Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate may consider a run at flyweight, but she’s ruling out a potential gig on OnlyFans.
Tate most recently fell to Ketlen Vieira last November via a unanimous decision, after dominating her UFC return against…
Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate may consider a run at flyweight, but she’s ruling out a potential gig on OnlyFans.
Tate most recently fell to Ketlen Vieira last November via a unanimous decision, after dominating her UFC return against Marion Reneau. She returned to the Octagon after retiring following her loss at UFC 205 in 2016.
There has been some speculation as to what Tate may do with her career. She’s hinted at a potential move to 125 pounds to challenge for another UFC title but is also still pursuing a run at bantamweight.
But one fan was interested in whether or not Tate would ever join the adult site OnlyFans.com as a side gig, and the former UFC champion shut that idea down quickly.
Miesha Tate has managed to accumulate quite the following on social media despite her prior absence from fighting. As of the publishing of this story, she has earned 2.1 million followers on her Instagram page and is also increasingly active on her YouTube channel.
The biggest win of Tate’s UFC career came when she pulled off a remarkable comeback win over Holly Holm for the bantamweight title at UFC 196. She went on to lose the title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 before her pre-retirement loss to Raquel Pennington.
Tate appears to be rejuvenated in this next chapter of her career, but fans shouldn’t expect any mature content from the star athlete.
Long before Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor was announced, the two superstars were already involved in an inter-sport feud, as captured in the following story.
The following article was published on this day six years ago. It is presented to y…
Long before Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor was announced, the two superstars were already involved in an inter-sport feud, as captured in the following story.
The following article was published on this day six years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Six Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 9, 2016, 9:00 AM]
Headline: Conor McGregor Calls Out Floyd Mayweather Over Racism Comments
Author: Eric Lynch
Conor McGregor has officially called out undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, saying the two “can organize a fight no problem.”
McGregor recently wrote a message on his Facebook page mostly addressing the media and apologizing for a photo of him with a rifle, but the note also took aim at Mayweather. McGregor responded to an interview Mayweather did in December, where the boxer said he feels the media favors McGregor over him due to racism.
“I don’t really know the McGregor guy, never seen him fight,” Mayweather told FightHype.com. “They say he talks a lot of trash and people praise him for it, but when I did it, they say I’m cocky and arrogant. So biased! Like I said before, all I’m saying is this: I ain’t racist at all, but I’m telling you racism still exists.”
McGregor, who is fresh off a 13-second knockout victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194, fired back at “TBE” on Friday. He told Mayweather not to bring race into his success and made it clear he’s willing to fight over it. McGregor also took the opportunity to say he feels Mayweather only deserves 20% of the revenue from their potential fight, as McGregor’s last pay-per-view event may have had twice as many sales as Mayweather’s last fight against Andre Berto in September.
Here’s what the UFC featherweight champion had to say on Facebook about Mayweather:
“Floyd Mayweather, don’t ever bring race into my success again. I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are. I understand the feeling of prejudice. It is a feeling that is deep in my blood. In my family’s long history of warfare there was a time where just having the name ‘McGregor’ was punishable by death.
“Do not ever put me in a bracket like this again. If you want we can organise a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favour seen as your last fight bombed at every area of revenue.
“At 27 years of age I now hold the key to this game. The game answers to me now.”
Back in August, McGregor felt confident that both he and Ronda Rousey could defeat Mayweather in a hypothetical scenario.
“In a real fight I would dismantle him in seconds,” McGregor told The Guardian. “Ronda Rousey would dismantle him in seconds – 100%. When you don’t know how to grapple you don’t stand a chance. For us, it’s like playing with a baby. People who don’t understand the sport cannot understand how vulnerable they are. There are always clinches and Ronda is a judo Olympian. She would throw Floyd on his head in a second. Me? I would knock him out. Cold.”
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has brought with him a zero-tolerance policy for hate entering 2022.
Known for his cool-and-collected disposition, Usman took some time out to address one or two of his all-star haters in a Snapchat Story. On …
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has brought with him a zero-tolerance policy for hate entering 2022.
Known for his cool-and-collected disposition, Usman took some time out to address one or two of his all-star haters in a Snapchat Story. On this occasion, rather than playing it cool, “The Nigerian Nightmare” delivered a message that was downright chilling (h/t The Mirror).
“Whomever you are watching my story, please just choke yourself. 2022 started and your life is centered around others,” he wrote in the story. “Better yet, kill yourself. Having fun watching my life and not yours,” Usman posted to his Snapchat Story along with a middle finger emoji.
While it is unknown what was said to draw out this response from Usman, the current pound-for-pound king seemed to recognize the looming controversy that could await when suggesting a fan take their own life. Consequently, Usman would then tone down his rhetoric a couple of notches while still getting a similarly stern message across.
“Let me clear this up, I know that was tough. It was 4am in the morning, it was a little slizzered and obviously, I typed that the wrong way,” he said in the video.
“Let me rephrase this for that hater, you know who you are, that particular hater there’s one of you or maybe two of you that keeps watching my story so you can have something to hate on.
“Choke yourself, it’s me saying it now, choke yourself. For the rest of my fans, my real fans I love and appreciate you guys, I always have and always will.”
It wasn’t all talk of hate and violence. The Nigerian-American also had a more appreciative message for his fans and supporters.
“I love my fans even those that (hate) because you truly only wish you could be me.”
Usman showed more patience during the build-up to his most recent fight against rival Colby Covington. Covington tried everything under the sun to get under Usman’s skin, including repeatedly referencing his father’s stint in prison. And yet, Usman let it all slide off his shoulders prior to defeating Covington for the second time at UFC 268, where the two enemies temporarily squashed their beef with a partial embrace.
What do you make of these remarks from Kamaru Usman?
Happy New Year, fight fans! To kick off our 20th anniversary, we will be rolling out the MMA News Top 100 UFC fighters of 2021 throughout the month of January as voted on by our panel.
This list is NOT solely based on fights and performances of 202…
Happy New Year, fight fans! To kick off our 20th anniversary, we will be rolling out the MMA News Top 100 UFC fighters of 2021 throughout the month of January as voted on by our panel.
This list is NOT solely based on fights and performances of 2021. Being active in 2021 is what QUALIFIES one to make the list. Instead of only considering performances of the year, we are taking a holistic look at who is the better overall fighter exiting 2021 based on our selected criteria. A full explanation of the criteria can be found below.
1: Career Trajectory/Recent Performances (50%)
Where are the fighters trending right now? How much evidence-backed momentum do they have?
2: Career Success/Body of Work (25%)
Championships, wins, résumé, etc.
3: Likelihood To Be The Betting Favorite In Any Fight In 2021 (25%)
This was determined using past betting history, betting lines during 2021, and the projected odds moving forward as determined by the panel. This category is being used to get a gauge of the talent level the public feels the fighter is/was at.
Be sure to keep checking back right here at MMANews.com for frequent updates to this list throughout the month of January as we continue to update this list!
Reasoning Behind Ranking: With 17 of his 22 wins by finish, Jack Hermansson has been a constant reminder of how to make men panic. The last time Hermansson put the squeeze on his opponent was at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 when he submitted Kelvin Gastelum in the very first round.
“The Joker” most recently defeated middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt. Hermansson is capable of being ranked higher on our list, but he’s had mixed results as of late, going 2-2 in his last four fights.
Heading Into 2022: Entering 2022, Jack Hermansson is the #6-ranked middleweight in the world. In his next bout, he’ll be facing the surging Sean Strickland on February 5.
#69: Dominick Reyes
Dominick Reyes
Reasoning Behind Ranking: It wasn’t too long ago that Dominick Reyes was 12-0 with seven wins by finish. Then, he gave the great Jon Jones arguably the closest fight of his career at UFC 247. Whenever you can say that, even when you’ve lost three straight, you’re going to get some respect from our panel, especially considering the fact that his latest defeat to Ji?í Procházka was ultra-competitive and won Fight of the Night.
Heading Into 2022: Dominick Reyes will be in need of a win if he wants to reaffirm his relevancy at 205. “The Devastator” will undoubtedly have the support of California behind him as he looks to remind the world how the West Coast does it. The 32-year-old is currently ranked #7 in the light heavyweight division.
#68: Sean Brady
Sean Brady
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Standing at 15-0 at 29 years old, it may not be too long until Sean Brady is greeted by Brotherly love when he hits the top of the lightweight stairs. Brady is currently 5-0 in the promotion, but it was his one-sided victory over Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate that really put Brady on the map and in a firm spot on our list. He also won Performance of the Night in his victory over Christian Aguilera last year with his guillotine submission win.
STILL UNDEFEATED.
If @SeanBradyMMA gets a hold of your neck, it's over.
Heading Into 2022: It will be fun to see where Brady winds up on our list next year. In terms of the UFC rankings, he enters 2022 at #9 in the welterweight division and hopes to be facing Stephen Thompson the next time he steps in the Octagon.
#67: Tom Aspinall
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Tom Aspinall is on a seven-fight winning streak and has yet to taste defeat in the UFC. But what really stands out about Aspinall isn’t just that he’s winning but the way in which he’s doing it. Three of Aspinall’s four UFC victories have won Performance of the Night, and every single one of the wins has been finishes. His last two wins over proven names Andrei Arlovski and Sergey Spivak show that Aspinall will be ready to test himself against the big boys in the heavyweight rankings his next time out.
Heading Into 2022: As Tom Aspinall continues his move up the heavyweight ladder, what’s his ultimate destination? How far will this 28-year-old ascend this year? We’ll get a better idea of the answer to this question when he faces top-10 heavyweight Shamil Abdurakhimov on March 19.
#66: Mateusz Gamrot
Mateusz Gamrot
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Mateusz Gamrot fought three times in 2021, and he just kept on lighting up the win column. First up, he knocked out Scott Holtzman in April. Three months later, he won his second consecutive Performance of the Night when he submitted UFC veteran Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens.
Last up, he earned a TKO win over Carlos Diego Ferreira as the UFC said farewell to 2021.
Heading Into 2022: Will Gamrot extend his streak in 2022? If he is able to follow his pattern of activity, winning, and finishes, then we may very well be looking at a legitimate lightweight title contender by year’s end.
#65: André Muniz
André Muniz, Image Credit: Copyright: Troy Taormina
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Ever since his UFC arrival, André Muniz has been fighting as if every scrap battle is his one shot. You need not look any further for evidence of this than his last three fights, where the grappling force submitted each of his opponents in the very first round, including fellow black belt and MMA legend Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Muniz has an impressive record of 22-4 and is on an eight-fight winning streak. His UFC record currently sits at 4-0.
Heading Into 2022: Muniz comes into 2022 ranked at #13 at middleweight, but if the first four fights are any indication, then that number could be much higher at some point in 2022. One name Muniz has identified as a potential next opponent is Darren Till, with his native Brazil being the preferred destination.
#64: Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland Saying Lord Knows What
Reasoning Behind Ranking: After having mixed results at welterweight, Sean Strickland’s career has experienced a strong surge in the middleweight division. When he’s not making headlines for some of his comments, the eccentric fighter is marching to the beat of his own drummer to victories, five straight to be precise, with the last four being in his new home of 185. Most recently, Strickland defeated Uriah Hall in his first main event with a unanimous decision victory.
Heading Into 2022: Strickland will now face his stiffest middleweight test to date when he faces former top-5 contender Jack Hermansson in February. At the moment, Strickland is ranked #7 in the division.
#63: Marina Rodriguez
Marina Rodriguez
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Another high-level striker to win a main event in 2021 is Marina Rodriguez. In fact, Rodriguez won two main events, first over Michelle Waterson in May followed by a victory over our #89-ranked fighter, Mackenzie Dern, in a Fight of the Night back in October. She also pulled off what at the time was considered to be a significant upset when she defeated Amanda Ribas at UFC 257.
Based strictly on the year’s results, a case can be made that Rodriguez could be placed within the top 25 or even higher. However, none of her victories came over a highly ranked opponent, and it wasn’t too long ago that she suffered a loss to Carla Esparza and had a draw with Cynthia Calvillo. She also has a draw with Randa Markos on her résumé.
Heading Into 2022: Despite some of her questionable results earlier in her career, there’s no question that Marina Rodriguez has been outpacing the strawweight competition after finding her legs in the division. So much so that she is currently ranked #3 in the division. Who’s next for Rodriguez? None other than the #4-ranked Yan Xiaonan on March 5.
#62: Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev, Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Continuing with the trend of strikers who went unrestricted in 2021, Russian swinger Rafael Fiziev comes in at #62 on our list. Fiziev is currently enjoying a five-fight winning streak, capped off by one of the best knockouts of the year over fellow kickboxing threat Brad Riddell.
Fiziev does have one loss on his UFC record, but he’s only human, after all. That may be hard to grasp when you see a kick like the one above, but Fiziev has shown that he can be beat. What has become increasingly uncertain, however, is whether it will ever happen again.
Heading Into 2022: Rafael Fiziev will make his 2022 debut in his first main event against former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. dos Anjos was not eligible for our list this year due to not competing in 2021. Still, dos Anjos remains ranked in the top 10 at #6, so a victory for Fiziev, who currently sits at #11, would be massive.
#61: Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith, Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports
Reasoning Behind Ranking: If you’re among those who have been told that Anthony Smith is done and out of the light heavyweight title picture: they lied to you.
Entering 2020, Anthony Smith showed his bounce-back ability when he defeated Alexander Gustafsson in a Performance of the Night winner right after his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 235. But that was a rocky year for “Lionheart,” dropping back-to-back fights to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Raki?. Given the success those men have had, those losses have aged well for Smith.
But what has aged even better is Smith himself, who bounced back yet again with three straight wins, including a 2-0 record in 2021, with victories over Jimmy Crute and a Performance of the Night submission victory over Ryan Spann in September.
Heading Into 2022: With 52 professional bouts under his belt, it may be hard to believe that Smith is still only 33 years of age. What is in store in the year ahead for this battle-tested veteran? We’ll have to await the answer to that. But being that Smith is still ranked within the top 5 at light heavyweight, you can expect his next fight to be a big one as he continues to step to his comeback song.
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.
At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has se…
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.
At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has seen in the UFC, reigning featherweight titleholder Volkanovski met with top contender Ortega in the September 25 headliner. The pair were originally set to clash at UFC 260 six months prior, but a positive COVID-19 test forced the Australian out.
In the end, the pair coached the 2021 return of The Ultimate Fighter. Whilst it certainly wasn’t the most thrilling season of the show, it did add an extra pinch of animosity and helped build the matchup more heading into their eventual showdown at UFC 266.
But even in defeat, we saw why “T-City” has a spot among the elite at 145 pounds, with two tight submission attempts in the third round providing one of the most memorable frames in history.
Cejudo Believes Volkanovski vs. Ortega Had Everything
In the eyes of many, the UFC 266 main event was certainly a top contender for the Fight of the Year, in the conversation with the likes of Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 268, Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42, and Ji?í Procházka vs. Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25.
But while many didn’t have Volkanovski’s one and only defense of 2021 in their top spot for the year, one former UFC champion had it there and more. Cejudo, who held both flyweight and bantamweight gold simultaneously during his UFC career, believes the memorable September five-rounder was not only the FOTY, but the greatest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.
“The one I really like the most, I’m going to have to go to with Alexander ‘The Average’ (Volkanovski) and Brian Ortega,” Cejudo said on his podcast with The Schmo. “That isn’t, to me in my eyes, the Fight of the Year, but this is the greatest fight in my eyes in mixed martial arts history. It displayed striking, defense, escaping from submissions, takedowns, takedown defense, I mean, it was everywhere.” (h/t BJPenn.com)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYXgZgqpeu3/
Having extended his win streak and featherweight reign with victory over Ortega, Volkanovski is now in need of a next challenger after Max Holloway had to withdraw from their UFC 272 bout.
As fate would have it, Cejudo, who has been lobbying to fight Volkanovski for several months, has thrown his name into the ring as a potential short-notice replacement. If selected, maybe Cejudo will be the one on the other end of an all-time classic against Volkanovski.
Giga Chikadze isn’t happy with Alexander Volkanovski after the featherweight champion alluded to ‘The Korean Zombie’ getting the next title shot.
Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway in their trilogy at UFC 272 before Holloway …
Giga Chikadze isn’t happy with Alexander Volkanovski after the featherweight champion alluded to ‘The Korean Zombie’ getting the next title shot.
Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway in their trilogy at UFC 272 before Holloway reaggravated an injury in recent days. Chikadze is slated to face Calvin Kattar in a UFC Fight Night main event on Jan. 15 and could potentially get a title shot if he wins.
After Holloway pulled out, the UFC and Volkanovski immediately began looking for potential replacements. Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’, is reportedly at the top of the list, along with possibly Yair Rodriguez.
This appeared to irk Chikadze, who is coming off a dominant win over Edson Barboza. He aired his frustration in a recent Twitter rant.
Giga Chikadze Roasted Alexander Volkanovski On Twitter
@alexvolkanovski The chump Picking up all the easiest link in a division Zombie and specially Rodriguez he’s suck I will handle my business on Saturday and I’m gonna kick your midget head ass back Singapore or Ireland whatever you from@danawhite@seanshelby
Volkanovski most recently defeated Brian Ortega at UFC 266 via unanimous decision, in one of the most gritty performances of 2021. Before that, he had earned back-to-back wins over Holloway inside the Octagon.
It’s still unknown who will get the short-notice bout at UFC 272, but Chikadze appears ready and willing to step up if he can get past Kattar.
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