Tag: MMA News Today

MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Conor McGregor Stays Busy At BKFC Event Conor McGregor was in attendance at another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event this past weekend, with BKFC 63 taking place in […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • McGregor is back doing McGregor things
  • Taveras details his final straw
  • Ferguson thinks he still has what it takes on the feet

Conor McGregor Stays Busy At BKFC Event

Conor McGregor was in attendance at another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event this past weekend, with BKFC 63 taking place in South Dakota.

Despite appearing to have returned to training just one week ago, some fans were concerned to see “The Notorious” look like he’s in no rush to start a camp anytime soon for his long awaited return.

Multiple clips circulated on social media of “The Notorious” showing up to the event, watching ringside, and having a good time both during and after.

McGregor appears to have had a busy schedule since his comeback at UFC 303 was postponed, and this weekend was certainly no different.

UFC Bantamweight Ramon Taveras Details Drive-By Shooting Attempt

UFC bantamweight Ramon Taveras was seemingly the target of a drive-by shooting at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, one week ago.

Taveras posted a video and long caption on his Instagram to explain exactly what happened and how he was left uninjured after defending himself with his own firearm.

He ended the post by saying that after losing his brother to gun violence five years ago and this recent attack, he’s leaving Duval County due to the risk and the failures of the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office.

Taveras was set to make his second Octagon appearance at UFC 304 last month until an injury led to him withdrawing from his fight with Caolan Loughran.

Tony Ferguson Still Backs Himself In The Striking Range

Tony Ferguson may have laid one glove down in the Octagon this past weekend but it doesn’t look like he’s quite ready to leave them there for good.

“El Cucuy” now holds the longest losing streak in UFC history after he was submitted by Michael Chiesa in the opening round.

Ferguson is still clearly passionate about what he does and has confidence in his skills.

He spoke after the fight about the changes he made for this camp that included a return to sparring, which helped with his striking skills for this fight.

Despite being taken down and finished, the former interim champion believes that he’s still got it while the fight stays standing.

“There’s a lot of things I need to work on,” Ferguson said. “We did a lot of sparring. You could see that out there; I felt pretty good on my feet. … I felt normal in there for a second. … There’s a lot of things that I can and can’t do. … This whole entire camp, I had just got back into sparring. … We just started throwing pads again.

“When I went out there and I hit Chiesa, he didn’t want to stand and bang. Not a lot of people want to stand and bang with me,” Ferguson added.

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA News, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Conor McGregor Stays Busy At BKFC Event Conor McGregor was in attendance at another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event this past weekend, with BKFC 63 taking place in […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • McGregor is back doing McGregor things
  • Taveras details his final straw
  • Ferguson thinks he still has what it takes on the feet

Conor McGregor Stays Busy At BKFC Event

Conor McGregor was in attendance at another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event this past weekend, with BKFC 63 taking place in South Dakota.

Despite appearing to have returned to training just one week ago, some fans were concerned to see “The Notorious” look like he’s in no rush to start a camp anytime soon for his long awaited return.

Multiple clips circulated on social media of “The Notorious” showing up to the event, watching ringside, and having a good time both during and after.

McGregor appears to have had a busy schedule since his comeback at UFC 303 was postponed, and this weekend was certainly no different.

UFC Bantamweight Ramon Taveras Details Drive-By Shooting Attempt

UFC bantamweight Ramon Taveras was seemingly the target of a drive-by shooting at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, one week ago.

Taveras posted a video and long caption on his Instagram to explain exactly what happened and how he was left uninjured after defending himself with his own firearm.

He ended the post by saying that after losing his brother to gun violence five years ago and this recent attack, he’s leaving Duval County due to the risk and the failures of the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office.

Taveras was set to make his second Octagon appearance at UFC 304 last month until an injury led to him withdrawing from his fight with Caolan Loughran.

Tony Ferguson Still Backs Himself In The Striking Range

Tony Ferguson may have laid one glove down in the Octagon this past weekend but it doesn’t look like he’s quite ready to leave them there for good.

“El Cucuy” now holds the longest losing streak in UFC history after he was submitted by Michael Chiesa in the opening round.

Ferguson is still clearly passionate about what he does and has confidence in his skills.

He spoke after the fight about the changes he made for this camp that included a return to sparring, which helped with his striking skills for this fight.

Despite being taken down and finished, the former interim champion believes that he’s still got it while the fight stays standing.

“There’s a lot of things I need to work on,” Ferguson said. “We did a lot of sparring. You could see that out there; I felt pretty good on my feet. … I felt normal in there for a second. … There’s a lot of things that I can and can’t do. … This whole entire camp, I had just got back into sparring. … We just started throwing pads again.

“When I went out there and I hit Chiesa, he didn’t want to stand and bang. Not a lot of people want to stand and bang with me,” Ferguson added.

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA News, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Causes A Stir At BKFC Event, UFC Fighter Targeted In Drive-By Shooting, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Sean O’Malley Criticizes Conor McGregor’s ‘Slow & Sloppy’ Pad Work, Amped Up Belal Muhammad & Alexander Volkanovski Trade Barbs After UFC 304, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 2, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Sean O’Malley Critiques Conor McGregor’s Latest Pad Work Video On Social Media After taking some time to recover from his injury that led to the cancellation of his […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Sean O’Malley Criticizes Conor McGregor’s ‘Slow & Sloppy’ Pad Work, Amped Up Belal Muhammad & Alexander Volkanovski Trade Barbs After UFC 304, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 2, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • O’Malley reviews latest McGregor footage
  • Muhammad and Volkanovski trade words after UFC 304 comments
  • Former strawweight champion set to return at UFC 307

Sean O’Malley Critiques Conor McGregor’s Latest Pad Work Video On Social Media

After taking some time to recover from his injury that led to the cancellation of his return at UFC 303, Conor McGregor appears to be getting back to work.

“The Notorious” is hopeful of returning later this year but he appeared to have taken his foot off the gas once June 29 was ruled out.

His latest training footage came courtesy of his own social media accounts, with the Irishman seen working on his boxing and hitting pads.

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, who has engaged in some interactions with McGregor as of late, gave his review via a reply to the post.

McGregor also commented in response, calling for O’Malley to try and do better whilst telling him to “cheer up”.

Belal Muhammad & Alexander Volkanovski Beef After Pre-Fight Comments

During a recent episode of Remember The Show, Belal Muhammad hit back at all his fellow fighters that doubted him ahead of UFC 304.

The new welterweight champion specifically referenced Alexander Volkanovski, who was in attendance this past weekend in Manchester, and suggested that Muhammad would be a good style clash for him.

“You guys were hating, all these guys wanted to come out. Volkanovski, ‘Man I think Belal’s a good match-up for me if I fight him.’ Shut up bro, I’ll smack the hell out of you. All these guys right, there’s nobody in the UFC that will beat me.”

Volkanovski responded on social media where he doubled down on his previous statement and told Muhammad to say that to him the next time they cross paths.

“@bullyb170 you have every reason to hate on what I said about you being a good stylistic match up for me but I truly believe that, even after your last fight, you didn’t show me anything different. You still mad because I accidentally missed your call…pathetic! Say ‘shut up, I’ll smack the shit out of you’ to my face and see what happens.”

“Remember The Name” had the final word on the matter in a follow-up post with a short and to the point message.

Carla Esparza Set To Return At UFC 307 In Utah Against Former Foe

Former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza is expected to return for the first time since losing her title to Weili Zhang in November of 2022.

She took the majority of 2023 and 2024 off after giving birth to her son and is now targeted to compete in a rematch at UFC 307 on October 5.

Esparza and Tecia Pennington first met back on The Ultimate Fighter a decade ago with “Cookie Monster” getting the nod in that quarterfinal clash before going on to win the series.

MMA Junkie’s Nolan King reported the fight which will see both women look to return to the win column for the first time in several years.

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA news, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Sean O’Malley Criticizes Conor McGregor’s ‘Slow & Sloppy’ Pad Work, Amped Up Belal Muhammad & Alexander Volkanovski Trade Barbs After UFC 304, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Video Shows Paddy Pimblett Reacting Backstage To ‘Most Boring Champion’ Belal Muhammad’s UFC 304 Crowning, Turki Alalshikh Says UFC’s Sphere Card ‘Will Eat’ Canelo Match On Sept. 14, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 30, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Paddy Pimblett Posts Reaction To UFC 304 Main Event, Belal Muhammad Becoming Champion A video posted on Paddy Pimblett’s YouTube channel gives fight fans a behind the scenes […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Video Shows Paddy Pimblett Reacting Backstage To ‘Most Boring Champion’ Belal Muhammad’s UFC 304 Crowning, Turki Alalshikh Says UFC’s Sphere Card ‘Will Eat’ Canelo Match On Sept. 14, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 30, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Pimblett scolds Muhammad after title win
  • Alalshikh gives strong prediction for UFC vs. Canelo
  • Sonnen points out that Aspinall is finishing big guys with ease

Paddy Pimblett Posts Reaction To UFC 304 Main Event, Belal Muhammad Becoming Champion

A video posted on Paddy Pimblett’s YouTube channel gives fight fans a behind the scenes look at his fight night experience this past weekend.

“The Baddy” delivered one of the performances of the night at UFC 304 in Manchester when he submitted King Green in the first round to earn a lightweight ranking.

The main event, however, did not end on such good terms for the UK fighters and fans as Belal Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards to become the welterweight champion.

In the video, Pimblett is seen reacting to the official decision before going on to label Muhammad as the “most boring champion ever.”

Turki Alalshikh Not Worried About Saudi-Backed UFC 306 Going Up Against Canelo Álvarez

It’s incredibly rare to see any major sporting events going up against the UFC, but that is exactly what Canelo Álvarez will look to do on September 14 with his fight against Edgar Berlanga.

Alvarez has a track record for fighting on Mexican Independence Day, but he missed out on this last year after the UFC booked the T-Mobile Arena for the first Noche UFC card.

The MMA leader will instead be hosting UFC 306 this year at the Sphere, which is being built up to be an event like no other.

Part of the reason that both events are going head-to-head in Las Vegas is because UFC 306 is being sponsored by Riyadh Season and the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, which has allowed the UFC to go big on this particular card, meaning Álvarez could run the T-Mobile on this occasion.

Speaking to ESPN, Turki Alalshikh gave a short response to how he believes the Saudi-backed Sphere event will compete with Álvarez.

“We will eat him,”

Chael Sonnen Says Tom Aspinall Is Doing Something That Even Mike Tyson Struggled With

Tom Aspinall’s incredible ability to end fights early on means that he has unbelievably low amounts of Octagon time despite being a world champion.

The interim heavyweight champ has said it himself that he wants opponents to test him in deeper waters but nobody can take him there.

Following his one-minute finish over Curtis Blaydes this past weekend, Chael Sonnen was full of praise for the Brit in a recent YouTube video.

He compared Aspinall to arguably the greatest knockout artist combat sports has ever seen and said that he is even capable of finishing fights in ways that Mike Tyson couldn’t even accomplish.

“Mike Tyson had a hard time putting down the heavyweights that were 240, 250, 260 [pounds]. These are the guys that Tom is touching one time; this is shocking power. Tom is getting guys out of here so quickly. I don’t love the reality that in three years, Tom has been in the ring for about three minutes, but the other side of it is, what are you going to do? How are you going to stop him?”

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA news, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Video Shows Paddy Pimblett Reacting Backstage To ‘Most Boring Champion’ Belal Muhammad’s UFC 304 Crowning, Turki Alalshikh Says UFC’s Sphere Card ‘Will Eat’ Canelo Match On Sept. 14, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Tom Aspinall Comes Clean On Fake Pre-Fight Routine, Aljamain Sterling Wins Karate Combat Debut In The Final Seconds, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 26, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Tom Aspinall Finally Admits That Strange Pre-Fight Preparations Was A Joke Ahead of his interim heavyweight title defense at UFC 304, Tom Aspinall revealed a unique pre-fight process […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Tom Aspinall Comes Clean On Fake Pre-Fight Routine, Aljamain Sterling Wins Karate Combat Debut In The Final Seconds, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 26, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Aspinall finally puts the petrol rumors to rest
  • Sterling got his hand raised after clutching the match in the final seconds
  • Holloway gives massive praise to UFC 304 fighter

Tom Aspinall Finally Admits That Strange Pre-Fight Preparations Was A Joke

Ahead of his interim heavyweight title defense at UFC 304, Tom Aspinall revealed a unique pre-fight process that he was putting himself through in preparation.

The Brit told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he was following the methods of classic bare knuckle boxers by shadow boxing around haybales and dipping his hands in petrol each night.

Some instantly called it out that Aspinall was in fact trying to trick Helwani but after he didn’t crack a smile at any point, others thought the champion might be telling the truth.

A video posted on fight week shows one half of this weekend’s co-main event calling Helwani in the middle of the night to provide evidence of his preparations.

After leading him on for a bit longer, Aspinall confessed that it was all a joke and that he’s having to tell the truth after people thought he was being serious about it.

Aljamain Sterling Pulls Off A Clutch Win In Karate Combat Grappling Debut

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling made his Karate Combat debut on July 25, where he got his hand raised in the final seconds of the contest.

Competing in the Pit Submission Series, he secured the win over Jay Jay Wilson at Karate Combat 48 in Nashville.

The contest was nearly about to end in a points draw but with the clock ticking down to the final seconds, Sterling was able to pass guard and take his opponent’s back to score the winning point in the dying moments.

After the match, a fired-up Sterling said that his full focus is now on handing Movsar Evloev his first loss in a crucial featherweight match-up at UFC 307 in October.

Also of note for this grappling match is that Sterling weighed in at a staggering 171-pounds.

Sterling even received praise from his former opponent and the current UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley who phoned in during the match.

Max Holloway Praises The Fight IQ Of UFC 304 Fighter: ‘Super High, Super Smart’

Max Holloway believes that the main event of UFC 304 will be a battle between two tacticians that rarely stray from their gameplans.

Both the welterweight champion Leon Edwards and his challenger Belal Muhammad aren’t known for going out there and being involved in wars.

With a fight like this, it will come down to which man is able to implement their approach the best and with that in mind, Holloway is backing the champ to retain in Manchester.

He broke down the card during a recent YouTube video where “Blessed” spoke extremely high of Edwards’s ability to read and control a fight.

“Belal is a tactician. he’s a gameplanner. He does not stray away from his gameplan,” Holloway said. “But so does Leon, bro. Leon is a tactician. He’s a gameplanner. He sticks to his gameplan no matter what. … A lot of people were counting Leon out (ahead of the Covington fight) like he was gonna get grappled.

“Leon is one of the very few IQs in this game that I respect, man,” Holloway continued. “His fight IQ is super high, super smart. It’s just hard to go against the champ here, bro. I think Belal puts on a fight. Early in the fight, I think it’s a tough fight. But then when we get to the third and then the championship rounds, I think Leon is gonna take over.”

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA news, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Tom Aspinall Comes Clean On Fake Pre-Fight Routine, Aljamain Sterling Wins Karate Combat Debut In The Final Seconds, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Emotional Francis Ngannou Opens Up About The Passing Of His Son, Paddy Pimblett Shares Warm Encounter With Former Foe At UFC 304 Fighter Hotel, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 24, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Francis Ngannou Shares Heartbreak Following Family Tragedy The combat sports world rallied around the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou after he suffered a family tragedy. His 15-month-old […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Emotional Francis Ngannou Opens Up About The Passing Of His Son, Paddy Pimblett Shares Warm Encounter With Former Foe At UFC 304 Fighter Hotel, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 24, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Ngannou bravely opens up following a tough year
  • Pimblett jokes with Gordon during shared elevator ride
  • Muhammad ranks welterweights, puts Edwards fourth

Francis Ngannou Shares Heartbreak Following Family Tragedy

The combat sports world rallied around the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou after he suffered a family tragedy.

His 15-month-old son, Kobe, sadly passed away in April and after taking time to have privacy, Ngannou spoke about this recently.

The PFL fighter is hoping to resume his fighting career in the near future but after what he has been through as of late, his outlook on life has changed to some degree.

He bravely spoke on the JRE MMA Show about what this was like to go through and how he now sees things differently.

Despite always being grateful for what he has right now, Ngannou said that he looks forward to being reunited with his son in another life.

“You have a lot of things to be grateful about but in your heart, you feel like you’re broke, you have nothing. I mean, I always love life and know that I have everything but at least for once, I’m like at least whenever I die, I’m going to go see my kid. I’m going to see him. I’m not afraid of it. I still want to live but at least whenever, you get to that point, to think like that. So someway you’re looking for what, for whenever that happen.”

Paddy Pimblett And Jared Gordon Cross Paths And Exchange Pleasantries During UFC 304 Fight Week

Ahead of his UFC 304 encounter with King Green this weekend in Manchester, Paddy Pimblett crossed paths with a former opponent of his when stepping into the fighter hotel lift.

“The Baddy” earned a controversial split decision win against Jared Gordon back at UFC 282 but the two lightweights have always been friendly towards one another.

After coming across one another, the two men embraced and Pimblett told him that he thought Gordon should have won his last fight which went the way of Nasrat Haqparast via another split decision.

Gordon jokingly remarked, “I f****** did, again”, which both the lightweight contenders had a laugh about.

“Flash” gave his prediction for the fight before they parted ways, stating that he thinks Pimblett will stay undefeated in the UFC this weekend by finishing Green who he faced in March last year.

Belal Muhammad Says Leon Edwards Is The Fourth Best Active Welterweight

Belal Muhammad believes that whilst his opponent this weekend at UFC 304 is the welterweight champion, he isn’t the best fighter in the weight class.

Leon Edwards is set to make his third title defense in Manchester but Muhammad isn’t so sure that he’s worthy of being called the champion.

In a recent interview with Kaz Crossley for Title Sports Network, the challenger was asked to give his own version of the top five rankings at 170-pounds.

He, of course, put himself at the top spot with Edwards sitting below both Kamaru Usman (who Edwards beat twice) and Shavkat Rakhmonov with Jack Della Maddalena rounding out the top five.

Muhammad will look to back up his claims on July 27 when he faces the man that, in his opinion, isn’t the top dog in the division.

“I would be one. Then I would put Kamaru two, Shavkat (Rakhmonov) three. I would put Leon four. And then number five, I would put Jack Della (Maddalena),” Muhammad said. “Man, you’re gonna lose the last couple fans you have left once I take the belt away from you. sorry bro. … I don’t like Leon. My other opponents, I didn’t wanna fake it (trash talk) with like, a ‘Wonderboy’ or a Maia. … It’s easier to bully him (Edwards).”

Read more on the story here.

For more MMA news, check out:

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Emotional Francis Ngannou Opens Up About The Passing Of His Son, Paddy Pimblett Shares Warm Encounter With Former Foe At UFC 304 Fighter Hotel, & More at MMA News.