Tag: MMA News Today

MMA News Today: Fight Night Weights Show 14-Pound Difference Between Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal, Johnny Walker Told He Has ‘BJ Penn Levels Of CTE’ After Sharing Dinosaur Theory, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 9, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal Fight Day Weigh-Ins Show Drastic Difference With the California State Athletic Commission looking to cut down on excessive weight cutting in combat sports, […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Fight Night Weights Show 14-Pound Difference Between Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal, Johnny Walker Told He Has ‘BJ Penn Levels Of CTE’ After Sharing Dinosaur Theory, & 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 9, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Masvidal put on twice as many pounds as Diaz after making weight
  • Fans aren’t buying Walker’s dinosaur theory
  • Vakhitov says Pereira is defensively vulnerable

Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal Fight Day Weigh-Ins Show Drastic Difference

With the California State Athletic Commission looking to cut down on excessive weight cutting in combat sports, the fight nights weights for the recent Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal boxing match were released.

The most noteworthy result shows that Jorge Masvidal made a staggering near 30-pound gain between weighing in and showing up on fight night.

After hitting 175.2 pounds on Friday, he then weighed in at 204.1 pounds, which is a 16 percent increase in body weight.

Diaz, who won the fight via majority decision, gained 14.6 pounds after coming in on Saturday at 190.2, meaning that he put on half as much weight as his opponent.

Masvidal competed at both 155 and 170 pounds during his tenure in the UFC. By the time he stepped inside the ring this past weekend, he was closer to the light heavyweight mark.

Johnny Walker Receives Pushback After Posting Dinosaur Extinction Theory

It’s an understatement to call Brazil’s Johnny Walker one of the most unpredictable characters in MMA today.

He recently gathered some attention on social media after he responded to an Instagram post from MMA great Georges St-Pierre.

“GSP” shared a video about the dinosaurs and how they were made extinct and largely wiped off the face of the earth by an asteroid.

Walker, in the replies to the post, provided his own theory about how it wasn’t an asteroid that killed them off, but perhaps humans did it instead…

“Sorry champ but i am not sure about it anymore! I don’t believe that a asteroid ? extinguished the dinosaurs ? , it may be the men , take a look at some saints around the world like the flat of Russia that have a dragon and a guy that probably kill lots of it , and Brasil also have a saint , and lots of other cultures have history about some hero that killed a dragon = Dino ?! I’m just saying, history always change and the winner of some war tells his side of the truth ! We never know the actually real truth”

It didn’t take too long before fans took notice of his comment and gave their sceptical reactions to his take.

The Last Man To Defeat Alex Pereira In Kickboxing Breaks Down His Weaknesses As A Striker

Alex Pereira has been on an incredible upwards trajectory since making the switch to MMA, but what some fight fans might not know is that he suffered a defeat in his final kickboxing fight.

After losing a split decision the first time around, Artem Vakhitov got the better of “Poatan” in the rematch before Pereira made the decision to leave Glory behind to really pursue MMA.

Vakhitov, who has also been trying his hand at MMA as of late, spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about where he believes Pereira is vulnerable, having been one of the few to outstrike him.

He said that the UFC light heavyweight champion’s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness,but the issue many of his MMA opponents have is that they’re not confident enough to try and exploit it.

“His biggest weakness is that he is all attack, he has no defense,” Vakhitov said. “Because of his lack of defense, he is open to taking a lot of punches to the head if he’s facing a skilled striker. You saw that in his second fight with Adesanya. He got caught because he leaves a lot of openings for people who know what they are doing.

“These other guys haven’t done well against Alex because their striking isn’t at a high enough level. They aren’t confident against him and they think he’s unbeatable, so in their heart they are already defeated before the fight starts,” Vakhitov continued. “But I have beaten him before in pure striking competition, and I am sure I’ll do it again if we can get our trilogy match in the UFC.”

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: Fight Night Weights Show 14-Pound Difference Between Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal, Johnny Walker Told He Has ‘BJ Penn Levels Of CTE’ After Sharing Dinosaur Theory, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Dana White Hits Back At Claims UFC Is A ‘Monopoly’, Ranked UFC Fighter Legally Changes First Name To ‘King’, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 8, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Dana White Insists UFC Isn’t A Monopoly Because ‘Anyone’ Can Start An MMA Promotion During the long process of the antitrust lawsuit that was filed against the UFC […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Dana White Hits Back At Claims UFC Is A ‘Monopoly’, Ranked UFC Fighter Legally Changes First Name To ‘King’, & 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 8, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • White argues that UFC is the best at what they do rather than a monopoly
  • There’s a new “King” in the lightweight division
  • Top 15 lightweights scheduled for UFC’s return to Paris

Dana White Insists UFC Isn’t A Monopoly Because ‘Anyone’ Can Start An MMA Promotion

During the long process of the antitrust lawsuit that was filed against the UFC by former members of the roster, the case was granted class certification.

While a settlement was eventually reached, many concluded that the class certification validated the allegation that the UFC holds a monopoly over the sport. Unsurprisingly, the promotion disagreeds with that notion.

Dana White spoke out on this during a recent interview with Fox News, where he debated the idea that the MMA leader prevents others from being able to compete at its level.

He made the case that the UFC is simply the best at what it does, but that it’s not stopping others from trying to replicate the success achieved by the sport’s leading promotion.

“People have called us ‘monopoly’ and all this stuff for years. We’re not a monopoly, we’re just the best,” White said. “We’re the best at what we do, there’s no barrier to entry, anyone could get into this.

“You could start a league tomorrow and pay the guys whatever you want, you can do whatever you want but a lot of smart, talented, big business moguls have got into this sport and tried to compete with me and they couldn’t do it,” White continued. “But everybody — there’s no barrier to entry, anyone can get into this thing tomorrow.”

Bobby Green Officially Changes His Name To ‘King’ Green Ahead Of UFC 304 Return

Islam Makhachev sits atop the UFC’s lightweight division as the world champion and pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport. Now, however, 155 pounds has a new king.

#15-ranked Bobby Green made his intentions clear in the past that he was looking to change his name, but it has now been made official.

When he makes the walk at UFC 304 later this month to face Paddy Pimblett, he will do so under a new name, King Green.

He gave fans a glimpse of the official documentation on Instagram, which clearly shows that from this point on, he will answer to King and King only.

Renato Moicano Set To Face Benoît Saint Denis In Paris Over Five Rounds

The Octagon is set to return to the French capital for a third consecutive year, with UFC Paris going down at the Accor Arena on September 28.

Ag. Fight reported that top 15 lightweights will face off in Paris with France’s Benoît Saint Denis taking on Brazil’s Renato Moicano. MMA Junkie later confirmed that the contest is set to take place over five rounds.

It remains to be seen whether that marks the break of Ciryl Gane’s streak of Paris headliners, or if “God of War” and his Brazilian counterpart are set for a five-round co-headliner.

Moicano is riding a three-fight win streak from the #10 spot, while Saint Denis, who is two spots below him in the rankings, will look to bounce back from his defeat to Dustin Poirier in March.

Read more on the story here.

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MMA News Today: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Makes First Statement On UFC 303 Loss, WBC President Expels Ryan Garcia From ‘Any Activity With Our Organization’ After Racial Slurs, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Speaks On Social Media After First UFC Setback Michael “Venom” Page suffered his first defeat in the Octagon at UFC 303 this past weekend where […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Makes First Statement On UFC 303 Loss, WBC President Expels Ryan Garcia From ‘Any Activity With Our Organization’ After Racial Slurs, & 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 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • “MVP” plans to learn and come back stronger from UFC 303 setback
  • WBC refuses to work with Ryan Garcia after latest offensive outburst
  • Ankalaev believes he can exploit Pereira’s striking in one area

Michael ‘Venom’ Page Speaks On Social Media After First UFC Setback

Michael “Venom” Page suffered his first defeat in the Octagon at UFC 303 this past weekend where he was beaten on the scorecards by Ian Garry.

Despite displaying some of his unpredictable striking at it’s best, he was unable to prevent his opponent from taking the fight to the ground.

Page could have been lined up for a massive fight if he was able to hand Garry the first defeat of his career, but now it’s time to go back to the drawing board for the London-based fighter.

Page spoke for the first time since the setback via a post on his Instagram profile, where he reflected about learning from this defeat in order to come back stronger.

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. #ufc303”

WBC Cut All Ties With Ryan Garcia After Latest Controversial Rant Goes Too Far

WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán has taken action against controversial boxing star Ryan Garcia after his latest outburst pushed the line too far.

Garcia made headlines after using incredibly offensive racial slurs and referencing George Floyd during a rant on X Spaces.

With Garcia’s behavior only appearing to become more erratic and troubling since his clash with Devin Haney, the people around him are starting to act.

Sulaimán said that the governing body will be cutting all ties with Garcia from this point on and refuse to work with him.

His post on social media also makes reference to how he has declined the opportunity for help from the WBC on multiple occasions, claiming that they wished to support him through is struggles with mental health and substance abuse.

“Exercising my authority as president of the WBC , I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization. We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse”

This latest outburst also led to Garcia’s family putting out a statement, insisting that they don’t support the things he said and that they don’t reflect who he truly is.

Magomed Ankalaev Makes Bold Claim About Alex Pereira’s Striking

Ask any MMA fan who the best striker in the sport is right now and you’re likely to be given the name of the UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira.

Following his latest title defense at UFC 303, where his devastating stand-up skills were on full show once again, his likely next opponent has made a bold claim.

Magomed Ankalaev believes that he will dethrone “Poatan” when they eventually meet, and while he would be expected to have an advantage in the grappling, he also believes that he can out strike the champion.

Ankalaev spoke in an interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie about the one aspect that he sees in Pereira’s striking that he believes he would be able to take advantage of.

“I think he is a great striker. But he is the kind of guy who always moves forward, and that is where sometimes he might make a mistake. That’s where I might catch him,” Ankalaev continued. “Definitely he has a strong punch, but I think just overall, his standup fight is overrated. Watch his fight with Jamahal Hill; he had something to offer to counter him. Same with the fight with Procházka. … He was probably lucky or didn’t face serious opposition. Wrestling is there, but I’m ready to fight with him standing up.”

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Makes First Statement On UFC 303 Loss, WBC President Expels Ryan Garcia From ‘Any Activity With Our Organization’ After Racial Slurs, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Jon Jones Says His Return Will Be On November 9 At Madison Square Garden In a post on social media, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones teased a potential […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & 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 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Jones says he will return at MSG in November
  • Ige calls to face Garcia
  • 303 winner makes quick turnaround to face Drew Dober

Jon Jones Says His Return Will Be On November 9 At Madison Square Garden

In a post on social media, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones teased a potential date and location for the first defense of his title.

“Bones” was set to face off with former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November of last year until an injury forced him to withdraw and postpone the fight.

Jones appears to now be targeting the rescheduled fight for the same month in the originally planned venue, Madison Square Garden in New York.

He replied to a comment on Instagram where he named November 9 at the iconic venue as the target that he is working towards right now.

Dan Ige Wants To Fight Ryan Garcia At UFC 306 With No Takedowns Or Weigh-In

After he stepped up on the day of the fight to save the co-main event of UFC 303, Dana White said that he will try to make it up to Dan Ige.

Ige didn’t get his hand raised against Diego Lopes this past weekend but his efforts to be a company man didn’t go unnoticed or without reward.

The featherweight contender posted on social media where he made his request for his next outing with a very bold idea.

Ige posted that he wants to face the controversial boxing star Ryan Garcia at UFC 306 inside the Sphere with a few extra rules being put in place.

Garcia responded on social media, so clearly the call out at least caught his attention, that he’s down to compete.

Jean Silva Set To Make Two-Week Turnaround To Fight Drew Dober In Denver

Jean Silva delivered one of the stand-out performances at UFC 303 as he stopped Charles Jourdain in the second round.

Despite missing weight for the fight, the Brazilian is now set to make a remarkable two-week turn-around in order to take on Drew Dober up at lightweight.

Dober was originally set to face Mike Davis in a significant bout for the 155-pound fan favorite due to him training out of Denver, Colorado where the card will be hosted.

Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight reported the news that Silva will be looking to pick up his third consecutive win in the UFC after debuting on the first card of 2024.

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: Dricus Du Plessis Lands Verbal TKO To Israel Adesanya During Heated Staredown At UFC 305 Press Conference, Jon Jones Responds To Rumors Of ‘Spirit Channeling & Magic’ In MMA Following Alex Pereira Fight, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 3, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Dricus Du Plessis Makes Joking Remark To Israel Adesanya During Heated Faceoff Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya came face to face once again during the press conference […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Dricus Du Plessis Lands Verbal TKO To Israel Adesanya During Heated Staredown At UFC 305 Press Conference, Jon Jones Responds To Rumors Of ‘Spirit Channeling & Magic’ In MMA Following Alex Pereira Fight, & 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 3, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Du Plessis has the best reply to Adesanya jab
  • Jones gives his side of the story on the use of magic and spirits
  • Diaz knew his own value before taking McGregor opportunity

Dricus Du Plessis Makes Joking Remark To Israel Adesanya During Heated Faceoff

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya came face to face once again during the press conference that went down yesterday, for their upcoming middleweight title fight.

Before the two rivals meet at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth, they shared an incredibly tense staredown that is sure to build excitement for their eventual meeting.

Adesanya appeared to be the one to say something to Du Plessis first during the staredown which the middleweight champion was asked about after the press conference.

He jokingly made remarks about something that Adesanya’s last opponent, Sean Strickland, also chose to make fun of throughout the build-up to their fight.

Du Plessis referenced a video of Adesanya and his dog which appears to be a bit of a sore subject for “The Last Stylebender”, as was proven after the Strickland fight.

“I think he said, ‘Don’t kiss me’, as far as I know. I said I’m no dog so I won’t and you know, I don’t really know what he was saying. I wasn’t really focused on what he was saying.”

Jon Jones Says He Has Experienced ‘Spirit Channelling’ & Magic’ For Himself Following UFC 303 Controversy

Alex Pereira and Ji?í Procházka are two of the most intense individuals in the sport when it comes to fight night.

Before UFC 303 got underway, Procházka spoke about how he believed “Poatan” was using the help of magic and spirits in his fight, asking him to abstain in their rematch.

Whilst Pereira offered a classy response to this in his post-fight interview after beating the former champion, UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones is the latest to weigh in on this.

He posted on social media about how there is some truth to this based on his experiences of stepping into certain arenas and coming up against specific opponents.

“There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always will be undefeated. Every knee shall bow.”

Nate Diaz Reveals How He Negotiated A Much Higher Purse For His First Fight With Conor McGregor

Nate Diaz has always been a cult icon in combat sports but UFC 196 was a moment that changed his life forever.

The Stockton fighter became a huge name overnight when he stepped into the main event on late notice to fight Conor McGregor in one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.

Diaz was well compensated for stepping up to save the day in place of Rafael Dos Anjos but he did have to put his foot down in order to get a much higher purse than was initially offered.

He told MMA great Demetrious Johnson during an interview on The MightyCast how he knew what his own value was at the time and made sure he was suitably compensated.

“At the time, it was (the biggest pay check I’d received). But they were trying to give me pennies for that too,” Diaz said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, right. I know what I’m doing here. I’ve been through it.’ I’d already been into it with the organization about that. So they called me and they were like, ‘Hey, while you’re going to do this, we’re going to give you a million dollars.’ I was like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna give me more than that.’

“So I got like five times more than that because of that. I knew the game by then and I was like, ‘F*ck that,’” Diaz continued. “Remember when I was telling you about how if I fight every two months, I could be rich. That basic math attitude kind of f*cking times 10, times 100, over and over again. So I knew what it was with the whole money in the business and sh*t. I might not be educated but I’m not stupid.”

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: Dricus Du Plessis Lands Verbal TKO To Israel Adesanya During Heated Staredown At UFC 305 Press Conference, Jon Jones Responds To Rumors Of ‘Spirit Channeling & Magic’ In MMA Following Alex Pereira Fight, & More at MMA News.

MMA News Today: UFC Lightweights Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler, McGregor Involved In Social Media Throwdown, UFC Commentator Feels Michael ‘Venom’ Page Displayed ‘Lack Of Depth’ In Loss To Ian Garry, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 2, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Top UFC Lightweights Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler & McGregor Engage In Social Media Crossfire Some of the top names in the UFC’s lightweight division have been exchanging blows on […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: UFC Lightweights Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler, McGregor Involved In Social Media Throwdown, UFC Commentator Feels Michael ‘Venom’ Page Displayed ‘Lack Of Depth’ In Loss To Ian Garry, & 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 2, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler & McGregor all trade shots
  • Sanko says “MVP” needs the right dance partner
  • Cejudo still has Pereira grappling concerns

Top UFC Lightweights Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler & McGregor Engage In Social Media Crossfire

Some of the top names in the UFC’s lightweight division have been exchanging blows on social media with Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler all letting their feelings about one another be known.

The conversation was sparked by a post from Poirier where he said if Arman Tsarukyan is unable to fight for the lightweight title, he would be happy to jump back in with Makhachev following their fight at UFC 302.

“The Diamond” had also been firing back at Conor McGregor in response to the recent social media posts that were made by “The Notorious” in reference to their previous encounters.

Makhachev replied to Poirier’s message, as did fellow top lightweight Chandler who then also went back-and-forth with the lightweight champion due to their history inside the Octagon.

The full series of crossfire posts shows that there is no love lost between any of the four lightweights.

Laura Sanko Says Michael ‘Venom’ Page Needs The Right Match-Up After UFC 303 Defeat

Michael “Venom” Page was defeated by Ian Garry at UFC 303 after the Irishman used his grappling to secure the victory.

Whilst Page had some strong moments on the feet, he was taken down and out-grappled by one of the welterweight contenders who isn’t known for this particular skill set.

UFC commentator Laura Sanko spoke in an interview with Submission Radio about how this fight showed some of the flaws in Page’s game.

She said that whilst there are still plenty of options for “MVP” in the UFC, it needs to be against the right opponent after what we saw this past weekend.

“Yeah, he definitely showed a little bit of lack of depth in terms of the details of the ground game and I think anybody that really appreciates the fine art of jiu-jitsu is going to spot those.

“There are still plenty of really interesting, fun fights for MVP on the UFC roster. The truth of the matter is he needs the right stylistic match-up.”

Henry Cejudo Says The Jury Is Still Out On Alex Pereira And His Grappling

Former UFC champ-champ Henry Cejudo isn’t ready to start calling Alex Pereira the best in the world right now due to one concern.

“Triple C” spoke on his Pound 4 Pound podcast about how “Poatan” is still yet to face an elite grappler that will be able to take him out of his comfort zone.

Despite being able to deal with other strikers in emphatic fashion, as he did in the main event of UFC 303, a huge test awaits him in Magomed Ankalaev.

Cejudo also referred to the fact that Pereira is yet to mention a potential super fight with the heavyweight champion Jon Jones because of the wrestling pedigree that “Bones” brings to the table.

“Either way, Alex Pereira, he’s not mentioning Jon Jones because I think he knows that Jon Jones has that special sauce, and it’s called wrestling. But that being said, I want to see the fight with Ankalaev.”

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: UFC Lightweights Makhachev, Poirier, Chandler, McGregor Involved In Social Media Throwdown, UFC Commentator Feels Michael ‘Venom’ Page Displayed ‘Lack Of Depth’ In Loss To Ian Garry, & More at MMA News.