesn’t take much observation to notice Luke Rockhold is a very talented fighter. As a prospect on the rise, the American Kickboxing Academy staple steamrolled his way through the Strikeforce Challengers series and garnered enough respect and attention along the way to earn a shot at the promotion’s middleweight title. The Santa Cruz native […]

It doesn’t take much observation to notice Luke Rockhold is a very talented fighter. As a prospect on the rise, the American Kickboxing Academy staple steamrolled his way through the Strikeforce Challengers series and garnered enough respect and attention along the way to earn a shot at the promotion’s middleweight title. The Santa Cruz native […]

Chad Mendes in Championship Purgatory, but It Won’t Last Forever

Chad Mendes put in a stellar outing on Saturday night. Mendes’ UFC 179 bout against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was the kind of performance that can boost a career. Mendes lost the fight. But it is likely he gained more in defeat than in all of his previous UFC wins. It was an exhilarating […]

Chad Mendes put in a stellar outing on Saturday night. Mendes’ UFC 179 bout against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo was the kind of performance that can boost a career. Mendes lost the fight. But it is likely he gained more in defeat than in all of his previous UFC wins. It was an exhilarating […]

In Praise of TJ Dillashaw, Whose Championship Mettle Elevated UFC 177

From inside the eye of the hurricane swirling around UFC 177, TJ Dillashaw put on a command performance. Dillashaw had been UFC bantamweight champion for all of 98 days on Saturday, when he was forced into the no-win situation of defending his title against little-known replacement opponent Joe Soto. As anyone reading this story likely […]

From inside the eye of the hurricane swirling around UFC 177, TJ Dillashaw put on a command performance. Dillashaw had been UFC bantamweight champion for all of 98 days on Saturday, when he was forced into the no-win situation of defending his title against little-known replacement opponent Joe Soto. As anyone reading this story likely […]